The Single Addition That Makes Scrambled Eggs Fluffy Like Clouds

Scrambled eggs seem easy to whip up, but it turns out, there's more to making the perfect scrambled eggs than you think. Chefs and home cooks have their own ideas, but Lindsey Chastain, a homesteader who raises many kinds of birds for their eggs and one of the voices behind The Waddle and Cluck, shared a suggestion with The Takeout: lemon juice.

Chastain explained, "The pH of an acid makes scrambled eggs fluffier because it loosens up the proteins and traps more steam." You could use lemon juice, vinegars, or cream of tartar (tartaric acid). Though she warned, "Stronger acids like citrus and lime will change the color and flavor of the eggs. I find the flavor to be pleasing in some instances, but the color is less appetizing. Lemon juice is the best option."

If you use the right ratio of lemon juice, most of the lemon flavor cooks off, and you're left with the fluffiest scrambled eggs you've ever tasted. The amount of juice depends on egg type and quantity. For every two to three chicken eggs, one to two duck eggs, or 15 quail eggs, use a quarter of a lemon. For larger eggs like goose eggs, one egg might need half a lemon. Whisk the acid with your raw eggs in a bowl — and you don't need to forgo your milk, seasonings, or other add-ins. If you include too much lemon juice, your eggs might taste too tangy or be too watery.

Of course, other than adding lemon juice, there are additional tips and tricks. I love adding a splash of milk and cooking my scrambled eggs low and slow. Anthony Bourdain's technique for the fluffiest scrambled eggs involves gently pushing the eggs around the pan in a figure-8 pattern. Other pro-tips for flawless scrambled eggs, the hardest dish you could master, include salting them before cooking (like lemon juice, salt helps break down the protein for a more tender egg), whisking in sour cream for both creaminess and acidity, and cooking the eggs on high for no longer than 30 seconds before turning the burner off and finishing them with residual heat.

Acclaimed chef Thomas Keller famously strains his beaten eggs through a sieve before adding them to the pan, then stirs in crème fraîche when the eggs are seconds from being done. You can also use other cooking tools to get the fluffiest scrambled eggs, such as a balloon whisk. Beat the eggs with a balloon whisk to incorporate air and cook them with a rubber or silicone spatula, which lets you move them around the pan and fold in key ingredients more easily. Now go forth and whip up the fluffiest, creamiest batch of scrambled eggs you've ever made.