Gordon Ramsay's 1-Ingredient Upgrade for the Best Scrambled Eggs

I will be the first to admit that one of my go-to meals in a pinch is scrambled eggs, and not just for breakfast. The dish is quick to whip up, satisfying, and fully customizable. Season scrambled eggs with salt and pepper, or add a dash of soy sauce and a pinch of MSG! Bulk up scrambled eggs by adding baby portobello or spinach.

But it’s not the flavor of scrambled eggs that challenges me; it’s perfecting the texture. I dream of silky scrambled eggs, as overcooked ones are no fun—it’s like you’re chewing on dry tofu. Gordon Ramsay, who says on a YouTube video, “The most important thing about any scrambled egg is to stop them from overcooking,” would agree.

These days, whenever I need a good food hack, I ask myself, what would Gordan Ramsay do? (By the way, my son is a huge fan of MasterChef Junior, so we always talk about him at home.) Surely, the celebrity chef must have a trick up his sleeve for making the silkiest scrambled eggs. And he does!

A deep dive on the Internet revealed Ramsay’s easy, albeit a little fancy, one-ingredient upgrade for the silkiest, perfectly cooked scrambled eggs: Add crème fraîche. 

What Is Crème Fraîche?

Crème fraîche is a French staple, often referred to as European sour cream. I’ve found it in my local Fred Meyer,  Costco, and Asian supermarkets.

Crème fraîche is high in fat and mildly nutty and tangy in flavor. The high-fat content prevents it from curdling in heat, making crème fraîche a versatile ingredient for adding richness and creaminess to various dishes, like scrambled eggs. 

How To Make Gordan Ramsay’s Scrambled Eggs

Here’s how Gordon does it: He cooks eggs with butter in a saucepan, continuously stirring the mixture with a flexible spatula, similar to how one would make risotto. “Treat it like a risotto. You can’t stop stirring.”

He keeps stirring, removing the saucepan from the heat, then stirring and returning it to the heat, repeating this process until the eggs thicken. To end, he removes the saucepan from heat and quickly incorporates a pat of cold crème fraîche to prevent the eggs from overcooking and to add richness and creaminess.

The result is silky, smooth scrambled eggs. The residual heat from the saucepan keeps the eggs warm, but won’t continue cooking them.

What If You Don't Have Crème Fraîche?

Now, if you don’t have access to crème fraîche, don’t fret. Swap it with Greek yogurt or sour cream. Softened cream cheese works, too, as the key is adding something cold, creamy, and rich that doesn’t curdle in heat.

Finally, add chopped chives or scallions before serving for another layer of flavor and a pop of color. And my favorite way to enjoy these perfectly cooked scrambled eggs? Over milk bread toast or steamed white rice with a drizzle of chili crisp. Yum!