For a long time, I liked the idea of scrambled eggs much more than I liked actual scrambled eggs. My dad would make them for me often as a kid, but they were always rubbery and dry (sorry, Dad)—far from my light, fluffy, and creamy expectations.
When I started to make my own scrambled eggs, I realized what my dad had been doing wrong: He'd been cooking the eggs for way too long over a heat that was definitely way too high. When it comes to making the perfect scrambled eggs, it's not about which ingredients you do or don't use—what's really going to determine how they turn out is how long you cook them and the level of heat that you use. If you know how to balance these elements, you can use the same exact ingredients to make whatever style of scrambled eggs you prefer, whether that's fluffy and firm or soft and creamy.
There are a few other tips that come in handy, too, like using the right pan and knowing when you should season the eggs or exactly how much cooking oil or butter you should use. Here, Nick Korbee, executive chef of Egg Shop in New York City and author of the Egg Shop Cookbook, explains everything you need to know to make perfect scrambled eggs, no matter how you prefer them.
1. Gather your ingredients and tools.
For any scrambled egg recipe, Korbee says that all you'll really need are eggs and a fat source to cook them in, which can be olive oil, butter, ghee, or whatever you like. He says you should use a tablespoon of fat for every two eggs you cook.
There are a lot of strong opinions out there about whether or not you should add milk to scrambled eggs. I personally like adding a splash of milk or cream directly to my eggs before I start cooking. I find that it makes them more tender—plus, it's a great way to add more volume to your scrambled eggs if you're maybe running low and need to feed a few. But this is really up to personal preference. You don't need milk to make scrambled eggs creamy, as long as you follow the cooking instructions in step 3 below.
As for tools, Korbee says you'll need a bowl, fork, rubber spatula or wooden spoon, and a non-stick skillet.
2. Scramble the raw eggs with a fork.
Audrey Bruno
