How to Make a Sunny Side Up Egg (like a pro)

They say that in the restaurant industry, making the perfect eggs (using various methods) are a true sign that you know what you are doing. Poached eggs. Boiled eggs. Fried eggs. Sunny Side Up eggs. All of the above.

When I interned under Maxine Siu at Plow restaurant in San Francisco a few years ago, I saw that this was true. I never perfected my egg cooking skills, but I did ask a lot of questions, and found myself coming home to cook more than the average scramble.

To help you with your morning routine, I thought you’d enjoy a quick rundown on how to make a sunny side up egg. It’s super easy, they work wonderfully atop a bed of kale or rice, and are one of my fave ways to add some protein and good fats to my day.

How to make a sunny side up egg:

If you didn’t catch my other blog post, all about HOW TO SHOP FOR EGGS, then be sure to check it out. Confused about cage-free, organic, brown vs. white, etc.? Not to worry, I clear it all up for you here.

In a skillet or non-stick pan, melt 1 teaspoon coconut oil over medium heat. Coconut oil is a great oil to use for high-temperature cooking. It’s not common in restaurant cooking, but I sure wish they did use it instead of canola oil.

Carefully crack the egg in the pan. If you accidentally drop a part of the shell into the pan, don’t go fishing for it with your fingers. Simply take half of an egg shell and dip it into the pan. The small broken piece will gravitate towards the bigger shell and voila, it’s outta there!

If you want a soft sunny side up egg, where the edges are not crispy, it’s important to cook “low and slow.” If the heat is too high, you’ll cook the bottom and edges, while the yolk and top of the egg whites will be undercooked. To solve for this, you can either cover it lightly to steam the top, OR tilt the pan and spoon some of the coconut oil over the top of the egg to baste it. Personally, I prefer a super crispy sunny side up egg – so I cook it low and slow, then crank it up to crisp the edges.

Here’s the toughest part: using the tip of a spatula, release the edges of the egg, then carefully slide the spatula below the egg and place it on your dish (or over that lovely bed of kale).