The Secret Trick Restaurants Use To Prevent Watery Scrambled Eggs

Scrambled eggs are one of those simple staples that seem easy, but typically take some time and tweaking to perfect. Whether you prefer them prepared over hard, seek them soft and satiny, or like your scrambled eggs loaded with toppings like cheese, tomatoes, onions, or even lobster, there's no shortage of ways to make them. The internet, your foodie friends, and probably even your mom have nearly endless ways to spruce up scrambled eggs.

Your breakfast preferences are personal, which is why it might be challenging to find the egg technique that works for you, whether that is adding a splash of seltzer to your yolks, folding in a dollop of crème fraîche, or experimenting with your pan's temperature. Set the heat too high and your scrambled eggs will cook too quickly and become rubbery and dense, but getting perfect scrambled eggs over a lower heat requires seemingly endless stirring and you still sometimes end up with watery eggs. 

If you're scrambling to find something to give your morning meal that perfect texture, you might take a cue from your favorite breakfast spot. Restaurant scrambled eggs are never too runny because many chefs incorporate cornstarch as a thickener. This way, they can cook the eggs at a lower temperature without spending all that time stirring to get rid of excess moisture (after all, there's no time to waste in a restaurant kitchen).

For home cooks struggling to tackle scrambled eggs, cornstarch may seem unusual, however, cornstarch is often added to Chinese-style eggs to keep them from splitting. You may not realize that the same characteristic that makes cornstarch a popular thickening agent in recipes for puddings, pies, and sauces also works amazingly for scrambled eggs. 

Cornstarch possesses hydroxyl groups, which bind hydrogen in water without altering the structure of the starch. Cornstarch can stabilize flimsy whipped cream, firm up veggies for the perfect crunch, and lighten up flours for baked goods. For that same reason, cornstarch makes scrambled eggs and omelets lighter and fluffier while preventing that rubberiness you might associate with an overdone omelet. 

To use this cornstarch hack at home, start small — too much cornstarch will have the opposite effect and leave your eggs dense and dry. Begin with about 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch for every two eggs you'll be scrambling — and don't forget the butter! That way you can keep all the creamy, silky decadence without the water.