How to Make a Fried Egg
The fried eggs recipe is a favorite breakfast staple everywhere as it is so quick and easy to prepare. Perfect that sunny side up with this easy recipe! Check out the short video below for a quick tutorial.
Serve this with our other favorite breakfast items like the Toad in the Hole, Baked French Toast Sticks, and Hash Browns!
How to Fry an Egg
The fried egg is so flavorful that you can eat it on its own. You can also add it to other dishes as a topping on hash browns, salads, sandwiches, noodles, or rice. Or, you can serve it with sausages, toasts, and fruit for a hearty breakfast. Everything just tastes better with it.
It is simple yet it can be quite tricky to perfect the technique. Because people have different preferences when it comes to this dish, it is still best to know the basics. But then again, since it is a matter of personal preference, you can never go wrong with this simple but delectable dish that everyone just loves!
In this easy recipe, I will share how to make the version that I like the best – crispy on the edges with a runny yolk! Now, let’s get some eggs cracking!
What is a fried egg?
It is one that is removed from its shell and cooked directly on a heated and oiled pan, usually with the yolk intact.
What are the different types of a fried eggs?
- The sunny side up is probably the most popular. It is made by pouring the egg into an oiled pan carefully without breaking the yolk. The white or albumen will coagulate as it cooks, and it is considered done when it has crisped up. The yolk here remains runny though. Also, this is cooked without flipping.
- If you do flip it, it turns to what is called the over-easy where the yolk is cooked slightly.
- When you cook it longer, the yolk hardens some more and it becomes over medium. When you flip and fry it some more until everything is well-done, then, it is now called over hard.
How to make a fried egg?
- Prepare the egg: Crack it carefully not to break the yellow. Put it in a bowl.
- Prepare the skillet: Heat the skillet to medium-high. Once hot, lower the heat, put some olive oil, and spread it to cover the whole area.
- Pour it in: Pour the egg carefully, dodging some oil splatter. Then, season it.
- Cook: Tilt the pan to spread out the oil and let it cook until the edges are crispy and golden.
- Serve: Once the yolk has cooked to your desired doneness, remove it from heat then, season with paprika and sprinkle some green onions or chives on top.
For Basted Eggs: Follow the same steps, but use 2 Tbsp. butter instead of oil. Then, cook until the edges turn white. Start BASTING them with butter from the pan, and cover the pan in between bastings.
Continue cooking them until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard.
How to make a sunny side fried egg?
To make a sunny side up, follow the same steps but do not cook the yolk thoroughly – it must be runny.
How to make a fried egg over hard?
Make a sunny side up first, then, flip it over. Cook until everything is firm and thick.
How to make a fried egg in the microwave?
- Crack an egg in a microwaveable bowl or dish along with some oil or a piece of butter. Pierce the yolk once to prevent it from exploding.
- Then, cover the bowl with a paper towel or paper plate before putting it in the microwave.
- Cook it until your desired doneness, checking every 15 seconds. Then, season with salt and pepper. As simple as that!
Are fried eggs healthy?
Yes and no. They have high levels of protein and contain vitamins. But, frying them increases the saturated fats. So, it is best that you fry them with healthy oil as in this recipe wherein we use extra-virgin olive oil.
How many calories in a fried egg?
A large one has 92 calories, 70% of which comes from fat, 28% from protein, and 2% from carbs.
When an egg is fried, what happens to the protein in the egg?
Both the yolk and the white contain numerous protein chains in them. Raw ones have water in them that keep each chain loosely floating. But subjecting it to a high temperature will make these chains move fast and become tangled with each other.
Hence, from a slimy raw one, the cooked one looks more solid. The higher the temperature it is cooked at, the more rubbery it becomes.
More delicious breakfast recipes:
- Mini pancakes
- Mexican taco burrito
- Homemade cinnamon rolls
- French classic crepes
- Homemade tater tots
Recipe Tips:
- To check if the pan is hot enough for you to pour oil in, test it with a water drop – it must sizzle upon contact.
- A simple test of freshness: fresh eggs sink in water while not-so-fresh ones float. You can still use those floating ones but discard if you observe foul odor once you crack them open.
- Also, feel free to cook one, two or more eggs at a time depending on how many you need.
- You can serve this with ketchup, hot sauce, or any of your favorite condiments.
- This is best served warm, so, serve immediately after cooking.
Perfect Fried Egg Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 eggs
- Pinch of salt
- Black pepper
- Garnish:
- Paprika
- Green onions finely chopped
Instructions
- If cooking just 1 egg, use a smaller non-stick skillet. If cooking more eggs, use a medium to a large non-stick skillet.
- Crack an egg into a small bowl. If using more eggs, crack each in separate bowls.
- Place the skillet over medium-high heat and heat it up until it’s hot enough that a drop of water sizzles rapidly on contact.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the olive oil, tilt the pan around to cover the whole pan in oil. Wait for the oil to start shimmering.
- Carefully add the egg/eggs into the skillet, immediately season with salt and pepper.
- Let the egg cook, while gently tilting the pan occasionally to redistribute the olive oil. Cook the egg/eggs until the edges are crisp and golden, while the yolk is cooked to your liking: about 2 minutes for runny yolks, 3 minutes for medium yolks.
- Transfer the cooked egg/eggs to a plate.
- Sprinkle with some paprika and garnish with green onions.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
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