How to Fry Eggs: 4 Delicious Types of Fried Eggs and How to Cook Them

Elevate Your Breakfast with Versatile and Delicious Fried Eggs

Fried eggs are a quick and inexpensive way to get a healthy boost of protein, especially in the morning! More often than not, I start my day by grabbing the frying pan to whip up a quick and tasty breakfast of fried eggs. Eggs are simple to make and easy to cook in several different ways. Whether you leave the yolk runny or hard, you can fry up your perfect egg to start your day off healthy and delicious!

Fried eggs can be made in a variety of ways and in a variety of recipes. You can serve them on toast for breakfast, over rice or potatoes, over roasted vegetables, with steak… the possibilities are endless! My favorite way to have a fried egg is on some toast with fresh sliced avocado, cheese, and a slice of fresh tomato. 

Four Easy Ways to Fry an Egg

There are 4 basic ways of frying eggs and you have probably heard of most of them: Sunny side up, over easy, over medium, and over hard. We will go through each method in detail ,so you will get the perfect fried egg, your favorite way, every time.

The nice thing about fried eggs is regardless the type you prefer, they are basically all cooked the same way, just for different amounts of time. Make sure to keep the heat on low to medium-low heat. Pan-frying over medium heat or medium-high heat will make your oil too hot and will discolor your eggs.

How to Fry an Egg Sunny-Side-Up

Sunny-side up eggs are the easiest to identify. The egg whites are fully cooked and the bright yellow yolk is resting on top. The yolk stays visible because the egg is never flipped. With this method, you get the most runny yolk. Sunny side-up eggs are great for dipping toast and great for presentation with dishes like Chilaquiles and Shakshuka because of the colorful yolk.

Break the egg (fresh eggs are best) into a greased pan over low heat. You can use butter, bacon fat, olive oil, or just plain cooking spray. Do not cover your pan with a lid in an attempt to cook faster. The yolk will start cooking from the top and lose its beautiful color. Add a teaspoon of water after 30 seconds or so to help the egg cook a little faster. Cook until the whites of the egg become opaque and the egg can slide easily around the pan. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

How to Fry an Egg Over Easy

Over-easy eggs have a runny yolk, much like a sunny-side-up egg, however, the yolk isn’t as visible. They hold up better when served in sandwiches because the yolk doesn’t break as easily.

Cook egg according to sunny side up directions over medium heat. Flip and cook for another 20 seconds. Only cook long enough to harden up the egg whites a little more. The yolk should still be completely runny.

How to Fry an Egg Over Medium

Over medium eggs can have yolks that are still quite runny to only slightly runny. The spectrum here can be quite wide. Most of the time, over medium eggs have yolks that are only about halfway cooked through. When you cut it open, you can see the runny yolk surrounded by hardened yolk.

For over-medium eggs, you simply cook another minute longer than you would cook an over-easy egg. You should be able to tell the doneness by pressing on the outside of the yolk. It should still be somewhat soft and bounce back.

How to Fry an Egg Over Hard

Over-hard eggs have yolks that are completely cooked through. You can either break the yolk to hurry the process or you can allow the yolk to harden without breaking it. One advantage to breaking the yolk is that it can be more evenly distributed throughout the cooked egg. If you want to still experience the taste of the yolk, you can keep it intact. There really is no wrong way here, as long as the yolk is totally hard and cooked through. Over-hard eggs are great on sandwiches, especially when you don’t want to make a yolky mess.

Continue cooking the eggs until the yolk cooks through. When you flip the egg, you can press down on the yolk until it breaks or you can puncture it with a fork before or after cooking. Remove from the pan as soon as the yolk is cooked through, no longer. Even though the egg is over-hard, you don’t want it to get rubbery.

Take Your Fried Eggs to the Next Level

Adding flavor to your fried eggs is as simple as adding sauces and seasonings to your egg. A simple sprinkle of salt and pepper, sriracha, ketchup, or hot sauce is always delicious. Try your favorite seasoning and see what delicious flavors you can come up with on your fried eggs! Here are some other additions to try, to add delicious flavor and substance to your fried eggs:

• Bread – Whole wheat or white bread, English muffins, or sourdough bread all go perfectly with fried eggs. These are all delicious to dip in the yolk, or to make into an open-face sandwich for enjoying.
• Protein – Ham, sausage, and bacon are all great ways to add protein and give a little balance and fullness to the dish.
• Spicy – Sprinkle some hot sauce or sriracha over the top of the eggs for some delicious heat!
• Seasoning – Lemon pepper, basil, dill, or Alpine seasoning are all great ways to add flavor to your eggs.
• Condiments – You can’t go wrong with classic ketchup on top of their fried eggs.

Recipes Using Fried Eggs

After learning the basics of how to fry an egg, make a complete meal with these recipes featuring fried eggs. The options are endless and delicious!
Shakshuka
Avocado Toast
Easy Chilaquiles
Avocado Egg Sandwich

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More Easy Ways to Cook Eggs

Now that you know the types of fried eggs and how to fry an egg, try some of these other easy and delicious ways of cooking and preparing eggs. Do a quick scramble in the morning or boil eggs for a poached egg or hard-boiled egg. Be the star chef in your own kitchen!
Scrambled Eggs
Hard Boiled Eggs (Easy Peel)
Omelette in a Bag
Eggs Benedict
Deviled Eggs