Is it good to reheat eggs?

Eggs are very nutritious food and are often seen in meals and recipes because of their high versatility. Sometimes the prepared eggs may be consumed in batches, so you may wonder if it is good to store eggs as leftovers and reheat them to eat later.

Reheating leftovers does affect the flavor, texture, and nutritional contents of the food and some studies have found that reheated eggs lack some nutrition seen in raw and cooked eggs. However, there’s few evidence support for this conclusion. Anyway, what’s certain is that the texture and flavor are likely to change after reheating, but it is regarded safe to eat reheated eggs as long as you cooked and stored egg dishes properly.

A general rule of thumb is eggs should be cooked until they are firm and no longer runny, which can help to avoid ingesting bacteria like Salmonella, the culprit of diarrhea, fever, cramps, and vomiting. After that, they should be kept in a shallow container for cooling and then stored in the fridge at 40°F or below. On the safe side, make sure the egg dish is reheated completely to 165°F before eating.

Here are some useful tips for you to reheat different egg dishes:

• Scrambled eggs: Scrambled eggs are best to be reheated in a microwave for about 20-30 seconds. Remember to stir in between to heat evenly.

• Boiled eggs: These eggs shouldn’t be microwaved because the yolk may explode during reheating. Instead, place the boiled eggs in a heat-resistant dish and pour in boil water until submerged. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
• Fried eggs: Just reheat the fried eggs on a skillet with a small amount of butter or oil. You don’t have to heat both sides as long as you heat them for 2-5 minutes.
• Omelets and quiches: Omelets and quiches are best heated in the oven. Place them on an oven-safe pan and heat at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. The time should be longer if they are frozen.

• Sunny-side up eggs: First place the eggs on a greased plate that has been preheated for 30 seconds. Then move them to the microwave and heat for another 30 seconds. Don’t microwave for too long or else the yolk may exploding.
• Poached eggs: Bring a saucepan of water to a simmer and then carefully put in the poached eggs. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes for reheating.