Perfect Sunny-Side-Up Eggs

Article by Layla Khoury-Hanold

Many consider sunny side up eggs the perfect fried egg, with their tender, just-set whites and perfectly runny yolks. Sunny side up fried eggs are delicious served for breakfast alongside potatoes, toast and hash, but they also make a great addition to sandwiches, salads, and grain bowls. With Jeff Mauro’s easy sunny side up eggs recipe, you’ll learn the best pan to use, the essential step to prevent yolks from breaking, how long to cook them for and why low-and-slow is the best way to cook perfect sunny side up eggs.

How to Make Sunny Side Up Eggs Like a Pro

Start with a nonstick skillet. A good nonstick skillet is essential for ensuring the eggs easily release from the pan (and easy clean-up).

Crack each egg into a small ramekin instead of directly into the pan. It’s tempting to cracking your eggs directly into the pan, but this motion could break a yolk. Instead, carefully crack each egg into a ramekin or small bowl. Then gently slide each egg, one at a time, into the skillet.

Cover the pan to ensure optimal doneness. Covering the skillet with a tight lid is essential to frying eggs with perfectly set whites and runny yolks. Use a glass lid so that you can keep an eye on the eggs without disturbing them while cooking.

Cook low and slow. Cooking the eggs uninterrupted over low heat for about 2 to 2 ½ minutes allows the whites and yolks to cook evenly to their desired doneness and prevents the whites from burning.

Season and serve the eggs. Slide the eggs out of the pan carefully, using a spatula if necessary. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Best Pan for Sunny Side Up Eggs

The best pan for sunny side up eggs is a non-stick skillet or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. A non-stick skillet ensures that the eggs won’t stick and that they’ll stay intact when you remove them from the pan, plus it makes clean up a breeze. A well-seasoned cast iron skillet functions like a nonstick skillet but makes for slightly crispier edges on your fried eggs.

How Long to Cook Sunny Side Up Eggs

Cook sunny side up eggs over low heat in a covered non-stick skillet for 2 to 2 ½ minutes. This will ensure that the eggs are just-set and the yolk is perfectly runny.

Over Easy vs Sunny Side Up: What’s the Difference?

Sunny side up eggs are cooked only on one side without flipping so the whites are just-set and the yolk is very runny. Over-easy eggs are flipped part-way through cooking and fried on both sides, so the yolk is more cooked but still runny. Sunny side up eggs have a runnier yolk that makes them ideal for dipping, topping breakfast hash or adding to grain bowls, while over-easy eggs have a more-set yolk that makes them better suited for sandwiches or burgers.

What to Serve with Sunny Side Up Eggs

Sunny side up eggs can be served with breakfast sides such as homefries, hash browns, avocado toasts or Jeff’s Sweet Patater Hash, or take a starring role in Jeff’s Freezer Fry-Up with Sunny Side-Up Eggs. Serve sunny side up eggs with some of Jeff’s best brunch recipes, such as alongside Lemon Blueberry French Toast Bake, atop Corned Beef Hash Benedict with Cheesy Mornay Sauce or tucked into Eggs Benedictwich.

Sunny side up eggs also add protein and a gooey runny yolk texture to lunch or dinner fare like sandwiches, salads and gain bowls. Try making Jeff’s Fried Egg and Oyster Sandwich, this autumnal Root Vegetable Salad with Fried Eggs, a hearty Barley Bistro Bowl or these BLT Quinoa Bowls.