How long should over easy eggs be cooked on the second side?

Cooking over easy eggs requires careful attention to achieve the desired texture while ensuring proper cooking. When flipping the egg, the second side should be cooked for approximately 10 seconds. This brief cooking time allows the egg white to set without fully cooking the yolk, which should remain slightly runny. At this duration, the surface of the egg becomes just firm enough to hold its shape while maintaining that classic over easy presentation—soft, tender, and with a yolk that is still liquid.

Cooking for too short a time, such as a few seconds, would not adequately set the egg white, leading to undercooked eggs that can be unsafe to eat or unappetizing. Conversely, cooking for too long would fully solidify the yolk, transforming the eggs into over medium or over hard, which deviates from the over easy style. Thus, the correct approach for cooking the second side of over easy eggs is around 10 seconds, ensuring the right balance of texture and doneness.