Fried Eggs - Oil or Butter?

[Philly Ray]

Do you use butter or oil in the pan when making fried eggs? If you use oil, what kind of oil?

I have been using butter, but I'm thinking of switching to olive oil to reduce (saturated) fat and cholesterol.

[alliels]

Butter...although Ive used both and don't notice a difference.

[David11238]

I'm starting to save left over grease and fat for such occasions. I've already fried a couple of eggs in lamb grease (I tried roasting lamb marrow with no success) and a mix cod liver & tuna fish oil from tinned smoked cod livers and jars of a variety of Tonnino tuna. And I have to say both types of oils taste pretty good.

[rjbh20]

Clarified butter -- concentrated butter flavor and it doesn't burn like whole butter. Very useful stuff.

[HillJ]

This mornings fried egg was made in pesto.
Using pesto as the oil, lovely.

[rockability]

Sounds delicious!

[esquimeaux]

I love scrambled eggs in extra virgin olive oil. Every other preparation... butter! Even with hard-boiled, I eat them with dabs of soft butter and salt. Also, I'm not what you'd call slender.

[rockability]

I use both..sometimes together, sometimes separately.

[eight_inch_pestle]

I like 'em both ways. Oil is especially nice with some minced herbs tossed in the oil.

[Passadumkeg]

Lamb fat!

[c oliver]

You fry eggs in lamb fat. Interesting. So you render the fat? I love lamb fat but just eating it with the meat. I'm sure I'd love doing eggs in it but doubt I'd go to the trouble.

[Passadumkeg]

The best for pie crusts too!! Babyshka learned me good!
I surrender to render.

[Sam Salmon]

Always Grapeseed oil.

OTOH I always scramble eggs haven't made them any other way for decades apart from soft boiled maybe 4 times a year.

[ipsedixit]

I should add that alot of times I use neither. No added fat whatsoever.

Just heat + pan + egg.

[Harters]

Always sunflower oil.

[ediblover]

If it's just the egg, it has to be butter.

When I fry an egg these days a lot of other things are included. So, I use a dab of canola on the pan and there's some olive in the mix (from the dried tomatoes).

[PegS]

Butter or some sort of animal fat. I've found that using oil makes it more likely to stick. Something about those crispy edges.

[mcel215]

Well if it wasn't so artery clogging and me being well over 50, then I would use bacon fat. But, I use a scant amount of butter instead. Is it better than bacon fat? I hope so. ;)

[lynnlato]

I wouldn't think buter is any better, health-wise, than bacon fat. Go big or go home. ;-)

[escondido123]

Butter and some water. I don't like any browning for my fried eggs so I add water and then bathe the top of the egg in that creamy combination. Served on well buttered toast with salt and pepper on top.

[todao]

The type of oil you use to prepare eggs will affect their flavor but little else. I often fry eggs in olive oil if I don't want the butter flavor in the dish I'm preparing. I've used other types of oil, e.g. Canola, etc., when I don't want any recognizable flavor at all. I like the flavor of olive oil so I sometimes use it when I want some flavor, but not the buttery note.

[ipsedixit]

Oil or bacon fat.

Never butter. Ick.

[petek]

sometimes butter and olive oil,sometimes bacon fat,but always overeasy.

[mariacarmen]

same here.

[The Professor]

Bacon fat, butter, or ghee.
Never oil.
Ick.

[Bliss149]

Funny. I think the exact opposite.

Eggs cooked in bacon fat look and taste dirty. And oil just sounds gross and...oily.

BUTT-AH for me!

[Floridagirl]

I started using olive oil when I went to a Greek diner and they were like my mom made, with some crunch on the edges and I could tell it was olive oil. When the eggs are done I throw in some butter and cook the toast in the frying pan instead of the toaster.

[fara]

my husband and toddler really only eat scrambled, so it's all about butter

[rabaja]

I use both. I heat the oil, then swirl in a nob of butter before sliding in the egg.
Something about the oil gives you the nice crispy, lacey edges and the smidge of butter adds aroma and flavor. Crispy edges, and soft yolk. Just so we're clear.

[deet13]

Bacon fat

[SonyBob]

Amen
Bob

[Passadumkeg]

+1 or duck fat.

[hill food]

and the cook regarded what had been done and it was good.

yet butter ain't bad.

[c oliver]

Yes to duck fat. That's the best.

[Whats_For_Dinner]

Hell yes. Duck fat all the way.

[hill food]

yeah but name something fried that;s NOT good in duck fat

[dmsseyj]

Butter, oil, bacon or duck fat...it's all good! I'm not so sure about the Lamb fat but have never tried it. (not exactly easily available...same thing with goose fat)

[mamachef]

A mars bar dipped in batter is not good fried in duckfat, nor is........well, that's all I got.

[mamachef]

C, have you ever had a massive duck egg fried in duckfat?
Yolky, nutty, umame......oh me, oh my.

[linguafood]

or goose fat. my breakfast these days is two farm-fresh scrambled eggs cooked in goose fat. the only nice thing about having wasted hours on a less than mediocre goose = lots of goose-lipo = fatty goodness.

the smell alone makes me swoon. bacon fat is ok, but not as good.

[alkapal]

gooso-lipto -- sounds like a caribbean dance.......

[linguafood]

ugh. if only it were that much fun. for some reason, handling raw poultry makes me queasy. add to that globs and globs of yellow fat.... aaaííí caramba. gross.

but tasty nonetheless :-D

[alkapal]

i too hate handling raw poultry.

[gwk222]

Yes! And same goes for the homefried potatoes.

[Davwud]

Obviously.

DT

[lynnlato]

+2 Amen!

And spooning the rendered fat over the yolk until it gets a little hazy creates the most amazing dippy egg ever.

I'm making one right now, dammut.

[Davwud]

I made me a fried egg and bacon sandwich for breakfast. Outstanding.

DT

[Passadumkeg]

We just finished a cod, spinach, asparagus and calameta omelet w/ home fries, all done w/ bacon fat.
The good, the bad and the ugly?

[David11238]

Interesting. I reheated a spinach, bacon and potato frittata in a toaster oven with cod liver oil. It came from the tin of my smoked cod and I figured why waste it? It was pretty good.

[Passadumkeg]

Left over cod Florentine and asparagus make for a good omelet!

[petek]

Did you crack the eggs right onto the bacon in the frypan?

[Davwud]

No, I wanted to keep the yolk in tact. I fried the bacon in cast iron and did the egg in non stick. I added bacon fat to the non stick pan. Complete with little bitty bits of bacon that got caught up in the egg white. Then toast, cheddar, bacon, egg, smear the runny yolk around on it like a sauce, more cheddar and then top. I often add mayo, tomato and lettuce but I didn't have any so didn't worry about it.

DT

[petek]

Nice!

[lynnlato]

Veddy nice, indeed.

[David11238]

Both! Butter to cook them, EVOO as a top dressing.

[srsone]

ive aways used butter...wait until the butter is slightly brown..
gives the eggs a nice flavor and brown edges..
and when i make scrambled eggs i always keep them on the little extra time for the same reason...i like the extra flavor of brown butter...

never thought about using oil....dont think it would give the same flavor