9 Deli Meats To Add To Your Scrambled Eggs For A Quick Flavor Boost

Few foods are easier to make for a quick and delicious protein boost than scrambled eggs. They are typically the central feature of a breakfast dish, but scrambled eggs can really be a nice, hearty snack at any time of day. Better yet, pairing them with a little extra protein can take your egg game to a whole new level.

One unique way to make your scrambled eggs even better is by adding in some classic deli meat options. Some of these meats are cooked, while some are uncooked and heated through with the eggs before serving. While you could also use deli meats to make a delicious omelette, we chose to focus on options that work well with a simple serving of scrambled eggs. So, that said, here are nine deli meats you should consider adding to your scrambled eggs for a quick flavor boost.

We'll start with the basics. Black Forest ham originated in the Black Forest region of Germany. It has a smoky and salty flavor profile — both on the milder side — that makes it a versatile ham that works on a sandwich, as part of a side dish like green beans, or, yes, mixed in with some nicely cooked eggs. It can be found at almost any grocery store or deli, making it an easy addition to your next batch of scrambled eggs.

While Black Forest ham has more of a smoky flavor profile, you'll find that chorizo offers a punch of spiciness. Chorizo is a type of sausage – often used in Mexican and Spanish dishes — that's typically made from chopped pork and seasoned with red pepper, chili, and paprika. The spiciness of chorizo serves as the perfect counterbalance to creamy and savory scrambled eggs.

Pastrami is one of those top-tier deli meats that tends to be underappreciated as a breakfast meat. If you've never had it, you've surely seen it at many sandwich shops in the U.S. — the most famous of which may be Katz's Delicatessen in New York City. Made with brisket, pastrami is brined and cured in a spice mixture, then smoked and steamed to finish. Most pastrami deli meats have a spicy, peppery finish, which makes them ideal to incorporate into your creamy scrambled eggs.

Like Black Forest ham, smoked turkey is another classic deli meat that you'll find at almost any sandwich shop, deli counter, or grocery store. Pretty much all deli meat brands make some version of smoked turkey, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding it. When mixing the turkey with scrambled eggs, we would slice it up into small pieces — much like if we were cooking an omelette — so each bite is filled with a bit of smoked turkey and egg.

While corned beef is similar to pastrami in its cooking process, this deli meat has a much milder flavor. Corned beef comes from the leaner part of the brisket, unlike pastrami, which originates from the fattier portion. It's a more salt-forward meat, so be careful how much you incorporate into your eggs. You can also use corned beef in a hash that includes all sorts of ingredients, like potatoes, peppers, and, yes, scrambled eggs.

Prosciutto translates to "ham" in Italian, but this meat is much different than a typical deli ham. Traditionally, it comes from the hind legs of a pig and goes through a dry-curing process before being ready to serve. This is a very thinly sliced deli meat, but a little goes a long way because of the strong, salty flavor. You'll typically see prosciutto served on its own — maybe as part of a charcuterie board — but its delicate, salty flavor makes it another great addition to a plate of warm scrambled eggs.

Not to be confused with the historic city in Italy, bologna is a processed deli meat that typically consists of beef, pork, salt, spices, and curing agents, such as sodium nitrate. It's relatively cheap and works well as a sandwich filler with a slice of cheese, mayo, or mustard. But like many deli meats, bologna also plays well on a plate of scrambled eggs. We like to give the bologna a nice sear in a pan before mixing with eggs to give it a crispier texture that adds even more flavor.

Guanciale is a traditional Italian meat that originates from the pig cheek. It's a very fatty cut, even more so than bacon, which results in a juicy finish when the guanciale fat is cooked and rendered down. Italians use guanciale in classical dishes like carbonara, but it's another perfect addition to scrambled eggs. That salty and crispy pork flavor goes wonderfully with your creamy eggs.

Yes, you read that correctly. While maybe not a classic "deli meat," Spam still has many of the characteristics of the other options on this list — salty, crispy, and flavorful. Spam and eggs are actually quite a popular menu item at some diners and online. In fact, McDonald's restaurants in Hawaii are known for offering a breakfast dish of Spam, eggs, and rice.