I’ve cooked scrambled eggs about a million times in my life, and I’m pretty particular about them. I like fluffy scrambled eggs topped with cheese. They must not be mushy, undercooked, or overcooked (the worst—and that smell!). I’m sharing my perfected technique with you today.
This recipe is designed for a stainless steel or cast iron skillet. If you’ve ever wondered how to cook scrambled eggs without a nonstick skillet, this post is for you. It can be done!
With this technique and some practice, you’ll make beautiful scrambled eggs with little mess. Even if you think you have your scrambled egg technique down pat, I think you might find some new tips here.
Scrambled Egg Tips
You’ll find the full recipe at the bottom of the post, plus a brief video below. I prefer to share foolproof recipes, but this one takes some practice. Even then, some days my eggs turn out better than others!
If you accidentally drop a bit of eggshell into your egg mixture:
Use the edge of a broken eggshell to scoop it out against the side of the bowl, or dampen your fingers with water to help fish them out.
Add a small amount of milk.
Or for even creamier eggs, use half-and-half or heavy cream. Adding dairy makes the eggs taste a little less eggy (in a good way), yields a more appealing pale yellow color, and, most importantly, offers a more pleasant and tender texture.
Plus a pinch of salt.
Salt helps tenderize the eggs. Add it as early as you can and then let the egg mixture hang out while you preheat the pan for wonderfully tender eggs.
Whisk well.
I love my small whisk for the job—it works much better than a fork. Whisk until the eggs are uniformly yellow to avoid stringy white bits in the finished result.
Let the eggs rest for a few minutes before cooking.
If you have time, let the egg mixture warm to room temperature before cooking, which helps reduce sticking.
Preheat the pan until it’s just the right temperature.
This is the key to preventing your eggs from sticking to the skillet. Do not hurry this one, and try to stay focused on the stovetop. Check out my photos and the video below for visuals.
Your skillet is hot enough when you can flick a few drops of water at an angle onto the pan and they dance or hop across the surface and then evaporate almost immediately.
Your pan is not hot enough if the drops splatter and bubble. If the butter browns immediately, the pan is too hot—you’ll need to let the pan cool and start over.
Watch How to Make Scrambled Eggs
How to Season Scrambled Eggs
I love to incorporate chopped chives when they’re growing in my garden. In fact, I often grow them with scrambled eggs in mind! They’re such a simple addition and infuse the eggs with a lovely, subtle allium flavor.
Generally, I recommend adding seasonings to scrambled eggs once they’re done cooking. If you try to cook vegetables and then add eggs to the skillet, you’ll often miss the ideal temperature and have trouble with the eggs sticking to the skillet. (The residual oil and bits of veggies stuck to the pan can also turn the eggs a strange color.)
Transfer the scrambled eggs to a plate to prevent overcooking, then fold in ingredients like sautéed or roasted vegetables and grated cheese. I love to add a small handful of crumbled tortilla chips, like you’ll see in my migas. You might also like a drizzle of sauce, like salsa, hot sauce, or a dollop of sour cream.
The best cheese for scrambled eggs:
You can’t go wrong, honestly. Grated cheddar cheese, Parmesan or Monterey Jack offer bold, cheesy flavors. I love to stir crumbled goat cheese or feta into warm scrambled eggs, which melt somewhat and make the eggs extra creamy.
Suggested Equipment
All-Clad D3 12-inch stainless steel frying pan or Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet: You need a large skillet for cooking eggs. The All-Clad skillet is a splurge, but I’ve bought similar, less expensive skillets before, and they warped over high heat. Both of these skillets will last your lifetime with proper care.
OXO 9-inch whisk: I like to crack eggs into a glass liquid measuring cup and whisk them with this small whisk, which doesn’t flop over the side.
OXO silicone spatula: I particularly enjoy the large red spatula because the angular edge helps get underneath the eggs.
Bamboo pot scrapers: Use your silicone spatula or a bamboo scraper to remove any remaining bits of egg from the skillet while it’s still warm.
A note on nonstick skillets: I don’t recommend using a nonstick skillet for this recipe because warming an empty nonstick skillet to this degree can damage the surface and release harmful fumes if it’s made with Teflon. If you can make perfectly scrambled eggs without one, why bother with a pan that falls apart and has to be replaced every year?
More Recipes Featuring Scrambled Eggs
Please let me know how your eggs turn out in the comments! I hope this technique works like a charm for you.
Scrambled Eggs
This recipe makes perfectly fluffy, tender and delicious scrambled eggs. Recipe yields 2 servings and can be doubled in a large skillet, though the eggs will take longer to cook.
- Place a silicone or rubber spatula and a large plate near the stove for later. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half and salt. Use a small whisk, preferably, or a fork to mix the eggs until they are uniformly yellow.
- Heat a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium heat (do not use a non-stick pan for this method—it’s not safe to preheat a nonstick pan to this degree). Let the pan preheat until it’s so hot that when you flick a few drops of water at an angle onto the pan, they dance or hop across the surface and then evaporate almost immediately (about 2 minutes). If they splatter and bubble upon contact, it’s not hot enough. Once you see a drop dance, move to the next step immediately.
- Add the butter and the chives, if using. Let the butter melt and swirl it around the pan a couple of times. Once the butter has foamed up and mostly settled, pour in the eggs. (If the butter has significantly browned during this time, your pan is too hot—start over.)
- Let the eggs rest until you see a white rim around the pan, about 10 to 15 seconds. Stir the eggs all over with the spatula, making sure to stir from the base of the pan.
- Let the eggs rest for another 10 to 15 seconds, then stir again, tilting the pan to help the runny eggs reach the skillet. Repeat, stirring more often as the eggs get hotter, until the eggs are still shiny but mostly set, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes in total.
- Immediately transfer the eggs to the plate. Top with grated cheese and additional chives, if desired. Serve while warm. For easy clean-up, use the spatula or a bamboo scraper to scrape off any egg bits from the pan while it’s still warm.
Notes
Make it dairy free: Use plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk instead, like almond milk or cashew milk. Use avocado oil or olive oil in place of the butter.
Nutrition
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