Scrambled Eggs vs. Fried Eggs: Differences & Variations
Both scrambled and fried eggs are super delicious dishes. You can serve them from breakfast to dinner, and they will fit perfectly anywhere – just adjust the sides and spices! I love both, and I could have them every day! Even with the same ingredients, these two dishes have different relish, texture, and serving styles. So, what are the differences between scrambled and fried eggs?
The biggest difference between the two is preparation – scrambled eggs require mixing yolks and whites, while fried don’t. However, scrambled eggs are tastiest when made with butter, but oil is a superb option for fried! Also, scrambled eggs are a superstar in the USA and England, yet fried ones are big in Japan and France.
Eggs are my go-to option whenever there are a few minutes spare for breakfast. When I want to treat myself, I love to serve them with some fancy pastry, vegetables, and fresh herbs. I can’t choose my favorite, but here is a whole list of differences for you to try! Let’s break down everything into pieces!
Preparation
Eggs can go from an everyday 5-minute meal to a 5-star dish depending on how you prepare them. Let’s get all the details!
When making scrambled eggs, you must first whisk them well, along with spices. Combining them with a fork will give you a creamy texture, while whisking will get them on the fluffier side. Some recipes call for an immersion blender if you’re going for extra fluffy, cloudy eggs.
Fried eggs require less effort, doubtlessly. You just need to crack it and pour it into the pan! How long you’re going to fry them, depends solely on how thick you like your eggs. If you fancy runny yolk, a few minutes is enough, but if not, well, double that time!
The frying process differs, as well. Scrambled eggs are tastiest when poured into a cold pan along with a butter cube, while fried eggs require a hot pan to start with. For tender and creamy scrambled eggs, fry them on low by scraping the bottom constantly with a silicone spatula.
My pro tip is to always remove scrambled eggs from the stove a bit earlier, as they will continue to cook on the residual heat. Take them off while they are still shiny and wettish.
Medium heat is the perfect choice for fried eggs, but the technique depends on how well cooked you want them. You can use a lid to cover the pan or not, if you want them crispier on the edges. If you want them sunny side up, don’t touch them while frying, but if you want the crust on both sides, flip them over!
Salt and pepper are statement seasonings in scrambled eggs because keeping it simple puts a spotlight on the texture and richness of eggs. You won’t regret adding some dried or fresh herbs to kick the flavor, though. Oregano, basil, sage, thyme, parsley, tarragon, mint, chives, and anything you like, in fact, are superb options.
If you fancy a bit of spice in your scrambled eggs, feel free to add some chili powder, hot sauce, or pepper flakes. On the other note, if you’ve never tried garlic-enriched fried eggs, you don’t know what you’re missing. It is an amazing addition to a simple flavor, along with fresh herbs, paprika, but also, chili oil!
Nutrition
Nutritional differences are solely the result of the way you prepare the dish. If you add more or less fat, spices, and sides, here is how this looks in numbers! For the start, one large egg (68 grams) has 78 calories with 5,4 grams of fat, 7,5 grams of protein, and all 9 essential amino acids! [1]
Scrambled eggs are undoubtedly tastiest when made with butter, but you don’t need loads of it, though. If you’re using a teaspoon of butter, you’ll be adding 35 calories more, which isn’t much. Now, heavy cream, milk, or cheese that are frequently added will skyrocket calorie and fat value count. [2]
Fried eggs have no additions, but sometimes require more fat so they don’t stick to the pan. Having said that, you can handle it by using non-stick pans. Also, if you’re choosing oils for frying, go for sunflower, avocado, or extra-virgin olive oil. [3]
Those are varieties that are stable at high temperatures, but still, don’t go over 410°F (210° C)! Not just for the taste and texture, but preparing both fried and scrambled eggs at moderate temperatures is healthier. That’s because high heat reduces nutrition components – vitamins and antioxidants! [4]
Having all this in mind, you can always blast the nutritional content of scrambled eggs by adding vegetables. This way you’ll jack up vitamins, minerals, and fiber! Superb options are spinach, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini, and many more.
You may think you can’t enrich fried eggs, as well, but that’s far from the truth! Sprinkling your eggs with fresh herbs like mint, parsley, coriander, and many more will give you just that. They abound in antioxidants and minerals, plus have a great impact in preventing heart diseases, improving the immune system, preventing cancer, stress reduction, and so on. [5] [6] [7]
There’s no reason to avoid them as they are trés delicious, too!
While searching for the healthiest recipes and cooking methods, I realized that there are apps designed to assist with that. And the best one I have found yet is Lasta Fasting. It has features such as an intermittent fasting tracker, meal planning, and a new food logging function where you can find out the protein, carbs, and fats content in your dish. They even have an interactive quiz before you start using it, allowing you to specify your goals and other relevant details.
Serving Style
Maybe you’ll think it’s not necessary to make a science out of this, but it’s great to know your eggs! There are two main styles to serve scrambled eggs when it comes to consistency: fluffy and creamy. Fluffy scrambled eggs are an American thing: they are light on the palate, tender, and almost melty.
French-style custardy and soft variety is rich and silky, perfect for dipping baguettes in. You’ll see them served with cherry tomatoes and sprinkled with fresh herbs, like the finest food. Following that, the first one is usually put in a sandwich or served with crisped-up bacon and buttered toast.
If you want them creamier, feel free to add a few more yolks, milk, heavy, sour, or even a cream fraiche. The cream will give a richer flavor with some kind of sweet note that is freed by light simmering.
Still, there is a fried egg for anyone’s taste! My childhood fav was sunny side up all the way, with a runny yolk. The bottom is crispy, but the top of the egg white is soft and a bit chewy. If you flip it up, then you’ll get both crusty sides with a tender inside.
If you still want a runny yolk, over easy is a choice for you. But if you fancy it on a firmer side, opt for over medium or over well. Just be careful to not turn the heat up too much, because the whites will be pretty gummy.
Variations
The most popular way to prepare scrambled eggs besides plain ones, is by adding cheese. Here, you can play with flavors, textures, and aromas whether you want a slight tang of mozzarella or a pungent note of aged cheddar. The best-loved egg-cheese combos are Edam, Gouda, Swiss, and Monterey Jack, but when it comes to meaty combos – ham, prosciutto, and bacon have no competition!
If you opt for bacon, try to prepare scrambled eggs in its fat to infuse all the flavors to the maximum! You can top fajitas or bruschetta with scrambled eggs, fill quesadillas, mushrooms, or dumplings with it, and combine it with all the veggies you can imagine!
A fried egg is super tasty if you fry it on a crisped-up disc of parmesan – you’ll get it all: the crunch, the flavor, the aroma! If you fancy savory oats, topping it with fried egg is yummy! Also, Turkish-influenced filled potato with feta, veggies, and fried egg is an option to try, along with puff pastries, pasta, and kimchi rice… the options are endless and delicious!
Popularity
If we’re looking worldwide, fried eggs are the most popular in Japan – drizzled with soy sauce! Served with croissants and galettes, sunny-side-up fried eggs are also a thing in France. This sounds like a perfect breakfast if you count on the Eiffel view, too!
But, you can order over-fried eggs only in the USA and Canada because the crisp is very important there, no doubt. Scrambled eggs are the most popular across the USA, an inevitable part of English breakfast, and fancy French brunch, but they actually originate from Ancient Rome! To conclude, both varieties of eggs are popular worldwide, but the technique is what makes them special for each part of the world!
Now, I want to hear your thoughts. What’s your favorite way of making and serving the eggs? Let us know in the comment section below!
