Easy Southwestern Egg Scramble

A quick, great-tasting way to eat an egg.

Egg scramble paired with a piece of cornbread and fruit.

I have a confession to make. I don't like eggs. At least, not very much. I rarely eagerly eat an egg, and eating breakfast or brunch at restaurants is not my favorite because nearly every option has eggs!! However, I know that eggs are very nutrient-dense -- healthy fats, so many micronutrients, and great protein in one little item -- so I am always on the lookout for ways to try to make myself enjoy eating them. This recipe is one way that I've found over the years to make eggs taste good. It's a really easy and quick recipe that uses ingredients that might already be staples in your fridge and pantry. This quick one-person dish uses one egg for a snack or small meal for one, but can be scaled up to make a larger or shareable meal.

Ingredients and their nutritional considerations

1. Egg

   Eggs are good sources of quality protein (each large egg has about 7 grams of protein) including the amino acid arginine, which helps the body form nitric oxide, promoting good circulation.¹ Egg yolks contain carotenoids, Vitamin A precursor pigments that protect your eye health.¹ They also contain relatively high levels of choline, an important neurotransmitter that may contribute to improved cognitive function, and folate, which helps regulate fetal development in pregnancy and cell growth/function in general.^1-2 And can't forget about the healthy fats in the egg yolk which could contribute to brain health too!²

   
   

   Eggs haven't always been celebrated for their nutrient content. Before 2013, the American Heart Association recommended against consuming more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day to reduce risk of high cholesterol and heart disease, and other professional health organizations had similar guidelines.¹ One egg has about 200 mg of cholesterol, two-thirds of the previous daily limit of 300 mg, so eggs were on the "foods to avoid" list. More recent evidence has shown that cholesterol from the diet does not necessarily translate to higher blood cholesterol levels, so most professional health organizations that previously advised a limit to dietary cholesterol have done away with that guideline and instead recommend a focus on keeping saturated fat intake low.^1,3 Many foods high in cholesterol, like butter, are also high in saturated fat, so limiting saturated fat intake naturally limits cholesterol, too.³ Eggs have a pretty low saturated-fat-to-cholesterol ratio, which makes them relatively more nutritious among high-cholesterol foods. A diet "moderately high" in eggs (but still limited to about 0.5-1 per day) has been shown to be neutral or even protective for cardiovascular health¹, so if you enjoy eggs in moderation, great!

   
   

   Note that the evidence showing that dietary cholesterol does not affect blood cholesterol levels is from studies done in people who metabolize cholesterol typically. Some people are particularly sensitive to dietary cholesterol (largely due to genetics) and may still wish to limit their dietary cholesterol intake.¹

2. Cheddar cheese

High in saturated fat and salt, cheese isn't a super-food by any means. Still, eating cheese in moderation, particularly if part of a balanced meal or snack, can be healthy. I really like cheese, and I like that a sprinkle of cheese on a salad or pasta dish or an egg can help me increase my intake of important nutrients that I wouldn't otherwise be thrilled to eat.

Cheese does have some merits on its own: It's high in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and B vitamins.⁴ It does contain protein (in fact, it's basically just protein and fat, no carbs). And one recent systematic review (a study of many scientific studies) found that for people who ate about 40 grams (~1.5 oz or 1/4 cup) of cheese per day, risk for heart disease, stroke, and bone fractures was lower than for people who ate less cheese or more cheese.⁴ Everything in moderation!

3. Jalapeño peppers and/or green chile peppers

   Adding vegetables, even in small amounts, to a meal is always a plus for your health. It's impossible to overstate how important it is to fit in vegetables wherever we can. Many adults do not come close to consuming the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables daily. So this is a good opportunity to add some in! (Click on the green button below for a bonus: more ideas on sneaking vegetables in). And hot peppers specifically may have additional benefits. Capsaicin, the compound that puts the "hot" in hot peppers, has been associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality and mortality from cardiovascular disease, suggesting that it could be a longevity-promoting compound.^5-6 🌶️

Click here for a handout with more ideas for adding vegetables to your day!

By the numbers

This recipe cost me about $1.60 per serving. And this recipe is ripe for swaps: using block cheese and shredding yourself vs. shredded cheese, canned peppers vs. fresh peppers, subbing a different dried aromatic (maybe dried garlic or minced garlic) instead of minced onion -- all of these can influence the cost and convenience of the recipe.

Nutrition facts for this recipe:

NOTE: Recipe yields one serving.

Recipe

Easy Southwestern Egg Scramble

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

1 large egg

1/4 Cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or less, to taste)

1 Tbsp diced fresh or canned jalapeño peppers

1/2 Tbsp diced canned green chile peppers (optional)

1/2 tsp black pepper

Pinch of dried minced onion

1 tsp olive oil nonstick cooking spray or other nonstick cooking spray

Directions

1. Prepare jalapeño pepper and canned green chile peppers (if using): Dice, measure out, and set aside.

2. Prepare cheese: measure out and set aside.

3. Coat a small frying pan with non-stick oil spray. Place pan on stove over medium heat.

4. Crack egg into pan and stir briefly (~30 seconds) to break yolk and begin scramble.

5. While egg is cooking over medium heat, add cheese, peppers, minced onion, and black pepper. Stir immediately, scrambling egg with other ingredients.

6. Continue cooking about 2-3 minutes, until egg is fully cooked and peppers and onion are fragrant.

7. Transfer to plate and enjoy!

Thanks for reading! Have questions or comments? Email me here!

References

1. Egg consumption and human health: an umbrella review of observational studies: International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition: Vol 71, No 3. Accessed November 5, 2025. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/09637486.2019.1648388?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed

2. Sultan N, Kellow NJ, Tuck CJ, Cheng E, MacMahon C, Biesiekierski JR. Egg intake and cognitive function in healthy adults: A systematic review of the literature. J Nutr Health Aging. 2025;29(12):100696. doi:10.1016/j.jnha.2025.100696

3. New federal guidelines may lift dietary cholesterol limits | American Heart Association. Accessed November 5, 2025. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2018/07/18/new-federal-guidelines-may-lift-dietary-cholesterol-limits

4. Zhang M, Dong X, Huang Z, et al. Cheese consumption and multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review and updated meta-analysis of prospective studies. Adv Nutr. 2023;14(5):1170-1186. doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2023.06.007

5. Yang L, Sun J, Zhao M, Xi B. Chili pepper intake and all-cause and disease-specific mortality. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2023;93(4):378-384. doi:10.1024/0300-9831/a000746

6. Ao Z, Huang Z, Liu H. Spicy Food and Chili Peppers and Multiple Health Outcomes: Umbrella Review. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2022;66(23):2200167. doi:10.1002/mnfr.202200167