Tip: The best spatula for cooking eggs is a fish spatula for a cast iron pan, or a nylon spatula for a non-stick pan. Over medium eggs are eggs with a jammy center that’s just barely runny. (If you’ve got yolk running all over your plate, that’s no over medium egg: it’s over easy.) Here, we’ll show you our master recipe for how to cook over medium eggs and get the perfect jammy consistency every time! We make this often on weekends and everyone in our family loves it, paired with toast and fresh fruit.
Fresh eggs are best. It’s great to start with fresh eggs that were purchased from the store. Eggs that are over 1 week old tend to spread when they hit the pan. It’s fine flavor-wise, and you can use your spatula to push them back to the center. But the best looking over medium eggs are made with fresh eggs. Bonus points for organic, cage free, or local (they taste better!). Use a non-stick or cast iron skillet. The surface of the pan is important for sliding out after cooking. Pick a non-stick pan or seasoned cast iron skillet for easiest cooking.
Heat the butter: Heat ½ tablespoon butter over medium low heat. Add the eggs: Crack 1 or 2 eggs into the pan, then sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds black pepper. Cook: Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the whites are firm but the yolk is still runny. Flip: Flip and cook 1 more minute. The yolk should be jammy and just a little runny, but shouldn’t run out over the plate.
Frequently asked questions
If it feels very liquid, keep cooking! You’ll have to practice this one a few times to get it perfect, and it varies based on your pan and exact heat level.
Butter is best. Eggs cooked in butter just taste better, in our taste testing! Butter lends an ultra savory, almost nutty flavor that’s irresistible. Olive oil: Olive oil works too, though it can lend a bitter flavor to the eggs. It is one of the healthiest cooking oils, so you can use it if you’d like! Or you can try… Neutral oil: Neutral oil like an organic canola oil or vegetable oil works well and doesn’t have a bitter flavor. This is a good option for dairy-free diets.
With toast: Quick and simple: breakfast is served! In a sandwich: Over medium eggs work well in a Fried Egg Sandwich. With potatoes: Try them with skillet hash browns, oven hash browns, home fries or pan fried potatoes. On oatmeal: Add to savory oatmeal for a healthy way to start the day. With pancakes: Make a standard breakfast by adding oatmeal pancakes. Add bacon: Go standard or opt for plant-based substitutes like tempeh bacon or shiitake bacon.
Learn how to make hard boiled eggs or soft boiled eggs. Make perfect poached eggs. Try our master method for scrambled eggs. Learn how to fry an egg. Make sunny side up eggs, over easy eggs, or over hard eggs. Try our favorite egg recipes for breakfast.
No reviews **The slower the better with eggs: they can easily get overcooked. Note that if you’re cooking a second batch, you may need to lower the heat to avoid overcooking the egg since the skillet is already hot.
