Scrambled Eggs Are 10x More Flavorful When You Add This Spicy Italian Ingredient

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Scrambled eggs can be a lot of things once they're cooked but otherwise unadorned: They can be fluffy, they can be creamy, and they're certainly a decent source of protein. But they can't be particularly flavorful until you start adding, you know, flavors. That's why things like basic spices like salt and pepper, dairy choice, and more creative enhancements like ranch seasoning can make your scrambled eggs a lot tastier. Peer into your refrigerator or pantry, and you might just find infinite ways to zhuzh them up. But one ingredient you definitely shouldn't overlook is perky, colorful Calabrian chiles, whether you already have them on hand or need to pick some up on your next shopping trip.

Calabrian chiles are little red peppers from Italy's Calabria region. They clock in right around medium on the heat-measuring Scoville scale, above what might be the more familiar jalapeño but below a habanero. The particularly spice-averse might not want to eat a whole one alone, but may appreciate the smoky, lighter fire that Calabrian chiles will impart when slightly tempered by a few eggs. Luckily, mixing them into your morning scramble is about as easy an egg-flavoring effort as one can make.

Sporting heat-seekers will singe their scrambled eggs with as much chili crisp, cayenne, or as many Calabrian chiles as can fit. Spice skeptics might want to keep that down to something a little more conservative, like one Calabrian chile per egg. So, when working with the fairly common jarred, oil-packed variety, like Sanniti Calabrian Chili Peppers, that means you'll want to pat them dry and chop them pretty finely for the best distribution throughout the eggs. If you can only find pre-chopped Calabrian chiles, which are more like a spoonable pepper spread, use about half a teaspoon or so for every two eggs.

The spicy marinating oil can also come in handy as your egg-scrambling fat if you want a double-dose of Calabrian chile punch. The sunflower oil and olive oil that many Calabrian chiles are suspended in are also perfect for the low cooking temperature that typically works best for great scrambled eggs. Just a drizzle of the chile-infused oil in the bottom of a scrambled egg-optimized cold pan will be plenty. You can then stir, fold, or figure-eight your scrambled eggs as you normally would, incorporating the minced chiles just before the protein has set to your liking to limit the amount of time that they might otherwise have to stick to the pan. You can always add more on top to taste, and increase the amount you mix into future batches until your Calabrian chile scrambled eggs have reached your preferred pepperiness.