10 Simple Ingredients That Will Crisp Up Your Scrambled Eggs
Scrambled eggs are one of the most magical foods around. They're rich and savory, creamy and delicious, and make an eggcellent meal any time, day or night. All you have to do to make incredible scrambled eggs is grab a few fresh, beautiful eggs, whip them with a bit of cream and salt and pepper to taste, and then cook to light and fluffy perfection in a hot skillet filled with a bit of glistening melted butter.
For added flavor, you can add your choice of fresh or chopped herbs, diced tomatoes, fresh cheese, or even a variety of meats like diced ham or crumbled bacon. Serve 'em up for breakfast, brunch, a quick weekend lunch, or even late at night when you're looking for a quick snack while you finish your latest binge — it doesn't matter. Scrambled eggs are amazing whenever you make them!
Whether you're already sold on the wonder of scrambled eggs or are a recent convert, the one thing you may not already know is that there's a way to make them even better! That's right — scrambled eggs can become even more delicious. The secret? An added bit of crunch! With one quick addition, while cooking, you can make your favorite scrambled eggs even more tasty and satisfying.
How do you add crunch to scrambled eggs? Keep reading for 10 of our favorite tricks — instant recipe hacks that can elevate and amplify any plate of scrambled eggs into a crunchy gourmet feast.
Crumble in some tortilla chips
One of the easiest ways to add crunch to scrambled eggs is by adding some crumbled tortilla chips to your recipe. It's true! Those leftover crumbs you have in the bag after devouring a plate of nachos are all you need for an incredible plate of scrambled eggs. To work the chips into your menu, you'll need around ¼ to ½ cup of tortilla chips crumbs for every 2 to 4 eggs that you're scrambling. The chip crumbs shouldn't be too big so make sure that you either crush them down into bite-sized pieces by hand or by using a rolling pin.
Once you have your chip crumbs, combine them with your eggs and mix well in a bowl prior to cooking. This ensures the chips have time to start soaking up the egg mixture and are even distributed in your scrambled eggs. Next, put your skillet on to heat, add a dollop of butter, and allow it to melt. Then, add your eggs to the skillet. Let the eggs cook for a couple of minutes without stirring them. As the edges start to set, gently push the cooked egg from the edges of the pan toward the center with a spatula, allowing the uncooked eggs to flow into the empty spaces. Continue gently stirring the eggs until they just start to set — but don't overcook them! Top the eggs with a few more crumbled tortilla chips, and a bit of salsa, and enjoy.
Add some crushed potato chips
Like tortilla chips, potato chips are another amazing way to add crunch to scrambled eggs. You can use the leftover crumbs from the bottom of the bag. Or, if you're cooking a large amount of scrambled eggs, you can crumble your chips right in the bag to avoid extra mess. Just roll the top down several times and then crush your chips directly in the bag by hand or with a heavy rolling pin. Aim for around ¼ cup of potato chips per 1 to 2 eggs you're scrambling.
Since potato chips aren't quite as dense as tortilla chips, they don't need as much cooking time. You can add your potato chip crumble to the skillet after you're already added your eggs — just pour them right into the skillet and mix them well with your spatula as the eggs are cooking. For Tex-Mex style scrambled eggs, consider adding a tablespoon of salsa to your eggs as they cook. Or sauté some onions and diced bell pepper in your skillet before you add your eggs and chips. Finish the dish by grating some cheese over the eggs as they finish cooking and top with chopped cilantro and jalapeño slices before serving.
Since potato chips come in a wide variety of flavors, don't be afraid to experiment. You could use sour cream and chives-flavored chip crumbs, dill pickle-flavored chips, barbecue chips, or even salt and vinegar — all pair beautifully with scrambled eggs!
Toss in some cracker crumbs
Crackers are another great way to add crunch to scrambled eggs. And like potato chips, they come in an almost infinite variety of flavors and varieties so you've got an unlimited number of options you can experiment with and try out. As a rule of thumb, use around 1 to 2 tablespoons of cracker crumbs per 1-2 eggs you are scrambling, but this time you'll want to mix them into your egg mixture prior to cooking.
For classic salty crunch, go with plain saltine cracker crumbs. They'll add crispiness without overpowering the taste of your eggs. For a nuttier, earthier plate of scrambled eggs, consider using whole wheat cracker crumbs or even rye crisps. Rosemary or garlic and herb-flavored crackers can be a great crispy addition to scrambled eggs made with other fresh herbs. The combination will allow you to really layer in flavor and make your scrambled egg dish shine. Or, if you love cheese, go with any number of different cheese-flavored crackers — even those that come in animal shapes. Your kids will love seeing tiny goldfish in their morning scrambled eggs.
For an incredible potluck brunch with friends or family, ask them to bring over a variety of drinks and sides and then set up an omelet bar with a bunch of different cheeses, meats, and other fillings. To make it special, provide 3-4 different cracker crumb options you can add to your egg mixture when prepping each omelet. Easy and delicious!
Add a spoonful of dry polenta
Eggs and polenta or cornbread are a classic Southern combination. But sometimes, you don't have the time to make cornbread or polenta in advance. Luckily, you can get the same great pairing of sweet corn flavor and savory, creamy eggs — plus some great extra added crunch –by stirring a bit of uncooked cornmeal or polenta into your eggs before you scramble them
For those who don't know, polenta and cornmeal are essentially the same thing. They're both made from ground corn. Polenta is just more coarsely ground, while cornmeal tends to have a fine to medium grind. If you have either on hand, they'll work beautifully when mixed into scrambled eggs. Like tortilla chips or crackers, you'll want to add either form of ground corn to your beaten eggs before you put them on the stove to cook. Use about 1 tablespoon of cornmeal or polenta per 1-2 eggs, more if you'd like extra crunch. Mix the eggs and corn well and then cook as normal, pulling the cooked egg to the center of the skillet and letting the remaining liquid egg set over the warm heat.
Pair your corn and egg scramble with a great melted cheese — Gruyère, Fontina, and goat cheese are all particularly great options that perfectly complement the sweetness of the added corn. Throw in some chopped chives, parsley, basil, or thyme and you'll have all the makings of one great breakfast plate!
Grate in some Parmesan
You don't always have to add grains or prepared chips or carbs to scrambled eggs in order to give them that wonderful crunch we all crave. Sometimes, all you need is a good, rich hard cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, Asiago, Manchego, and Gouda are all perfect examples of cheeses that can add crunch and richness to any scrambled egg dish. When adding any of these hard cheeses to eggs that you are cooking, you can either grate them directly into your skillet on top of the eggs as they cook. Or, sprinkle the cheese on top of your finished dish, allowing its residual heat to soften the cheese slightly. That way, you'll get a bit of ooey gooey goodness while also still allowing your cheese to retain some of its crunch.
For a classic Italian-style plate of scrambled eggs, consider pairing your eggs with freshly diced chives and some wonderful aged grated Parmesan. For a more garden-fresh American breakfast, go with eggs, grated Gouda, and diced cherry tomatoes. Or take your dish south of the border, and pair your eggs with slices of bell pepper and onion plus some grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar.
To ensure the best cheesy crunch in your scrambled eggs, always grate your cheese right before use. Keep the cheese cold — it's easier to grate that way. And, grate against the grain so you end up with more texture in your grated cheese.
Toss in some croutons
With their thick, toasted texture and buttery, herb-infused flavor, croutons are another ideal option for adding crispness and crunch to scrambled eggs. Because of their size, you'll likely want to break the croutons down a bit before using them in any recipe. You can crush them by hand or quickly pulse them through your food processor. Once you have crouton crumbs in a size you can work with, simply stir them into your beaten egg mixture before scrambling your eggs. Start with a tablespoon or two per 2 eggs and add more if needed for extra crunch.
Store-bought croutons offer a wide variety of flavor options, all of which taste great with eggs. Garlic, Parmesan, Caesar, ranch, and butter are all good options that will work with almost any version of scrambled eggs you might be cooking up. If you don't have croutons on hand, you can also quickly and easily make your own. Start by cutting any sort of bread — baguettes and sourdough are ideal — into bite-sized cubes. Toss the cubes with olive oil. Add a dash of seasoning, like garlic powder or dried Italian herbs like basil or thyme, and then salt and pepper to taste. Finally, spread your DIY croutons on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-15 minutes, or until the croutons are golden brown and crispy. Once cool enough to handle, add to your eggs as needed!
Mash in some corn flakes
You probably already know that corn flakes aren't just for breakfast. They can also make a delightful topping on mac and cheese or oven-baked casseroles. And, they're also one more ideal way to add crunch — and the toasted sweetness of corn — to any plate of scrambled eggs. Step one in the process, as you might have guessed by now, is getting the flakes into a tinier, more egg-friendly size. You can either crush the flake by hand or pulse them through a food processor. Don't crush them to a powder — you just want them broken in half or into quarter-size versions of the original flakes. Add a couple of spoonfuls of crushed cornflakes to your beaten eggs before you put them on to scramble. Or, cook the eggs as normal and then just top them with a light dusting of the crushed flakes, adding an unexpected and satisfying crunch to your finished meal.
Cornflakes are an especially flavorful addition to extra cheesy scrambled eggs filled with Cheddar or American cheese. And, they also help to enhance and brighten the flavor of fresh veggies you might add to your scrambled eggs — things like diced zucchini, fresh spinach, or tiny broccoli spears.
For a memorable on-the-go twist to scrambled eggs, use cornflakes as your filling in a breakfast burrito. Just top your warm flour tortilla with scrambled eggs, cheese, and a handful of cornflakes. Then, roll everything tightly into a wrap and head out.
Spoon in some sesame seeds
Sesame seeds don't always get the love they deserve in the kitchen. Sure, we eat them on hot dog and hamburger buns and devour them mixed into Chinese food, but do you really cook with them as often as you'd like? Fix that problem today by adding some of these nutty, slightly bitter, savory seeds into your next batch of scrambled eggs.
For the best flavor and greatest crunch, you'll want to toast your sesame seeds before making your eggs. The process is simple: Just dump a couple of tablespoons of the seeds into a dry skillet over medium heat. Then toast the seeds for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently, until they start to turn lightly golden and you can smell their fragrance. When done, remove the seeds from the heat and set aside. Next, measure your eggs as normal, add some butter to your skillet, and start the scrambling process. Once your eggs have begun to set, stir the sesame seeds into the pan. Gently toss the eggs and seeds together as the eggs cook and scramble.
To make your scrambled egg dish a bit more Asian-inspired, you can also stir some baby spinach into the egg mixture as it cooks. Or add a drizzle of soy sauce or tamari to further enhance those umami flavors the sesame seeds bring to your eggs. Top your finished scrambled eggs with some freshly diced scallions or chives and you've got one incredible, crispy meal.
Sprinkle in some crushed pretzels
Pretzels can be an unexpected and exciting addition to a number of different dishes. They make an insanely tasty breading for fried chicken. They can form an incredible crust for homemade pies, quiches, and cheesecakes. And, they're also a surprising and delightfully crunchy addition to scrambled eggs. To get started, you first need to crush some pretzels or run them through a food processor until broken into small chunks (imagine the consistency of chopped nuts). You can either add your chopped pretzels directly to your egg mixture as it cooks or stir them into your eggs before you put them on to cook — the choice is yours (and the eggs will turn out pretty similar either way).
As the edges of your scrambled eggs start to set, be sure to gently push the egg and pretzel mixture from the edges of the pan towards the center, being careful to make sure the pretzels don't overcook or get too dark. Continue stirring and cooking until the eggs are fully set but still slightly creamy. Diced ham or crumbled bacon are great additions to pretzel scrambled eggs, weaving in a pleasant mix of smoky flavor and protein to the dish. You could also chop some sun-dried tomatoes and mix them into the pretzel scrambled eggs as well for a burst of sweet and tangy flavor plus extra crunch and chew. When the eggs are done, top them with some sour cream and slices of fresh avocado.
Finally, you could drop bread crumbs into the mix
If all else fails, the most effective and delicious way to add crunch to scrambled eggs might also be the most easiest. We're talking a tablespoon or two of breadcrumbs, added directly to your beaten eggs before you put them on to scramble. Although you can use breadcrumbs right from the package — or make your own — toasting them before you add them to your eggs will ensure even more nutty flavor and crunch. As with the sesame seeds, just toast them for a couple of minutes over medium heat in a dry skillet. Then scramble your eggs as normal.
Nutty, buttery breadcrumbs may just be the ultimate ingredient for adding a toasty crunch to any egg dish. They're an already perfect pairing of eggs and toast — you get the beauty and simplicity of crispy warm bread mixed with smooth, creamy scrambled eggs. Almost any type of breadcrumb will work great with scrambled eggs. You can use traditional Italian breadcrumbs with herbs or extra crispy Japanese Panko bread crumbs, which are lighter and airier and stay even crispier when you cook with them.
For a scrambled egg dish that's sure to impress, consider adding some shredded cheese or cream cheese and freshly diced herbs to your breadcrumb scrambled eggs. Or, toss the scrambled eggs with a mixture of your favorite diced veggies like bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and then some paprika, cumin, or a touch of cayenne for a spicy kick. Bon appetit!