Why Are My Scrambled Eggs Watery?

There’s nothing better than waking up to fresh scrambled eggs served with toast and bacon in the morning. The go-to breakfast in many American households, scrambled eggs are easy to make and a delicious way to start your day!

Despite how quick and easy they are to make, you may oftentimes be disappointed when they end up watery and runny, which may lead to you asking the following question.

Why are my scrambled eggs watery? Watery scrambled eggs are the result of a few common mistakes such as adding too much milk to the eggs, cooking them on very high heat, cooking them with vegetables that release water, or cooking too many eggs at once.

Read on to find out why scrambled eggs would come out watery, how to prevent it, how to fix scrambled eggs that are watery, and more!

What Causes Scrambled Eggs To Be Watery?

The best scrambled eggs are the perfect combination of fluffy, rich, and indulgent.

Nothing is worse than making scrambled eggs only to find out that they’re watery and runny. Nobody likes watery scrambled eggs because they’re just not supposed to be that way!

You need to understand how scrambled eggs become watery in order to prevent your scrambled eggs from being watery in the future.

Here are some of the most common mistakes many inexperienced cooks make when making scrambled eggs!

1. Adding Too Much Milk To The Eggs

There are several ways to make the perfect scrambled eggs. Some people like to add milk to their eggs before whisking to give them a softer texture.

While this guarantees soft and fluffy scrambled eggs, too much milk will make them watery when cooked.

To avoid turning your scrambled eggs into a hot mess, you need to know how much milk to add to them!

As a rule of thumb, 1 tablespoon (at most 2 tablespoons) of milk is more than enough for every egg in your egg mixture.

Using that same ratio, you can use 2-4 tablespoons of milk for 2 eggs, 4-8 tablespoons of milk for 4 eggs, and so on.

Using the higher end of the scale will produce scrambled eggs that will be lighter in color, taste less eggy, and taste more like the seasonings and vegetables added to them. 

Too much milk will also ruin the texture of the eggs, which is why it is best to stick to the lower end of the scale (or somewhere in between).

2. Cooking The Eggs At A High Temperature

Another reason that your scrambled eggs may turn watery is that you probably cooked them at a high temperature. 

While the high heat extracts the moisture from the eggs while they’re cooking, it remains trapped until the eggs are served, which is why you will notice that your scrambled eggs are runny after you’ve dished them out.

The ideal temperature for scrambled eggs is low to medium heat. If you prefer moist eggs, keep the heat lower. For drier eggs, kick it up to medium. High heat is a no-go as it can lead to overcooked and watery eggs.

Do not stir the eggs aggressively. Instead, gently tease them with a rubber spatula. Make sure to remove the eggs from the heat as soon as they are firm or they might continue cooking from the residual heat.

The main reason why people prefer cranking up the heat when making eggs is that they are in a hurry. While this can work with fried eggs and omelets, it can turn your scrambled eggs into literal mush.

3. Adding Vegetables That Release Water

Scrambled eggs are usually made with basic ingredients that include eggs, milk, butter, and seasonings. For extra flavor, some people like to add a mix of vegetables to their eggs such as mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and zucchini.

While these vegetables do add an extra layer of flavor to the eggs, they may also be the reason they turn watery. When heated in a pan, these veggies tend to release their water content and make the eggs mushy.

Not all vegetables will result in watery eggs, but most of them will. To prevent it from happening, they need to be handled properly. What you need to do is not add them directly to your scrambled egg mixture — instead, sauté them first. 

Wash, pat dry, and chop the vegetables to your desired size. Next, put some butter or cooking oil in a pan over moderate heat. Add the vegetables along with some seasoning and sauté for a few minutes.

Keep stirring the vegetables and keep an eye out for when the vegetables start “weeping” (a.k.a. seeping out water). Drain the moisture from the pan, making sure to not let the pan or its contents get cool.

Return the pan to the stove, continue stirring the veggies, and check to see if the veggies release more water. Regardless of whether they do or don’t, drain the vegetables and set them aside.

Start cooking your eggs and add the sautéed vegetables when the eggs in the pan begin to solidify. Not only will this result in perfectly cooked, fluffy scrambled eggs, but also well-seasoned and delicious vegetables!

Reason # 4: Cooking Too Many Eggs At Once

The key to making soft and fluffy scrambled eggs is to stir them continuously in the pan so that the heat gets evenly distributed and the egg curds break down and result in smaller and softer eggs.

Not mixing them properly may make them wet and runny!

When cooking too many eggs at once, it makes it difficult to stir the eggs properly, with some parts cooked perfectly while other parts still remain wet.

In the end, you are left with a soggy and unappetizing mess that is part undercooked and part overcooked! 

To prevent this from happening when you’re making a large number of scrambled eggs, cook the eggs in smaller batches and stir them properly when cooking to give them a nice fluffy texture.

How To Fix Watery Scrambled Eggs

For times when you weren’t careful while making scrambled eggs and made one of the mistakes mentioned above, is there a way you can fix your watery scrambled eggs? Yes, there is!

Adding some flour to your scrambled eggs is a great way to fix the excess moisture issue. The flour will absorb the extra water and fix your watery scrambled eggs in no time.

Simply add a pinch of flour to the eggs and stir them until they reach the desired consistency. You may add more flour if the eggs are very runny.

The best thing about this method is that you can use any type of flour you like including all-purpose flour, wheat flour, rice flour, almond flour, and coconut flour.

Another simple way to fix watery eggs is to add more eggs to give them a custard-like texture. For a fluffier texture, you can add more egg whites.

Why Are My Scrambled Eggs Watery Even Before Cooking?

If your scrambled eggs (or any type of eggs for that matter) are watery even before cooking, you may have a different problem altogether.

This isn’t caused by how you cook the eggs or the ingredients added to them. Instead, it is mainly due to the eggs you are using being too old and stale.

If the eggs are too old, the protein chains in the egg whites and yolks naturally break down, which are necessary for them to cling together. As a result, the eggs becomes watery and runny, which is evident right after you crack them open.

An easy way to check for old and stale eggs without cracking them open is to submerge them in a glass of cold water. If the egg sinks, it is fresh. If it floats, it is old.

The reason this happens is that older eggs lose moisture over time, which is replaced by air. This air allows them to float in water, as opposed to their denser and fresher counterparts that will sink instantly.

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