New twist on scrambled eggs that might surprise you

I tried the best ways to zest up your brekkie!

the best ways to cook scrambled eggs

Everyone has their own secret for making the perfect scrambled eggs. Some are more controversial than others – we’re looking at you, those who scramble eggs in boiling water. 

While we’ve mastered basic scrambled eggs, we’re always looking for secret ingredients to whisk up delicious new versions of this family favourite. 

Whether you love them as a classic, reliable brekkie choice, or you’re looking for a lazy dinner option (we’ve all been there), I’ve selflessly volunteered to combine my love of eating scrambled eggs with my love of testing new recipes. And, I think I’ve cracked the top 3 best ways to spruce up your scrambled eggs. 

I used our basic scrambled eggs recipe (below) as the base for ideas  #2 and #1, and have ranked these recipes based on texture, flavour, and ease of making them in a chaotic kitchen – because let’s be honest, we’re all guilty of multitasking when our eggs are on the stove.

#3 ‘Irish Eggs’ with butter, green onion, lemon zest and lemon juice

When My Kitchen Rules judge Colin Fassnidge posted his recipe for ‘Irish scrambled eggs’ to Instagram reels, I knew it was one worth trying. 

Fassnidge adds a big hunk of butter to his eggs before whisking, and he doesn’t seem to be worried about making sure it has disintegrated before adding to a pan on low heat and stirring continuously. When the eggs start to thicken he adds in some green onions. Once they’re set aside to cool slightly, he zests some lemon rind over the top before serving on toast with a good squeeze of lemon juice. 

These eggs had delicious flavour to them but were slightly too buttery for my liking. This made it difficult to determine when the eggs were ready because the consistency remained a bit wet and stodgy throughout the cooking process.

#2 Pesto and feta scrambled eggs

Pesto and feta is one of my favourite flavour combos, and it seems the taste.com.au community is equally as obsessed as I am! Just look at the ratings on this pesto, feta and spinach pull-apart recipe, this feta-stuffed pumpkin pesto recipe, or these beef and feta meatballs with kale pesto spaghetti.

So, I jumped at the chance to combine two classics and the results are crazy . I started with the same basic scrambled egg recipe ingredients. Then, I added a heaped teaspoon of store-bought pesto, crumbled in a small handful of feta to the mixture, and whisked it all together.

I heated the butter in a medium, deep-side, heavy-based frying pan for 1 minute, when the butter began to foam, over medium heat. I swirled the pan to lightly coat its entire base with butter, ensuring even cooking. Then, I jumped back over to steps 4,5 and 6 of our basic recipe to make sure my scrambling skills were as good as they possibly could be. 

While the colour of these scrambled eggs doesn’t look super appetising, you’ll immediately forget about them as soon as you take your first bite. The pesto and feta combo works perfectly in this recipe. It’s tangy and buttery, and tastes even better served over a thick slice of toasted and buttered sourdough. 

pesto scrambled egg recipe

The reason that this not-so-secret ingredient comes in second place is because the oil in the pesto makes it easy to over-whisk the eggs, creating a slightly denser texture than desired and causing the eggs to “weep” moisture. To remedy this, you can either make a homemade pesto so you can control the level of oil, or simply drain as much oil out of the pesto as possible by pushing down on your spoonful of it on it with the bottom of another spoon. 

#1… Orange zest!

Many members of the taste.com.au team members swear by lemon zest or lemon juice in their scrambled eggs, but I think that another member of the citrus family comes out on top when it comes to making the best scrambled eggs. 

For as long as I can remember, my mum has made her scrambled eggs with a good grating of orange zest mixed into the egg mixture. I simply followed all the steps from our basic recipe, but added in the zest just before whisking the mixture.

The texture stayed light and fluffy, and the brightness and freshness of the orange zest really elevated the eggs. I’d eat these ones straight out of the pan! What’s more, this is the easiest of the three recipes because it only requires one extra ingredient!

What are the Taste team’s favourite ways to make scrambled eggs?

Scrambled eggs are an Aussie classic, and at taste.com.au HQ we love them for their simplicity and reliability. While these are my top picks for their ease and deliciousness, we’ve got some other great scrambled egg ideas.

Our Social and Multimedia Manager, Jade Dunn, has this to say:

“When I’m making a special weekend brekky, I love adding some fresh prawns to my scrambled eggs. It is a bit of a twist on the Chinese prawn omelettes I used to have growing up. Prawns go so well with eggs and finished off with some fresh chives, it’s the perfect bougie breakfast!”.

Food Director Michelle Southan loves to add goats cheese to hers, like in these goats cheese and basil scrambled eggs.

If it’s a match made in scrambled heaven that you’re after, Social and Content Producer Chanel has got you covered:

“Tomato chutney makes for the perfect dipping sauce,” she says. I tested this suggestion out and I definitely agree! Luckily, we’ve got the best tomato chutney recipe to pair with your scrambled eggs!

And of course, due to its popularity, I have to include Social and Content Producer Isabella Garrido’s love for lemon as well.

She swears by adding lemon juice: “I add lemon juice every single time and cannot eat my eggs without it”.

No matter what your preferences are, it’s safe to say that we all love scrambled eggs (but my mum’s orange zest secret ingredient remains on top).

Originally published as New twist on scrambled eggs that might surprise you