How To Make Over Easy Eggs
How To Make Over Easy Eggs – This no-fail guide shows you how to cook a perfectly soft, runny, and delicious skillet fried over easy egg – in under 5 minutes!
Why We Love This Egg Recipe
Over Easy Eggs, or Eggs Over Easy. Although the word “easy” is in the title, some people feel this is far from the truth.
Today I’m going to show you how to make perfect Over Easy Eggs that are gently cooked on both sides with a runny yolk in the center.
What makes a perfect over easy egg?
First and foremost, the white is to be cooked over low heat so that it is not brown or singed around the edges. Instead, the white is cooked until just firm, then flipped to encapsulate the yoke in the center. The yolk doesn’t actually have to be symmetrically in the center of the egg white, but you do want a thin layer of white coating the yolk on all sides. Also, the yolk should be just barely cooked so it is still quite runny when you cut into it with a fork.
An Over Easy Egg has a delicate texture that’s similar to the texture of a poached egg. However, over easy eggs are cooked thin, so they are great to top other dishes with like toast, grits, or breakfast potatoes, or to use as a layer in a breakfast sandwich or even on a burger! The yolk acts as a “sauce” for the whites or other items on the plate.
This recipe is in fact quite simple. You just need to keep a few key things in mind, and then take the time to practice on a few eggs to get the hang of it.
Ingredients and Equipment You Need
- Egg – large brown
- Oil spray – canola or olive oil spray are some of our favorites
- Seasonings – salt and pepper and/or other seasonings like smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic salt
Equipment – small nonstick skillet and a thin silicone spatula to flip the egg
Note: Larger spatulas work better than little rubber spatulas for the best fried eggs.
How to Make Over Easy Eggs
Set a small non-stick pan over low heat. Spray the non-stick skillet once with oil or butter spray. It’s important that you have a very fine layer of fat in the pan, but not too much.
Tap the egg on the side of the skillet, or on the counter, and leave your hands low above the hot skillet.
Note: You can cook more than one egg at a time in a large skillet, but it’s harder to keep them neat and separated. While you are learning, practice with one egg at a time.
Gently break the egg into the center of the skillet, being careful not to crack open the yolk.
Note: If you are feeling very particular, you can even use the edge of the shell to hold the yolk in the center of the white for a few seconds so that it stays there instead of moving to the side.
Cook on low for about two minutes, making sure the egg white is set but does not turn golden or brown.
Gently slide a flat nonstick spatula completely under the egg.
Get the Complete (Printable) Guide for How to Cook Over Easy Eggs with VIDEO Below. Enjoy!
Carefully flip it over on the other side in the center of the pan.
Cook on the second side for approximately one minute, just until the white is cooked through, but not a minute longer.
Season the egg in the pan, or move to a plate and season as desired. We recommend at least salt and black pepper.
Best Over Easy Egg Tips
Remember to keep the temperature low. If your eggs are turning golden or brown within the first two minutes the heat is too high.
Crack the egg very low to the skillet, so the yolk doesn’t break, being careful not to touch your fingers to the hot pan.
Lift to flip when the edges are dry.
Make sure the yolk is as centered as possible before flipping.
Make sure to get the spatula completely under the egg before you attempt to flip it.
It’s perfectly normal for the white to be an irregular shape. This can even be a feature of what makes over easy egg special. However, if you want them to be perfectly round, you can find silicone molds to sit in your skillet. Make sure to spray the molds with nonstick spray before using.
Serving Suggestions
Dust with a bit of spice, dash on some hot sauce, add a squirt of ketchup, or a scoop of salsa… There’s no wrong way to enjoy a perfectly cooked egg!
A soft and runny egg is just right to pair with Avocado Toast and Irish Cheese Toasties. And of course, this iconic protein is perfect alongside other breakfast classics! Here are some of our favorite recipes:
- Pancakes and Sheet Pan Pancakes
- The Best Waffles
- Traditional French Toast and Air Fryer French Toast
- Fluffy Southern Cat Head Biscuits with Sausage Gravy
- Oven Cooked Bacon
- Breakfast Salad
But don’t stop at breakfast! This recipe is also egg-cellent to include any time as part of your savory dishes. Enjoy on top of a Waffle Sandwich, Huevos Rancheros, Korean Bibimbap, or Mean Green Buddha Bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sunny side up eggs are only cooked on one side, so the yolk sits on top as a bright yellow orb and very loose. Eggs over easy are gently cooked on both sides, so the yolk is tucked inside an egg white pocket, but still loose. Both are considered fried eggs, but very runny eggs.
Good question. It really depends on how you like your yolks! Over easy yolks are runny and smooth, but ever so slightly more cooked. An egg cooked sunny side up tends to have a yolk that is more raw in texture.
Over low heat, fried eggs should cook for 1-3 minutes per side, depending on how runny you like your yolks. We recommend the egg cook time of 2 minutes on one side, then 1 minutes on the second side.
Eggs themselves are quite healthy little sources of protein, good fats, and nutrients. However, pregnant women and those with health concerns are always advised to avoid undercooked foods.
No, you really don’t want to make these ahead of time. If done properly the yolk will stay rather runny, but runny eggs are definitely most delicious freshly cooked.
Looking for More Easy Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Easy Ramen Egg Recipe
- The Best Deviled Eggs Recipe
- Easy Way to Peel Boiled Eggs
- How to Make Pickled Eggs (Spicy Beet Pickled Eggs Recipe)
- The Best Classic Egg Salad
How To Make Over Easy Eggs (Recipe + VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 1 Egg
- Oil spray
- Salt and pepper
- Additional seasonings: smoked paprika cayenne pepper, garlic salt
Instructions
- Set a small nonstick skillet over low heat. Spray the skillet once with oil or butter spray. It’s important that you have a very fine layer of fat in the pan, but not too much.
- Tap the egg on the side of the skillet, or on the counter. Holding your hands low to the skillet, gently break the egg into the center of the skillet, being careful not to crack open the yolk. *If you are feeling very particular, you can even use the edge of the shell to hold the yolk in the center of the white for a few seconds so that it stays there instead of moving to the side.
- Cook the egg on low for about two minutes, making sure the egg white is set but does not turn golden or brown.
- Gently slide a flat nonstick spatula completely under the egg. Carefully flip the egg over on the other side in the center of the pan. *Larger spatulas work better than a little rubber spatulas.
- Cook on the second side for approximately one minute, just until the white is cooked through, but not a minute longer.
- Move the egg to a plate and season as desired.
- Repeat as many times as needed.
Video
Notes
- Remember to keep the temperature low. If your eggs are turning golden or brown within the first two minutes the heat is too high.
- Crack the egg very low to the skillet, so the yolk doesn’t break, being careful not to touch your fingers to the hot pan.
- Lift the egg to flip it when the edges are dry.
- Make sure the yolk is as centered as possible before flipping the egg.
- Make sure to get the spatula completely under the egg before you attempt to flip it.
- It’s perfectly normal for the white to be an irregular shape. This can even be a feature of what makes over easy egg special. However, if you want your over easy eggs to be perfectly round, you can find silicone molds to sit in your skillet. Make sure to spray the molds with nonstick spray before using.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! The instructions were super easy and the eggs turned out perfectly!
Thank you so much for this! It is so easy to follow and turned out really amazing!
For the first time, I made a soft and runny fried over easy eggs! The instructions are very easy to follow and turned out so delicious!