How to Cook Over Easy Eggs: Tips, Techniques, and Recipe

Over easy eggs are fried eggs cooked on both sides for a very short amount of time, until the egg whites are just about set and the yolk is still runny.

In egg-speak, “over” can be understood as the action of flipping in a frying pan, and what comes next corresponds to the doneness of the yolk. There is no one perfect egg (although Chef Gordon Ramsay’s poached egg comes close)—only the perfect egg for right now.

• Over easy eggs. Eggs “over easy,” as the second to lowest rung (after sunny side up), means a completely runny yolk set in lightly set whites.
• Over medium eggs. Eggs cooked “over medium” result in firm whites and yolks like a loose custard (jammy, like in soft-boiled eggs).
• Over hard eggs. “Over hard” eggs are fried until the yolks are fully cooked through and have reached a flaky, crumbly texture, similar to the center of a hard-boiled egg.

A sunny-side-up egg is only fried on one side, leaving the yolk raw and the whites just barely set, usually with slightly crispy sides. Over-easy eggs are quickly fried on both sides for a light seal on top of the egg and a contained runny yolk. Each method only takes a few minutes, with an extra 20-30 seconds for over-easy.

Cooking eggs can be wondrously complex, but unless you’re whipping up a fluffy meringue or a multi-step hollandaise, there’s no need to overthink it. Just don’t take your eyes off them and a fried egg will treat you right.

• Stovetop. The most common way to make over-easy eggs is fried in a nonstick pan or skillet on the stove. Simply heat a greased pan (you can use vegetable oil or even butter) and crack raw eggs onto its surface. Cook until just set, gently flip, and cook for 20-30 seconds more.
• Microwave. Making over-easy eggs in the microwave is really more of a sunny-side-up egg since you won’t get the signature seal without a pan surface. Preheat a microwave-safe plate and melt a little butter over the surface. Crack an egg onto the plate, then return to the microwave and cook for about 45 seconds, until whites are set.

To flip an over-easy egg, gently slide a spatula under the fried side of the egg and lift from the pan’s surface. Tip the spatula slowly (but also swiftly—don’t hesitate!) until the uncooked corner touches the pan, then lay the egg yolk-side down. Once the seal forms, it will be easy to slide the spatula under again without breaking the yolk.

Get creative with these quick ideas for over-easy eggs.

1. 1. In a breakfast spread with slices of toast, strips of bacon or sausage, and home fries to soak up the last bits of yolk.
2. 2. With salsa verde and bread for dipping.
3. 3. In the center of your favorite pizza.
4. 4. Layered into a brunch burger or a sandwich.