My Unconventional Advice for Making the Perfect Fried Egg

Master every style of fried eggs with this one simple method. (Alex Lepe/TNS)

Knowing how to fry an egg is one of the most useful skills to learn in the kitchen. Fried eggs are a must-have for breakfast, or really any meal. As long as you can fry an egg, you can take a piece of buttered toast, a bowl of salad greens, or a scoop of steamed rice to the next level. Here’s a step-by-step guide to cooking fried eggs exactly the way you want them, whether it’s sunny-side-up, over-easy, over-medium, or over-hard.

Why You’ll Love It

• Once you’ve mastered this basic technique, you’re set! The technique starts the same way for every style of fried egg. We’ll teach you how to customize your fried egg by deciding if you’ll flip it or leave it sunny-side-up, and how long to let it cook to reach your desired yolk consistency.
• It’s extremely versatile. You can dress up your eggs by frying in feta cheese, cooking in chili crisp, or basting in butter.

Key Ingredients in Fried Eggs

• Eggs: This recipe was tested using fresh large eggs straight from the refrigerator, and cooked one at a time. (If you need to cook a big batch of fried eggs all at once, we’ve got you covered.)
• Neutral oil: Wipe a thin layer of oil over the surface of the pan. Too much oil can lead to over-browning of the whites.
• Salt and pepper: Season the eggs with a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

What to Serve With Fried Eggs

• How to Cook Bacon on the Stove
• Huevos Rancheros
• Cheesy Grits with Fried Eggs and Bacon
• Hash Brown Breakfast Sandwiches
• Breakfast BLT

Fried Egg

Serves 1

• 1 teaspoon neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola or alternative
• 1 large egg
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

1. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat for about 1 1/2 minutes. Wipe the bottom of the skillet with a paper towel dipped in 1 teaspoon neutral oil.

2. Crack 1 large egg into a small bowl, and gently tip into the center of the skillet, letting the white begin to set before the yolk hits the pan. (Alternatively, you can slowly crack the egg directly into the skillet.) Sprinkle with 1 pinch kosher salt, and let the egg cook undisturbed until the whites close to the yolk start to set, about 2 minutes.

For sunny-side-up:

1. Cover and cook until the white is set and the yolk is done to your preference, about 30 seconds for runny and 1 1/2 minutes for set.

For over-easy:

1. Carefully flip the egg with a thin spatula and cook briefly until the white and yolk touching the pan are set, but the yolk is still runny, about 30 seconds.

For over-medium:

1. Carefully flip the egg with a thin spatula. Cook until the white is completely set and the yolk is creamy and partially set on the outside and slightly thickened but still runny on the inside, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.

For over-hard:

1. Carefully flip the egg with a thin spatula and cook until the white and yolk are completely set, 4 to 4 1/2 minutes.

2. Transfer to a plate and top with a few grinds of black pepper if desired.

Recipe note: Fried eggs are best eaten immediately after cooking.

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