How to make a perfect fried egg explains a tried-and-true method will give you a perfectly cooked egg sunnyside up with a fully cooked white and soft yolk every single time. Includes how long to cook it.

How to make the perfect fried egg explains how long to cook an egg sunnyside up and at exactly what heat for a soft, runny yolk and tender whites that aren’t overcooked or crunchy at the edges. And the method used is sorta brilliant. In fact, it’s incredibly brilliant.–Renee Schettler Rossi
The Perfect Egg

Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter or olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Heat a small cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the butter or oil and swirl it to coat the skillet. Immediately crack the egg into the skillet. Add the water to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove the egg from the pan immediately. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
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Originally published September 22, 2019
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This is exactly how my grandmother taught me to make eggs and it does indeed make a perfectly cooked egg. It’s how she taught me to count by counting out loud, together, the 60 seconds in a minute. When I was older, we worked our way up to counting out the seconds needed for a four-minute soft-boiled egg.