Different Ways To Cook Eggs: 5 Basics

How To Cook Eggs: 5 Essentials!

From scrambled to poached, there are so many different ways to cook eggs! If you have an egg, you have a meal! They truly are “egg-cellent” for so many reasons…

• Super Versatile: Eggs can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
• Affordable: Eggs are relatively inexpensive as far as proteins go.
• Good Source of Protein: Speaking of protein, eggs are a source of high quality protein and super nutritious as well! (source)
• Easy To Make: Eggs are quick and simple to cook.

Let’s get cracking! Here are 5 basic ways to cook an egg that I think everyone should know. They can be used in so many delicious ways! Some great ideas on how to serve them can be found below each method. Make sure to check them out!

Poached Eggs

A poached egg is an egg cooked in barely simmering water, without its shell. It has firm whites on the outside and a soft and oozy yolk on the inside. Poached eggs might seem fancy or intimidating but they are actually quite simple to make at home.

How To Make Them

Bring a pot of water to a bare simmer. Crack the egg into a small fine mesh sieve set over a bowl to strain out any watery bits of egg white (this prevents those wispy pieces when cooking). Transfer the egg to a ramekin or small bowl and gently slide the egg into the water. Cook for 3-4 minutes, scoop out with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

Poached Eggs Tutorial: Check out this post for more details and tips to achieve perfect poached eggs.

Ways To Serve Them

• Make Eggs Benedict: Try this Rosti Eggs Benny recipe for a delicious twist on the classic.
• On Toast: Top them onto a nice piece of toast or avocado toast.
• Top A Salad: Slip one on top of a hearty salad like this Roasted Asparagus Salad.
• Rice or Grain Bowl Topping: The runny yolk acts as a sauce – so good!

Hard Boiled Eggs

A hard boiled egg is a whole egg (in its shell) that has been boiled until both the yolk and whites are fully cooked and firm. They are super easy to make and can be used in so many ways!

How To Make Them

Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil. Gently lower in eggs and set a timer for 12 minutes. Remove eggs to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process and to cool completely before peeling.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs: Check out this post for a detailed tutorial and step-by-step instructions for both stovetop and the Instant Pot.

Ways To Serve Them

• Eat As Is: Makes a great snack with a sprinkle of salt or even popped into a lunch box.
• Make Deviled Eggs: Make a classic version or get creative with toppings!
• Add To A Salad: A delicious way to add some protein to a salad or a nourish bowl. Or chop it up and mix into a pasta salad (like this Salmon Asparagus Pasta Salad or Chicken Macaroni Salad) or a potato salad (like this Tuna Potato Salad).
• Use In A Sandwich: Make an egg salad filling or simply place slices of hard boiled egg on your sandwich (delicious on tuna, roast, beef, BLT, veggie sandwiches, etc.).

Soft Boiled Eggs

A soft boiled egg is a whole egg (in its shell) that has been boiled until the whites are set but the yolk still has a runny or jammy consistency.

How To Make Them

Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil. Gently lower in eggs and set a timer for 6-7 minutes. Remove eggs and run under cold water for a few seconds until cool enough to handle. Serve while still warm.

Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs: Check out this post for a more detailed step-by-step tutorial.

Ways To Serve Them

• Dip Into It: Place your soft boiled egg into an egg cup and remove the top to expose the runny yolk. Dip in toast soldiers (strips of toast), bacon or roasted/steamed asparagus spears.
• On Toast: Peel and slice in half to top toast or avocado toast.
• Top A Salad: Place on top of hearty salads like a Nourish Bowl or this Roasted Asparagus Salad.
• Ramen or Rice Bowl Topping: Delicious addition to ramen or any type of rice or grain bowl.

Scrambled Eggs

Scrambled eggs are one of the most popular methods of cooking eggs for breakfast. The eggs are first whisked together and then gently cooked in a pan while being pushed into soft folds or stirred.

How To Make Them

Whisk eggs together in a bowl. Melt a bit of butter in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Pour in the eggs. As they begin to set, use a silicone spatula to gently push and fold the eggs to create soft curds.

Check out this Soft Scrambled Eggs post for detailed step-by-step directions.

Ways To Serve Them

• On Toast or In A Sandwich: Simply serve with some buttered toast or make a breakfast sandwich.
• As Part Of A Classic Breakfast: Serve with bacon or breakfast sausages, hash browns, toast and a side of fruit. Or include it on a fun breakfast board.
• Make A Breakfast Scramble: Basically scrambled eggs and anything else you like cooked together in a skillet.
• Use In Breakfast Burritos: Or breakfast tacos or quesadillas!

Fried Eggs

Fried eggs are cooked in a skillet on one or both sides. There are four basic styles of fried eggs: sunny side up, over easy, over medium and over well.

• Sunny Side Up: The egg is fried on one side with the yolk facing up. The whites are firm and the yolk is still runny.
• Over Easy: The egg is flipped and cooked briefly on the other side so that the yolk is still runny.
• Over Medium: The egg is flipped and cooked until the yolk is just slightly runny.
• Over Well (or Over Hard): The egg is flipped and cooked until the yolk is hard.

How To Make Them

Sunny Side Up: Heat some butter or oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Crack the egg and carefully place it in the pan. Let the egg cook until the whites are firm but the yolk is still runny (about 3-4 minutes).

Over Easy, Medium and Well: Flip the sunny side up egg over and cook for an additional 10-30 seconds on the other side for over easy, 30-60 seconds for over medium, or 1-2 minutes for over well eggs.

Check out this How To Make Fried Eggs tutorial for detailed step-by-step instructions.

Ways To Serve Them

• Make A Sandwich: Add to a breakfast sandwich or simply serve with some toast.
• Top A Burger: Makes a delicious burger topping!
• Rice or Noodle Bowl Topping: Delicious on top of your favorite rice or noodle bowl.
• A Classic Breakfast: Fried eggs pair really well with bacon, hash browns and all your other classic breakfast staples. For special occasions, add them to a fun breakfast board. Or even turn them into these cute Fried Egg Bunnies for Easter!

More Egg Recipes

Here are some recipes that feature a number of eggs in them. Perfect for when you have eggs to use up!

• Zucchini Slice: This classic Australian dish is somewhere between a savory zucchini bread and a crustless quiche – soft and fluffy yet firm enough to hold by hand. (Uses 5 whole eggs)
• Hollandaise Sauce: Learn how to make this delicious sauce using 3 different methods. (Uses 3 egg yolks)
• Maple Custard: This recipe also features a strawberry compote to serve on top of the creamy maple custard. (Uses 4 egg yolks)
• Kokosmakronen: These German Coconut Macaroons are a fantastic way to use up leftover egg whites. (Uses 4 egg whites)
• German Waffles: A delicious sweet waffle recipe – cross between a waffle and a sugar cookie! (Uses 3 whole eggs)

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