How To Cook Over Easy Eggs Without Flipping – The Right Way!

Eggs are very versatile ingredients. They can be cooked in almost cooking method. This post will focus on how to cook over-easy eggs. This topic, in itself, has proven to be very controversial in the cooking community. Some believe over-easy eggs should be flipped, while others believed it should be cooked without flipping. I will reserve my own opinion until the end. What I will do is show you how to cook over-easy eggs without flipping as well as how to cook them with the flipped method. That way if you don’t like one method hopefully you would like the other one, and you would be prepared regardless of the situation.

What Is an Over-Easy Egg?

An over-easy egg is fully cooked on one side then cooked on the yolk side so that the whites are set. they are often compared to sunny-side-up eggs because they are similar in appearance. The difference is that a sunny-side-up egg would only be cooked on one side. It is never flipped. On the other hand, an over-easy egg is cooked on both sides and is sometimes flipped. The term “over-easy” is related to the level of doneness of the yolk. Easy would mean the yolk is still runny. Over-easy means that it is runny with a thin firm doom over the yolk. While over medium and over-hard are further steps up the ladder of firmness of the yolk.

Use The Right Pan

Eggs are known for being fickle. The ugly truth is that 9 out of 10 people who try to cook eggs without understanding the process, will end up their eggs stuck to the pan. That’s because they wouldn’t understand what the best cooking surfaces for their eggs are as yet. So, my first tip to you is to be sure you are starting with the right pan.

An 8- or 10-inch skillet should be large enough for a portion of 2 eggs. You want to have plenty of room between your eggs. You also won’t need a ton of oil or butter to coat the bottom of your pan when using the right one. Opt for a pan that has nonstick properties. That could be a pan that has an added nonstick coat, or a seasoned carbon steel or cast-iron skillet that is naturally nonstick. Any of these pans will ensure that no issues arise when it’s time to plate your perfect over-easy eggs.

Less is More When Seasoning Eggs

When it comes to seasoning eggs, less is more. There is a unique flavor that an egg that is like nothing else. As such, you want to use seasoning agents that will enhance the flavor of your egg, not alter it. This starts from the selection of want your eggs are cooked in. Sure, it’s possible to cook your over-easy eggs in oil, the result would possibly look the same. However, an over-easy egg cooked in a bit of butter, that will take on the rich and nutty flavor of your butter.

Again, you don’t need a whole lot, a tablespoon of butter should be enough for two eggs. Allow the butter to melt but be careful not to burn it, as that too can spoil the flavor of the egg. When it’s time to season the eggs, try to keep it simple. A dash of kosher salt and a bit of pepper should be sufficient. If using the flipping method to prepare your eggs, be sure to add the pepper after the egg has been flipped to avoid burning your pepper.

How To Cook Over Easy Eggs With Flipping Method

Here are a few recipes that you can try out.

Perfect Over-Easy Egg

Serves: 1

Cook Time: 3 – 4 minutes

Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter (1 tablespoon)
• Eggs (2 large)
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Equipment:

• Flat spatula (1)
• Small nonstick frying pan (1)

Instructions:

1. Over medium heat melt your butter in a small nonstick pan. Once your butter has melted, tilt your pan so the butter coats the bottom.
2. Crack and add your two eggs into the pan. Ensure not to break your egg yolk when cracking the eggs. Use the salt to season your eggs.
3. Cook your eggs until the white of the eggs are close to being set and opaque, or let it cook for about 2 minutes.
4. You’re going to use the spatula to cut and separate the eggs from each other. As gently as you can, slide the spatula under the center of the yolk of one of the eggs and carefully flip the egg. Repeat the same step to flip the other egg.
5. Once both eggs are flipped, season the eggs with the black pepper and let the eggs cook for 30 seconds or until the egg whites are completely set. Serve on a plate and enjoy.

How To Cook Over Easy Eggs Without Flipping

A pro tip I learned while working in a professional kitchen was that it is always better not to attempt the dreaded egg flip. Why? Well, because it’s not a smart move when you have 5 – 6 orders going at once. The chances of breaking the yolk and delaying a whole table’s order are far too high to take the risk, as you can’t serve a broken yolk egg to the customer. That kind of failure would be far too costly for restaurants to bear. So, they opt to use the no flip method of preparing their over-easy eggs, as you get the same great taste with far less waste.

The ingredients are the same as the recipe featured above, but the steps are a tad different.

The No-Flip Over-Easy Egg

Serves: 1

Cook Time: 3 – 4 minutes

Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter (1 tablespoon)
• Eggs (2 large)
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons of chicken stock or water.

Equipment:

• Small nonstick frying pan (1)

Instructions:

1. Set your butter to melt in your non-stick pan. Once melted, tilt your pan so the butter coats the bottom.
2. Crack and add your two eggs into the pan. Ensure not to break your egg yolk when cracking the eggs.
3. Cook your eggs until the white of the eggs is close to being set and opaque (about 1 – 2 mins).
4. Season your eggs lightly with salt and pepper then add in your chicken stock or water around the eggs and cover the pot. Allow the tops of your eggs to steam for 30 seconds or until the egg whites are completely set. Serve on a plate and enjoy.

Conclusion

You have learned two different ways how to cook an over-easy egg. All the steps are the same for both methods except for one step, flip or not to flip that is the question. It is best to try both ways and you can decide which method is right for you.