One of the most enduring myths about Las Vegas is the belief that you can fry an egg on a sidewalk. Although many restaurants have faced closure by the Southern Nevada Health Department over the years, none have ever been cited for this particular offense—likely because it’s just not feasible.
Despite countless tourists perpetuating the myth, the idea of frying an egg on the pavement gets quickly debunked once you crack one open.
To cook an entire egg thoroughly—not just the whites—you need a temperature of 158 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the American Egg Board. The peak temperature ever recorded for solar-heated concrete in Phoenix was just shy of this mark, reaching only 156 degrees as noted in a December 1970 article titled “Thermal Contact Burns from Streets and Highways” published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
This is due to concrete’s poor heat conductivity. Typically light in color, it mostly reflects sunlight back into the sky. Furthermore, when a cold or room-temperature egg is dropped onto a heated sidewalk, it cools the immediate area and creates a shadow that blocks the heat needed for cooking.
Egg-zhibit A
The Las Vegas Review-Journal decided to test this theory in July 2010 during a blisteringly hot day with a reported high of 113 degrees.
The infrared thermometer used by the newspaper showed a sidewalk temperature of 147 degrees. While that’s hot, it remains 11 degrees short of the necessary heat for frying an egg. The unfortunate outcome was raw yolks surrounded by slightly thickened yet mostly translucent egg whites after several hours.
This explains why participants in Oatman, Arizona’s Solar Egg Frying Contest—held annually on July 4th since 1991—must utilize some form of artificial assistance, like metal pans which are efficient heat conductors, mirrors, and magnifying glasses.
Some social media tricksters have managed to fry eggs on darker asphalt, which absorbs significantly more solar energy and can reach temperatures of up to 166 degrees. However, a sidewalk remains the only true mythical cooking surface in Las Vegas.
The viral TikTok video below showcases a woman in Las Vegas using a cast-iron skillet. The pan’s metallic texture and dark hue allow it to absorb 50% to 130% more solar energy compared to a light-colored sidewalk, almost enabling her to flash-fry an egg.
However, it’s unclear if she preheated the pan. The sidewalk temperature of 167 degrees claimed by the video’s infrared thermometer is unlikely unless the sidewalk material is not typical concrete.
This stubborn myth persists, especially on scorching days when merely touching your car’s steering wheel can result in burns.
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