The Parchment Paper Tip That'll Give You Mess-Free Eggs Every Time

There's really nothing too complicated about frying an egg. So long as you have the ability to crack an egg into a frying pan and cook it until the whites set, you shouldn't have too much of a problem making a classic breakfast. If the yolk does manage to break when you're frying an egg, you can just as easily turn a fried egg into a delicious scrambled egg. An egg is a very versatile food and is very hard to mess up, whether you're frying or scrambling it.

But just because cooking an egg is easy doesn't necessarily mean that it's not messy. You could easily fumble cracking an egg and get raw egg yolk all over your oven and countertop. You may accidentally burn your eggs if you're not paying attention and be stuck scraping off burnt egg residue from your pan. Depending on the type of pan you use or how hot you have the burner set, your egg may even "bond," or get stuck, to your pan, making it harder to flip the egg or even remove it from the pan. 

Fortunately, you have a very simple solution to your egg problems– and chances are, it's sitting right in your kitchen cabinet or under your sink. Just a single sheet of parchment paper can prove to be very effective when you cook your eggs. You don't even need to change how you fry your eggs, making this method all the more simple to use.

To start, take a sheet of your choice of baking or parchment paper and lay it on your pan while it warms up. Add your choice of butter or oil, whichever you fry your egg in, and allow that to spread across the paper. As soon as the butter or oil is sufficiently heated, crack the egg into the pan and then cook to your liking, whether you want to flip it or cover it with a lid. Once the yolk is set and whites are cooked through, simply lift up the parchment paper and slide the egg onto your plate.

The beauty of this method lies in the fact that parchment paper is non-stick, which allows the egg to be cooked, fried or scrambled, without any part of the yolk or white sticking to it. This process also allows your pan to remain perfectly clean, even if the egg were to burn or the yolk would burst. All you have to do in terms of clean-up is toss out the greasy parchment paper — something far more easier than trying to scrub burnt yolk off the surface of your skillet.

Of course, because parchment paper prevents the egg itself from being exposed to the hot surface, your fried egg may not have those crispy edges around the sides. Scrambled eggs, on the other hand, should have no problem, considering they don't need direct heat to be cooked fully.

Maybe you don't want to waste a sheet of parchment paper just to cook an egg. You would rather use something that not only does the same thing a piece of parchment would do, but you could also eat it afterwards if you so wish.

A good method of keeping your pan clean has you lay either a tortilla, a flatbread, or pita bread inside of the pan first before you crack your egg. Simply lay the tortilla or pita bread in the pan as it warms up (you could also optionally butter or oil the pan beforehand). Once the bread has been warmed, crack your eggs across the top of the bread and allow them to cook as usual. The grease from the egg will be absorbed by the pita or the tortilla and away from the heat of the pan. Another bonus of this method is that you can a different variety of toppings to the tortilla, such as bacon, chopped ham, vegetables like mushrooms and peppers, and shredded cheese. This way, you're not only keeping your pan cleaner but also making a much heartier breakfast than just a simple fried egg.

Whether you use a piece of parchment paper or a tortilla to keep your pan clean, you can take comfort in knowing that your pan will remain clean and pristine even after you're done cooking breakfast.