I Asked 6 Chefs for Their Secrets for Fluffy Scrambled Eggs, and They Agreed This Step is Essential

Scrambled eggs are one of the first recipes many home cooks attempt to conquer. With this in mind, you might think the process of mastering how to make scrambled eggs would be easy. But if you have ever attempted to make scrambled eggs, you’ll know it’s a tricky endeavor.

It seems like everyone has a secret tip for how to perfect eggs: For Ina, it’s adding just enough half-and-half and cream while Dolly Parton likes using ice water. For some home cooks, adding a dash of milk, sour cream, cottage cheese, or an extra yolk might promise perfectly fluffy eggs. Then there are the more experimental methods like, microwave scrambled eggs, oven scrambled eggs, and more contentiously, have you heard about the boiling water hack?

All of these options make a seemingly simple recipe—it’s really one ingredient at its core—a potential minefield for mistakes. The chefs we spoke to agree that the most common missteps home cooks tend to make with their scrambles include cooking over too high of heat, using too much butter or oil in the pan, or not stirring the eggs after adding them to the pan.

“This is a recipe for disaster, and you will be left with a white, yellow, and brown mess in your pan,” says JC Ricks, chef and owner of Dandelion Cafe in Houston, Texas.

So, to help you dive fork-first into your fluffiest, creamiest batch of scrambled eggs ever, we tapped a crew of breakfast-loving chefs to dish up their ultimate pro tips. We ended up with seven tips, including one that they all agreed was essential.

Our Panel of Egg-Savvy Chefs

• Justine Doiron, the Brooklyn, New York-based author of “Justine Cooks” and food blog “Justine Snacks“
• Kieron Hales, executive chef, managing partner, and owner of Zingerman’s Cornman Farms in Dexter, Michigan
• Donald Petito Jr., executive chef at The Junto Hotel in Columbus, Ohio
• JC Ricks, chef and owner of Dandelion Cafe in Houston, Texas
• Leslie Rohland, owner of The Cottage Cafe, Bakery, and Tea Room and The Juice Hive in Bluffton, South Carolina
• Peter Som, a New York City-based award-winning fashion designer, culinary creator, lifestyle expert, and the author of the upcoming cookbook “Family Style“

What Makes Scrambled Eggs Fluffy?

Before we get to the best practices, it’s time for a very brief science break. “The texture of scrambled eggs depends heavily on how the proteins in the eggs set as they cook,” explains Petito Jr. When heat is applied to liquid eggs, this energy disturbs the proteins in the eggs in a way that changes their structure from raw to cooked.

“Egg proteins, when heated, create new structures that trap moisture and air—and air is one of the key components to make your scrambles light and fluffy,” adds Som.

The following tricks for making scrambled eggs all affect the way the proteins form in their cooked fashion, leaving you with fluffy, creamy, and light eggs instead of rubbery, dry, and dense ones. 

The Secret to Fluffy Scrambled Eggs

While there are several steps along the way that can help or harm the quest for your best scrambled eggs, the one key step is movement: Stir or fold the eggs gently and constantly as they cook.

“Use a spatula to make gentle, sweeping motions to keep the curds small and tender,” suggests Petito Jr. “This keeps the curds—the clumps that form as the eggs cook—small, delicate, and tender, giving them an overall fluffier and lighter texture. It also helps distribute the heat evenly and prevents overcooking any one part of the scramble.”

As you stir, steam will be captured within the curds as well, resulting in even loftier curds.

From the minute the eggs hit the pan, start moving them and continue to “gently pull them towards the outside edge of the pan to let the uncooked eggs roll off to the center surface of the pan. Then repeat,” adds Doiron.

Just be sure that you don’t overdo it and be gentle with stirring so you don’t destroy all the egg structures, resulting in dense eggs.

Tips for How to Cook the Best Scrambled Eggs

Besides stirring delicately and continually throughout the cooking time, here are other best practices that’ll come in handy for future scrambles. As Dorion suggests, “The best way to learn how to cook is to do it. We can write about eggs all day, but the best way to achieve them is to try it out and see what you like and what works for you.”

Use a Thin, Non-Stick Pan

“Eggs are very temperamental and react quickly to a change in environment, so you must use a thin nonstick pan rather than a thick and heavy pan for the best result. This allows you to more easily adjust the temperature, plus it also allows you to easily move the pan and the eggs around to achieve peak fluffiness,” Rick says.

Keep in mind that the pan should be warm and not too hot when you add the eggs. “If it sizzles immediately, it’s too hot,” Petito Jr. adds, noting that “a rubber spatula is ideal for gently stirring and folding the eggs as they cook, allowing you to reach all parts of the pan and create soft, small curds.”

Whisk the Eggs

It can be tempting to crack the eggs directly into the pan, but the chefs advise against it. It’s best to whisk them in a bowl before cooking them. Not only does whisking help promote an even consistency, but it also incorporates air into the eggs. Think of this step as creating little air bubbles inside the eggs, Petito Jr. explains.

“Whisk vigorously until the mixture is uniform in color and slightly frothy,” suggests Hales. “The more air you incorporate at this stage, the fluffier the scramble will be. You should see bubbles forming in the mixture.”

Add a Splash of Dairy

As you whisk, consider adding 1 tablespoon of milk, cream, or water per egg. “The extra moisture makes the final scramble softer because it creates steam as the eggs cook. This liquid creates steam as the eggs cook, which helps puff them up and stay moist,” Petito Jr. says.

Opt for water if you’re shooting for a light texture and classic egg flavor. Choose milk for a hint of richness and cream for what Hales describes as “a richer, more luxurious texture” courtesy of the extra fat. “The fat not only adds flavor but also coats the proteins in the eggs, preventing them from becoming too firm or tough as they cook,” Hales adds.

Use Butter

The chefs we spoke to prefer butter over oil as their preferred cooking fat. Just like with the stirring, they say it’s important to shoot for the “Goldilocks” amount of butter in the pan: not too much and not too little.

“A small amount goes a long way to avoid greasy eggs,” Ricks says. About ½ tablespoon to 2 teaspoons of butter per egg should be about right, Ricks and Dorion confirm.

Preheat the pan gently, add the butter, and allow it to just barely fully melt, then dump in your whisked eggs. 

Cook Low and Slow

“To make a scramble fluffy, you need a decent amount of fat and a low amount of heat over an extended period of time,” Dorion summarizes. “A very hot 3-second-scramble is possible (I do it all the time), but it won’t get you the same creamy, fluffy texture as the low-and-slow way!”

While high heat is efficient and will reduce your total cook time, patience pays off, Hales says. Low to medium-low allows the proteins in the eggs to unwind and set gradually, giving them a soft, creamy, tender texture. 

“If you cook the eggs too quickly over high heat, these proteins tighten up too fast, squeezing out moisture and making the eggs tough or rubbery,” Petito Jr. says.

Remove the Pan from Heat Early

Over low or medium-low heat, your scramble should only take two to three minutes to cook. Be careful not to overcook the eggs in the pan, as they will continue to cook even when the pan is off the stovetop.

To avoid overcooking, take the eggs off the heat when they are about 90% cooked and are still a little glossy, soft, wet, and ever-so-slightly underdone. 

“The carry-over cooking finishes the job and your eggs will stay soft and delicious,” Som says.

Both Hales and Petito Jr. promote stirring in a bit of butter at the end to help stop the cooking process and to give the eggs a rich, silky, and creamy finish. At this point, all that’s left to do is season to taste, grab a fork, and take a bite of your restaurant-quality soft and fluffy scramble.