How to make sunny side up eggs perfectly every time with creamy, runny yolk and lightly cooked, pan-fried egg white. Enjoy for a protein filled breakfast or top avocado toast and bowls!
My family loves breakfast recipes with eggs! While scrambled eggs are our go-to, we also enjoy deviled eggs and egg salad, too.
Table of Contents
Fresh Eggs Sunny Side Up
Sunny side up eggs are a perfect choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Eat them as is, add one to a rice bowl or even top your avocado toast. Just like with poached eggs, mastering this classic kitchen skill can ensure a satisfying start to the day!
Learning how to cook eggs sunny side up with a perfectly cooked bottom and intact yellow yolk seems easy but if not done properly the white can turn out crispy and yolk rubbery. With a few easy tricks, though, your eggs can turn out with a creamy white and a runny egg yolk.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to master: This method of a cooking an egg requires no flipping which makes this kitchen skill relatively easy to master with just a little practice.
- Breakfast favorite: Eggs are a great way to add healthy protein, fat and nutrition to your breakfast, brunch or any meal. We love egg white muffins for the same reason!
Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Fresh eggs: Fresh eggs work best as older eggs tend to separate and not hold together very well. If you can find farm fresh eggs those work even better as they will have a fresher and brighter yellow egg yolk.
- Butter: I prefer butter but oil, lard or even bacon grease would work as well.
- Salt and pepper: To serve your egg.
Tools You’ll Need
Skillet: To make this recipe you will need a small to medium sized non-stick skillet or well seasoned cast iron skillet. While an aluminum skillet will work, this type of frying pan is more prone to sticking.
Spatula: You will want a thin silicone spatula with a large face to easily transfer your egg from the non-stick pan to the serving plate without breaking the yolk.
How to Make Sunny Side Up Eggs
- Prepare eggs. Crack eggs into individual ramekins as this is easier to transfer them to the heated skillet.
- Melt butter. Add your butter to a large non-stick skillet and let it melt. You may want to turn down the heat slightly after the butter melts so your skillet is not too hot when you add your egg.
- Cook eggs: Carefully add each egg to either side of the skillet. If you hear it sizzle, this means your skillet was too hot. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. Do not flip your eggs!
- Serve: Season with sea salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Expert Tips for Cooking a Sunny Side Up Egg
- Low heat: Lower it to low heat while frying your eggs. Cooking at a too high temp could result in overcooked your yolks or burn your egg whites while not cooking your egg yolk.
- Skillet size: You will want to use a small to medium sized skillet so the egg whites do not spread too much or run together. Using this size of skillet you can make 1 to 3 eggs at a time.
- Fresh eggs: Fresh eggs make perfect sunny side-up eggs. Older eggs do not hold their shape well.
- Cover your skillet: This helps the egg white steam without burning. If you have a glass lid this is best to use as you can see when the whites are set.
Recipe FAQs
Your egg white will be set, clear and no longer runny. Your egg yolk will also be firm but have a slight give.
It can be confusing because both of these are fried eggs. Over easy eggs are flipped once so that they fry on both sides while a sunny side up egg is fried only on one side. Both methods result in a cooked egg with a runny yolk although an over easy egg will have a thin layer of white over it.
If you are including eggs as part of your diet, they are full of healthy benefits! They are a source of lean protein and contain many vitamins and minerals. It really comes down to how you cook your eggs and what you are putting on them. As is an egg sunny side up is healthy and nutritious.
While you can store these in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, I don’t recommend it as they tend to get rubbery and overcooked when reheating them in the microwave. This recipe is so easy I just usually make them fresh!
Serving Suggestions
While eggs are usually thought of as a breakfast food they can be served in so many more ways! Here are some of my favorite ways to serve them.
- Breakfast side: With biscuits and gravy, breakfast meatballs or oven cooked bacon and a slice of toast.
- Toast: My favorite way is avocado toast with egg!
- Tostada: Make this huevos rancheros recipe at home, it rivals any brunch spot.
- With potatoes: Try it with homemade hashbrowns or steak and potatoes.
- Salad: On top of a Caesar salad.
- Rice bowls: Serve with a Korean ground beef bowl or egg roll in a bowl.
- Top a burger: Make your hamburgers gourmet by topping it with an egg!
More easy egg recipes to try include Instant Pot eggs, eggs benedict recipe and microwave scrambled eggs!
More Delicious Breakfast Recipes
Browse all
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Sunny Side Up Eggs
Ingredients
- ½ Tablespoon butter , or 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- Kosher salt , to taste
- Ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Crack eggs into individual ramekins.
- In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
- Gently add each egg to either side of the skillet. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.
- Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 5 Ingredients Or Less, American, Breakfast, Eggs, Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Nut-Free, Vegetarian, Whole 30
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
5 stars
Okay, sunny side up eggs on avocado toast might be my new go-to breakfast! Thank you for all the tip and tricks. They turned out perfectly!
I have always struggled having to try and make these eggs but these instructions and tips, mine turned out great.
I am so glad that the post was helpful and that you were able to make successful eggs! Thanks for your review and sharing.
Perfect every time! I add hot sauce to mine! My go-to breakfast.