Fried Egg
Ingredients
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- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
1. Heat a small nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium-low heat until warm, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the butter and let it melt and foam, 30–60 seconds, swirling to coat the pan.
3. Crack the egg into a small bowl, then gently slide it into the skillet; reduce heat to low if the butter begins to brown.
4. Cook undisturbed until the edges set and the white is mostly opaque, 2–3 minutes. Tilt the pan and spoon some melted butter over the white once or twice to help it set.
5. For sunny-side up, continue cooking until the white is set but the yolk is still runny, 3–4 minutes total, with gently sizzling edges.
6. For over-easy/medium/hard, slip a thin spatula under the egg and flip. Cook 10–15 seconds for over-easy (yolk very runny), 30–45 seconds for over-medium (yolk slightly jammy), or 60–90 seconds for over-hard (yolk fully set).
7. Season the egg with the kosher salt and black pepper immediately after cooking and transfer to a warm plate.
8. Serve at once while hot and the textures are distinct—tender white and your chosen yolk doneness.
A fried egg is a simple stove-top preparation that turns a single egg into something greater than the sum of its parts. Cooked gently in fat, the white sets tender while the yolk ranges from runny to jammy or firm, depending on preference. The best versions balance softly set whites with either lacy, gently crisp edges or a smooth, delicate surface, seasoned just enough to highlight the egg’s natural richness.
While eggs are fried in some form across the world, the naming of doneness—sunny-side up, over-easy, over-medium, and over-hard—emerged prominently in American diner culture. Comparable traditions exist elsewhere: Spanish-style huevos fritos are often cooked in olive oil for frilled, crispy edges, and many Asian kitchens fry eggs to top rice or noodles. Despite these variations, the core method—hot pan, a bit of fat, and careful heat—has remained a timeless, foundational technique.