There are so many theories about scrambled eggs. There's the hot-and-fast theory, the low-and-slow method, and just about everything in between. This modern version is inspired by a Heston Blumenthal method where the eggs are mixed with a little whole milk and melted butter and cooked in a sous vide water bath.
The texture is just amazing. They come out so light and cloudy; almost nothing like when cooked in a pan.
Tips for Sous Vide Scrambled Eggs
- Add any flavorings (but not salt) to the eggs before adding to the bag.
- Agitate the eggs every 5 minutes or so when they are in the water bath. They will be hot, so use a kitchen towel instead of your hands.
- You can make perfect sous vide poached eggs at the same time as you make these scrambled eggs. The water bath is the same temp, and they get done in just about the same amount of time.
- Since the eggs are cooked in the bag, there's no way for water to evaporate when they cook. You can use a paper towel to blot up a little water that might
seep out onto the plate.
How to Make Sous Vide Scrambled Eggs
Pre-heat the water bath to 75° C / 167° F.
Whisk up your eggs, whole milk, melted butter and any add-ins -- like chopped fresh thyme, bacon, scallions or anything else you love -- with your scrambled eggs.
Place the whisked eggs in a Ziplock freezer bag, and use the water displacement method to seal the bag.
Sous vide for 15 to 16 minutes, pulling the bag out every 5 minutes or so to mix it up with your hands. The bag will be hot, so it's helpful to hold the bag in a kitchen towel so it's not too hot.
Serve immediately topped with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper.
These eggs go wonderfully with some leftover sous vide ham.
Tools and Equipment for Sous Vide Scrambled Eggs
You can check out the equipment used (below) or check out the post all about Essential Sous Vide Accessories.
- Anova Sous Vide Machine
- Sous Vide water bath container or large pot
- Whisk and bowl
- Ziplock freezer bags
- Bag clips
Sous Vide Scrambled Eggs
Ingredients
- 3 large fresh cold eggs
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- Optional add-ins: fresh thyme, chopped bacon or whatever you like to add to your scrambled eggs
- kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the sous vide water bath to 75° C / 167° F.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, melted butter and any add-ins in a bowl, then pour into a ziplock freezer bag.
- Place in the water bath and seal using the water displacement method. Clip the bag to the side of the container to keep the ziplock bag above the water line.
- Cook for 16 to 17 minutes, removing every 5 minutes to massage with your hands.
- Remove from the bag and season with salt & pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This technique is inspired by Heston Blumenthal.
- The eggs in the water bath will be hot to the touch, so you can use a kitchen towel to mix them during the cook.
Star says
First time using my IP sous vide setting. I’m assuming it’s taking longer bc I tripled the recipe?
justin says
It likely will take a little longer. I haven't experimented with changing the scale of this one though so I can't speak from experience. Definitely let me know if you do. Cheers!
Nick says
As with all sous vide, the more you have in one bag (the thicker the material), the longer it will take to cook through. I would suggest using more than one bag to minimise this.
Steve mc says
Is it possible to bag the eggs the night before and leave in the fridge?
Or even cook the night before and reheat in morning? Whats best prtice for reheathing?
justin says
You can definitely bag the eggs the night before and leave in the fridge. I haven't experimented with pre-cooking and re-heating them, so I can't give advice on that. If you do pre-heat, you would want to chill them with an ice bath and then bring them up to a safe temperature before eating. They might lose some of the wonderful texture that they get from this method when you re-heat.
Sherry says
The only concern I have about re-heating cooked scrambled eggs is the possibility of them discoloring.
justin says
Yes, but I believe it is high temps which cause them to change color, which wouldn't be in this case. But with that said, I would much rather just cook and eat as needed rather than chill and re-heat.
Andrew C says
This came out delicious! We just did plain scrambled eggs with no add-ins. Put the salt in pepper in after. At first as I pulled it out for the last time, the contents of the bag looked unappetizing and still liquid, but when I opened the bag and looked inside they were the lightest more decadent scrambled eggs I've ever had. Maybe too rich to have every day but man I enjoyed this. Looking forward to experimenting with it some more.
justin says
Hi Andrew,
Thrilled to hear that these eggs came out fantastic for you. Definitely rich, but so delicious. Keep on sous vid'ing. 🙂
Kristen says
I've never heard of sous vide scrambled eggs. I always use the hot and fast method since scrambled eggs are my go to when I'm rushing to get out of the house in the morning. Next time I have a few extra minutes I'll pull out my sous vide and give this a try!
justin says
Hey Kristen,
I know, right! It seems kinda crazy but it totally works.