Revoltillo con Jamón
Puerto Rican-style scrambled eggs cooked with diced ham, onion, sweet pepper, and tomato for a quick savory breakfast.
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk or fork
- 10-inch nonstick skillet
- Silicone or wooden spatula
- Food thermometer, recommended
Ingredients
Eggs and ham
- 4 large eggs
- 3 ounces 85 g fully cooked ham, preferably lower-sodium, cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon 5 g unsalted butter
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Small pinch of fine salt optional and only if needed
Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons 20 g finely diced yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons 18 g finely diced green bell pepper or cubanelle pepper
- ¼ cup 40 g seeded and finely diced Roma tomato
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Cut the cooked ham into small ¼-inch cubes. Finely dice the onion and green pepper.
- Cut the tomato in half and remove the seeds and excess liquid. Finely dice ¼ cup of the tomato.
- Crack the eggs into a medium bowl. Add the black pepper and whisk for approximately 30 seconds, until the whites and yolks are completely combined and slightly foamy.
- If the ham is lower in sodium, add a very small pinch of salt to the eggs. If using regular ham, wait and taste the finished dish before adding salt.
Cook the ham and vegetables
- Place a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and swirl the skillet as it melts.
- Add the diced ham. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and lightly browned around some edges.
- Add the onion and green or cubanelle pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion begins to look translucent and the pepper softens slightly.
- Add the diced tomato and cook for 1 minute. The tomato should warm and soften slightly without breaking down into a sauce.
Scramble the eggs
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the beaten eggs evenly over the ham and vegetables.
- Let the eggs sit undisturbed for approximately 15 seconds. Use a spatula to gently push the cooked edges toward the center. Tilt the skillet so the uncooked egg flows into the open areas.
- Continue gently folding the eggs every 10–15 seconds for approximately 2 minutes. Avoid rapid stirring, which creates small, dry curds.
- Cook until the eggs form tender curds with no visible runny liquid and reach 160°F (71°C). USDA guidance states that scrambled eggs should not remain runny.
- Remove the skillet from the heat immediately. Taste and add a tiny pinch of salt only if needed.
- Divide the revoltillo between two plates and serve warm.
Notes
- Ham: Use fully cooked ham. Lower-sodium ham helps prevent the finished eggs from becoming overly salty.
- Pepper: Cubanelle pepper has a mild, slightly sweet flavor and works well in place of green bell pepper.
- Tomato: Remove the watery seeds before dicing. Excess tomato liquid can make scrambled eggs wet.
- Salt: Do not add salt automatically. Cooked ham supplies considerable sodium.
- Doneness: Scrambled eggs should be tender but not runny. Cook the mixture to 160°F (71°C).
- Cheese variation: Some families add shredded cheddar, American cheese, or another melting cheese. Add approximately ¼ cup during the final minute.
- Simple variation: Omit the vegetables and prepare the revoltillo using only eggs, ham, butter, and black pepper.
- Other variations: Cooked salchichas or jamonilla may replace the ham, but these create separate versions of the dish.
- Make ahead: The ham, onion, pepper, and tomato can be chopped and refrigerated separately one day ahead. Whisk the eggs immediately before cooking.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow covered container within two hours and use within 3–4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently in a covered skillet or microwave until the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Freezing: Freezing is not recommended because scrambled eggs may become watery or rubbery after thawing.
- Allergens: This recipe contains eggs. Check the ham packaging for milk, gluten, soy, or other added allergens.