Food and Recipes Dairy Eggs How To Make Perfect Over-Easy Eggs Be the first to rate & review! Turn out the perfect eggs over easy every time. By Carrie Honaker Carrie Honaker Carrie Honaker is a freelance writer and pastry chef specializing in food, wine, and travel. Using her background working in and owning restaurants, she provides insight into products and practices for the home cook. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on March 24, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Active Time: 5 mins Total Time: 5 mins Servings: 1 Eggs are a tough culinary lesson to crack. Did you know that a chef’s toque (hat) has 100 pleats symbolizing the 100 ways a professional chef should know how to prepare an egg? How to cook an egg was a cornerstone of my culinary education. They are foundational ingredients in sauces, binders in batters, heroes of shiny golden pie crust, and so much more. They also make a great breakfast, especially cooked softly so the globes of yolk crack when pierced, creating a sauce for crusty toast to sop up. Over-easy eggs are flipped mid-cook so both sides get some heat (unlike their sunny-side up brethren), but pulled from the pan while the yolk is still runny, before it hits medium or hard consistency. The essential components of this operation are a good pan (we love well-seasoned cast iron or nonstick), eggs, and butter. You can use spray or oil, but butter (or bacon grease if you have some) adds a richer, nuttier flavor to your eggs. Ready to cook? Read on and remember we’ve all broken some yolks in pursuit of the perfect over-easy egg. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Keep the heat low You may be tempted to go straight to high heat to finish quickly, but low and slow wins the race with over-easy eggs. Higher heat may cause your whites to brown and the yolk to become too firm. Ingredients 2 large eggs 1 Tbsp. butter Pinch salt Pinch ground black pepper Directions Prepare the eggs: Crack the eggs into a ramekin, glass measuring cup, or custard dish to prevent any shell fragments from making it in the final dish. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Melt butter: Heat butter in a small skillet over medium-low until melted. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Add eggs to pan: Slide eggs into the pan once the butter is melted. Dust with a pinch of salt. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Cook until whites are firm enough (shifted from clear to opaque) to flip and the yolk is still runny, about 3 minutes. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Using a flexible spatula, gently slide the turner under the egg, being careful not to pierce the yolk, and flip the eggs over. Dust with a pinch of salt and pepper. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Finish cooking: Cook until the whites on the other side firm up, about 25 seconds. Gently slide from the pan onto a plate, and serve immediately. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Rate It Print