How to Make Scrambled Eggs for Fluffy, Delicious Results Every Time

Do you know how to make scrambled eggs? Ones that are creamy, soft, and moist? We've all made disappointing scrambled eggs—but if we're lucky, we've tasted exquisite ones, too. Here's the thing: If perfect scrambled eggs are made from the exact same ingredients as bad scrambled eggs, then how can we do this essential dish justice? As always, the devil is in the details. Learn the essential technique and the mistakes to avoid so your scrambled eggs come out perfect every time.

What Are Perfect Scrambled Eggs?

It's first important to define sub-par scrambled eggs. They might be rubbery and chewy or dry and crumbly—they might also have the occasional crunch of eggshell, be tinged with brown or gray, or taste more like the pan than an egg. On the other hand, here's how we define our ideal scrambled eggs: fluffy, moist, tender, custardy, and bright yellow. They should taste of pure, rich egg and butter.

It's well worth the extra time—only a few minutes at most—it takes to make scrambled eggs the right way.

What You'll Need to Make Them

No special equipment or fancy ingredients are needed to cook delicious scrambled eggs:

Equipment

• Bowl: to whisk the eggs in
• Fork: to whisk with
• Nonstick skillet: far and away the best pan for scrambled eggs
• Heatproof silicone spatula: a gentle tool for this delicate dish

Ingredients

• Eggs
• Butter: This is our go-to for cooking scrambled eggs, but use olive oil or bacon grease if you prefer.
• Milk, cream, or water: Martha often makes scrambled eggs with no added liquid, but if you don't have farm-fresh eggs like hers, we suggest adding a small amount of milk or cream (or even water).
• Salt and pepper
• Optional: Shredded cheese or minced fresh herbs can be added at the end of the cooking process, but we are generally purists when it comes to scrambled eggs.

How to Make Scrambled Eggs

The most basic method for making scrambled eggs is to break eggs into a bowl, add a splash of milk or water, and whisk. Cook them in melted butter in a pre-heated nonstick pan over low heat, stirring and scraping frequently until the eggs are soft but set, then remove them from the heat. Season with salt and pepper, and eat. To make them perfect, follow the steps below.

1. Crack the Eggs

First, break the eggs into a bowl. Tap each one on a flat surface (like the countertop) rather than on the edge of the bowl for the cleanest break. This move will reduce the likelihood of getting shattered bits of shell in the mix.

2. Add Moisture and Mix

Next, use a fork to whisk the eggs, completely incorporating the yolks and whites into one sunny yellow mixture and whipping in a small amount of air for extra fluffiness. Since dryness leads to dense, chewy eggs, this is a chance to boost your eggs with some extra moisture. Adding approximately 1 tablespoon of liquid per egg—milk or cream are delicious, but water works, too—will help create steam and keep the scrambled eggs moist.

3. Cook With Care

Preheat a nonstick skillet on low heat before adding anything to it. Next, melt a generous pat of butter and swirl the pan to coat the whole surface. Only once the pan is heated and the butter is sizzling, add the whisked egg mixture. Now, be prepared to focus all your attention on the pan for the next few minutes while the eggs cook.

As soon as the egg mixture begins to solidify on the bottom of the hot pan, start stirring with your silicone spatula, continuously scraping the pan to let the still-liquid eggs cook while keeping the cooked layer from burning. This constant stirring not only prevents overcooking, but keeps the texture of the eggs smooth and creamy. If the eggs are cooking faster than you can stir them, don't be afraid to move the pan on and off the burner as a quick way of regulating the heat.

Once the egg mixture is mostly cooked, but still has a few traces of liquid here and there, take the pan off the burner. Now is a good time to stir in shredded cheese or minced herbs. As you do this, the residual heat contained in the eggs will continue to cook them a little.

4. Serve Immediately

Your scrambled eggs are at their pinnacle of perfection—now is the time to season with salt and pepper, and then eat. Don't delay in portioning the eggs onto warmed plates, and enjoy a perfect little feast. When you know how to make excellent scrambled eggs, you'll always have a meal idea up your sleeve that's quick, simple, elegant, affordable, and crowd-pleasing.

What to Serve With Scrambled Eggs

Plan what you will enjoy with your scrambled eggs before you cook because you want to eat them while they are warm. A few options:

• Buttered toast: serve the eggs on the toast or along side
• Bacon
• Sautéed mushrooms
• Sliced cherry tomatoes
• A simple green salad

5 Common Scrambled Egg Mistakes

Impatience is probably the number-one enemy of successful scrambled eggs. After all, this is supposed to be a quick dish! It might be tempting to speed things along even more, but the following mistakes only lead to lackluster results. Avoid them at all costs:

• Cracking eggs directly into the pan: Do you want shell in your scrambled eggs?
• Leaving the stove and multitasking instead of stirring: Perhaps the most common mistake when making scrambled eggs. They don't take long to cook and will go awry if you don't stand at the stove and stir in that brief cooking time.
• Using whatever pan and spatula are handy: We don't often call for a nonstick skillet but scrambled eggs are one occasion when we do.
• Cranking up the heat to cook the eggs faster: Scrambled eggs are delicate and if you blast them with heat you'll ruin their creamy, soft texture—drying them out or giving them a crust.
• Jumping the gun and cooking the eggs before you're ready to eat: Cold scrambled eggs just don't have the same appeal so get everything ready and warm serving plates before you start to scramble the eggs.