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Last updated May 9, 2024
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Here’s how to make sunny side up eggs with a perfectly runny yolk! Eat them for breakfast, sandwiches, rice bowls, and more.
Want to make anything into a meal? Put an egg on it! Alex and I learned that slogan early in our cooking journey, and we still use it to this day. Eggs aren’t just for breakfast: they make a rice bowl or sesame noodles into a filling meal.
So here’s one of our top kitchen basic skills for you: how to make sunny side up eggs! This easy technique makes perfectly cooked whites and a runny, gooey egg yolk: and it’s perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Ready to get frying?
Ingredients and equipment you need
How to make the very best sunny side up eggs? We’ve got your covered. There are a few tips you’ll need to know before you jump into the frying pan, so to speak! Here’s what to know:
- Fresh eggs are best.You can use any eggs here. but the best sunny side up eggs are made with fresh eggs. If your eggs have been in the fridge for a while, the white will spread a lot when it hits the pan. However, this doesn’t affect the flavor and you can move it back with a spatula to round out the shape.
- Use a non-stick or cast iron skillet.These types of pans are the best when it comes to the ease of cooking eggs. While you can still cook in an aluminum pan, non-stick is preferable.
How to make sunny side up eggs
Ready to start frying? Remember: you’ll want to cook eggs on medium low or low heat. The slower the better with eggs, since they’re delicate and can easily be overcooked. Here are the basic steps to a perfectly cooked sunny side up egg:
Step 1: Heat ½ tablespoon butter over medium low heat.
Step 2: Add 1 or 2 eggs and sprinkle with a pinch ofkosher saltand a few grinds black pepper.
Step 3: Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the whites are firm but the yolk is still runny (don’t flip). Remove to a plate and serve.
The best spatula to use is a fish spatula for a cast iron pan or a nylon spatula for a non-stick pan. The cooking process is simple, but it does require a little finesse and confidence. The more you practice, the easier it becomes!
Ways to serve sunny side up eggs
There’s not much that doesn’t taste better with an egg on it! You can literally add an egg to anything and it’s a fantastic boost of protein. (See below for more egg nutrition.) And eggs aren’t just for breakfast! Here are our top ways to serve sunny side up eggs:
- With potatoes. Try with homemade hash browns, oven Hash browns or pan fried potatoes.
- With toast. Add toast or avocado toast and it’s a quick breakfast.
- Sandwich. Make a fried egg sandwich with smoky mayo (yum!).
- Rice bowl: Use it to top Korean bibimbap or bibimbap with quinoa.
- Noodle bowl: Make a meal out of soba noodles.
- Salad: Try it on a Caesar salad or kale salad.
Egg nutrition
Eggs are some of the most nutritious foods on the planet, though they sometimes get a bad rap! Recent research has found that instead of avoiding eggs for cholesterol reasons, they canincrease the good cholesterol the body needs. Eggs are an affordable and easy-to-eat source of high quality protein. They’re also especially helpful forvegetarian dietsas a natural source of B12. One egg has:
- 75 calories
- 7 grams of protein
- Nutrients like Vitamin B12, Vitamin A, and more
More egg basics
Want to know how to cook eggs…every way possible? Here are tutorials on the most popular ways to cook eggs:
- Hard boiled eggs (or Instant Pot)
- Soft boiled eggs (or Instant Pot)
- Poached eggs
- Scrambled eggs or fluffy eggs
- How to fry an egg
- Over easy eggs (here’s the difference vs Sunny Side Up)
- Over medium eggs
- Over hard eggs
- Try all our top 10 egg recipes for breakfast
Dietary notes
This sunny side up eggs recipe is vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between sunny side up and fried eggs?
Sunny side up eggs are cooked with the yolk unbroken, while fried eggs can have the yolk broken or cooked all the way through. Sunny side up eggs typically have a slightly runny yolk and crispy whites.
My yolk breaks when I make sunny side up eggs! How can I prevent that?
Fresh eggs with firm yolks are ideal for sunny side up. Crack the egg on a flat surface first to check for cracks. Use a gentle touch when sliding it into the pan.
What can I eat with sunny side up eggs?
Sunny side up eggs pair well with various breakfast sides:
Toast (perfect for soaking up the runny yolk!)
Bacon, sausage, or ham
Hash browns or home fries
Sautéed vegetablesAvocado toast
Are sunny side up eggs safe to eat?
Sunny side up eggs are generally safe as long as the whites are cooked through. However, if you’re concerned about consuming raw egg whites (due to a weakened immune system), consider cooking them to a firmer consistency.
Can I make sunny side up eggs with different types of pans?
While a non-stick pan makes flipping the eggs easier, you can use any pan with a good heat distribution. Cast iron skillets are a popular choice for achieving crispy whites.
*Perfect* Sunny Side Up Eggs
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star
5 from 4 reviews
- Author: Sonja Overhiser
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 3 minutes
- Yield: 2 eggs 1x
Description
Here’s how to make sunny side up eggs with a perfectly runny yolk! Eat them for breakfast, sandwiches, rice bowls, and more.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ tablespoon butter (or neutral oil for dairy-free)
- 2 fresh eggs (fresh is best*)
Instructions
- In a large cast iron or non-stick skillet, melt ½ tablespoon butter over medium low heat until starting to foam (eggs are best on low to medium low heat**).
- Add the eggs and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds black pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the white is firm but the yolk is still runny (do not flip). Remove to a plate and serve.
Notes
*Fresh eggs are best for frying because the whites hold their shape. The whites on older eggs tend to spread: simply use a spatula to pull back the egg whites towards the middle (it just won’t look as pretty!).
**The slower the better with eggs: they can easily get overcooked. Note that if you’re cooking a second batch, you may need to lower the heat to avoid overcooking the egg since the skillet is already hot.
This is the non-stick skillet we use. This is the cast-iron skillet we use.
- Category: Essentials
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Eggs
- Diet: Vegetarian
vegetarian gluten free
Published on / Last updated on
Categorized In:
- Recipes
About the authors
Sonja & Alex
Hi, we’re Alex and Sonja Overhiser, married cookbook authors, food bloggers, and recipe developers. We founded A Couple Cooks to share fresh, seasonal recipes for memorable kitchen moments! Our recipes are made by two real people and work every time.
About Us
Cookbook
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5 Comments
I made these eggs and they turned out the way that I would like to have them served to me in a restaurant – firmly cooked whites on top! I ordered sunnyside eggs in a restaurant and the white was not only undercooked but raw. When I stated my unhappiness I was told that’s how “they” cooked them. Needless to say I didn’t finish my eggs because I couldn’t stomach them. We never went back.
Reply
I need to learn more about sunny side up egg method
Reply
Thanks for the coaching just a small quick breakfast for me or my IHSS recipient we both like our eggs cooked differently. Slowing down on lower heat thanks again my short order cooking skills are way more consistent when it comes to eggs I’m ready to step it up by adding other favorite foods on the plate with the eggs. Thanks again.
Reply
Thank you for such great tips and instructions! Helped me tremendously!
Reply
thank you so much! I was having guets over and needed the perfect breackfest
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