Foodies are adding 1 ingredient to pan to stop eggs sticking – not oil

When you’re frying eggs or any food, you’ll likely immediately reach for some sort of oil. It’s quick to whip up in the pan, it’s effective, and it achieves the desired texture.

However, there’s a viral trend on TikTok where people are using something totally rogue instead of oil, and people have been trying it for themselves as an allegedly healthier alternative.What is it we hear you ask. Well, it’s cucumbers.

Rubbing them on the bottom of the pan, saying that it acts as a non-stick agent, meaning that you can skip the oil completely. But does it actually work?

Catering supply experts at Alliance Online lay out the pros and cons of this trend, sharing whether it’s actually something you should bother trying, or whether it’s one best kept to the internet.

They share that there is one visible benefit to using the hack. They say that rubbing a cold, moist cucumber on a pan can leave a thin film of water (moisture) and may cool the pan’s surface slightly.

Combined with a well-seasoned or high-quality non-stick pan, you might achieve a short window where food doesn’t immediately stick.

However, the cucumber alone doesn’t provide an effective barrier comparable to a proper layer of cooking oil.

Unlike oil, which creates a consistent lubricating film and raises the local surface temperature to help cook and release the food, a cucumber can only deliver a watery residue that evaporates quickly and may not withstand higher cooking temperatures or sticky ingredients.

When it comes to cooking oil, the main idea is simple. Use one that can handle the heat, keep it clean, so bits of food don’t burn or stick, and pick the right oil for whatever you’re cooking and the temperature you’re using.

It seems like a good idea in theory, or one that’s at least worth a try. However, it may be worth leaving this hack on the internet.

Rachael Kiss from Alliance Online critiques the trend, saying: “The real secret in ‘miracle’ frying tricks isn’t the ingredient itself, like a cucumber replacing oil, but the non-stick pan you use.

“A high-quality non-stick pan, with its specialised coating, allows food to cook evenly without sticking, even when you use very little or no added fat. Investing in a good non-stick pan can make a bigger difference in low-oil cooking than any single ingredient substitution.

Rachael explained that she’s seen “countless cooking shortcuts and hacks come and go,” and while this one is a “fun and refreshing visual,” it may be best to keep it as a “novelty,” rather than a “dependable cooking technique”.

She continued: “The cucumber trick cannot replace the core functions of oil in cooking, providing lubrication, aiding heat transfer, and preventing sticking across the full range of cooking conditions.

“For home cooks, hobby chefs, and professionals, a high-quality non-stick pan is equally essential. Its specialised coating allows food to cook smoothly and evenly, even with minimal fat, making it a key factor in achieving consistent, reliable results in the kitchen.”