The Easy Way to Make Fried Eggs with Crispy Edges and Perfectly Cooked Yolks Every Time

Fried eggs

Fried eggs are one of those magical foods that work for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Of course, there’s the classic pairing—with toast for mopping up the delicious yolk—but they’re also a cheap, tasty way to add protein to everything from salad and pasta to sandwiches (especially a BLT) and pizza.

And of course, if you’re making fried eggs, you’re striving for crispy edges and a perfectly gooey yolk every time. And that’s where this trick comes in handy.

You may already be cooking your fried eggs in olive oil, which is a great start for crispy edges, but if you want to take it up a notch, the key is basting your fried eggs in olive oil. It's an easy technique signed off on by us, as well as the food pros at the New York Times and Serious Eats. And it's super easy to do.

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First, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a carbon steel, cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high until it’s hot, then crack your eggs directly into the pan. Let them to fry without touching or moving them for a few minutes until the edges start turning golden brown.

Now comes the secret.

Carefully tilt your pan so you can spoon up a bit of the hot oil, then pour it over the egg whites and around the edges of the yolk.

Repeat this for about a minute and ta da! Your whites will not only be browned and crispy on the bottom but on the top too, and the yolk will be perfectly set without cooking too much from underneath.

Such a simple technique to upgrade your fried eggs!

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