Here’s How to Crack the Code on Restaurant-Quality Scrambled Eggs

I always like my scrambled eggs the same way: creamy and pillowy, with small, delicate curds. Though these sorts of eggs are easy to get at a good restaurant, where professional chefs quickly and flawlessly whip up plates of tender eggs, I used to struggle to nail this texture at home. My eggs were somehow almost always overcooked, especially during rushed mornings, resulting in tough, rubbery lumps—far from the custardy eggs I yearned for.   

I’m not alone. While attempting to make the fluffiest scrambled eggs, one Reddit user lamented: “I’ve tried cooking on low heat, stirring constantly, adding butter, milk, cream, even cheese. They come out decent, but never quite like what I remember from restaurants.” But my favorite restaurants manage to get eggs right every single time: Their scrambled eggs are simultaneously rich, creamy, and ethereally light; they jiggle on the plate and arrive looking like a golden cloud. 

Determined to make better scrambled eggs, I scoured cookbooks and our archives to find the best ways to do so. With the tips below and a bit of practice, you can make restaurant-worthy eggs from the comfort of your kitchen.

6 Key Techniques for Perfect Scrambled Eggs

1. Whisk Your Eggs Well Whisking the eggs thoroughly creates fluffy eggs that cook more evenly and have a uniform golden color with no errant white chunks. Egg yolks and whites cook at different temperatures, and failing to whisk them well can produce streaky eggs that are partially overcooked. To ensure their scrambled eggs are as smooth as possible, some chefs also go the extra mile by straining their whisked eggs through a fine-mesh sieve before cooking them.

2. Pre-Salt Your Eggs Pre-salting your eggs prevents the egg proteins from linking too tightly as they cook, producing moist, tender eggs. As Daniel explained in his recipe for fluffy scrambled eggs: “The tighter they link, the more water they push out and the tougher they become.” 

3. Enrich Your Eggs With Milk or Cream It’s no surprise that a splash of heavy cream or milk gives scrambled eggs a silky, creamy texture. These ingredients dilute the egg proteins and slightly raise the coagulation temperature—the temperature at which eggs begin to set—which minimizes the risk of the eggs overcooking and results in soft, moist curds. In his testing, our editorial director, Daniel, tried a variety of dairy add-ins, including whole milk and cream. Though both improved the texture of the eggs, he ultimately concluded that the cooking method is still more important. Of course, cream and milk don’t just improve texture—they make eggs more flavorful too, so if you favor ultra-rich eggs from restaurants, go ahead and experiment with added dairy.

4. Be Generous With the Butter For the creamiest and richest eggs, a liberal amount of butter is simply a must. Use it to cook your eggs, then add a pat to them before serving for an extra dose of creaminess.

5. Gently Stir—and Go Low and Slow Using a flexible spatula to break up the curds prevents them from becoming dry and large, allowing you to achieve lighter, fluffier scrambled eggs. Scrambling your eggs on low heat ensures they cook evenly and slowly, reducing the risk of overcooking. Dry, rubbery eggs? No, thank you. 

6. Remove Eggs From the Heat While Slightly Undercooked Egg proteins cook quickly, and tender curds can seize up in just a few seconds. If you’re after creamy, soft, and silky eggs (rather than a hard scramble), remove the eggs from the heat just before they look done and let the residual heat from the pan finish cooking them.

With these seven tips and a bit of practice in the kitchen, you’ll be able to create restaurant-worthy scrambled eggs from home. Now let’s get crackin’!