Butter or Oil: You can fry an egg with either butter or oil, it's entirely a personal preference. Olive oil is a great choice and healthier, but you can't deny the deliciousness of butter! You'll need about 1/2 tablespoon, enough to coat the bottom of the pan and to keep the egg from sticking.
Any pan of any material is fine for frying eggs! If you're concerned about eggs sticking or don't want to use a lot of butter, choose a nonstick skillet or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Stainless steel skillets are just fine, but be sure to use an extra teaspoon or two of butter.
Butter certainly works for fried eggs, but oil is the fat of choice for cooks who want a runny yolk with a satisfying crispy white. Extra-virgin olive oil is most popular, and yields a satisfyingly crunchy bottom that will soak up luscious flavor.
The best thing about frying eggs in butter is the taste. Because butter is higher in fat than oil, your eggs will naturally take on that rich butter flavor as they crisp in the pan. It's similar to the way some chefs add a pad of butter to their scrambled eggs as they cook.
Frying an egg in a non-stick pan
To fry an egg without oil or butter you need a good quality non-stick pan, which can be made of Teflon or ceramic. This will allow you to cook without needing to use any extra fat or oil without the egg sticking to the pan.
Cooking eggs in olive oil gives better results! The fried eggs have perfectly crisp edges, and scrambled eggs have a silky smooth texture. Plus, you'll also get the health benefits of olive oil.
Avocado oil contains large quantities of Omega-9 and Omega-3 fatty acids and is particularly high in oleic acid. Unsaturated fatty acids like these have been shown to lower bad cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. This makes avocado oil the healthiest choice when frying.
The vegetable oil seals these cracks and lets the eggs fry without making a horrific stuck on mess. If some bits of egg do stick to your pan, scrub with a little bit of salt and a paper towel between batches. If you use soap and water, you'll have to recondition your pan before cooking more eggs.
Oil Is Best For Frying An Egg In A Cast-Iron Skillet
On medium-low heat, heat around 1/8-inch of oil in the cast-iron skillet for about 1 to 2 minutes, until hot and shimmering. In the meantime, crack an egg into a small bowl. Once the oil is hot, gently slide the egg into the hot oil.
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.
Method. Get your frying pan on a medium to low heat and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of a large nonstick pan (about 1 tablespoon). Crack the eggs into the pan. As the oil gets hotter you'll see it start to change the color of the eggs.
The safest oils include avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil, ghee or butter, or other animal fats. Avoid using canola and vegetable oils.
Olive oil actually has a relatively high smoke point and is a safe, reliable option for frying. On top of that, it is one of the healthiest cooking staples around. Olive oil has been named “the healthiest fat on Earth,” in part because of its unique ability to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Cooking eggs in olive oil will give you better results. The scrambled eggs will have a silky smooth texture, and if you fry them, they will have fine crisp edges. Moreover, olive oil is healthy for your body, giving you another reason to use it over butter.
Heat about 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a medium pan (about 9 inch diameter) over medium to high heat. When olive oil is hot (after about 1-2 minutes), crack the egg in the pan and fry for about 2-3 minutes.
Just like eggs cooked in other ways, fried eggs are rich in nutrients and can contribute towards a healthy diet when eaten as part of a balanced meal.
For example, eggs typically are eaten with other foods high in salt, saturated fat and cholesterol, such as bacon, cheese and butter. These foods are known to increase heart disease risk and should be eaten sparingly. Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week without affecting their heart health.
Given the fact that high temperatures and long cooking times decrease the nutrient availability of eggs, and adding oil, fat, or dairy also makes the nutrient profile less favorable by increasing the number of calories and grams of fat, the healthiest way to cook eggs is by poaching them or soft boiling them.
You start by adding a small amount of oil to the skillet and cracking in the eggs, just like you normally would. Then, about 30 seconds in, you add hot water to the pan, basting the eggs until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. It creates tender, soft fried eggs with no overdone edges in sight.