Scrambling eggs
Beginner Eggs and butter
Scrambling eggs is whisking eggs and stirring them over gentle heat until they set into soft, moist curds.
Written with AI help from the sources listed, and published by Cory. Spot a mistake? Tell us and we'll fix it.
How do you do it?
- Whisk eggs with a pinch of salt until no streaks of white remain.
- Melt a little butter in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat and pour in the eggs.
- Push the eggs slowly with a spatula, folding large curds from the edges to the center.
- Take the pan off the heat while they still look slightly wet; they finish cooking on the plate.
Why does it work?
Egg proteins tighten as they heat. Low heat and steady stirring keep the curds small and tender, while high heat squeezes out water and makes them dry and rubbery.
What are the common mistakes?
- Heat too high — eggs turn tough and weep water.
- Cooking until fully dry in the pan — they're overdone by the time you eat.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
Learn by cooking. In Pantry to Pan, technique words in your recipes' steps link straight
to guides like this one, right when you need them.
Try it free for 14 daysMore eggs and butter
- Whipping to soft or stiff peaksWhipping cream or egg whites until they hold a shape when you lift the whisk.Intermediate
- Tempering eggsWarming eggs gradually so they can go into something hot without scrambling.Intermediate
- Boiling eggs, soft to hardCooking eggs in their shells in simmering water, timed for a runny, jammy or fully set yolk.Beginner
- Poaching an eggCooking a cracked egg out of its shell in barely simmering water until the white sets around a soft yolk.Intermediate
- Making an omeletBeaten eggs cooked quickly into a thin, tender sheet, then folded around a filling.Intermediate
- Separating eggsSplitting each egg's white from its yolk so a recipe can use them differently.Beginner