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Make the perfect over medium eggs every single time! Flip the egg and cook on both sides until it’s just barely runny, but still jammy on the inside. Follow my step-by-step instructions, with tips for flipping, to make perfect eggs every time.
Achieving the perfect over medium eggs can be a challenge, but with a little practice, and all of my tips, you’ll be enjoying delicious jammy eggs in no time.
I’ll walk you through choosing the right pan, adding some oil, mastering the flip, and checking the yolk so you know when it’s done. Grab some large eggs and let’s make a 10 minute breakfast!
What is An Over Medium Egg?
An over medium egg a fried egg in a pan that you flip once to achieve a just barely runny yolk. It’s the perfect mix between a runny over-easy or sunny side up egg and a firm yolk in an over hard egg.
Think of an over-medium egg as the pan fried version of a jammy soft-boiled egg. The texture is just barely runny, but still brightly colored and rich with jammy texture. It’s the perfect balance of runny and hard.
To compare, here are the other ways to fry up an egg in a pan:
- Sunny-side-up eggs: Fried the whole time on one side until the whites are set and yolks are runny.
- Over-easy eggs: Flipped once with cooked egg whites and completely runny yolks. The flipped version of sunny side up!
- Over-medium eggs: Flipped and cooked slightly longer so the yolk is barely set and jammy, with a little bit of runny texture.
- Over-hard eggs: Flipped and cooked completely until the yolk sets like a hard-boiled egg.
How to Make Over Medium Eggs
Here’s how to make over-medium eggs perfectly every time. Read each step for expert tips!
First, choose the right pan. Use a shallow non-stick skillet with curved edges. A thin spatula, like a fish spatula, is my favorite for flipping.
- Heat pan and oil: Heat a bit of oil or butter in a nonstick skillet until it shimmers, about 2 minutes.
- Crack eggs and cook: Crack each large egg into separate sides of the hot pan and lower heat to medium-low and season them with a little salt and pepper. Continue to cook until most of the egg whites are cooked, except for a small ring around the yolk.
- Flip and finish cooking: Slide a thin spatula under the egg so that the yolk is positioned in the center of the spatula. Carefully flip the egg in one smooth motion. Continue to cook on the second side for 1-2 minutes, until the egg yolk has a little give, but isn’t completely soft. Slide it off the pan onto your plate or sandwich.
Tools You Need
Pan: The best pan for cooking eggs is a nonstick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron skillet. This pan should be big enough to fit two large cracked eggs. Or you can use a small skillet and cook them one at a time. All-Clad and Tramantina are great mid-range budget nonstick skillet.
Spatula: I also use a fish spatula, or another thin spatula to flip eggs. The thin edge lets you slide underneath the egg to flip it easily.
Tips for Perfect Over Medium Eggs
- Use the right pan! A nonstick pan is best.
- Preheat skillet and oil for 2 minutes.
- Use medium-low to medium heat.
- Flip before the whites completely set (about 1/2 inch area around the yolk).
- Center the yolk on the spatula, then flip in one quick motion.
- Slip the spatula under the side of the egg the yolk is closest to.
- Don’t touch the egg until you’re ready to flip.
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl and slide them into the pan if you’re worried about breaking the yolk.
How to Tell When They’re Done
Gently press on the top of the egg yolk. The yolk of a perfectly cooked over medium egg with have a little give, but isn’t hard. If it feels really squishy or liquidy, let it cook a little longer
you can gently shake the skillet. the whites should be set and the yolks should jiggle a little. The egg will also have nice firm egg whites.
What Cooking Oil to Use
I always keep olive oil on hand because it has a high smoke point and neutral flavor. You could also use vegetable oil, olive oil, unsalted butter, or even bacon fat. Coconut oil is fine as long as it’s refined.
How to Serve Eggs Over Medium
- Add it to healthy sweet potato toast, avocado toast, or cottage cheese toast.
- Next to oat flour pancakes, crispy air fryer breakfast potatoes, or fresh fruit.
- Sweet potato breakfast hash, quinoa breakfast bowl, brussels sprout hash, or steak and potato breakfast hash.
- Overtop a burger or a bowl like Instant Pot Mongolian beef.
- With another protein-heavy side like sausage, turkey sausage, ham, or bacon.
How to Store
Over medium eggs are best fresh, but you can place leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in a skillet with a bit of butter and oil until heated through.
Perfect Over Medium Eggs
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Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil, olive oil, butter, or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Tilt the pan to spread the oil evenly.
- Crack each large egg into separate sides of the skillet. Season them right away with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, without moving, for 2 minutes, until the egg whites are mostly cooked, except for a small ring around the yolk.
- Use the edge of a flat spatula to separate the egg whites if needed. Slide the spatula under the side of the egg the yolk is closest to so that the yolk is positioned in the center of the spatula. Carefully flip the egg in one smooth motion. Repeat with the other egg and season both with more salt and pepper.
- Continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the egg whites are set and the eggs are jammy. The egg yolk should have a little give, but won’t feel completely soft. Carefully slide the eggs to a plate and serve right away.
Equipment
- Nonstick skillet I like All-Clad
- Spatula like a fish spatula
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
