Perfect sunny side up eggs recipe are an ideal way to start your day. It takes minimal time and effort to produce this healthy and nutritious breakfast.
You’ll be amazed how visually appealing and appetizing they are!
What Is Sunny Side Up?
It may sound quite a mouthful, but a sunny-side up egg is simply an egg fried on one side with the white part being just set and the yolk runny, unbroken, and shining up like the sun.
Another interesting way to cook an egg is to cook it “over easy”, in which you flip the egg to fry it on both sides. An over easy egg is slightly more well-cooked than a sunny side up one.
How to Make Sunny Side Up Eggs
If a scrambled eggs recipe is not challenging enough, this sunny side up eggs recipe will have you checking your cooking skills. A successful sunny side up should have no unappealing runny egg white but still maintain a yolk that is custardy and bright yellow in color.
Basically, you do it by cracking an egg into a skillet heated with some oil or butter, and waiting for 3 minutes. In fact, it’s one of the things people cook their first time in the kitchen, because it’s so hard to go wrong.
Set the temperature a bit too high? The outside of the eggs will look a bit more brown, but then there are people who enjoy that crispiness.
Break the yolk while cracking the egg into the pan? There will be no “sun”, but the dish will still be totally edible and if you’re creative, it could turn into something even more delicious.
Today, we’d like to show you a simple method to achieve that perfect sunny side up.
How to Cook Perfect Sunny Side Up
Let’s start by melting some butter over medium-high heat. Then crack in the egg, and immediately turn the heat down to medium-low, or low heat.
All you have to do next is wait until the white is cooked through. If you want to speed up the process, we are more than glad to give you a trick.
Once the white starts to turn opaque, use a spatula to spoon the hot butter over the egg. Make sure that you don’t pour the hot butter over the yolk, otherwise it will turn white.
This method may require a longer time than the regular frying pan or baking in the oven, but it’s worth it! The result will be beautiful runny yolks.
Calories
Super duper easy to prepare and healthy on the wallet, sunny side up eggs are also considered a nutrient powerhouse.
Sunny side up eggs are essentially eggs, and one of the best sources of protein out there, with more than 6 grams and 71 calories in a large one.
Are Sunny Side Up Eggs Healthy?
Eggs contain many essential nutrients that your body needs.
They are rich in fat, iron, and various essential vitamins (vitamins D, B6, B12). This makes them a “golden food”, especially for the vegetarians who are more exposed to risks of not getting enough of those vitamins from veggies.
Also offered are antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, which help reduce the risk of macular degeneration. As it’s cooked quite lightly, the sunny-side-up still retains most of the antioxidants when compared to its raw form.
Difference Over Easy Eggs vs Sunny Side Up
Sunny side up eggs and over easy eggs are both fried eggs. They may look similar, but actually there is a huge difference between them.
An over-easy egg means that the egg gets fried on both sides, but it’s not cooked for too long on the second side. The yolk doesn’t cook through and still stays runny.
A sunny side up egg on the other hand is fried on only one side. The white is just cooked until barely set, and the yolk is still runny.
Another way to prepare eggs can be found in this pickled eggs recipe and our poached eggs recipe. Or find out how to hard boil eggs to end up with a simple, versatile side.
Are Sunny Side Up Eggs Safe?
Most healthy people can eat sunny side up eggs without problems. It is worth noting, however, that with this way of frying, we cook the egg very lightly. But if it’s infected with Salmonella, the heat may not be enough to kill the pathogen.
Can You Get Salmonella from Sunny Side Up Eggs?
So if you’re unlucky enough to eat a sunny side up egg that’s Salmonella infected, you might experience general physical unwellness, or worse yet, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and potentially a fever.
Not every egg contains the germ: approximately only one in 20,000 eggs is affected. I will leave it to you to decide whether that’s a low or high chance, but as for me, the pleasure on the taste buds always gets the upper hand.
Using pasteurized eggs can help reduce the risks. That said, children and people with a weakened immune system, especially pregnant women, those with diabetes, or those undergoing an organ transplant may still be better off with more well-cooked eggs.
Tips for Best Sunny Side Up Eggs
Nonstick pan: Eggs sticking to the frying pan is an annoying scenario to any home cook. Not to worry, a good nonstick pan can save you from this messy situation.
Slow cooking: We know many people cook the eggs at high heat to shorten the cooking time. This may make the bottoms burn out before the whites are cooked through and you risk cooking the yolk through too.
To evenly cook through the white while getting the perfectly runny egg yolk, we recommend cooking the egg over low heat.
One egg at the time: the yolk might have a chance to break while you are cracking the egg on the frying pan.
To avoid that, crack each egg into an individual bowl beforing heating the pan. Once you’re ready to cook, heat the pan, brush it with butter or olive oil. Then, carefully pour one egg at a time into the hot pan.
If you want to include more eggs in your diet, this healthy eggs roundup have a bunch of ideas.
What to Serve With Sunny Side Up Eggs
These soft, fatty eggs go with just about anything.
Eat them with your toast on a busy morning. Squeeze the egg into the hollow of a seedless avocado for baking. Eat ‘em with baked asparagus and some drops of olive oil. Or with french fries if you’re in need of some carbs.
The possibilities are indeed endless.
Today we recommend serving sunny side up eggs with a strawberry smoothie on the side. Here are the nutrition facts for the whole meal:
More ways to enjoy eggs:
FAQ
1. Can You Eat This Dish While Pregnant?
Scientists advise everyone not to consume undercooked eggs due to the risk of Salmonella. So for those with weaker immune systems (pregnant women or the elderly), we suggest having other types of eggs such as scrambled eggs or pickled eggs.
2. Are Sunny Side Up Eggs Bad for You?
Not at all!
Eggs contain several essential nutrients and minerals for you. Plus they are an excellent (and delicious) source of protein.
3. How Much Salt Do I Put in?
Each person has their own personal taste so it’s impossible for us to give you a specific amount of salt to put on each egg.
Too much salt might destroy the natural flavor of your eggs, and it’s unhealthy too. A small pinch of salt – just enough to be noticeable but not overbearing in the dish.
Sunny Side Up Eggs Recipe
This sunny side up egg recipe is super simple: the total cooking time is no more than 15 minutes.
- cook TIME 5 mins
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 15 mins
- COURSE Breakfast, Main Course
- CUISINE Global
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 483 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 large eggs
- 12 oz avocado
- 6 oz baby arugula
- 8 oz sprouted wheat bread
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1 oz feta cheese
- 10 oz tomato
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
Crack eggs one at a time into the skillet. Reduce heat to low and cook for 4 minutes until the white is set but the yolk is still runny.
Transfer to a plate. Serve with toast, avocado, arugula, cheese, and season with pepper if desired.
NUTRITION
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
Tuyet Pham
Chef, Culinary Consultant
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Nutrition Reviewer
- Avis Clark
August 16, 2020 at 8:56 PM
What a simple yet delicious recipe! It saves me a lot of time of cooking every morning. Thanks a bunch.
- Mary Masdon
October 29, 2021 at 3:40 AM
I’m from the south and I grew up eating eggs this way every day. I never knew they were this healthy for you. I stopped eating eggs many years ago and slowly began to gain weight and lost most of my energy until lunch. Now I see the importance of my favorite morning food, sunny side up eggs on toast with tomatoes! Thanks for the Info!😄
- Luna Regina
October 29, 2021 at 6:17 PM
Thanks for commenting!