Let’s talk egg secrets.

How I Cook My Sunny Side Up Eggs So They Look Cute In Food Photos I howsweeteats.com

I don’t think it’s any secret that I love me some eggs. In fact, I eat them nearly every single day in one form or another. Maybe scramble with sautéed mushrooms and garlic, hard-boiled and sliced with salt and pepper on hummus toasts or even poached over roasted asparagus so I am forced to eat some veggies.

Whenever I share a recipe with fried eggs, whether it’s a breakfast hash (uh, sort of obsessed with those; I’ve made quinoa hash, day-after-thanksgiving hash, grilled corn summer hash, white bean hash and brussels sprouts hash) or a sandwich, I get tons of questions on how I make my eggs look so… sunny. I guess that’s what we can call it.

How I Cook My Sunny Side Up Eggs So They Look Cute In Food Photos I howsweeteats.com

So this is what I do. And just to be clear, I really only do this for food photos. It’s actually the ONLY thing I do for food photos when it comes to food styling – I never use any of those crazy tricks such as using elmer’s glue for cereal milk and what not. But people eat with their eyes and I like making eggs look pretty. And let’s be real: sometimes they can be gross, even if you love them.

If it’s just me and I’m eating eggs or if I’m making them for others, I still don’t do this. The main reason being is that it’s sort of time consuming… and the way I do it requires me to drag out my electric skillet.

How I Cook My Sunny Side Up Eggs So They Look Cute In Food Photos I howsweeteats.com

That’s the first thing: your skillet has to be completely nonstick. Meaning, no nonstick spray on it ever, whatsoever. Totally nonstick skillet, griddle or pan, electric or not. This is why I use my big electric griddle because my husband has destroyed every other pot and pan we own with an obnoxious amount of Pam. He thinks that the world will end if he cooks something without a nice thick layer of that stuff.

The next step is to set the temperature to the lowest setting. Yes, the lowest. This means that I set my griddle to 200 degrees (the lowest it goes) and if I’m using the stovetop, I turn the burner to low.

How I Cook My Sunny Side Up Eggs So They Look Cute In Food Photos I howsweeteats.com

I crack the eggs into a separate bowl because it never fails that I get a million pieces of shell in it if I don’t. Not for everyday use – again, I can randomly crack my eggs all day long with no shell to be seen, but you can be darn sure that the minute I drag out my camera and attempt to develop a recipe, the shells come out to find me. So. Crack ’em in a bowl.

Pour them on the hot skillet or griddle.

Then just wait. Yep. Wait. It usually takes about 5 minutes or so until they are done to my liking, but since they cook so slow and since there is no oil or butter, they will be soft and bright white and look like little sunshines. Depending on how you like to eat your eggs, they may take a bit longer or cook even quicker. I do not flip mine since I use them in photos, but of course you could do that if you like.

How I Cook My Sunny Side Up Eggs So They Look Cute In Food Photos I howsweeteats.com

I do suggest keeping an eye on the eggs because even while cooking slowly, if they overcook, they can look a little rubbery (note the lower right edge in the first egg photo) which isn’t so cute in pictures. If you’re not taking pictures, then you don’t have a thing to worry about.

I think they look adorable with some salt and pepper.

How I Cook My Sunny Side Up Eggs So They Look Cute In Food Photos I howsweeteats.com

Who says eggs look adorable? Anyhoo, that’s exactly how I do it! If you want to see exactly how I do other things, click here. Anything else you’d like to see? Remember: I usually do things wrong.