Here's How To Use Parchment Paper To Make Mess-Free Fried Eggs

Are you one of those people who absolutely loves fried eggs but only orders them at a diner because you've never been able to make them at home without a sticky mess? Take comfort in knowing you're not alone. Fried eggs can easily stick to the pan, fall apart when flipped, and smell downright awful when overcooked.

Even with an intermediary agent, such as a cooking fat like butter or oil, the proteins in the eggs can form a bond with the metal of the pan and be practically impossible to remove. There's also the issue of the yolk. If you flip your eggs too soon or accidentally poke the yolks with your spatula, they could break, leading to an even messier situation.

Luckily, parchment paper provides a quick and easy solution that doesn't require much more effort than you would need for the typical recipe for fried eggs.

Take a small sheet of baking paper and line your pan as it warms over medium heat. Once hot, place a knob of butter on the baking paper and crack an egg right over it. Cover with a lid and wait until the white turns opaque and the yolk stiffens slightly. Then, when it's cooked to your liking, uncover and slide your egg off the parchment paper and onto your plate. It is really that simple. 

The beauty here is that, once you're finished, all you need to do is discard the parchment paper and give your pan a quick rinse. There's no clinging egg that's impossible to clean off — or a mess of yolk. Instead, you are left with a crisp, clean pan.

Although the fried eggs may not get as crispy, we can sacrifice a little crispiness to save us the aggravation of decimated fried eggs and a dirty pan. You really have no excuse not to give this trick a try the next time you're craving some fried eggs. It's a simple, effective trick that takes the hassle out of an otherwise (potentially) frustrating process.