Chrissy Teigen’s Brilliant Trick for “Creamy” Slow-Cooked Scrambled Eggs Is Worth Every Second

When it comes to breakfast, I tend to rely on recipes that require little effort and time to prepare. So when I stumbled upon Chrissy Teigen’s scrambled eggs hack, which demands nearly 20 minutes to make, I couldn’t help but side-eye the dish and question why it would ever take that long to cook such a simple staple. 

Still, the Cravings author puts out a lot of heavy hitters when it comes to recipes (and I’ve been collecting her cookbooks for years), so I figured I’d give her hack a try. In an Instagram post, she raved that even without Parmesan or cheddar it comes out like “cheesy eggs” — arguably one of my favorite breakfasts — which only increased my willingness to test this trick out. So on a morning when I had 20 minutes to spare (a rarity these days), I made them see what the hype was all about. 

Get the recipe: Chrissy Teigen’s Scrambled Eggs

Whisk four eggs with three tablespoons of heavy cream in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Grab a nonstick skillet and place it on low heat. Add one and a half tablespoons of butter and let it melt on the pan — you’ll know the butter is thoroughly heated once it starts to froth slightly in texture.  

Pour the egg mixture into the slightly heated pan with the butter. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir the eggs constantly. Continue this motion for about 20 minutes. If your eggs are cooking and firming up too quickly, remove the pan from the heat to control the temperature. Then, you can put the skillet back on and repeat this technique as needed.

Once the eggs reach a creamy and fluffy consistency, remove them from the heat immediately and garnish them with salt and pepper to taste.

The warmest memory of my late grandmother involves her cheesy scrambled eggs. In the same fashion as Teigen, her efforts in making them were a labor of love. She would spend a reasonable amount of time in the kitchen preparing breakfast while my stomach rumbled impatiently. But getting to dive into those creamy delights was always worth it in the end. In an era when quick and easy-to-prepare recipes take up space; this method offers a nostalgic refuge. 

Yes, this recipe requires patience. But if you gently tend to eggs and stir the curds lightly, observing their changes in textures, the result is a delicious dish. While it takes Teigen longer than most to pull this meal together, realistically, I only needed 10 to 12 minutes. Keep in mind everyone’s stoves calibrate differently, so I recommend closely monitoring the scramble until it reaches a fluffy consistency.

Bottom line: Teigen’s hack works, offering creamy, fluffy, and buttery bites. This recipe proves humble fridge basics can deliver a decadent and luxurious dish. After trying this trick, I don’t think I can make scrambled eggs any other way.

• Source well-produced eggs. The lifestyle of a hen impacts the taste of your scramble. While egg labels can get tricky, pasture-raised ones with a “Humane Farm Animal Care” or “American Humane Farm Program” stamp tend to guarantee the justly treated chickies. 
• Infuse the cream. Pour the heavy cream used in this recipe into a pot and toss in spices like saffron or thyme. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, remove it from the heat, and cover it with a lid. Let it steep for five to 30 minutes, depending on how strong you want the flavor to show up. Then, you’ll have an extra delicious infused cream to whisk into your eggs. 
• Get wild with the toppings. Since you have to spend upwards of 10 to 20 minutes tending to these intricately cooked eggs, you might as well go the extra mile and garnish this scramble with the toppings of your wildest dreams. Fry up prosciutto slithers for a salty and crispy addition. Make a vibrant green pesto and drizzle it all over this creamy dish. Or poach lobster in a butter bath and take this breakfast plate from delicious to extravagant.