Here are simple tips and tricks to make the most delicious fried egg sandwich imaginable!
It seems easy — and it is — but a few careful steps lift a fried egg sandwich from simple to spectacular. Follow these tips and you’ll be making an unbeatable fried egg sandwich in no time.
How to make the perfect fried egg
The foundation of every great fried egg sandwich is a perfectly cooked egg. For this recipe I use bacon fat as the frying medium — it adds flavor and helps the eggs cook beautifully.
Low and slow for the bacon
Cook bacon over low-medium heat so the fat renders out slowly. That rendered fat creates the ideal base for frying eggs and infuses them with great flavor.
Which eggs are best?
Use the freshest eggs you can find; fresher eggs hold their shape better when cracked and won’t spread thin across the pan. Letting eggs sit at room temperature for a few minutes helps them cook evenly, although it’s not essential.
Baste with butter
After cracking the eggs into the pan, add a knob of butter and use a spoon to baste the whites with the hot bacon fat and butter. Basting cooks the top of the egg gently and coats the whites in delicious, savory richness. Many recipes recommend covering the pan, but basting gives better texture and flavor.
I recommend cooking two eggs at a time unless your pan is very large. Once they’re cooked to your liking, remove them and toast the bread in the leftover fat for extra flavor.
Fried egg sandwich
Do the eggs have to be sunny-side up?
No — you can make the eggs sunny-side up, over-easy, over-medium or well-done. The instructions below include notes on how to adjust the cook time for your preferred yolk consistency.
Suggested additions
Alongside bacon, two ingredients make a big difference: chilli jam and chives. Chilli jam adds sweetness and a gentle heat that balances the salty bacon and rich yolk. Fresh chives bring a mild onion flavor that pairs perfectly with eggs.
How to assemble and eat
- Spread chilli jam on the toasted bread and top with bacon.
- Add one fried egg.
- Add the second fried egg.
- Sprinkle with finely chopped chives, season with salt and pepper, and close the sandwich.
Serving suggestions
This sandwich pairs well with simple sides. Cheese and onion crisps or a light salad work nicely. If you want something heartier to mop up the yolk, try hash browns or parmesan fries.
How to make a Fried Egg Sandwich (Full Recipe)
The Ultimate Fried Egg Sandwich
Equipment
- Large non-stick pan & tongs
- Plastic spatula
- Bread knife
- Spoon (to baste eggs)
- Scissors or sharp knife & chopping board (to chop chives)
Ingredients
- 4 medium slices of artisan bread (or bread of choice)
- 4 slices of bacon
- 4 fresh eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tbsp chilli jam
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp finely diced fresh chives
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a large pan over low-medium heat. Fry low and slow until the fat renders and the bacon is nicely crispy. Remove the bacon and leave the rendered fat in the pan. Raise heat to medium.
- Carefully crack two eggs into the pan close to the surface, spacing them apart. Add the butter and use a spoon to baste the egg whites with the hot bacon fat and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Avoid basting the yolk if you want it runny.
- When the whites are fully opaque, remove the eggs and repeat with the remaining two eggs.
- Lay the bread slices in the pan and toast both sides in the leftover oil until golden.
- Assemble the sandwiches in this order: toast, chilli jam, bacon, fried eggs, chives, then top with the other slice of bread. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Quick demo
Notes
a) Chilli Jam — This component balances the salty bacon and rich yolk with sweetness and a touch of heat. You can find it at most supermarkets or specialty shops.
b) Over easy, medium or hard — To make over-easy eggs, cook until the whites are nearly set, then flip and cook about 30 seconds more. For over-medium or hard, flip sooner or cook longer on the flipped side until the yolk reaches your preferred doneness.
c) Calories — Nutrition is approximate and provided per sandwich for guidance.
For another egg sandwich, try an egg mayo sandwich.
More egg breakfast sandwiches to explore:
Egg Breakfast Sandwiches
- Avocado Egg Sandwich
- Scrambled Egg Sandwich
- Spam Egg Sandwich
- Shakshuka Sandwich
- Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich
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