The Chef-Approved Strategy For Perfect Fried Eggs

Eating a fried egg in the morning is one of the best ways to start the day — but it can be difficult to make the perfect fried egg. This is where a chef-approved strategy comes in. YouTube's Food Wishes, which features videos of a chef known as Chef John, recently posted a video revealing a hack that helps you achieve the perfect fried egg.

In the video, Chef John begins by transferring a cracked egg into a pan over medium heat, with oil. Then, he explains the trick, stating, "As soon as that's in the pan, I like to take the edge of a spoon or a spatula and break through that membrane that holds the whites together." The reason to do this is that it allows the egg whites to spread, which allows for a more even cook. The trick also positions the yolk right in the center of the whites, making for a more visually pleasing egg.

Chef John goes on to state that the fried egg is done when the edges and bottom are crispy — he cooks this egg sunny side up, meaning the egg is never flipped to keep the yolk intact (and runny). You can still use this hack if you prefer your fried egg another way — over easy, medium, or hard; just follow his instructions, then flip and cook until the egg reaches your desired doneness.

First, you need to start with the right pan. When it comes to cooking eggs, a nonstick pan is the best option, essentially because the last thing that you want is to have your eggs sticking to the pan. Paired with either oil or butter, it's basically a guarantee that you won't have to deal with a sticky mess. As for whether you should opt for oil or butter, it really comes down to personal preference. Both butter and certain oils will add some flavor to the eggs.

Next, you'll need to decide how you'd like your egg cooked: sunny side up, over easy, over medium, or over hard. Once you've decided, it's important to know how long to cook it so you don't end up with an egg more done than you'd like. For sunny side up, cook for just one minute, without flipping. For over-easy, cook for about 45 seconds on one side (or until the edges are starting to brown), then flip and cook for another 25 seconds. For over medium, cook for about 90 seconds on each side. And finally, for over hard, cook for about two minutes on each side. Keep the heat on low to medium for all four of these variations.