Once you learn how to make perfect scrambled eggs the right way, you’ll find new admiration for the humble breakfast dish.
By Amy Traverso|Sep 22 2022|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine Keenan
The first thing I ever learned to cook, around age eight, was scrambled eggs, and I learned it the way most people do: Crack a few eggs in a bowl, add milk, salt, and pepper, and cook over medium heat in a buttered skillet until they start to set, then rake them up to form curds. This is a perfectly respectable method, but it’s not how to make perfect scrambled eggs. And once you make them properly, you’ll find that humble scrambled eggs can become pretty sublime.
How to Make Perfect Scrambled Eggs.
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First tip: Use a saucepan, not a skillet. Cooking the eggs in a narrower vessel makes them cook more slowly, which gives you insurance against overcooking.
How to Make Perfect Scrambled Eggs
Crack three eggs into your pan and add a knob of butter—anywhere from half a tablespoon to a tablespoon, depending on how rich you feel. Do not add milk! Milk does nothing good for scrambled eggs—it merely stretches them to feed more people. If you can afford the three eggs, skip the milk. And don’t season the eggs until they’re finished cooking, because the salt can draw water out of the whites and make them watery.
The “how to make perfect scrambled eggs” setup.
Set the pot over high heat. Using a fork, quickly whisk the eggs, which will form an emulsion with the butter. They will start to look creamy.
The earliest cooking stage. Looking good…
Take the pan off the heat, still whisking. The eggs will still cook, and begin to transform from a liquid to a solid. You might find it easier to use a spatula at this point. Continue stirring. Repeat this process, going on and off the heat, until the eggs are almost done to your liking.
Constant stirring produces smaller curds. Almost done.
When the eggs are almost ready, whisk in a bit more butter for flavor. You want the eggs wet, but not runny.
Off the heat and done.
And that’s how to make perfect scrambled eggs! They may not look like the eggs you grew up eating or what you typically see on your diner breakfast plate, but give them a try. We think you’ll like them.
Garnish them with fresh herbs (chives, mint, parsley) if you’d like. Enjoy!
Do you have any tips for how to make perfect scrambled eggs? Let us know!
This post was first published in 2014 and has been updated.
Will definitely try the different pan. I always add a little cold water from our refrigerator dispenser prior to cooking, which slows the cooking time down and seems to make them taste lighter. I also now use a whisk to make them smaller. I never use milk either. Love your magazine and all the different recipes. Thanks.
For fluffy eggs (having wisk or beaten them) it is better to pull eggs in from the sides while cooking in a frying pan on a med. low to med. temperature used to cook proteins. You have can have bigger pieces and are not pushing the air out of them. When cooked properly, they do not dry out inside as do eggs that are constantly stirred into smaller curds in the frying pan. Milk tends to make the eggs creamy and using water, instead, tends to add fluff. Over cooking makes eggs tougher which happens when they are cooked too long or at too high of a temperature.
I’ve read the best way is in a cast iron skillet. Add 1 tsp mayo beat skillet with butter 1-2 T, when butter melts, add beaten egged & mayo. Take off heat and scramble, return to heat if needed for more heat, off, scramble till set and serve. They are soft and delish
My mom never added milk to scrambles eggs and we got criticized…But her eggs always takes it so much better than anyone else’s that were rubbery and pale. Butter, eggs, salt and pepper……simply perfect!
add one tablespoon of seltzer water per egg. It’s just enough to give your eggs a bubbly, fluffy lift without making them runny, and you won’t taste any of the seltzer once they’re ready to eat. Just make sure you use a flavorless seltzer water.
The saucepan is a great idea. I had never thought of doing it this way. I will def give this a try.
I always made them in a skillet with some milk. I will definitely try this method!
Will definitely try the different pan. I always add a little cold water from our refrigerator dispenser prior to cooking, which slows the cooking time down and seems to make them taste lighter. I also now use a whisk to make them smaller. I never use milk either. Love your magazine and all the different recipes. Thanks.
This sounds weird, but I like my scrambled eggs lightly browned.
So does my daughter!
For fluffy eggs (having wisk or beaten them) it is better to pull eggs in from the sides while cooking in a frying pan on a med. low to med. temperature used to cook proteins. You have can have bigger pieces and are not pushing the air out of them. When cooked properly, they do not dry out inside as do eggs that are constantly stirred into smaller curds in the frying pan. Milk tends to make the eggs creamy and using water, instead, tends to add fluff. Over cooking makes eggs tougher which happens when they are cooked too long or at too high of a temperature.
I’ve read the best way is in a cast iron skillet. Add 1 tsp mayo beat skillet with butter 1-2 T, when butter melts, add beaten egged & mayo. Take off heat and scramble, return to heat if needed for more heat, off, scramble till set and serve. They are soft and delish
Love the magazine, we have a subscription under my husband’s name.
My mom never added milk to scrambles eggs and we got criticized…But her eggs always takes it so much better than anyone else’s that were rubbery and pale. Butter, eggs, salt and pepper……simply perfect!
add one tablespoon of seltzer water per egg. It’s just enough to give your eggs a bubbly, fluffy lift without making them runny, and you won’t taste any of the seltzer once they’re ready to eat. Just make sure you use a flavorless seltzer water.
This is the best recipe!! Tried it and they were perfect.
sometimes i add cheese to my eggs as they are almost set. yum!
love your magazine, and will try the new method of scrambled eggs.
I’m from Maine and I always add shredded cheese to my scrambled eggs..yummy!
if you need to add anything, try a little heavy cream…
This recipe sounds yummy
Love creamy eggs
Will try for sure
Make with ricotta cheese!
Feta cheese also great in scrambled eggs!!
Best scrambled eggs… milk and eggs that is all you need and cook them in a small frying pan with butter…nice and fluffy..that simple!