The Super Easy Trick to Making the Perfect Fried Egg, Every Time

Forget everything you know about frying eggs. The quickest and easiest way to fry an egg with flawless results every single time doesn't even require watching the egg or flipping it. We're not going to be that guy and tell you that you're doing it wrong, but we will say our method is better than yours. The secret is adding a few drops of water to the pan and covering the pan while the egg cooks. The water creates steam which slightly poaches the top of the egg while the bottom remains crispy. The result is the most beautiful fried egg you've ever laid your eyes on.

And once you've mastered this, check out these 7 foods that are better with a fried egg.

What you'll need:

1 egg
Frying pan
Butter or oil
Water
A lid, large plate or something to cover the pan

1. Heat the frying pan over medium heat. Spread a bit of butter or oil in the pan to coat. If you're using a non-stick pan, the butter or oil isn't necessary.

2. Once the pan is hot, crack the egg into the center. Immediately drop about a half teaspoon of water onto an exposed surface of the pan (not on the egg) and cover with a lid or plate.

3. Cook the egg, covered, for about a minute. Cooking for a minute will produce an egg with a runny yolk. If you prefer a more well-done yolk, cook for about two minutes. Use a rubber spatula to remove the egg from the pan.

See step-by-step photos here.

You're now a fried egg master, so whip up these dishes in no time:

Avocado egg toast.

Balsamic-braised Brussels sprouts with a fried egg.

Browned butter balsamic asparagus with crispy lentils and a fried egg.

See more foods that are better with a fried egg, here.

Original post and photos by Caty Schnack on Spoon University - NYU.

Photos by Julia Maguire, Andrea Kang and Maggie Gorman