Many people will boil their eggs ahead of time to have perfectly boiled eggs whenever they want. But how are you supposed to reheat the eggs once they have been boiled without overcooking them?
To reheat boiled eggs, pop them into a microwave-safe dish and then top up with water. Microwave for around 1 minute until hot through. You can also reheat the eggs in a steamer.
How to Reheat Boiled Eggs
There is nothing wrong with cold, boiled eggs. They can be pretty tasteful when used in a salad or when used to make egg mayo sandwiches.
However, the last thing you want on a cold day is a cold salad.
There are a few techniques you can use to reheat boiled eggs. We have laid out the best methods for you below:
How to Reheat Boiled Eggs in the Microwave
Using a microwave to reheat your boiled eggs is an easy enough solution and takes less than 2 minutes.
Depending on how powerful your microwave is, you run the risk of the egg exploding or overcooking. This is why you need to have a proper method for reheating them in the microwave.
However, if you follow the method below closely, then you should have no issues reheating any number of boiled eggs in the microwave:
- Place The Egg In A Bowl
Find a deep microwavable bowl and place your egg in it. The bowl will need to be deep enough to submerge the egg (or eggs) in water. - Pour Water Into The Bowl
Fill the bowl with either hot or cold water until the boiled egg is completely covered. Do not fill the bowl too much as the water may bubble over. - Set Microwave
Turn your microwave to 50% heat and set the timer to 1 minute. - Reheat
Place the bowl in the centre of the microwave and allow to reheat for the full minute. No longer, though, as the egg may explode.
How to Reheat Boiled Eggs in a Steamer
Due to how steamers heat, you will not have to worry about overcooking your boiled eggs, even if you are reheating multiple eggs at once.
A steamer can be a very convenient way to reheat them if you are short on kitchenware or are already using the steamer and don’t want to have to wash up another bowl:
- Set Up The Steamer
If you are using it to steam vegetables or buns, you may already have the steamer ready to go. But if not, fill the bottom of the steamer with 2.5 cm of water. - Heat The Water
Set the steamer to a high heat until the water starts to boil. Then reduce the heat slightly to a medium heat. - Put In The Eggs
Uncover the top section of the steamer and place the boiled eggs in the centre of the basket. Be careful of the hot steam as you open the basket. - Cover
Once you have placed the eggs, cover the steamer once more, ensuring that the lid is secure enough to keep the heat inside. - Reheat
Set a timer for 3 minutes and leave the eggs to warm up. - Remove From The Steamer
Once the eggs are hot, turn off the heat and remove the eggs from the steamer altogether. Leaving them in the steamer may overcook them. - Peel And Enjoy
All that’s left to do is peel or crack your reheated boiled eggs and eat up!
How to Reheat Boiled Eggs Successfully
Reheating boiled eggs is as easy as cooking them in the first place.
But if you are a disaster of a chef and worry about messing up even the easiest of cooking methods, follow these few tips below to ensure a successfully reheated boiled egg every time:
- Times May Vary! – The reheating times listed in the methods above assume that you have stored your boiled eggs in the fridge. If you have frozen the eggs, they will need longer to reheat. Likewise, if the eggs have been stored at room temperature (which isn’t recommended), they will not take as long to reheat.
- Peel The Egg Before Heating – When microwaving your boiled eggs, you may find it easier to peel the egg before you reheat it. This will prevent you from burning your fingers once the egg is hot and allow you to control better how hot the egg gets. You will need to microwave the peeled, boiled egg in 10-second periods rather than for 1 whole minute to prevent it from exploding.
Is It Safe to Reheat Boiled Eggs?
As the egg has already been cooked, it is safe to reheat them. After all, it is pretty standard practice for people to boil their eggs ahead of time for later use.
However, boiled eggs are only safe to reheat if stored in the fridge.
You can leave them at room temperature if you plan to reheat the eggs within a few hours. But otherwise, put them in the fridge as soon as they are cool enough.
Reheating Boiled Eggs FAQs
If you still have questions about reheating boiled eggs and how best to go about it then these FAQs might help you out:
Although it might be possible to reheat boiled eggs in the oven – they’ll get hot – it’s not the best method to use. Instead, use either the microwave or a steamer to reheat boiled eggs.
Yes, it is possible to reheat hard-boiled eggs in the microwave or a steamer. However, you will find that the egg becomes quite tough and overcooked when reheating.
Acacia may be a freelance writer by day, but they are a food fanatic by night. They are always trying out new recipes or finding different ways to elevate classical dishes. But their biggest culinary aim is to educate others on the basics of the kitchen so that they too can enjoy delicious food.