Skip The Ketchup: Scrambled Eggs Get Twice The Flavor With One Simple Addition

Scrambled eggs are just waiting to be upgraded, and you have so many great options beyond ketchup. Of course, great scrambled eggs can be perfect on their own, but their creamy, mild flavor is a fantastic canvas for brighter, punchier additions. Ketchup works well because it helps balance the rich eggs with sweetness and a little bit of acid from the vinegar. That sweetness is not for everyone, however. If you're looking for an even bigger flavor upgrade for scrambled eggs, try Buffalo sauce.

It's one of those combinations that sounds obvious when you hear it. Beyond ketchup, hot sauce is probably the most popular addition to scrambled eggs because it brings that same acidic bite eggs are missing without the sometimes cloying sweetness of ketchup. And Buffalo sauce really is nothing but hot sauce that's been upgraded with butter and a few other spices for depth.

The texture of Buffalo sauce is creamy enough to nicely coat the eggs (unlike standard hot sauce), but it's not as gloopy as ketchup. And there is so much flavor packed into Buffalo sauce. The fermented chiles and other spices add complexity with just a few dashes, but with a light touch they won't overwhelm scrambled eggs either. It really is the ideal upgrade, filling in the blanks that scrambled eggs are missing with a spicy kick while leaving everything great about them intact. It's a surprisingly versatile condiment that can be incorporated into eggs any number of ways.

Most of you are probably picturing grabbing a bottle of your favorite Buffalo sauce and adding a few dashes to already-cooked eggs. That would be great, but another option is to incorporate them directly into the scrambled eggs before they cook. The fact that butter is such a big component of Buffalo sauce means it has the same silky effect on the texture of scrambled eggs that adding cream does. Not only that, but the thickeners in Buffalo sauce (like cornstarch) help tenderize scrambled eggs by keeping the proteins from getting too tight. (It's the reason J. Kenji López-Alt recommends combining starches into scrambled eggs.) All you need to do is whisk the Buffalo sauce into the eggs in place of milk or cream (a few teaspoons per egg will do) and then cook them normally.

You don't need to stop there. Buffalo sauce creates a whole flavor profile for scrambled eggs that begs for more additions. Bust out a tortilla and add some cheese, avocado, and bacon for an amazing breakfast taco where the Buffalo plays the same role as salsa. Or combine them with crispy potatoes, onions, and bell peppers for a tasty breakfast skillet. You can even create a little crossover meal with a side of chicken sausage. You might not have realized it, but Buffalo sauce might be the most essential breakfast condiment in your kitchen.