Yes, it's perfectly fine and even recommended to cook eggs with olive oil, offering health benefits and great texture (crispy edges, silky whites) when done correctly on medium heat, avoiding scorching the oil for delicious fried or scrambled eggs. While some prefer neutral oils to let egg flavor shine, olive oil (especially extra virgin) provides healthy fats and is a staple in Mediterranean cooking, making it a great choice for a quick, flavorful cook without high-heat searing.
Cooking eggs with olive oil is considered a healthy alternative to butter. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat that may help lower total cholesterol, benefit insulin levels, normalize blood clotting and lower your risk of heart disease.
3. Choose your oil. Korbee says that the two best oils for frying eggs are olive and canola. Canola oil has a higher smoke point, so it's the better option if you want to get really crispy edges. But if you're not shooting for crispy, olive oil will add an excellent flavor. You can also use butter if you prefer.
Want extra fluffy scrambled eggs? Try cooking them in extra virgin olive oil. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of EVOO in a 12 inch skillet (flavored works great for this) over medium heat for 3 minutes until oil just starts to smoke.
If you add a tablespoon of olive oil or avocado oil to the pan, you may also be adding some extra health benefits to your eggs. Both of these oils are considered “healthy fats” which may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Olive oil is also considered an antioxidant that may help fight inflammation.
Excessive cooking at high heats can deplete eggs of their antioxidants. Antioxidants are healthy nutrients that protect your body from those harmful free radicals. One study found that boiling, frying, or microwaving can reduce the antioxidant content in eggs.
I experimented with different oils but found the flavor and texture of the eggs were best with olive oil. Even a butter/olive oil combination produced eggs that were fleshy and heavy compared to olive oil alone.
Gordon Ramsay has a solution that's reminiscent of cooking a steak — he uses both oil and butter. In a nonstick skillet, the chef adds a generous drizzle of cooking oil (likely a neutral oil like peanut or canola, but olive oil would also work) and an even more generous amount of butter.
Choose a low-calorie cooking method
If you're trying to cut down on the calories, then your best option is to go with either a poached or a boiled egg. This is down to the cooking methods, which don't require any additional ingredients or oils.
Olive oil and other frying oils have a neutral taste and tend to adopt the flavors of anything you're cooking. Coconut oil, on the other hand, imparts fried eggs with a creamy, nutty, and slightly sweet flavor that elevates the classic fried egg by giving it more depth.
Here are some common cooking oils that contain more of the “better-for-you” fats and less saturated fat:
Healthy ways to eat eggs with diabetes
When making fried eggs, a person can switch the frying oil to one that is more heart-healthy, such as canola or olive oil. Some healthy recipe ideas using eggs include: egg and avocado breakfast sandwich.
Choose eggs if: You want to limit saturated fat: Eggs are significantly lower in saturated fat than standard ground beef, making them better for heart health. You need choline and Vitamin D: Eggs are one of the richest natural food sources of these two important nutrients, which support brain function and strong bones.
Though butter does have nutritional value, olive oil might be the better choice. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, liquid fats like olive oil are rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fats, while butter has more saturated fats.
The "555 egg method" is a popular technique for making easy-peel hard-boiled eggs in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, involving 5 minutes of high pressure, a 5-minute natural pressure release, and a final 5-minute ice bath to stop cooking and loosen the shell, though results can vary, with some finding it perfect and others needing adjustments.
Olive oil is not just a flavor enhancer; it's a nutritional powerhouse. Research supports its position as the healthiest option for frying your eggs. The health benefits of using olive oil to fry eggs extend beyond just taste and texture.
So what is different about Japanese eggs? In Japan, extensive measures are taken to ensure that eggs are safe to eat raw, even without breaking the shell. For instance, highly advanced machines are used to clean the eggs, check their quality, sort them by size and package them.
Gordon Ramsay was diagnosed with and treated for basal cell carcinoma (BCC), a common form of skin cancer, in August 2025, which he shared on Instagram to raise awareness about sun protection. The cancer was found on his jawline, near his ear, and successfully removed through surgery, with Ramsay emphasizing the importance of sunscreen after his experience.
Nearly every Ramsay recipe, from his early days on Boiling Point to Uncharted and the current critic's darling, Scrambled starts with "just a drizzle" of his beloved EVOO. Ramsay knows that "liquid gold" packs flavor and healthy fats into every bite; he does not miss an opportunity to use it liberally.
Dietary high-polyphenols extra-virgin olive oil is effective in reducing cholesterol content in eggs.
“Once the eggs hit the pan, use a rubber spatula to scramble continuously to create small, tender curds, which is a French technique. Ideally, the process should take no more than 30 to 45 seconds. The key here is to cook quickly but stop while the eggs are still slightly wet for the creamiest finish,” he says.