- Skills
- Ingredients
- Eggs
Emma Christensen
Emma Christensen
Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories
Andrea Rivera Wawrzyn
Andrea Rivera WawrzynAssociate Food Editor, The Kitchn
Andrea is the Associate Food Editor at The Kitchn. She is a lifelong chef and full-time clog enthusiast. Her passions include grabbing more books at the library than she can read in the time allotted and the relentless pursuit of the perfect burrito. She lives in Salem, MA with her husband and two cats.
updated May 15, 2024
comments
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
How do you cook your morning eggs? As a big fan of yolks, over-easy and sunny-side-up eggs are two of my favorite ways to fry eggs (and I’ve tried a lot of ways.) Each results in a slightly different experience: over-easy eggs have a really runny yolk perfect for dipping and sunny-side-up eggs have a slightly more set yolk better suited for sandwiches.
The terms for these two techniques are used almost interchangeably, so it can be hard to know which is which. Here we break down the differences, so you can have your perfect egg every morning.
Quick Overview
The Difference Between Sunny-Side Up and Over Easy Eggs
Sunny-side-up eggs are only cooked on one side and never flipped, over-easy eggs are flipped so that they’re cooked on both sides.
What Are Sunny-Side-Up Eggs?
An egg cooked “sunny-side-up” means that it is fried just on one side and never flipped. The yolk is still completely liquid and the whites on the surface are barely set. You can cover the pan briefly to make sure the whites are cooked or baste them with butter.
Sunny-side up eggs are what you’ll find perched on top of a bowl of fried rice, breakfast hash, or saucy noodles. The runny yolk is perfect for stirring into plated dishes.
How to Make Sunny-Side Up Eggs
- Heat the pan. Melt butter or heat cooking oil in a nonstick skillet (traditional nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron will both work.) Tilt the skillet to spread the fat around the bottom of the skillet.
- Add eggs. Carefully crack eggs into a small bowl, being careful not to break the yolks. Gently tip them into the pre-heated skillet, Sprinkle the eggs with salt.
- Cook. Cook the eggs, undisturbed until the whites are set, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes.
- Serve. Use a wide spatula to transfer the eggs to a plate. Serve.
What Are Over-Easy Eggs?
An egg cooked “over easy” means that it gets fried on both sides. It’s not cooked for very long on the second side, so the yolk doesn’t get cooked through and stays runny. Over easy eggs are great for egg sandwiches and on top of burgers. The yolk is slightly more set than a sunny-side up egg, which makes this preparation slightly less messy to eat when squished between two pieces of bread.
To make one, you cook the raw egg just until the whites are set on the bottom, then you quickly flip it over to cook the other side. “Over” refers to flipping the egg, and “easy” refers to the doneness of the yolk. You can also cook eggs “over medium” and “over hard,” depending on how cooked you prefer the yolk.
How to Cook Over Easy Eggs
- Heat the skillet. Heat cooking oil or butter in a nonstick skillet (traditional nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron will both work.) Tilt the skillet to spread the fat around the bottom of the skillet.
- Add eggs. Crack eggs into the heated pan, being careful not to break the yolks. If you’re worried about getting shells in the skillet, crack the eggs into a small bowl first and then gently tip them into the skillet. Sprinkle the eggs with salt.
- Cook. Cook the eggs, undisturbed, over medium heat until the whites are almost set, about 2 minutes.
- Flip. Use a wide spatula to carefully flip the eggs over.
- Finish cooking. Continue to cook the eggs until the whites are completely set, about 30 additional seconds. Serve.
7 Great Ways to Enjoy Over-Easy and Sunny-Side-Up Eggs
- Avocado and Egg Breakfast Pizza
- 3-Ingredient Pesto Zoodle Bowl
- Fried Egg Taco with Toasted Chili Oil
- Radish and Turnip Hash with Fried Eggs
- Spicy Vegetarian Breakfast Nachos
Filed in:
Breakfast
Eggs
Ingredient
