Scrambled eggs: Breakfast of the gods, or just plain old boring? Packed with protein, antioxidants and vitamin D, there’s no question that eggs make for a filling and energizing meal.
Yet, despite all they have to offer, even the most devoted health nut can get sick of the same ‘ol scramble day after day. That’s where these sneaky cooking techniques and delectable add-ins we’ve gathered come into play.
Think of these ideas as a choose-your-own-adventure guide — experiment with one, five, or all 13, and challenge yourself to try new ingredients and preparations on a regular basis. Look out, oatmeal —breakfast just got a whole lot more interesting.
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How to Make Scrambled Eggs Even More Amazing
1. Crack the eggs in a separate bowl. Sorry, lazy chefs — dropping eggs right into a pan is a surefire way to end up with a streaky, lumpy mess. Instead, crack the eggs into a bowl and stir them thoroughly with a fork, or whisk them until the whites and yolks have fully combined. Then they’re ready to add to the pan.
2. Skip the milk. This may blow your mind, but adding milk, cream or water to eggs before scrambling them is a common mistake that results in an inconsistent texture. Nix these additions and simply warm a pat of butter or coconut oil in the pan before adding the whisked eggs.
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“Guarantee that eggs stay fluffy and moist by cooking them in the oven.”
3. Salt smarter. Conventional wisdom about when to salt your eggs is mixed at best. Yet, in his new book The Food Lab, author J. Kenji López-Alt says his blind taste-test experiments prove you should salt 15 minutes before you cook your eggs. The salt prevents the protein molecules in the eggs from binding, yielding a softer scramble. (For more hacks from The Food Lab, click here.)
4. Choose the right pan. Using a pan that’s too large or too small can throw off the eggs’ consistency. A good rule of thumb is that an 8-inch pan works well for two eggs. No matter its size, let the pan warm up for a bit before adding eggs.
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5. Use low heat. Even when you’re ravenous, it’s worth taking the time to cook eggs slowly (that means no turning up the flame to ‘high’). This will help them stay soft and fluffy instead of turning brown or overcooked.
6. Don’t stop stirring. Pans tend to be hotter around the edge, so use the spatula to push the cooked bits of egg toward the center of the pan. The runny, uncooked bits will stream back out toward the edges; continue this motion until the cooked eggs are all collected in the center. Keep stirring the eggs in the center so they cook evenly and don’t form large chunks (unless large chunks are your bag — in which case, stir less often).
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7. Turn off the heat before they’re done. Even after you remove the pan from heat, eggs will continue to cook (the fancy term for this is “carryover cooking”). Switch off your burner when the eggs look wet but not runny, and let them sit in the pan for another minute or two. Then plate and serve.
8. Try the microwave. Pressed for time? Make microwaved scrambled eggs in under three minutes (just don’t tell Alton Brown). All you have to do is stir them every 45 seconds until they’re cooked!
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9. Scramble them in the shell. Say what? This unusual technique demo’d by the folks at the Bristol Science Center involves spinning the fully intact egg until it’s scrambled inside the shell. It’s part arm workout, part cooking routine. Save this one for when you’ve got some time — and you’re ready to get a little wacky in the kitchen.
10. Bake them. Don’t feel like supervising things at the stove? Guarantee that eggs stay fluffy and moist by cooking them in the oven instead of on the burner. It takes about 10 minutes and works great with large batches (hello, brunch).
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11. Make egg muffins. Thought you couldn’t eat scrambled eggs on the go? Think again. Pour your mix into muffin tins for a perfectly portioned morning snack. We’ve got 10 recipes for you to try right here. (You’ll swoon over the Taco Egg Muffins.)
12. Cheese it up. There’s a right way to create this classic, protein-rich combination. Instead of adding cheese while the eggs are on the stove, stir it in only after removing the eggs from heat. Be sure to use shredded or crumbled cheese so it melts quickly — try blue cheese, feta or cheddar. Even better: Check out this Mac and Cheese Scrambled Eggs Recipe. Yum.
13. Go flavor crazy. Red onions, green chili peppers, and cumin seeds make for scrambled eggs that pack a serious kick. Or, when it comes to herbs, make sure to choose tender varieties such as chives, dill, parsley, or tarragon. Sprinkle them over cooked eggs right before eating.