Joe’s Special is a classic diner dish that combines scrambled eggs, spinach, mushrooms, and ground beef. It’s easy to make, Whole30-friendly, and Paleo-friendly. Try this recipe for a satisfying breakfast or brunch!
Table of Contents
What’s Joe’s Special?
This 1920s San Francisco Bay Area classic originated in an Italian-American restaurant on Broadway Street in San Francisco called New Joe’s. But over the the past century, this hearty, comforting scramble has made its way onto the breakfast—and dinner!—tables of families throughout the West Coast. It’s not hard to see why: Joe’s Special is easy to prepare, using pantry and fridge staples found in just about every home. My Whole30-friendly version leaves out the dairy (no parmesan cheese) and kicks up the umami with a bit of fish sauce (don’t worry—it doesn’t make this taste fishy!), but otherwise, it’s true to the original.
I like to flavor it up even further with cayenne pepper sauce at the table, like Frank’s Red Hot Original Sauce. And don’t worry, Whole30ers—Frank’s is Whole30-friendly, according to Melissa Urban herself!
Ingredients
- Eggs: To keep the scrambled eggs fluffy, I whisk them with a smidge of water!
- Lean ground beef: I like to use 90% lean ground beef. To punch up the flavor, you can substitute Italian sausage.
- Baby spinach
- Crimini mushrooms or button mushrooms: No need for fancy, exotic mushrooms!
- Onion
- Garlic
- Chives
- Red Boat fish sauce: I know this sounds like a weird ingredient but it just adds umami, no fishiness!
- Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Ghee, avocado oil, or extra virgin olive oil
- Cayenne pepper sauce (like Frank’s Red Hot Original Sauce) (optional)
How to make Joe’s Special
Heat a 12-inch cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. While the empty pan is heating up, crack the eggs in a medium bowl.
Whisk the eggs with the water, fish sauce, kosher salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
When the skillet is nice and hot, add the ghee. Once it’s shimmering, toss in the onions and mushrooms…
…and kosher salt. Cook, uncovered, until mushrooms release their liquid.
Stir-fry for another 5 minutes, or until the mushroom liquid has evaporated and the ’shrooms are browned.
Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Toss the ground beef in the pan and use a spatula to break up the meat.
Add ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute or until the spinach is just wilted. Taste the filling to check that it’s seasoned enough and adjust if needed.
Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Stir and scrape the pan ’til the eggs are fully set, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the scramble to a serving dish and top with chopped chives.
Serve with hot sauce if desired.
Joe’s Special Scramble is as tasty and hearty as it is easy to make—making it perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
What can you serve with it?
Serve with my Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes and Crispy Microwave Bacon for a fab meal anytime of day! (Psst! I won’t tell anyone if you’re not doing a Whole30 and want to eat this scrumptious scramble with some toasted sourdough bread!)
More easy egg recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
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Joe’s Special Scramble
Ingredients
- 10 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
- Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ghee avocado oil, or favorite high temperature cooking fat
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- ½ pound cremini mushrooms trimmed and thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ pound ground beef
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- Cayenne pepper sauce like Frank’s Red Hot Original Sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a 12-inch cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating up, crack the eggs in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the eggs with the water, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.
- When the skillet is nice and hot, add the ghee. Once it’s shimmering, toss in the onions and mushrooms, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, uncovered, until mushrooms release their liquid.
- Stir-fry for another 5 minutes, or until the mushroom liquid has evaporated and the ’shrooms are browned. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Toss the ground beef in the pan and use a spatula to break up the meat.
- Add ½ teaspoon kosher salt and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
- Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute or until the spinach is just wilted. Taste the filling to check that it’s seasoned enough and adjust if needed.
- Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Stir and scrape the pan ’til the eggs are fully set, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer the scramble to a serving dish and top with chopped chives. Serve with hot sauce if desired.
Notes
- You can use ground chicken or turkey in place of the beef!
- Joe’s Special Scramble is as tasty and hearty as it is easy to make—making it perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Would this reheat well?
Scrambled eggs can get kinda rubbery when you reheat them, but I don’t really mind.
We enjoyed the leftovers as much as we did the first day.
This looks amazing – minus the mushrooms. I wonder how this would turn out without them. I may have to give it a try.
Making this for breakfast. Can’t wait to dig in 🙂
This totally brings back memories…my mom used to make Joe’s Special when I was a kid. I think her recipe was heavier on the beef and lighter on the eggs, but same idea. Cant wait to make it!
Can the fish sauce be left out? I don’t like it very much.
Yep.
Tasted very salty/fishy. I normally love the umami fish sauce adds to dishes but this was far too much for my taste. I’d recommend adding the last additions of salt and fish sauce after the meat is cooked so you can adjust the seasonings to taste.
Thanks for your feedback! I do like my food strongly flavored, but I’ve adjusted the recipe so that the second addition of fish sauce is optional.
Thank you! I hadn’t actually meant for you to adjust the recipe, just wanted to note my experience for other readers who share similar tastes. But I appreciate that you listen to reader feedback!!
No, thank you! That was a great suggestion!
This is absolutely amazing!!! I’ve made it twice already! I do this without the fish sauce and use paleo breakfast sausages instead of ground beef…. soooo good, 5 stars!
This was amazing. We doubled it for our group of 7 and there was absolutely nothing left. Definite make again.
We loved this and will definitely make it again. In pairs very well with Michelle’s whole 30 Sriracha!! https://nomnompaleo.com/post/53690118029/whole30-sriracha