Eggs Over Hard: How to Make Perfectly Fried Eggs

There's nothing like cooking the perfect eggs for breakfast. One of my personal faves are fried eggs. If your new to frying eggs, it can seem intimidating. But the process for making eggs over hard is simple enough that anyone can do it with no problem at all!

The secret to a great hard fried eggs recipe is to cook the egg yolk just long enough so that it's cooked through but still runny and somewhat soft inside.

The whites will be fully cooked and crisp on the outside while the yolk will have a tender texture that melts in your mouth.

And when you add salt and pepper or any other seasonings, they'll really stand out against this rich flavor profile without being overpowered by it - which means you get this amazing balance between richness.

Jump to:

• What are Eggs over Hard?
• The Different Types of Fried Eggs
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Recipe
• Making Fried Eggs Ahead of Time
• Top tip
• Food safety

What are Eggs over Hard?

Eggs over hard simply means that the eggs has been fried so the the white parts are completely cooked through, and that the yolk is firm but still tender.

They're also know as a hard fried egg and over well eggs.

The Different Types of Fried Eggs

I'm a little ashamed to admit, but it's only in the last few years that I've figured out that their are different types of fried eggs, and they all have different names.

If you've ever gotten fried eggs from a restaurant, and they weren't cooked how you like them, theres a good chance you just didn't know what to call them.

There are actually 4 types! Yes, amazing right.

Such a simple, one ingredient recipe can have such a range. But here are the other 3 types of fried eggs:

Sunny Side Up Eggs

A sunny side up egg is an egg that have been cracked and cooked for a short time on one side. The whites are very uncooked, and both the white and yolk are very runny.

Eggs over Easy

Eggs over easy means that the egg has been fried on one side and then flipped to be lightly fried on the other side as well. The whites are mostly firm, but still some runniness around the yolk and the yolk is nearly completely uncooked.

Eggs over Medium

This is one of the most popular favorites amongst fried egg eaters. These are people who just love their runny yolks.

Eggs over medium means that the whites are completely cooked, but the yolk is left completely runny when you pop the inside of the egg.

Ingredients

For a good hard fried egg, you'll need only a couple of ingredients.

• Eggs
• Oil
• Salt & Pepper

As far as oil goes, make sure to pick an oil that can stand up to high heat. I like to use refined coconut oil as it has a high heat point. But most cooking oils will do just fine. And if you happen to be cooking bacon, bacon fat makes for an amazing fried egg.

The one oil I'd avoid is olive oil, as it doesn't heat to high points well.

Instructions

To make a perfect over hard eggs, start by heating a pan over medium high heat. Add your oil and let it heat up.

You can use a non-stick pan, but today we're using a cast iron skillet. The key to cast iron is to let the pan get very hot, which takes a good 10 minutes or so.

Make sure not to add your egg until the pan and oil are hot.

When your oil is hot, crack your egg into the pan carefully, making sure not to break the yolk.

You can do a couple at a time, leaving space in between the eggs to allow for flipping.

If the eggs start touching each other while cooking, use a non-stick spatula to divide them and separate the eggs.

Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper onto the wet side of the eggs.

After a few minutes the eggs should start to set. Gently use your spatula to lift the eggs to check if they are set. Carefully flip the egg over.

A gentle touch is needed here, as to not break the yolk.

Watch the eggs as they cook to monitor the yolk.

In my opinion, a perfect egg over hard hast crispy egg whites and a well cooked yolk, but it's still soft and tender in the inside and oozes just a bit.

With fried eggs, perfect cooking time is hard to figure out.

Your eggs may not come out perfect the first few times you attempt them, but a bit of practice will help you get used to your pan, the heat settings and timing them juuuuust perfect.

Making Fried Eggs Ahead of Time

Fried eggs are best eaten fresh. But there are times when I want to fry eggs ahead of time and eat for the next day's breakfast.

If you plan on storing them, fry your egg and let them sit on paper towels to absorb the extra grease. I slightly under cook them knowing they'll be popped in the microwave the next day for 20-30 seconds, cooking them further.

Then I put them in a sealed Tupperware. I've personally found that they don't keep long though, and really only good for a day after cooking.

Top tip

I know I sound like a broken record, but making perfectly fried eggs is really all about practice. Luckily if you love fried eggs, you won't mind the daily practice. But I promise after cooking eggs regularly, you'll become an egg flipping master.

Food safety

When it comes to food safety, there are a few guidelines put out by the FDA. I personally don't follow all of these, but I do think it's important to be informed. They recommend the following:

• Make sure to wash hands, utensils, equipment, and work surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after they come in contact with raw eggs and raw egg-containing foods.
• Cook eggs until the yolk and the white are firm and cooked through.
• Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160° F. Use a food thermometer to be sure.
• For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served — like Caesar salad dressing and homemade ice cream — use either shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method, or pasteurized egg products.

See more guidelines at FDA.gov