This might just be your new favorite way to make eggs! Lightly buttery basted eggs are a delicious and easy way to change up your usual morning routine.
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Pin RecipeBasted eggs might be new to you, but they will look familiar! Pair them with bacon or maybe a stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes and you’ve got yourself a winning breakfast.
Like fried eggs but healthier, basted eggs help get breakfast on the table fast. To make them, you spoon hot fat, like butter, over eggs fried in a skillet. You can choose the method that suits you best—we’ve included two!
Easy Basted Eggs Recipe
Try either recipe below so you can make the easiest basted eggs. One has you using the hot butter method—yum!—to cook the eggs to perfection. The other is a little healthier as water steams the eggs in the pan.
All you need are eggs, butter, salt and pepper, water, and a non-stick pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet.
(Want to make eggs in an air fryer? Check out my recipes for air fryer eggs!)
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Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Eggs – Use large, whole eggs. Here’s the best way to crack eggs!
- Butter
- Salt and pepper – Adjust to taste.
- Water
How to Make Basted Eggs
- Heat the butter in a nonstick skillet: Over high heat, melt the butter. You’ll want to get the butter hot and foaming.
- Add the eggs: Lower the heat to medium and crack eggs in the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the white begins to set.
- Season: Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Baste: Add water to the pan, cover, and cook eggs for 2 more minutes until the yolks reach your desired consistency. Or, to baste with butter, spoon the hot butter over the eggs as they cook.
Quick Tip
Make sure the butter is hot! Basted eggs need hot fat, in this case, butter, to cook perfectly. Make sure to keep a close eye on the butter when you’re cooking it over high heat so it gets nice and hot but doesn’t burn. You want your butter foaming but not brown.
How to Store Basted Eggs
You can store basted eggs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To gently reheat, warm in the microwave at 20-second increments until warm.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is great to serve with breakfast potatoes and crispy bacon. You could also serve them as a vegetarian protein option with breakfast for dinner. Or they’re always delicious alongside avocado toast.
FAQs
A basted egg is like a sunny-side-up egg. However, you cook the top by spooning hot fat from a pan on top of the eggs. Or, you can use water for a lower-fat version.
You create poached eggs by submerging them in boiling water (sometimes with added vinegar) in an uncovered pan. As a result, the egg whites are firm and the egg yolks are runny.
However, a basted egg cooks in a small amount of oil or butter. Then, you add water and spoon the hot liquid on top. The eggs are crisp around the edges with a slightly runny center.
Basted eggs are a healthy alternative to fried eggs. Basting eggs instead of frying them uses less butter and oil to cook the eggs, reducing the overall fat content.
More Egg Recipes
Basted Eggs: Two Ways
Equipment
- 1 Nonstick Skillet
Ingredients
Basted Eggs: Steam Method
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 eggs, whole
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 Tablespoons water
Basted Eggs: Butter Method
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 eggs, whole
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Basted Eggs: Steam Method
- In a small nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium high heat until hot and it begins to foam.1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- Lower the heat to medium, gently crack the eggs into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Saute until the bottoms start to color and the whites begin to set, 3 to 4 minutes. The yolk will still be runny.2 eggs, whole, Salt and pepper
- Add the water to the pan, then immediately cover to trap steam inside the pan. Cook for an additional 2 minutes until the top of the egg has started to cook and the yolk is the desired consistency. Serve immediately.3 Tablespoons water
Basted Eggs: Butter Method
- In a small nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium high heat until hot and it begins to foam.2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- Gently crack the eggs into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Saute until the edges of the egg start to turn golden brown and get crisp, about 4 minutes.2 eggs, whole, Salt and pepper
- Tilt the pan gently to one side, then using a spoon, baste the hot butter over the eggs as they continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Once the tops have started to set and take on color, remove from the pan. Serve immediately.
