Skip The Hot Sauce: Scrambled Eggs Are 10x More Flavorful When You Add This Spicy Condiment

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A little hot sauce can be tops for giving almost anything some extra zing, but after a while, the condiment can kind of lose its luster. So, when you want to quickly whip up flavorful scrambled eggs without having to break out the cutting board, gochujang, a popular Korean chile paste, can help by adding a dynamic spicy-sweet, savory flavor profile. Better still, you can include it without changing much else about your usual egg-scrambling routine.

Although some cooks favor fancier whisk work, most scrambled egg techniques more or less call for keeping them moving around a skillet. Since there's nowhere for extra ingredients to hide from the pan's direct heat, your first concern will likely be whether a paste like gochujang will stick. In addition to its red chiles and fermented soybeans, gochujang also contains glutinous rice that turns to sugar; sugar that just loves to burn in a pan. But you really only need about a ½ tablespoon of gochujang per egg, stirred in right before cooking, to perform terrifically over the medium-low heat eggs love, making this an ideal stovetop use for the funky condiment. Beyond the flavor upgrade from the gochujang, the eggs will take on a ruddy hue and rustic appearance. And of course, a few complementary additions can make this everyday breakfast even more weekend-worthy.

Gochujang's heat intensity will vary depending on the kind you buy. A lot of what's on the shelf at the average supermarket or grocery store is going to be on the milder side for broad commercial appeal, though heat-seekers can find products like Sinto Gourmet Gochujang Hot Korean Chili Paste online. A spoonful of chili crisp can also make your scrambled eggs even spicier, should you desire. A dollop of cooling sour cream as a garnish provides a nice contrast in either case, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds will bring some subtle crunch. Chopped chives also work just as nicely with this dish as they do the standard kind.

Kimchi's tangy pop pairs perfectly with gochujang scrambled eggs, brightening up the plate with its pleasantly sour perkiness. However, this dish might be even more comforting when you swap the typical toast accompaniment for an equally carbohydrate-forward portion of white rice. Even if you reheat the grains from last night's dinner rather than making a batch from scratch, you've still spent barely more time than you would on any plain egg. Drizzle on some toasted sesame oil as a finishing touch. Thanks to gochujang's fiery, fermented kick, this one small addition makes a major impact on your morning scramble.