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If you’re looking for a new way to fry an egg, we’ve got you covered. We’re going to show you 4 different ways to fry an egg so that you can make the perfect sunny side up, over easy, over medium, and over hard. Let’s get started!
Featured with this recipe
- How to Fry an Egg Four Easy Ways
- How to Fry an Egg Sunny-Side-Up
- How to Fry an Egg Over Easy
- How to Make Eggs Over Medium
- How to Make Eggs Over Hard
- Add Flavor to the Types of Fried Eggs
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recipes Using Types of Fried Eggs
- More Easy Ways to Cook Eggs
- How to Fry an Egg Four Ways
- How to Fry an Egg (4 ways) Recipe
Different types of fried eggs are a quick and inexpensive way to get a healthy boost of protein, especially in the morning! Eggs are simple to make and easy to cook in several different ways. A fried egg can be cooked in a variety of ways leaving the yolk runny or not. Create the best type of fried egg each morning 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, potatoes, over roasted vegetables, with steak… the possibilities are endless! My favorite way to have a fried egg is on some avocado toast with cheese and a slice of fresh tomato.
How to Fry an Egg Four Easy Ways
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 types of fried eggs, your favorite way, every time.
The nice thing about different types of fried eggs is they are basically all done the same way, just for different amounts of time. No matter what pan you use, 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 Make Eggs 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 Make Eggs 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. For those who want to still experience the taste of the yolk 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.
Add Flavor to the Types of Fried Eggs
To add flavoring we add sauces and seasonings to your egg. A simple sprinkle of salt and pepper, sriracha, ketchup, or hot sauce is always delicious. Add your favorite seasoning and see what flavors and deliciousness you can come up with on your fried eggs!
- Bread – Toast your whole wheat or white bread, English muffins, or sourdough bread. These are all delicious to dip in the yolk and make into a sandwich for enjoying.
- Protein – Ham, sausage, and bacon are all great ways to have as a side dish. Adds to the protein but also gives you a little balance and fullness.
- Spicy – Add in hot sauce or sriracha.
- Seasoning – Lemon pepper, basil, dill, or Alpine seasoning are all great ways to add flavor to your eggs.
- Condiments – Some people love to add ketchup on top of their fried eggs.
“I’ve been cooking for awhile but I don’t make a lot of eggs so this was a really helpful tutorial! Thanks for the step by steps!”
-Liz
Frequently Asked Questions
A nonstick pan, skillet, or griddle is the easiest to use and I would recommend it to everyone starting out. Nonstick skillets are by far the most foolproof way to go. If you want to use a cast iron skillet, be sure to use one that is well-seasoned. The more seasoned the pan, the more non-stick qualities it will have. Stainless steel pans are my least favorite because they stick the most and you have more of a risk of breaking the yolk.
It takes about three to four minutes for the egg to cook. If you are flipping the egg for about one to two minutes on each side. The egg white will firm and the corns will begin to curl slightly.
Yes and no! If you are frying a sunny-side-up egg it is not flipped but an over-easy egg will be flipped. Learn how to fry an egg and which egg you are looking to fry to know when eggs need to be flipped and which eggs do not.
Frying an egg does not have a temperature gauge that it needs to reach like meat. Seeing the egg frying in a pan is what is going to show you if it is cooked or not. The edges of the white part of the egg will begin to turn and may even have some browning depending on the hot oil or spray that is in the pan or griddle.
Recipes Using Types of Fried Eggs
Make a complete meal with these types of fried eggs! The options are endless and are easy to make with how to fry an egg. Learn the basics of frying an egg and add it to your favorite ingredients making it a delicious breakfast or even breakfast for dinner! The possibilities are endless!
READ NEXT: 33+ Breakfast Ideas
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 eggs. Do a quick scramble in the morning or boil eggs for a poached egg or hard-boiled egg. These are more options to be a chef in your own kitchen!
How to Fry an Egg Four Ways
How to Fry an Egg (4 ways)
Video
Equipment
- Non-stick pan
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle on low to medium low heat. Coat with butter or spray with cooking spray and crack an egg directly into the pan. If you are worried about egg shells getting into the pan, you can break the egg into a small bowl and then pour it into the pan.
- After 20-30 seconds, sprinkle 1 teaspoon water over top of the egg to help egg steam and cook through. Do not flip. Continue to cook an additional 1-3 minutes or until egg whites are completely cooked and opaque but yolk is still runny. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately or continue to cook to one of the doneness levels below.
For Over Easy:
- Using a plastic, flat spatula flip the egg and cook an additional 20 seconds. Yolk should remain runny. Season with salt and pepper.
For Over Medium:
- Flip egg and continue to cook until yolk is only cooked about half-way (about 1 additional minute). Yolk should only be slightly runny. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
For Over Hard:
- After flipping egg, cook for an additional 2 to 2 ½ minutes or until yolk is completely cooked through. You can also gently break the yolk to assure the yolk completely cooks. Season to taste and serve.
This is why people have a hard time getting eggs the way they want them when eating out. An over easy egg has runny yolk and slightly runny white. An over medium egg has set whites and runny yolk, an over medium well egg has set whites with a part set part runny yolk, and over well egg has set whites and set cooked yolk and an over hard egg is fried hard with cooked whites and a broken cooked yolk.
I love fried eggs. This is so helpful.
This is helpful to explain the different types of fried eggs! Most days I prefer over easy, but doesn’t Sunny Side Up just sound like a great way to start the day?!
I’ve been cooking for awhile but I don’t make a lot of eggs so this was a really helpful tutorial! Thanks for the step by steps!