Sunny-Side Up Fried Eggs Recipe

Your foolproof plan for perfectly golden yolks and tender, just-set whites.

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated Mar. 17, 2023
Two sunny-side up eggs plated with toasted English muffin and bacon

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Using a nonstick or well-season cast iron skillet ensures that the eggs can be easily slid from the pan to the plate.
  • Cooking over medium heat allows the whites to gradually set while the yolk remains bright and runny.

With golden yolks and tender, just-set whites, classic sunny-side up eggs are just begging to become the eyes atop the bacon mouth on your breakfast plate. But before they can do that, they have to be made just right, because uncooked whites and overcooked yolks do not a happy breakfast face make. Here's how to nail classic, unflipped fried eggs with a runny yolk every time.

0:45

How to Make Sunny-Side Up Fried Eggs

July 2017

Recipe Facts

Cook: 5 mins
Active: 4 mins
Total: 5 mins
Serves: 2 eggs

Rate & Comment

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter

  • 2 large eggs

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat butter in a cast iron, carbon steel, or nonstick skillet over medium heat until lightly foaming, tilting pan to evenly distribute the melted butter. Carefully break eggs into the skillet, season with salt, and cook until the whites are just set on top and the yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate, season with pepper if desired, and serve immediately.

Special Equipment

Cast iron, carbon steel, or nonstick skillet

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
125 Calories
11g Fat
0g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 125
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 5g 27%
Cholesterol 202mg 67%
Sodium 72mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 30mg 2%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 71mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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