The Best Way To Get Truly Crispy Fried Eggs

There isn't really a wrong way to cook an egg. Sunny side up, scrambled, poached, and even grilled are all on the table. Everyone has their personal preferences, and might want something different. We know that about 40% of people prefer them scrambled, for example. Even within the realm of scrambled though there's a huge difference between stiffer scrambled eggs with long, dry curds, and the rich, almost custardy style that is common in France, per Serious Eats.

While there might be no wrong way to cook an egg, you can still screw them up. Plenty of home chefs may end up with scrambled more often than not from breaking the yolk the minute it hits the pan. They might also be confined to sunny side up eggs because they're too afraid of the flip. If you fall in the latter group though, Serious Eats has a method that will give you all the joys of a perfectly over easy fried egg (including decadently runny yolks) without the hassle of the flip.

One of the best ways to get your eggs perfectly fried is to use a technique called basting. The idea is to get a pan of oil piping hot, crack an egg in it, and then spoon that oil over the egg to cook the tops of the whites. According to Serious Eats, doing this will give your eggs crispy edges, cratered whites, and leave the yolk runny thanks to your control over the oil. Just be sure to tilt your pan to let the oil pool up and make for easier ladling. For a different kind of flavor, it can also be done using butter according to Kitchn –  but don't forget to cook on a lower heat so that the butter doesn't burn and go rancid.

Working with oil or butter also lets you infuse other flavors into your cooking fat. It works similarly to butter-basted steaks. Serious Eats uses aromatic mixed butter to add more flavor to steaks, and you can do the same thing with your eggs. Simply sprinkle whatever seasoning or aromatics you'd like into the pool of oil. Those flavors will infuse into the oil and be carried away into the eggs while they cook.

From there, serve it up with some nice toasty bread to dip into that runny golden center, or have it over greens or rice.