Scrambled Egg Hacks You Need To Know

Making scrambled eggs should be easy. After all, you just need to crack a few eggs, whip 'em into a frothy mixture, and cook them in a nonstick pan until they're light and fluffy. Sounds easy, right? It turns out that, although eggs are easy to cook, they're hard to master. It's all too common to overcook the eggs, resulting in a dry, crumbly mess. And if you swing too far in the other direction and accidentally undercook them, they'll turn out runny and kind of gross. Luckily, you have a few choices when it comes to making perfect scrambled eggs at home. You can master the basic technique and avoid common egg cookery mistakes, or you can select secret ingredients and cooking methods to hack your way to light and fluffy scrambled eggs, every time.

We not only rounded up our best scrambled egg hacks, but we also found a few different ways to cook creamy and light eggs without adding any additional ingredients. Some of these tips even make it easier to create a grab-and-go breakfast sandwich for busy weekday mornings. Scroll through the list and find your new favorite scrambled egg technique; your taste buds will definitely thank you.

If you're a fan of super soft, creamy scrambled eggs, try adding a splash of milk or heavy cream to the mix. You can also use thicker dairy options like sour cream or creme fraiche if you're going for extra luxe eggs. The more liquid you incorporate into your eggs, the softer and moister they will be. Add milk if you want a slight upgrade, and move to thicker dairy depending on how custardy you want the texture of your finished eggs to be. Keep in mind that while thicker ingredients like sour cream will make the eggs richer, they also make them slightly firmer. Our advice? Experiment with different dairy add-ins and amounts. Eating creamy scrambled eggs on the reg until you figure out the perfect formula doesn't sound like a bad way to pass time in the morning.

Adding milk to your eggs makes them rich and creamy, and plain old water will lighten them up. But if you really want to say goodbye to dense eggs forever, add a splash of seltzer water. According to The Kitchn, adding one tablespoon for every two eggs is all you need to create a light and airy scramble. The bubbles in the water will expand when the eggs hit the hot skillet, creating pockets of air that give the eggs the perfect amount of lift.

It doesn't even have to be fancy seltzer, either. In fact, you should probably skip all the popular flavored versions (apple cranberry eggs? No, thank you). If you have a Soda Stream or another machine that makes carbonated water, feel free to use that. Otherwise, pick up any brand of seltzer water. You could also use club soda, but because this type of carbonated water has added minerals, so it may affect the flavor of the eggs.

We didn't believe this hack when we first read it. There's NO way that eggs cooked in the microwave could be better than the ones you cook on the stovetop...right? Wrong! Simply grease a microwave-safe bowl or a coffee cup and crack an egg or two into the bowl. Add a tablespoon of milk or water (depending on if you want the eggs to be rich or light). Then, whisk them vigorously like you would if they were going into a hot pan. Cook the eggs in the microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring after each session, until the eggs are cooked to your liking. It's as easy as that.

The eggs taste surprisingly delicious, and they're almost fluffier than any egg we've ever made on the stovetop. This method is perfect for single-serving eggs, and it's a great option for creating a grab-and-go breakfast on busy mornings. It works pretty well for up to four eggs, but that's about the limit, so don't choose this hack if you're cooking for a crowd. 

Okay, this method is weird, and it seems all kinds of wrong. We've all heard of cooking eggs in boiling water for dishes like egg drop soup or cracking an egg into ramen to fancy it up. But who would think to cook them in water for a breakfast scramble? Michelin-starred chef Daniel Patterson, that's who. Patterson broke all the rules when he threw out his nonstick skillet for a saucepan. According to Bloomberg, the "eureka" moment came when he realized that eggs are poached in water all the time. So, why not scramble them in water, too?

Here's how it works: Start by bringing four inches of water to a boil over medium heat. In a large bowl, beat two to four eggs until they're well blended, whisking for at least 30 seconds to incorporate as much air into the mixture as possible. Then, get ready for the magic to happen as you stir the water to create a whirlpool. Pour in the eggs, cover the pan with a lid, and count to 20. When you uncover the pot, the eggs will be floating on the surface of the water. From here, you can pour them out into a strainer, shaking off any excess water, and season them with salt and pepper. They don't taste watered down or weird at all; just light, fluffy, and delicious.

Another hassle-free alternative to scrambling eggs on the stovetop is the sheet pan scrambled egg. Shaken Together developed this method as a way to cook eggs for a crowd. They don't create individual curds like other scrambling methods, but they turn out light and fluffy every time, and they set perfectly without drying out.

It all starts by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a sheet pan with nonstick spray, or give it a light greasing with a stick of butter. Then, whisk 12 eggs together with two or three tablespoons of water. For richer eggs, you can use dairy if you like. Make sure you really whisk the eggs well, using an electric mixer or immersion blender if you have one. If the whites and yolks don't homogenize, you'll end up with white spots on your eggs after they cook. Then, pour the eggs onto the sheet pan and bake them for 12 to 15 minutes. When they're set, you can cut them into squares (or use a cookie cutter to turn them into rounds). Serve the eggs on sandwiches, or better yet, layer the squares with toppings like meat and veggies and roll them up into low-carb breakfast rolls.

When Food Network tweeted a video of Martha Stewart's unique egg scrambling technique, we were enthralled. It starts out like most scrambled egg recipes: She cracked a couple of eggs into a mug and broke them up using a fork. After adding a pinch of salt, black pepper, and a teaspoon and a half of butter, things got weird. Instead of pouring the eggs into a skillet, she used the steam wand of a cappuccino machine to cook them — you know, the piece that's usually used to steam milk for your coffee drinks. She placed it directly into the raw eggs, turned it on, and it steamed the eggs in a matter of seconds.

It sounds weird, but it makes sense. Steam is just hot water vapor, and it cooks the eggs more gently than boiling water, resulting in tender, creamy eggs. Martha's addition of butter didn't hurt, either, because it added a super rich flavor. As a bonus, the steaming wand makes clean-up easy, too; all you have to do is clean the wand with a wet cloth. Sounds like we've been using our coffee maker wrong this whole time!

The best scrambled eggs not only have a light and fluffy texture, but they're also super soft with an unforgettably creamy flavor. The easiest way to ensure your eggs turn out that way isn't with thin ingredients like water or milk, but rather with something that's thick and creamy on its own: sour cream. A spoonful of sour cream will really enhance the texture of your eggs while adding a lightly tangy flavor that's pretty close to irresistible. 

The key to this technique is all in the timing. Instead of scrambling the sour cream into the eggs after you crack them, it's best to wait until they're almost ready to serve. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk them like normal. Add the eggs to a hot pan and gently pull the egg towards the middle of the pan, lifting and pulling the egg to form large curds. When the eggs are mostly set but still a little runny, fold in one heaping teaspoon of sour cream per egg. If you don't have sour cream on hand, you can also use Greek yogurt for a similar effect.

We're all about this piece of advice because, well, we can be lazy at times. We don't like to dirty more dishes than we need to, and this tip helps us achieve that goal. Instead of cracking the eggs into a bowl and whisking them with a whisk, electric blender, or immersion blender, this scrambled egg hack suggests cracking the eggs directly into a hot pan. Yes, without scrambling them first!

Then, you continue to cook the eggs as if they were over-easy or over-medium eggs and let the whites set. When they do, use a silicone spatula to furiously scramble the eggs, mixing the uncooked yolk into the cooked white. The scrambled eggs will taste buttery and rich from the yolk but will eat just like regular scrambled eggs. In some ways, the texture is actually better because the whites get extra fluffy from the heat of the pan. As a bonus, the only things that get dirty are the pan and the spatula.

Sure, orange juice is a popular beverage at breakfast time, but in your eggs? Yes! While it may sound crazy to add any kind of juice to your egg dish, trust us on this one. A splash of OJ whipped into your eggs before cooking works like a crazy elixir, enhancing the flavor of your eggs tenfold. Orange juice brightens rich scrambled eggs without overwhelming them, so you might taste something different — better — but not be able to pinpoint the exact cause for the improvement. Adding citrus to your scrambled eggs is like getting a really good face lift that no one can detect — everyone just knows you look glorious.

Light, fluffy scrambled eggs are #egggoals. We can all agree, right? Try adding sparkling wine the next time you make scrambled eggs to achieve this coveted texture. A little bit of prosecco or cava can do wonders. Whisk in about ¼ cup for every two eggs and you'll have yourself some impossibly delicate, pillowy eggs in no time. The bonus? In addition to altering the texture of your eggs in the best way, sparkling wine lends a unique brightness that contrasts beautifully against the dish's inherent creamy richness.

While most of us coat our pans with butter when we make scrambled eggs, there is a better option available: ghee, or clarified butter. Since regular butter is a fat with a low smoking point, it tends to burn. As a result, your eggs retain some of that burnt flavor. No good. On the other hand, clarified butter is the milk fat from butter after the solids have been separated from the milk proteins and water. Use a tablespoon of this pure butterfat to cook your eggs and you can avoid any residual burning butter taste. Just add a bit to your pan and let it melt before you pour in your eggs. 

Often used as an egg substitute, cornstarch is actually a great addition to scrambled eggs. As a thickener, it helps to make your eggs creamy in a shorter amount of time. Talk about a life hack. Since eggs are pretty delicate, cooking them too quickly on too much heat usually results in proteins seizing up and subsequent dry, tough, unsavory curds. By adding just a small amount of cornstarch to the eggs, you essentially slow down the process of contracting proteins, which grants you a magical shield against overcooked, rubbery eggs.

Not sure what to do with your leftovers from last night's dinner? You certainly don't want them to go to waste, but a repeat dinner two nights in a row doesn't sound like the best idea, either. 

Luckily, most leftovers taste amazing when added to your scrambled eggs the next morning. From day-old roasted veggies and cooked chicken to that last cup of chili or the weekend pot roast, there is arguably no easier way to use up leftover food than by throwing it all into your infinitely forgiving egg scramble. Since your cooked meals have already been well-seasoned with plenty of time to meld flavors, incorporating them into eggs means you get to enjoy an insta-meal loaded with goodness and skip the hard work. If this sounds too good to be true, just give it a try. You'll be wasting less food and eating better breakfasts in no time.

Maybe you made meringue and now you have leftover yolks. Perhaps you froze yolks a few weeks back and you're looking for ways to use them up. Whatever the reason for your yolk surplus, rest assured, there are ways to take care of your wealth of riches. By the tenor of this article, you might have guessed that one such way is by incorporating a few extra yolks into your scrambled eggs. Surprise! First off, additional yolks lend the scramble a beautiful, saturated golden color. Moreover, they give the eggs fabulous depth of flavor and loads of richness. While this dish might be too decadent for every day, it does make for a great indulgent treat on some mornings.