The Ultimate Guide To Making (Perfect) Scrambled Eggs
If there’s one dish that’s worth mastering, it’s scrambled eggs.
Why?
- They’re cheap. You can feed yourself for under a dollar – or you can feed a crowd for just a few dollars.
- They’re versatile. You can eat them plain, add spices and vegetables, make a scrambled egg bowl, put them on toast, etc.
- They’re delicious – IF they are made correctly. Keep reading to learn how to make perfect scrambled eggs that are light, fluffy, and perfectly cooked.
Doesn’t Everyone Already Know How To Make Scrambled Eggs?
Nope!
It’s very easy to screw up scrambled eggs. The main problem people run into is overcooking scrambled eggs. If scrambled eggs are cooked even a few seconds too long, they dry out. Even restaurants, in my experience, often overcook them.
Excellent scrambled eggs practically melt in your mouth. And once you’ve had them this way (the perfect way), there’s no going back.
You don’t have to settle for dry, overcooked scrambled eggs.
Which is why I’m devoting the next 500 words or so to sharing the best method and tips for making perfect scrambled eggs.
Does An Extra Egg Yolk Make Better Scrambled Eggs?
Technically, yes. Adding an extra yolk to scrambled eggs – whether that is one egg + one egg yolk, or two eggs + an extra yolk – will make them more rich, creamy, and flavorful.
The egg yolk contains the fat and cholesterol of the egg, and also contains vitamins, minerals, and protein. Most of the flavor is also in the egg yolk.
Adding extra yolk to scrambled eggs is a good idea flavor-wise. But it also adds cost, especially if you’re discarding the egg white. To reduce food waste and keep costs down, I make scrambled eggs with whole eggs and no extra yolk.
What’s The Best Method For Making Scrambled Eggs?
Let’s be clear about one thing: There are many, many ways to make scrambled eggs. Ingredients, cooking temperature, and methods vary from cook to cook.
Even celebrity chefs are all over the place in terms of technique:
- Julia Child skipped the milk/cream and used water instead.
- Bobby Flay adds creme fraiche.
- Martha Stewart adds nothing to her eggs – no milk, no salt, no pepper.
- Gordon Ramsay adds salt and pepper at the very end of cooking.
If you like soft, moist, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth scrambled eggs, keep reading. Also, check out this Web Story detailing the process.
Essentials For Perfect Scrambled Eggs
- A nonstick pan: Not cast iron, not enameled cast iron, not stainless steel: You’ll want to use a nonstick pan for perfect scrambled eggs.
- The freshest eggs: If you want the very best scrambled eggs, use the very best eggs. Purchase the freshest, best eggs you can afford.
- Heavy whipping cream: If you want the richest, creamiest scrambled eggs, use heavy whipping cream – not milk, half-and-half or water.
- Butter: Butter adds great flavor and creaminess to scrambled egg. For extra creamy eggs, use European butter, which has higher butterfat.
- Medium-low heat: Low, but not too low heat, ensures that the eggs are not cooked too quickly.
- Constant slow stirring: Once the eggs hit the pan, you slowly push them with a small spatula. As you constantly stir/push, the eggs cook slowly and evenly.
- Precise timing: The difference between just right scrambled eggs and dry scrambled eggs is a few seconds.
- Adding salt and pepper: Adding salt to the eggs before cooking can make them tough. I like to add salt and pepper at the very end of cooking to ensure the eggs retain their melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Practice: If your first batch doesn’t turn out, try again – and keep trying until you have the method down.
Scrambled Egg Variations
Once you’ve got the basic scrambled egg method mastered, you can start experimenting with different spices and add-ins. Here are some recipe ideas to try:
Huevos Pericos (Colombian Scrambled Eggs)
Chop 1 Roma tomato and 1 green onion. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add tomato and green onion, and saute for 1 minute. Proceed adding scrambled egg and follow the instructions, below.
Turmeric scrambled eggs
Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric to scrambled egg and heavy whipping cream mixture. Proceed following the recipe, below.
More Scrambled Egg Recipes
- Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon
- Scrambled eggs with ham and peppers
- Scrambled eggs in a mug (microwaved)
- Mascarpone scrambled eggs
- Peppery scrambled macaroni and eggs
- Scrambled eggs on toast
- Mexican-style scrambled egg breakfast bowls
- Machaca con huevo (marinated pulled pork or beef with eggs)
- Thai scrambled egg tacos
- Scrambled eggs made with olive oil (Can you do that?)
- How to make an amazingly fluffy omelette
Now you can start enjoying scrambled eggs in a variety of ways – and start saving money by incorporating more of this delicious, nutritious, inexpensive food into your diet.
Perfect Scrambled Eggs
What are perfect scrambled eggs? They're soft, fluffy, and creamy. If this is how you like your eggs, follow this recipe step-by-step.
Ingredients
- 2 fresh, large eggs
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt and pepper
- Chives, chopped (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Crack eggs into a small mixing bowl. Using a small whisk or fork, beat until the blended. The egg white and yolk should be close to uniform. Whisk in heavy whipping cream.
- Use a non-stick frying pan. Heat butter over medium-low heat until melted. Pour eggs into pan, wait 15 seconds, and very slowly start pushing the eggs with a small spatula. Continue this slow stirring/egg pushing until all the eggs are cooked and no raw egg remains. At the very last second, stir in salt and pepper. Be very careful not to overcook - immediately slide eggs onto plate.
- Top eggs with chives, if desired. Serve immediately.
For the best scrambled eggs add one teaspoon of sour cream per egg cooked. During cooking pull the pan off the heat for about one minute half way through cooking. Then finish cooking.
No, no, no! Two eggs scrambled (adding in the cream) and one whole yolk. Don’t let that extra yolk break until the very end so that it is still gummy when everything else is done. THAT is the best scrambled eggs.