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 Instagram Twitter Carrie Honaker is a freelance writer and pastry chef specializing in food, wine, and travel. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on March 24, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email 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