The Best American-style Scrambled Eggs

4.63 from 8 votes

Here's how to make the best American scrambled eggs. You can multiply this recipe up to 6x. For 8 or more eggs, use a 12-inch skillet.

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Total Time10

Course: Breakfast and Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: American scrambled eggs, how to make the best scrambled eggs

Servings:

Calories: 448kcal

Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Crack eggs into a small mixing bowl and pour in cream.
With a fork, beat the eggs until the contents of the bowl are an even, creamy yellow, with no visible bits of yolk or white.
Set a heavy 8- or 10-inch nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter. When it's melted and foamy, pour in the eggs.
Let the eggs sit undisturbed just until you can see around the edges that they've set on the underside. Then, in a few gentle motions, use a silicone spatula to pull the edges of the eggs into the center.
Repeat this process — letting the underside set, and then pulling the edges to the center — once or twice more as needed. You can lift the pan up off the heat a bit to control the temperature so the eggs set without browning.
Just before you think the eggs are perfectly cooked, remove the pan from the heat. They'll keep cooking a bit with their residual heat and end up just right.
Slide the eggs onto a plate and serve right away, sprinkled with the salt and pepper.

I prefer heavy cream for its richness in tiny quantities, but you can 100% substitute half and half or whole milk if you prefer.
American scrambled eggs are so quick and easy to make, and they're at their best when freshly cooked. I don't recommend making them ahead of time on purpose.
That said, leftovers will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a week and can even be frozen for up to a year and in the fridge overnight. Reheat on medium power in the microwave before serving.