How To: Make The Best Scrambled Eggs

The secret to the best scrambled eggs? Milk and butter, a good whisk, and a nonstick pan over low heat. Big, fluffy, luxurious scrambled eggs in under 8 minutes!

NOTES

TIPS FOR FLUFFY SCRAMBLED EGGS 

FIRST—HOW TO CRACK AN EGG

The goal of cracking eggs is that with a single, firm tap the egg will crack, easily split open, and the yolk and white will slide out, all while avoiding the shell shattering into a million pieces, getting bits of shell in the egg, breaking the yolk, or introducing any bacteria from the outside of the shell to the yolk or white.

While cracking an egg on the lip of a bowl may work okay most of the time, a better method is to give the egg a confident tap on a flat surface, like the counter. The flat-surface method is far less likely to result in broken yolks, or eggshell ending up in the bowl or pan.

Crack the eggs on a flat, hard surface and open them into a bowl. 

Next, holding the egg over the bowl or pan, press your thumbs lightly into the crack, until you break the membrane. Then pull gently apart to let the egg slide out. After you try it once or twice, believe it or not, this method actually feels easier than the rim method.

The Problem with Cracking Eggs on the Lip of a Bowl

The issue with cracking eggs on the lip of the bowl is two-fold. For starters, this method pushes the shell back into the egg. The shell is also more likely to break into multiple pieces, which ups the chances of getting eggshell in the bowl. (Raise your hand if that’s happened to you).

There’s also the issue of food safety. Yes, pushing the shell back into the egg increases the risk of breaking the yolk, but the bigger concern is that any bacteria on the exterior of the shell can contaminate the white and/or yolk. This is especially an issue if you’re making undercooked eggs — a soft scramble, or eggs with runny yolks.

So the next time you go to to crack an egg, before you aim for the rim of a bowl or the lip of your pan, try giving it a confident tap on the counter instead. You may find you become a convert.

Don’t crack eggs directly into the pan — It does add another dish to clean, but it’s really important that you crack eggs onto the counter or a hard surface and open them into a bowl and whisk before adding to your pan. The eggs don’t need to be whisked forever, just do it until the egg white and egg yolks are blended.

If you do get a piece of eggshell in your whites and yolks, use a bigger piece of shell to scoop it out the tiny shellsThe shell attracts other bits of shell. Of course, even if you take all appropriate precautions, a bit of shell can still find its way into your bowl of cracked eggs. Fortunately, it works every time. 

What’s your go-to method for cracking eggs? Tell us in the comments below!

Adding Liquids:

Adding liquid such as water or dairy doesn’t have much to do with the size of your curds, it has a lot to do with air, heat, and technique. As long as you keep those three things in mind, your scrambled eggs will be delicious regardless of whether you mix your eggs with milk, cream, or water, or use butter or oil to cook them. Those additional ingredients are optional! 

Mixing Bowl 

Get out a small mixing bowl (yes, even for two eggs) and a whisk—a cereal bowl and fork, we’ll it’ll work. But if that’s what you have – awesome!  Aggressively whisk the eggs so they are uniform in color and foamy. This has two functions—color and aeration. Whisking adds air to the eggs, which helps to make them fluffy when cooked. Second, it creates a uniformly golden color. You don’t want bits of yolk and bits of whites in your final product.

Medium To Low Heat

Low and Steady Wins the Race: Start with your pan over medium heat to melt the butter or heat oil, but then as soon as you add the eggs, reduce the pan to LOW. You want the curds to form gently and slowly in the pan. The same rule applies whether you are cooking two eggs or ten.

Get Pushy: To form light fluffy curds, use a rubber spatula to gently and slowly push the eggs from one edge of the pan to the other.

Healthy Shimmer: The eggs are ready when they are set, but still glistening with moisture. If you cook until they’re dry, they will be very dry and rubbery by the time you sit down to eat them.

Don’t overcook your eggs! Your eggs are done when they are no longer liquid, the curds are large and clumped together, but they still glisten with moisture and are not tough to the touch. 

Mix-Ins and When to Add Them

Anything goes when it comes to turning your scrambled eggs into a larger meal. Feel free to add leftover meat, vegetables, salsa, herbs or cheeses to your eggs. If you create something you don’t like, It’s a low-risk kitchen experiment; eggs are inexpensive and require minimal time commitment.

For the best eggs with extras, follow the tips below:

Pre-cook your vegetables to release extra moisture.

Pre-cook meat in a separate pan to prevent discoloring the eggs.

Fresh herbs help brighten the flavor of eggs, don’t be afraid to add basil, chives or parsley.

Add meats, cheese, vegetables and herbs toward the end of cooking the eggs, just long enough to mix them in and warm them through. Alternatively, keep them separate and serve them alongside your eggs on the plate.

The Best Pan for Scrambled Eggs

The very best pan for scrambling eggs is a non-stick skillet because the eggs will slide easily without sticking to the pan. You can also use a cast-iron pan as long as it’s well-seasoned (otherwise the cast iron can turn your eggs a greenish shade!). In a pinch, stainless steel can be used, but use some extra butter or oil to prevent the eggs from sticking too much.

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