14 Ingredients To Add To Scrambled Eggs For A Spicy Kick
Scrambled eggs are the quintessential breakfast food, beloved for their simplicity and versatility. With just a few basic ingredients and a hot pan, anyone can whip up a satisfying plate in minutes. Add toast and you've got yourself a thoroughly filling meal. But as easy as they are to make, the routine of plain scrambled eggs can grow tiresome. While they may provide sustenance, they lack the excitement and flavor that a dynamic breakfast should offer. But fear not — there are countless ways to elevate scrambled eggs from mundane to magnificent.
While adding favorite ingredients like chopped tomatoes or diced ham can certainly help, we have a very specific hack in mind: Add a spicy kick. Since there are many ways this can be done, we've put together a list of our top recommendations for turning your bland scrambled eggs into a tasty new breakfast experience. Get ready for gloriously egg-centric and decidedly spicy mornings.
1. Red pepper paste
Although Yotam Ottolenghi is a globally renowned chef with numerous restaurants and a whole library of cookbooks to his name, he's not above making scrambled eggs for breakfast. But, given his credentials, one can only expect such eggs to be elevated. Moreover, because of his background in Israeli cuisine and Middle Eastern flavors, one should not be surprised that he puts a spicy twist on them.
He does this with the use of biber salçası red pepper paste, a Turkish red chili paste. "It's not as spicy as harissa but is way more punchy than passata," Ottolenghi told Conde Nast Traveller. This milder taste -– which comes from its sweet peppers -– allows you to put more of it into your eggs without scaring less adventurous diners. Plus, all you have to do is stir it in. The only catch is that this paste might be a little challenging to find. Ottolenghi himself stocks up on it whenever he's in Istanbul, but short of getting on a plane and flying into the sunrise, you might be able to find it at your local Turkish market or online.
2. Buffalo sauce
The beauty of buffalo sauce is that a few drops of it can give both heat and tang to your scrambled eggs. If you're unsure of this proposition, start by adding a few drops to the side of your plate and dipping the eggs in it. If you like that, you can wade deeper into the waters of buffalo sauce and mix it into your cooked scrambled eggs. When you're finally ready to commit to this intriguing flavor, go ahead and pour some sauce directly into the egg mixture and mix it well before you cook it in the pan.
Whatever method you go for, know that you'll only need a few teaspoons of buffalo sauce at the absolute most. This stuff is spicy and packed with flavor, and you don't want to overwhelm your eggs. Don't have buffalo sauce on hand? No matter. You can easily make it at home with butter, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Make extra so you can also use it on chicken wings next time you make them.
3. Masala spices
The origins of scrambled eggs lie with the ancient Romans. But India came up with a similar dish in ancient times: masala egg bhurji. We've been devouring it ever since. This take on scrambled eggs is deeply flavorful; the vibrant eggs are entangled with a wide variety of herbs, spices, and veggies. Adding them to your repertoire is a no-brainer.
This dish's versatility is immediately obvious. While it can be served on a slice of toast like any other scrambled egg variation, it's at its best when eaten with chapatis or flatbreads, or as a sandwich filling. For something lighter, you can serve the eggs on a bed of salad greens. Just be sure to use Kashmiri chili powder when serving this dish for breakfast, unless you want to start the day on fire. This is a milder chili that won't knock your socks off early in the morning. For something a little more intense, feel free to use red pepper flakes, which will give the eggs an unmistakable kick alongside the cumin, garam masala, and other spices.
4. Ramen seasoning
Maybe someday, it will be possible to buy little packets of ramen seasoning on their own. But for now, if you want that special brand of flavor, you'll have to purchase some ramen packages and put aside the noodles for another day. Once that's settled, you can feel free to use those seasoning packets on your scrambled eggs.
The process is simple: Use the seasoning as if it were good old salt and pepper. Simply pour it into your eggs before you start whisking them; this will ensure the spices become evenly distributed before you start cooking. As for proportions, three eggs per packet of ramen seasoning is best. Don't be afraid to add veggies to these seasoned scrambled eggs. You wouldn't hesitate to do so with a stir-fry, so there's no reason to hold back now. For a filling breakfast, pair the eggs with toast or English muffins. Or, if you're feeling really adventurous, bring the noodles back into the picture and fry them up along with your eggs.
5. Chopped jalapenos
One of the benefits of adding chopped jalapenos to your scrambled eggs is that they add both flavor and texture to the dish. They also provide that welcome hint of spiciness that will help you wake up in the morning without actually burning your tongue off. The best way to do this is to mix the chopped jalapenos directly into your scrambled egg mixture, allowing everything to cook in the pan together so that the flavors can properly blend.
Once this is done, use those jalapeno scrambled eggs in any way you choose. While you can certainly enjoy them as they are — perhaps with a bit of toast — they will shine even more brightly if you use them as a component for something else. Consider a breakfast burrito complemented with pepper jack cheese and onions. For a simpler version, take a toasted English muffin, stick your jalapeno-laden eggs between two slices, and fashion a sandwich with cheese, bacon, and anything else you fancy.
6. Paprika
Of all the spicy elements that go well with scrambled eggs, paprika might just be the best match of all. The trick to making the best possible paprika-spiked scrambled eggs lies not in the spice, however, but in the method. To properly showcase this piquant spice, you need to make the creamiest scrambled eggs possible.
A unique egg scrambling process, borrowed from Gordon Ramsay, is an ideal approach. It involves putting the eggs on the heat and proceeding to pull them off and put them on again several times before the eggs can be considered done. This helps to avoid overcooking the eggs and eliminates rubberiness. Another hot tip is to put the salt on last so as not to draw moisture out of the eggs and lead to a watery mess. After you remove the eggs from the heat for the last time, stir in some crème fraîche for extra creaminess. The paprika will truly pop against this luscious canvas.
7. Tabasco and Sriracha
Hot sauce of any kind is a simple, easy, and delicious element to pop into your scrambled eggs for an extra kick. But let us make the case for two particular types of sauce: Sriracha and Tabasco. These two condiments might be the most popular hot sauces on the planet, and it's easy to see why. They each have their own unique flavor, they're easy to find even at the furthest ends of the Earth, and they provide a nice, even layer of spice -– not too hot, and not too mild. Goldilocks would be a fan.
For a fully savory experience, opt for the garlicky touch of the sriracha, squeezing a few dollops into your eggs as you whisk them. For something more tangy, go for Tabasco, which provides a nice vinegary punch. The sauce can go directly into your egg mixture, but you can also pour a few drops over the finished product.
8. Green chilies
Southwestern cuisine does scrambled eggs right, and a major reason why lies with canned green chilies. This ingredient not only adds spice to your eggs, it brings tangy, earthy flavors to the table. This is not the case with many other spicy ingredients — often, they're so intense that the hotness is all you can taste.
The best way to let the green chilies work their magic is to cook them with some minced onions in a pan before pouring the egg mixture on top. This will bring out the unique flavors of the chilies even more while also softening them, which allows them to blend into the soft texture of the eggs. If you're going to do this, it's best to keep things simple — anything more than onions, salt, and pepper risks upstaging the green chilies. That said, a little cheese on top won't hurt, as long as you don't go overboard.
9. Akuri spices
Ginger is not typically paired with eggs. The root's slight sweetness might seem to be at odds with the savory nature of scrambled eggs, but when you think about it, eggs are just as often used in sweet foods as they are in savory ones. There should be no reason to keep them apart, right? Right — and the delicious Parsi dish known as akuri is proof.
In akuri, ginger enjoys pride of place among cilantro, dried red pepper, turmeric, and cumin. Together, these ingredients transform the eggs into a nearly unrecognizable — and incredibly tasty — dish. You can really say goodbye for good to your bland breakfast eggs once you've tried akuri. Moreover, it's easy to make. Just beat the eggs as you normally would, prepare a mixture of onions, butter, and the aforementioned spices, and combine everything until it's just-cooked and lusciously creamy.
10. Powdered garlic
Garlic might not be the first spice that comes to mind when you think of adding heat to your scrambled eggs, but it can certainly be pungent. Indeed, all you need to add a good dose of intense flavor to your eggs is one teaspoon of garlic powder, though you can certainly use more if you're looking for further flavor. Just make sure you pay close attention to what you're sprinkling into your eggs: Using garlic salt instead of simple garlic powder is fine, but then you'll have to remember to adjust your salt levels. Using too much sodium leads to a ruined dish.
For extra spicy and tasty results, use homemade garlic powder. Just slice your peeled cloves of garlic, dry them out in the oven, and pop them into the food processor or spice grinder to create the powder. Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle if you're in the mood for an old-school workout.
11. Carolina Reaper peppers
If you think "Carolina Reaper" sounds like a very scary monster straight out of a horror movie, you're not far from the truth. For a while, the Carolina Reaper was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the hottest pepper on the planet (it was eventually superseded by the cryptically named Pepper X in 2023). If you're really serious about giving your scrambled eggs a kick and you're not afraid to go all out — against all reasonable advice, even — then by all means, put a Carolina Reaper in your dish ... or at least some of it.
Why this hot pepper in particular? Beyond their heat, Carolina Reapers actually have a lovely flavor, including subtle notes of chocolate and a hint of sweetness. To use them in your scrambled eggs, dice them up and sauté them in the pan before adding the eggs, for even distribution. You can also sprinkle dried peppers over your eggs after they've been cooked. Either way, proceed with caution: The title of spiciest pepper is no joke.
12. Cumin
Cumin itself may not be a hot spice, but when paired with green chilies or serrano peppers, as is the case with Indian cuisine, it does the trick. Somehow, this combination of spices makes eggs into a hot, herbaceous, earthy delight. The cumin acts as a foundation, supporting the brighter spices with its warm, toasty taste. Complement each of these flavors even further by serving the eggs on a toasted and buttered baguette.
Making this dish is as simple as preparing any other scrambled egg recipe. Just fry up some onions in butter along with garlic, chilies, and cumin before adding fresh diced tomatoes. Finally, pour the beaten eggs into the pan and cook until set. Add fresh cilantro to this dish for an extra layer of flavor and a pop of green color. Don't skimp on the butter — the added fat helps give the eggs an extra rich flavor that brings out the cumin's best side.
13. Chili oil
Unless you love watching your eggs stick to the pan and burn to a crisp, you probably use some type of oil or butter when cooking them. Olive oil, butter, or any type of neutral vegetable oil are common choices, but we suggest killing two birds with one stone -– ensuring stick prevention and adding spice -– by using a chili-infused oil on your eggs from the start.
The best part of this hack is that you don't have to do anything differently to achieve your spicy scrambled eggs. Just pour chili oil into your pan instead of plain oil. Drizzle a bit of the oil on top of your eggs at the end as well, for extra heat. Unless you buy the oil from the store, which is totally fine, the only extra step you'll have to undertake is making the chili oil beforehand. The key is to allow enough time for the flavors to infuse. Luckily, this is simple: Just heat some dried red chilies in olive oil — skip the extra virgin olive oil for this one, as the heating process will mar it anyway — and strain the oil into a sterilized bottle, adding a few more dried chilies while you're at it. Use this for cooking your eggs, or to add spice to a vast array of other dishes.
14. Calabrian chili paste
Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis likes to add her favorite condiment to practically everything she makes, including eggs. This condiment happens to be Calabrian chili paste. Made with crushed red peppers from — you guessed it — Calabria, this delicious paste brings a slight smokiness and fruitness to food.
Calabrian chili paste can be added to almost anything without the need for extra steps, and can be deployed at any stage of the cooking process, including as a finishing touch. When it comes to scrambled eggs, you can feel free to drop it into the whisked mixture before you cook it, or you can stir it into the finished dish. Either way, remember that this paste is quite hot. Be sure to experiment with smaller quantities before you go all out. Once you know your tolerance, however, you're ready to do as De Laurentiis does and add it to just about everything.