The Secret to Making Light and Fluffy Scrambled Eggs

Scientist and author, Beth is also a keen home cook. She enjoys trying new recipes.

How to Make the Best Scrambled Eggs

The key to making fluffy scrambled eggs is to use really fresh ingredients and then serve and eat immediately. Follow the steps below and you too can make perfect scrambled eggs every time.

• Only use fresh eggs.
• Keep eggs cool but not chilled.
• Beat well before cooking.
• Cook over low heat.
• Eat immediately, do not keep warm.

Store Fresh Eggs at Ambient (Room) Temperature

To make the best and fluffiest scrambled eggs, use eggs that are at room temperature. Unless you live in a very warm climate, there's no need to refrigerate them. It’s better to buy a few eggs often and store them at ambient temperature, than to buy them in bulk and refrigerate. I use this egg helter-skelter to store my eggs on the kitchen counter. It keeps them at room temperature, and looks good too.

It’s important that you cook with really fresh eggs. Shop-bought eggs are already at least 24 hours old when they arrive in store. Before buying, check the boxes to find the freshest ones. If you’re lucky enough to live in a rural area, then buying your supplies at the farm gate should mean fresher eggs. Some people keep a couple of pet hens in the backyard to make sure they get really fresh eggs. Of course, if you do this you would need to spend time caring for the chickens, but the wonderful taste of new-laid eggs will compensate you for the additional effort involved.

Quick Recipe

Instructions

1. Beat the Eggs

To make fluffy scrambled eggs whisk the yolk and white together briskly using a fork or hand-whisk. This should be done by hand; there’s no need to use an electric whisk. It will take less than a minute of wrist-whisking action. As you beat briskly with the fork or whisk, raise your arm up and down slightly to trap air into the mixture.

2. Add Milk to the Beaten Eggs

Make sure the milk is as fresh as possible. Semi-skimmed or whole milk work best for this dish. For each person use 2 beaten eggs and 1 tablespoon of milk. Gently stir the milk into the foaming eggs and add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cook the Eggs

Melt a knob of butter in a non-stick pan. With a wooden spoon or non-stick spatula move it around and ensure it covers the whole of the pan before you add the eggs. Keeping the heat on high, pour in the beaten egg mixture. As the eggs cook, gently move the mixture from the center to the sides of the pan. By doing this, you will ensure that all parts of the eggs can reach the hot surface of the pan and cook.

4. Remove From Heat Before Fully Cooked

This is the big secret of successful light and fluffy scrambled eggs. The frying pan must be removed from the heat source before the eggs are fully cooked. The scrambled eggs will continue to cook using the heat retained by the pan, even after you have taken them off the heat. Taking them off the heat early stops the eggs getting overcooked and thus keeps them nice and soft and fluffy.

How to Cook Perfect Fluffy Scrambled Eggs

Eat, Serve, and Enjoy the Perfect Quick Meal

The smell will be so tempting you’ll have no trouble sitting down and eating them immediately. Fluffy scrambled eggs are great on their own or you can eat them with hot buttered toast. For an occasional treat you could add a tablespoon of grated cheese to the egg mixture. This makes them extra tangy and delicious. Bon appétit!

What Makes Eggs Fluffy? Milk Or Water?

Milk is the key ingredient, although a splash of water into the mix does no harm. Milk makes the beaten egg lighter and softer. A little water helps by adding steam which traps air and so fluffs up the batter. Try adding a teaspoonful of water to the mixing bowl after you crack and whisk the eggs. As you cook the scrambles, the water turns to steam and helps create a fluffier end result.

How to Check the Freshness of an Egg

It’s important to cook with really fresh eggs. Store-bought eggs are already at least 24 hours old when they are put on sale. Before buying, check the boxes to find the freshest ones. A fresh egg has a firm yolk and a thick viscous egg white. When you crack your eggs into the mixing bowl, check that the yolk stands strong and proud. It should be the shape of a baseball cut in half. The yolk should be a symmetrical half-spherical shape. When eggs are several days old, the yolk sinks down and the white becomes thinner and runnier.

What Goes Well With Scrambled Eggs?

I like my scrambles served plain on hot buttered white toast without any accompaniments. That makes a great warming breakfast on a cold winter’s day. For a special treat, however, nothing beats scrambled eggs served with thinly sliced oak smoked salmon on a freshly baked bagel.

For my vegetarian friends, I serve the eggs with tasty mushrooms, beefsteak tomatoes, onion rings, and some homemade relish. You can make a great savory Chinese fried rice with scrambled eggs and peas too. Don’t forget my key tip of removing the eggs away from the heat before they are fully cooked. That way you too will become a champion scrambles cook.

How to Stop the White From Separating When Making Scrambled Eggs?

The white separates in cooked scrambled eggs when they've not been whisked enough before cooking. To prevent this happening, take time to properly combine the eggs into a consistent, one color (pale yellow) liquid. Make sure you use a light and flexible wrist action to mix lots of air into your scramble. Done properly, the white and yolk will blend together at the same time as you're adding air to the mixture.

What Makes Scrambled Eggs Fluffy?

The fluffiness happens because lots of air has been incorporated into the beaten egg. Whisking by hand may can seem a bit of an effort, but it's the best way (in my opinion) to get the right amount of air included. An electric whisk may be quick, but the bubbles are large and so the mixture is not as smooth as when you take the time and effort to do the job manually.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.