Frying eggs in a cast iron skillet isn't hard, it just takes fresh eggs and a well-seasoned pan.

There are only two things you need to fry the perfect egg: fresh eggs and a well-seasoned cast iron skillet.

One without the other and you're going to end up with an eggy mess that's stuck to your pan.  Frying an egg isn't difficult, but there are a few things you should know.

Fried eggs are one of the most common ways to cook an egg, and also now of the easiest, but that doesn't mean that it always turns out perfectly.

But have some simple tips for you to fry the perfect egg. And let's start with some fresh eggs.

How to Fry the Perfect Egg

So Why Fresh Eggs?

A fresh egg will have a nice round yolk that stands up tall in the pan and nice thick whites.

When you crack a fresh egg into your pan, it won't spread much, meaning that your fried egg will be nice and thick.

There is a higher water content in a fresh egg, since the moisture hasn't had time to seep out through the pores in the eggshell, so your fresh eggs will pop and crackle more than older eggs will.

Of course fresh eggs from your backyard taste better, are more nutritious, and far more convenient than lugging a carton home from the grocery store.

And naturally our backyard chickens are happier than chickens in a commercial farm setting.

So, how do you fry the perfect egg? 

Well, now let's talk about that well-seasoned skillet.

The Well-Seasoned Skillet to Fry the Perfect Egg

I love to use avocado oil or sun coco oil when I cook eggs,  but you can use any cooking oil you wish. Or none at all. Or use butter.  Or a combination. It's up to you.

Trust me, with a hot, seasoned cast iron skillet you don't even need to add oil.

But you want your pan to be hot. Cast iron heats very well and retains the heat, so high heat is rarely needed.  But you definitely want your pan to be up to temperature before adding your eggs.

Once the pan is hot, add your oil. Once that's shimmery, crack your eggs into the pan.

You want to cook your eggs fairly slowly, and just until the whites are set and cloudy. 

Lower the heat to low and cover the pan to keep the steam and moisture in - especially if you like your yolks to be well cooked.

Cook the eggs to your preference, flip or don't flip, break the yolk or don't, hard cook or soft cook the yolks. Season the eggs with salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Turn it into an egg sandwich, add a side of bacon or avocado (I love both!), garnish with some fresh herbs (tarragon and dill are two favorites of mine). 

What you do with the egg after it's fried is up to you.

Enjoy!

©2017 by Fresh Eggs Daily, Inc. and updated in 2024 for Coop to Kitchen. All rights reserved.