Different Ways to Cook Eggs

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We couldn’t possibly call ourselves a breakfast and brunch recipe site if we didn’t show you some different ways to cook eggs. Eggs are certainly a breakfast and brunch staple and for good reason. They are a complete source of nutrition and contain enough protein for sustained energy – just what you need to keep going all morning!

Eggs do have a reputation for being delicate and fussy to cook. However, with the information we provide here and a little practice you’ll be cooking eggs like a pro in no time!

Equipment

First let’s talk about some of the equipment you will need to cook eggs successfully.

• Large skillet. A nonstick skillet is essential here. Even though we do butter the skillet, that is often not enough to keep eggs from sticking to a skillet that is not nonstick. We use a skillet to cook over easy, over medium, over hard, sunny side up, basted, whipped, and scrambled eggs.
• Griddle. While we love our griddle for cooking pancakes, it’s great for cooking eggs as well. The griddle we recommend here is nonstick, but you should still butter it for the best results. We use our griddle to cook over easy, over medium, over hard, sunny side up, and whipped eggs. For whipped eggs they will spread more thinly and end up with a more crepe-like consistency. We used our griddle to make this tomato omelette.
• Wide nonstick spatula. Nonstick is a common theme with cooking eggs. Eggs are so delicate, we don’t want to give them any reason to stick to anything. When cooking eggs, I spray my nonstick spatula with cooking spray as well for good measure. You will need a wide nonstick spatula to make over easy, over medium, over hard, sunny side up, basted, and whipped eggs.
• Medium saucepan. Any medium size saucepan will do here. No need to worry about it having a nonstick surface. We use the saucepan to cook poached and hard (or soft) cooked eggs in the shell.
• Heatproof rubber spatula. We use the heatproof rubber spatula to make scrambled eggs. It’s important to use heatproof rubber, rather than metal, to prevent scratches and damage to the surface of your nonstick skillet. Nonstick skillets are treated with a special coating to make them nonstick. Damage to this coating will lessen its ability to prevent food from sticking to the pan.
• Steamer basket. We have found that the best way to hard boil eggs is not to boil them at all but rather to steam them. We use a steamer basket in a pan of water about 1 inch deep to make hard (or soft) cooked eggs in the shell.

Over Easy

Over easy eggs are cooked in a skillet or on a griddle. The whites should maintain a smooth and glossy finish and the yolks should be runny.

To make them

1. Add butter to skillet or griddle over low-medium heat.
2. Crack eggs into a ramekin or teacup. (Cracking eggs into a cup first allows you to be sure that the yolks don’t break and to pick out any shell that may have gotten into the egg.) Season with salt and pepper.
3. Carefully add eggs to skillet, and cook until egg whites just begin to set, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Using a wide non-stick spatula, carefully flip so yolks don’t break. Cook for an additional minute.

Over Medium

Over medium eggs are cooked like over easy, but they are cooked just slightly longer to allow the whites to cook through while maintaining runny yolks.

To make them

1. Add butter to skillet or griddle over low-medium heat.
2. Crack eggs into a ramekin or teacup. (Cracking eggs into a cup first allows you to be sure that the yolks don’t break and to pick out any shell that may have gotten into the egg.) Season with salt and pepper.
3. Carefully add eggs to skillet, and cook until egg whites just begin to set, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Using a wide non-stick spatula, carefully flip so yolks don’t break. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Over Hard

As a child, this was my favorite style of skillet-cooked eggs. I suppose, like most children, I couldn’t deal with runny yolks. While I still sort of feel that way as an adult, I can now appreciate the value of runny yolks, especially in this sweet potato breakfast hash or this steak and eggs hash. The yolks create a nice sauce that goes so well with the potatoes. However, if I’m eating fried eggs by themselves, over hard is still my go-to cooking method.

To make them

1. Add butter to skillet or griddle over low-medium heat.
2. Crack eggs into a ramekin or teacup. (Cracking eggs into a cup first allows you to be sure that the yolks don’t break and to pick out any shell that may have gotten into the egg.) Season with salt and pepper.
3. Carefully add eggs to skillet, break the yolks, and cook until the egg is solid throughout. To avoid scrambled eggs, do not disturb or move the egg around while cooking.
4. Using a wide non-stick spatula, flip, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Sunny Side Up

This is the quintessential all around most popular way of cooking fried eggs, and it’s probably one of the easiest methods because there is no flipping involved! You simply crack the eggs into the skillet and let them cook. I think this method makes for the best presentation as well. Sunny side up is definitely the way to go if you want to make a croque madame.

To make them

1. Butter the skillet.
2. Crack eggs onto skillet, season with salt and pepper, and turn heat to low-medium heat. Cook for about 3 minutes or until desired firmness. Do not flip.

Basted

Of all of the egg cooking methods that we are sharing today, I would venture to guess that this one is least familiar to you. This method is similar to sunny side up, except it uses steam to create a thin film of egg white over the yolk. It’s a lovely alternative to poached eggs and looks rather beautiful in my opinion.

To make them

1. Butter the skillet.
2. Crack eggs onto skillet, season with salt and pepper, and turn heat to low-medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of water. Cover with a lid and cook for 1-2 minutes. Do not flip.

Poached

The infamous Eggs Benedict has popularized the poached cooking method for eggs. It just wouldn’t be a Benedict if the eggs weren’t poached. This is actually an easy cooking method once you learn a proper technique.

To make them

1. Fill a shallow pot or deep skillet with water about 2½ inches deep. Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.
2. Heat water to about 170 F. Water is hot enough when it appears that it is just about to simmer but not quite. Use a wire whisk to spin the water to create a whirlpool.
3. Crack eggs into the water one at a time.
4. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes for a runny yolk. You can cook longer for a hard poached egg. Use a slotted spoon to remove eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Whipped

The whipped method is used to make omelets and frittatas. This is certainly the most popular method in my house behind scrambled. This is great if you want a more hearty breakfast or something special for brunch, lunch, or dinner. The versatility of omelets and frittatas is great. You can add just about any variety of savory filling to make a complete meal.

To make them

1. Add butter to skillet over low-medium heat.
2. Crack eggs into a blender or bowl. Blend or whisk for about 30 seconds.
3. Pour eggs onto skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until edges begin to set.
4. Take a heatproof spatula and push the egg toward the center of the skillet. At the same time, lift and tilt the pan to allow the liquid egg on top to flow underneath, then cook for 30 seconds longer. Repeat as necessary along the perimeter until no liquid egg remains. Our California omelette recipe post demonstrates how to do this in photos.
5. For an omelet, fold one side over the other side or serve open-faced like a frittata.

Scrambled

This method is hands down the most popular method in our house. If I’m honest, we eat scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits for breakfast pretty darn often. My husband can’t get enough of these eggs, and I don’t mind making them for him at all, not just because I love him, but because these eggs are so easy, healthy, and delicious!

How to make them

1. Add butter to skillet over low-medium heat.
2. Crack eggs into a blender or bowl. Blend or whisk for about 30 seconds.
3. Pour eggs onto skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until edges begin to set.
4. Run a heatproof rubber spatula through the eggs and continue stirring and cooking until eggs are mostly set but still a bit runny. Remove from heat.

Hard (or Soft) Cooked in Shell

The usefulness of a hard cooked egg seems to have no end. From slicing them up to top off a salad, to using them to make egg salad or deviled eggs, to simply having them on hand as a grab-and-go breakfast or healthy snack, this is a cooking method that you definitely want to have in your back pocket.

To make them

1. Add water to a saucepan 1 inch deep. Insert a steamer basket.
2. Place eggs (in the shell) in the basket. Cover and steam for 6-7 minutes for soft cooked and 12-15 minutes for hard cooked.
3. Meanwhile, prepare an ice water bath. After eggs are done cooking, use tongs to remove them from the steamer basket, and carefully drop them into the ice water bath.
4. Remove shell and season eggs with salt and pepper as desired.

Click here to see the different ways to cook eggs in a visual story.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it. I hope you have found this list to be helpful. I’m sure there are many more cooking methods that I have forgotten. I will be sure to update this article as I think of them.

We have found that eggs are best cooked and eaten fresh. Depending on the recipe, some egg dishes may be frozen or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days.

Related Recipes

Now that you’re hungry for eggs, here are a few of our favorite egg recipes!

• California Omelette
• Breakfast Nachos
• Ham and Cheese Frittata
• Overnight Sausage Breakfast Casserole

See more egg recipes →

The inspiration for this article came from the First Watch cookbook.

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