10 Ways to Dress Up Simple Scrambled Eggs

Whether you’re someone who eats scrambled eggs every day or someone who whips them up every once in a while, here are some of our favorite add-ins and pro tips to elevate an everyday classic.

One way to make better-tasting scrambled eggs? Start with the right technique. Cook’s Illustrated editor in chief Dan Souza spent months perfecting his scrambled eggs recipe. Learn his biggest takeaways in this video:

If you’re not following a recipe, use these tips when adding ingredients to your scrambled eggs:

• Precook your ingredients: Sauté any vegetables or meat before adding them to your eggs. You don’t want to bite into crunchy red peppers or raw asparagus.
• Drier is better: Choose ingredients with less moisture to keep your eggs tender and rich. You don’t want added moisture interfering with the eggs’ fluffy texture.
• Add-ins come later: Once your eggs have established but slightly wet curds, fold ingredients into the eggs on low heat or off heat.

Now that you know the secrets to a good scramble, here are 10 of our favorite ways to add more flavor and interest to scrambled eggs.

1. Pinto Beans, Cotija Cheese, and Jalapeños: Start by sautéing the beans and jalapeños in some oil, along with some garlic. Remove the bean mixture and scramble the eggs. Once the eggs start to curd but are still a little wet, fold in the beans and jalapeños. Sprinkle with cotija cheese before serving.

2. Chorizo Sausage, Bell Pepper, and Chipotle Butter: For smoky-sweet scrambled eggs, mash the butter and chipotle together, then brown the chorizo and peppers. Set both aside until you’re ready to fold them into your eggs. 

3. Italian Sausage, Sharp Cheddar, and Bell Pepper: With hearty ingredients such as sausage, cheese, and vegetables, reducing added moisture is key. To do that, sauté the vegetables first. Then remove them from the skillet and wipe the skillet dry before adding the eggs and butter. Stir in the mix-ins off heat when the eggs are cooked but still quite wet.

4. Prosciutto, Asparagus, and Porcini Butter: Rehydrate and mince dried porcinis, then mash them in a bowl with butter and minced shallot. Spread the butter on toast and spoon the dressed-up scrambled eggs on top.

5. Asparagus, Smoked Salmon, and Chives: With this recipe, we get our asparagus crisp-tender by cooking it in oil and garlic before adding it to the scrambled eggs. Top with smoked salmon and chives and the most important meal of the day is ready.

6. Deli Ham, Onion, Bell Pepper, and Cheddar: For a heartier scrambled egg recipe, brown ham, onion, and bell pepper together before adding them to eggs along with some cheddar and scallions. 

7. Goat Cheese, Arugula, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Pull the eggs off heat just before they finish cooking and gently fold in arugula and sun-dried tomatoes until evenly distributed. Sprinkle on plenty of goat cheese, and add some red pepper flakes for an extra kick.

8. Cheddar and Pickled Jalapeño: Breakfast scrambles are less fussy than omelets, but they still require proper technique so you don’t end up with runny or tough eggs. After your eggs are almost cooked, fold in these two ingredients on low heat for moist, flavorful eggs.

9. Ham and Gruyere: Black Forest ham and shredded Gruyere cheese make this scramble reminiscent of the classic French croque monsieur.

10. Smoked Trout and Chives: To ensure the perfect bite of eggs with every forkful, fold these two ingredients into your scramble at the end of cooking.