Name: Breakfast Scramble Recipe
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 2 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 Large Eggs; 3 Sausage patties; 2 1/2 to 3 slices Bacon; Salt (to taste); Pepper (to taste); Hash browns; Diced ham; Green or Yellow Onions; Bell Peppers; Jalapenos; Cayenne Peppers; Habanero Peppers; Cheese; Pico de gallo; Avacado; Salsa; Sour Cream

Need breakfast in 20 minutes? If you love eggs and the ease of cooking everything in one skillet, then this easily customizable breakfast scramble recipe is for you.

Southern Style Breakfast Scramble Recipe on display

One-Skillet Breakfast

My mom is a whiz at being a one-skillet chef, and I dare say she taught me well. Why dirty multiple pans when one will do?

This recipe takes root in that fact, and in the fact that with our family, getting out the door quickly to work, school, or the barn is often necessary. If you can’t whip something together quick, then you may not eat for hours.

With this breakfast scramble recipe, you can take the finished product and toss it in a bowl, inside a flour tortilla, or between two slices of toast/bread. The latter two are great for when you don’t have the convenience or time to park yourself at a table.

What Do You Need to Make This Breakfast Scramble Recipe?

There are actually a number of options and customizations with this recipe. Eggs is the necessary element to this recipe and the additives are your choice. Feel free to mix and match the following:

Breakfast Sausage
Crispy Bacon
Hash browns
Diced ham
Salt
Black Pepper

Can you tell we’re meat lovers in this family? If you’re like my dad and want to add a little kick to your scramble, you might also pick from:

Green Onions or Yellow Onion
Bell Peppers
Jalapenos
Cayenne peppers
Habanero peppers

Then of course, there’s your toppings:

Cheese
Pico de gallo
Avocado (if you’re real brave)
Salsa
Sour Cream

You get the idea. 🙂 Remember the flour tortillas or toast/bread if you plan to make this into a breakfast burrito or toaster sandwich.

A full printable recipe card is included at the bottom of this posts with measurements and instructions.

How Do You Make This Breakfast Scramble Recipe?

For this round, I took the simple route and did a bacon, sausage, and egg scramble, but like I said, there are a lot of different ways to combine your ingredients/options for multiple different breakfast choices.

If you decide to also throw some hash browns in there, you might want to cheat and use some pre-cut hash or a hash brown patty in your mix. I do the latter. Although, I’ve also started with a whole potato before too.

The hash brown patty makes for a quicker addition than starting from a whole fresh potato, so keep that in mind.

Step 1: Add Your Meat and/or Taters

Whether it’s ham, breakfast sausage, and/or bacon, you’ll want to cook these first in your large frying pan over medium-high heat. I use a cast iron skillet, but any large nonstick skillet will work.

sausage and bacon frying in cast iron skillet

For sausage, crumble it into smaller pieces as it cooks.
For ham, I cheat with pre-diced ham from the grocery store when I choose that route.
Once the bacon is crispy, you’ll want to drain it on a paper towel and let it cool a minute, so you can then crumble it back into the bottom of the pan.
If you opt to add hash browns, add your hash brown patty at the same time as your meat. I just push it to one side of the skillet away from the majority of the grease and break up the patty once it’s browned a bit. The less you stir the hash, the better. It likes to crumble and will stick easier to the pan with grease more than it will with butter or oil.
If you’re using a raw potato, dice it into small chunks or slices, melt butter in the skillet over medium heat, and add your potatoes. Let them cook 2-3 minutes first before adding in your meats. Potatoes become slightly translucent when they’re done.

meat crumbles for Breakfast Scramble Recipe — Top Image: bacon and sausage | Bottom Image: sausage and hashbrown

Option 1:

If you choose to add onions or peppers to the mix, you’ll want to dice them and add them to the skillet here as well. They cook great with the potatoes.

Step 2: Scramble Your Eggs

While your meat and taters are cooking, crack your eggs into a medium bowl. (A large bowl if you need the extra scrambling room.)

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you want extra fluffy eggs, you can add a little milk to the bowl too.

eight cracked eggs with salt and pepper waiting to be scrambled

Then whip it, whip it good. 😉 I use a fork; some folks opt for a whisk.

Step 3: Add Your Beaten Eggs

After all your meats are in chunks/bits in your skillet, remove any overabundance of grease, reduce your fire to medium-low heat, then pour in your scrambled eggs.

meat crumbles covered with uncooked scrambled eggs

Cook until the eggs are done, aka no longer runny, stirring occasionally.

fully cooked breakfast scramble in skillet

Step 4: Dish It and Top It

All that’s left is to divvy your egg mixture into bowls or tortillas or slap it between two slices of toast, then add any of your optional toppings.

Typically, if I’m doing a breakfast bowl, I leave it as is or add some shredded cheese on top. My dad adds his homemade pico de gallo.
If I do a breakfast burrito, I often put a slice of American cheese on my tortilla then add my scramble. Some people put shredded cheese on top and salsa on bottom. To each his own.
If a toaster sandwich is the choice of the day, a slice of cheese on at least one slice of bread is a great way to keep the sandwich together. Not to mention the added yum. 🙂

Breakfast Scramble Recipe made into a breakfast burrito

Any of these options pair great with fresh fruit and orange juice, or my favorite cranberry grape juice.

Breakfast Scramble Recipe with shredded cheese and juice

Savory Breakfast Scramble Recipe FAQs

“What kind of cheese can you use on this delicious breakfast scramble?”

You’ve got lots of choices — cheddar cheese, American cheese, colby jack cheese, pepper jack cheese… I’m probably missing another, but here’s a handful to get you started. 🙂

“Can I use egg whites instead of fresh eggs in this breakfast skillet?”

Sure, if that’s how you roll. 🙂

“Do you have any other favorite breakfast foods to share?”

You bet! I love me some savory sausage balls or breakfast take along cookies. For those sweet-tooth mornings or breakfast-for-dinner evenings, I also like some good ole pancakes or apple cinnamon oatmeal muffins.

That’s It Folks

I hope this quick breakfast scramble recipe gives you an easy variety for those busy mornings and keeps you full and functional until lunch. 🙂 Feel free to leave a comment and let us know how you like your scramble. Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Trails and Happy Cooking!

Yield: 4 to 6 servings