How to Make Crispy Fried Eggs with Chili Salt
Fry an egg in hot oil to achieve blistered, lacy golden edges and a runny yolk, then finish with a freshly crushed aromatic chili garlic salt.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Small nonstick pan or wok
- ✓ Mortar and pestle (or chef's knife)
- ✓ Small ramekin
- ✓ Heatproof slotted spoon or metal spatula
- ✓ Paper towels
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Fresh large eggs
- ✓ Neutral high-smoke-point oil (vegetable or canola)
- ✓ Fresh red bird's eye chilies
- ✓ Flaky sea salt or coarse kosher salt
- ✓ Fresh garlic clove
- ✓ Granulated sugar (optional)
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Dry egg shells and tools completely before cooking; moisture causes violent oil popping.
- • Wash hands thoroughly with soap after handling fresh chilies and do not touch your eyes.
- • Do not lean directly over the pan while basting hot oil.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Pound Chili Salt
Slice the chili and peel the garlic clove. Place the chili, garlic, coarse salt, and a pinch of sugar into the mortar and pound until a coarse, aromatic paste forms. The salt grains should be stained orange-red and slightly damp from the garlic oils.
- • Coarse, vibrant reddish paste with visible chili flecks and crushed garlic
- • Pounding into a liquid puree instead of keeping a textured salt blend
- • Using pre-ground fine table salt which makes it overly salty and wet
Crack Egg into Ramekin
Crack one fresh cold egg directly into a small ramekin or bowl. Inspect for any shell fragments and ensure the yolk remains completely intact before cooking.
- • Whole intact egg resting cleanly in a small bowl with no broken shell pieces
- • Cracking directly over the hot oil pan which causes sudden splatters and uneven placement
Heat Oil to Shimmering
Pour neutral oil into your small pan or wok to a depth of about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (roughly 3-4 tablespoons). Heat over medium-high until the oil shimmers and produces tiny ripples when the pan is tilted.
- • Oil appears loose, fluid, and has light surface ripples with faint heat waves
- • Using too little oil, which prevents the egg whites from puffing and crisping around the edges
Slide Egg and Baste Whites
Tilt the pan slightly and gently slide the egg into the pool of hot oil. Tilt the pan toward you and use a spoon to continuously ladle hot oil over the bubbly egg whites while keeping the yolk exposed.
- • Egg white instantly puffs with large bubbles and edges begin curling into frills
- • Pouring hot oil directly over the top of the yolk, which cooks the yolk solid instead of leaving it runny
Crisp Edges and Drain
Fry for 60 to 90 seconds until the bottom and outer perimeter turn deep golden brown and crunchy. Lift the egg using a slotted spoon or spatula, letting excess oil drain back into the pan for 5 seconds.
- • Lacy, dark golden-brown crispy perimeter with a vibrant, glossy, runny yolk center
- • Pulling the egg too early while the bottom is pale and soft
Season with Chili Salt
Transfer the crispy egg onto a plate or a bowl of warm jasmine rice. Spoon a generous pinch of the prepared chili garlic salt directly over the egg white and beside the runny yolk.
- • Plated crispy egg topped with red chili specks and glistening garlic salt flakes
- • Dumping the chili salt in one concentrated mound rather than scattering it across the crispy surfaces
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by The Everyday Recipe — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Mortar and pestle? Finely mince chilies and garlic with a chef's knife, then mash with flat blade into salt
- No Fresh bird's eye chilies? Crushed red pepper flakes or thinly sliced jalapeño
- No Flaky sea salt? Coarse kosher salt