Cast iron skillets have been one of the world’s most popular kitchen tools for hundreds of years! These incredibly durable skillets are easy to clean, last a lifetime (literally, they last for decades and decades), and are great at retaining heat while cooking. They are also wonderful for frying eggs.

Learning how to fry an egg in a cast iron skillet is so egg-ceptionally easy! All you need is a Happy Egg, some butter, a tablespoon of water and a lid.

Ready to get frying?

Ingredients & Materials You Will Need

• Happy Egg

• 1 Tablespoon of butter

• 1 Tablespoon water

• Cast iron skillet

• Pan lid

Step 1

Heat the pan over medium-high heat for 1 ½ to two minutes. Preheating ensures the egg will start cooking as soon as it hits the skillet.

Step 2

Add the butter to the pan. When the butter is sizzling, and turns golden brown, add your egg. When the egg begins sizzling, turn the heat down to low.

Pro Tip 1: Crack the egg into a bowl first, rather than using the side of the pan. This way, if there is any shell with the egg, you can easily fish it out. 

Pro Tip 2: When it comes to frying eggs in cast iron skillets, butter is your friend. Not only does a pat of butter add extra flavor to already delicious eggs, but it creates a smooth, non-stick surface in the pan, and helps the fried egg white get nice and crispy around the edges.

Step 3

Carefully pour the tablespoon of water around the edge of the egg, and cover the skillet with a lid. Let the egg cook undisturbed.

For a sunny-side up fried egg, cook for 1 ½ minutes, and for an overeasy egg, cook for 2 ½ minutes.

A note about lids: you don’t necessarily need to use a cast iron lid with your cast iron skillet; any lid will do. Some people even place a large plate over the top of the skillet if they don’t have a lid handy.

Then BOOM. You've got yourself a perfectly fried egg. Now it's time to eat!