How to Fry an Egg
Learn how to fry an egg perfectly every time! This fried egg recipe includes instructions for making sunny-side up, over-easy, over-medium and over-hard eggs.
I make a fried egg for breakfast 2-3 times a week, and with all of that egg-frying, I figured it was time I shared my method and tips with you! Since there’s more than one way to fry an egg, I cooked several dozen eggs to test each type for this recipe. Whether you love a runny yolk or a fully set egg, I’ve got you covered with detailed instructions to cook your perfect fried egg.
4 Ways to Fry an Egg
- Sunny-Side Up Eggs are not flipped when cooking, so the yolk stays facing up and golden yellow, hence their name. The yolk is runny and the whites are just set.
- Over-Easy Eggs are flipped over after cooking on the first side (noted by the word “over” in their name). They are cooked very briefly on the second side so that the yolk stays runny.
- Over-Medium Eggs have a partially set yolk. The edges get nice and crispy thanks to a little extra cook time.
- Over-Hard Eggs have a fully cooked yolk and crispy edges.
Below you’ll find instructions for how to cook each type of egg.
Butter or Oil?
I used to always fry eggs in butter, but lately I’ve switched to olive oil. What you use is a matter of personal preference. I’ve found that using butter produces crispier edges and a slight buttery flavor. With olive oil the edges don’t crisp as much (my preference), plus I’m trying to swap butter for olive oil in my cooking when possible.
The Best Pan For Egg Frying
Choose a small nonstick skillet so that the eggs are easy to flip without sticking to the pan. I have a few small ceramic nonstick pans that I love and use every time I fry eggs. My most-used for eggs are my 7-inch pan and a tiny 5-inch egg pan that is the perfect size for frying a single egg.
How to Fry an Egg
Start by heating a little bit of olive oil or butter in the pan over medium heat. Then spread the oil around the pan, crack the egg and add it to the pan, being careful to not puncture the yolk.
Now, you’re going to immediately reduce the heat to medium-low for sunny-side up eggs or to low for all of the “over” types of eggs. Continue cooking according to how you like your fried eggs:
- Sunny-Side Up Eggs: Cook for 2 to 3 minutes over medium-low heat, until the egg white is just set. (Optional: You can cover the pan after the egg cooks for a minute or two to help the white cook through.)
- Over-Easy Eggs: Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes over low heat. Then flip the egg and cook for about 30 more seconds, until the white is just set.
- Over-Medium Eggs: Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes over low heat. Then flip and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 more minutes, until the yolk is partially set.
- Over-Hard Eggs: Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes over low heat, then flip. After a few seconds, use the spatula to lift the egg up a bit so that you can puncture the yolk from the bottom with a fork. Cook for 1 to 1 ½ minutes, until the yolk is firm and cooked through.
Then, finish with a sprinkle of coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. This really makes the flavors pop! Serve with buttered toast, avocado toast, breakfast potatoes or in a breakfast sandwich.
Tips for Success
- When to flip? Flip the egg over as soon as the bottom is cooked enough to not stick to the pan or spatula.
- Is it done? After cooking on the second side, you can gently press the yolk with your finger to see how firm/cooked the yolk is.
- Know your stove. I tested this recipe on my gas stove. If you have an electric stove you may need to adjust the heat/cook times a bit. Experiment to see if low or medium-low heat works best for you. Different stoves can cook slightly differently!
How to Avoid Runny Whites
While I love a runny yolk, I prefer my egg whites fully cooked. I used to make the mistake of cooking fried eggs over too-high of heat. After some failures (extra crispy edges and undercooked whites), I realized that it’s best to keep the heat under the pan low and cook the eggs a bit longer. For sunny-side up eggs where there’s no flipping, I often cover the pan for a short time to trap heat to help the white cook through.
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How to Fry an Egg (4 Ways)
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon olive oil or butter
- 1 large egg
- salt and pepper, optional, for serving
Instructions
Sunny-Side Up
- Heat the oil or butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spread the oil/butter around the pan. Crack the egg into the pan and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the egg white is set. (You can cover the pan after the egg cooks for a minute or two to help the white cook through.) Serve, with salt and pepper if desired.
Over-Easy
- Heat the oil or butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spread the oil/butter around the pan. Crack the egg into the pan and immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook for 2 ½-3 minutes, until the egg white is almost set. Then use a small spatula to carefully flip the egg over and continue cooking for about 30 seconds, until the egg white is just set. Serve, with salt and pepper if desired.
Over-Medium
- Heat the oil or butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spread the oil/butter around the pan. Crack the egg into the pan and immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook for 2 ½-3 minutes, until the egg white is almost set. Then use a small spatula to carefully flip the egg over and continue cooking for about 1-1 ½ more minutes, until the egg yolk is partially set (you can gently press on the egg yolk with your finger to see how firm it is). Serve, with salt and pepper if desired.
Over-Hard
- Heat the oil or butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spread the oil/butter around the pan. Crack the egg into the pan and immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook for 2 ½-3 minutes, until the egg white is almost set. Then use a small spatula to flip the egg over. After a few seconds, use the spatula to lift the egg up a bit so that you can puncture the yolk from the bottom with a fork. Continue cooking for 1-1 ½ minutes, until the yolk is firm and cooked through. Serve, with salt and pepper if desired.
Notes
- When to flip? Flip the egg over as soon as the bottom is cooked enough to not stick to the pan or spatula.
- Is it done? After cooking on the second side, you can gently press the yolk with your finger to see how firm/cooked the yolk is.
- Know your stove. I tested this recipe on my gas stove. If you have an electric stove you may need to adjust the heat/cook times a bit. Experiment to see if low or medium-low heat works best for you. Different stoves can cook slightly differently!
Thanks for this info. Everyone in the family likes their eggs differently! I have found that with the over easy ones, I add just a tablespoon of water in the skillet towards the end and put a lid on it. It steams and cooks the whites totally, while leaving the yolks runny.
That’s a great tip! I’ve done that occasionally as well. It also works when cooking an omelet and trying to get the top to set.