Easily Upgrade Fried Eggs By Cooking Them In This Oil

Eggs are a wonderful food in that they're tasty, versatile, and you can cook them tons of different ways so they don't get boring. Fried eggs are a personal favorite, especially when served over a steaming hot bed of rice with some fried spam or tofu and bok choy. Sesame oil is my go-to when it comes to cooking up a fried egg, but did you know that coconut oil is one of 16 ingredients that will make your fried eggs unbeatable?

Coconut oil (the refined type, at least) has a high smoke point of around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Unrefined coconut oil only has a smoke point of around 350 degrees Fahrenheit, but you want to swerve using that and virgin coconut oil anyway since they have a much stronger coconutty taste, which you probably don't want to impart in your fried egg. To cook your egg with coconut oil, simply spoon some into a pan and wait for it to melt down completely into a liquid. Use it as a one to one substitute for your usual cooking oil, and fry your egg as you normally would. As a bonus tip, for the crispiest fried eggs, baste them in the oil, too.

As you likely know, not all cooking oils are created equal. Coconut oil does a great job with a few things, like giving the edges of your fried egg a crispiness thanks to the aforementioned high smoke point, or creating a nice encrusted exterior when used in basting. Even refined coconut oil still imparts a faintly nutty and lightly sweet flavor, too, which can really elevate your egg depending on where and how you're using it. An egg fried in coconut oil and served over a bed of aromatic rice like jasmine is a definite winning combo, and serving it over coconut chicken curry is another great way of combining sweet, savory, and umami all in one rich and hearty dish.

Beyond the unique touch of flavor and the high smoke point, coconut oil is also resistant to oxidation. This makes it a super stable oil to cook with, since it won't break down as quickly as other, unrefined oils. Of course, this is a bit of a double-edged sword, since the stability comes from the high saturated fat content. Basically, don't make a habit of drowning your eggs in coconut oil, since it's not the more nutritious thing for your body. But when enjoying it with a few eggs now and then, it makes for a real treat.