Is It Possible To Reheat Fried Eggs? - Here's Our Best Guide

Whether you have some leftover egg you want to store and reheat from your brekky, or you are looking to see if you can meal prep with fried eggs, you will eventually have to reheat them. 

Fried eggs can indeed be reheated, but during the reheating process, you should always understand the effects of reheating will change the original texture and can lead to rubbery egg whites if the reheating process is too long. 

To find out the best way to reheat and make fried eggs, reheat other types of egg dishes, and how to store them, we've put together a guide that will give you everything you need to know.

How To Reheat Fried Eggs (Microwave/Stove)

When it comes to reheating fried eggs dishes that are frozen or cold, the best way to reheat them is in the microwave, as it has the shortest cooking time which reduces the chances of changing the texture of eggs. 

We've listed the simple steps to reheating your fried egg on both microwave and stove down below.

Microwave Method

• Step one - First of all, you will need to wrap the fried egg into a moist paper towel, this will try and maintain the quality eggs texture when heating and also stop the egg white from making a mess of your microwave. 
• Step two - Place your wrapped egg on a microwave-safe dish ready to be heated.
• Step three - Now you need to reheat the eggs in intervals until hot enough, this is typically in 30 seconds intervals and might take around 1-2 minutes until it is completely hot.
• Step four - Try to avoid going overtime for rewarming as the egg will lose its fluffy texture.

Stove Method

• Step one - Place a small amount of oil or butter into your frying pan and wait until the pan is heated. 
• Step two - Keep the pan on medium heat then place your egg in the middle. 
• Step three - Allow the egg to reheat for around 2-3 minutes or until warmed through, you do not need to flip the egg when using this method. 
• Step four - Avoid going over medium heat or heating for too long as the egg will lose its natural moisture.

How To Reheat Other Egg Dishes 

As well, as reheating fried eggs, you might be wondering if you can reheat other types of eggs such as boiled, poached, omelettes or scrambled. 

We have listed how to reheat these kinds of eggs below. 

• Boiled eggs - Reheating boiled eggs in a microwave is a big no-no, it can cause the shell of the egg to explode. Instead, simply put your boiled egg in a pan of boiling water till it submerges, cover and allow it to sit for ten minutes, then eat!
• Scrambled eggs - Scrambled eggs can be reheated in the microwave easily in 30-second intervals till warmed all the way through.
• Poached eggs - Bring a pan to boil with water and put your poached eggs back into the water for 2-3 minutes to reheat.
• Omelettes or quiches - If your egg dish has different ingredients, you should reheat in the oven instead, the amount of time it takes to reheat will depend on the thickness as well as whether you are cooking it from frozen or out the microwave.

Our Guide To Making Fried Eggs (Microwave/Stove)

Now we know how to reheat fried eggs, let's also cover how to make them (in the best way) in a microwave or over a stove. Bear in mind you can make your egg dishes however you want, whether over hard, over medium, over easy or sunny-side up, the choice is yours. 

We will cover how to make fried eggs over hard in both a microwave and a stove down below.

Microwave Method 

• Step one - Take a microwave-safe plate and preheat it in the microwave on medium heat for around 30 seconds. 
• Step two - Carefully take the microwaveable plate out then grease it with your oil or butter.
• Step three - Crack your eggs one at a time into a separate bowl taking care to keep the yolk intact when cracking.
• Step four - Pour each egg one a time onto the heat-resistant dish and try to keep them separate, you might just have to do this one by one if need be to avoid them all mixing. 
• Step five - Season the eggs, place them in the microwave with a cover and microwave on high heat for around 30 seconds or until the whites start to set and lift at the edges. 
• Step six - Flip the egg over and heat again for 30 seconds, keep repeating intervals until you see that egg is done how you need, whether that's a solid yolk or a soft yolk.
• Step seven - For sunny side up, you will not need to flip the egg using this method to keep the egg yolk nice and runny.

Stove Method

• Step one - Heat your frying pan over medium heat on the stove and add in your butter or oil allowing it to heat up.
• Step two - Crack your eggs into individual bowls and pour into the frying pan one egg at a time making sure they do not touch each other. 
• Step three - Add your seasoning to each egg and allow it took cook for 3-4 minutes without touching them, by this point the edges of the eggs would have started to set.
• Step four - Now flip the egg over and cook for the same amount of time until the egg yolk is set how you desire.
• Step five - Flip the egg back over again with the cooked yolk and serve!

How To Store Fried Eggs 

Reheating your fried eggs for a delicious meal is a pretty easy task, but you do need to make sure that you use proper storage to make sure the egg has no risk of illness and retains extra moisture during refrigeration. 

You must always ensure that you store your type of dish with eggs at least within two hours after cooking otherwise you do risk the chance of your eggs becoming unsafe to eat. 

We've bullet pointed the best way to store your eggs cold below.

• Package each of your fried eggs one by one, this gives you a multitude of options if you want to eat one egg at a time for meal prep purposes.
• To package the eggs wrap them in either baking paper, plastic wraps or paper towels when they have cooled down. 
• Then place the individually wrapped eggs into one airtight container for storage. 
• Your reheated egg dishes can be made for up to 5 days with the eggs or frozen for 4 months. 

Is Reheating Eggs Bad? 

You might be wondering if there is a risk of foodborne illness or lower vitamin content when you reheat eggs. 

Reheating eggs is completely safe and the nutritional content stays pretty much the same as long as the eggs had previously been cooked to the right internal temperature and you store them properly with our method above. 

Fried eggs should always be cooked till the internal temperature measures 144-158°, however, this varies according to the style that you have made your eggs in.

You should also be making sure that the eggs you buy, to begin with, are fresh, we have listed some ways to be testing your eggs in the future to make sure that they are safe to eat, to begin with before cooking. 

• Check the date - Checking the sell-by or expiration date on your egg carton is one way to make sure your eggs are fresh, but they aren't always accurate, as an egg can be fresh for longer after this date, so you might want to check with other methods below too. 
• Visually look - Firstly you want to make sure that the shell of the egg has no cracks or signs of damage/mould, then once the egg has been cracked inspect it for any discolouration that looks unusual. 
• Do a sniff test - Smelling the eggs once cracked is the most reliable way to see if an egg has gone off, if anything smells funky dispose of the eggs and wash the bowl/plate well with hot and soapy water.
• Float it! - Place your egg in a bowl of water and see whether or not the egg sinks. If the egg does sink then it is still fresh, but if it tilts up or floats up, it is old. This does not determine if the egg is safe or not however, it just simply shows its age.

FAQs About Reheating Fried Eggs

Can you reheat poached eggs? 

Yes, you can reheat poached eggs by putting it into boiling water for 2-3 minutes until it is heated through again. Don't microwave them as this can cause the yolk to come apart, leaving a big mess.

How do you stop egg whites from going rubbery?

Make sure you do not overcook them, to begin with, and use intervals when reheating, when bubbles start to appear in the whites this can often lead to rubbery eggs so you need to make sure you are using low heat.

Are the runniest yolk option eggs safe to eat? 

Eggs with runny yolks are actually not safe for children to eat due to the risk of salmonella, for adults it is a personal choice, but there is always a risk of bacteria if the eggs are not pasteurised and cooked to an adequate temperature. 

Can I store eggs in the fridge for a week? 

Typically, fried eggs or any other cooked eggs are no longer too safe to eat from your fridge after the 5-day mark, you can do a smell test however to make up your mind. 

Always store your eggs not in the fridge too, as here the temperature is always lower, so can lead to your eggs going bad.

How do you take eggs from the freezer to reheat? 

Reheating fried eggs from the freezer uses the same method for taking them from the fridge, the only difference is that you might need to increase the reheating time until they are warmed through.

Can eggs be frozen raw?

Raw eggs can be frozen, but you have to make sure you store them the right way to maintain their eating quality once thawed. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge when you want to eat them, they are best whisked beforehand then store in plastic bags.

Does reheating eggs take away any essential nutrients?

No, unlike reheating veggies, eggs still are said to have the same amount of nutrients as they do when they are eaten fresh after reheating, the only difference is that they might have a different texture because of the reheating process.

Are eggs healthy?

Yes, eggs are a great low-calorie source of protein that keeps you full throughout the day, some people have warned about eating too many eggs a day, however, as it can contain high levels of sodium and cholesterol, but not many studies have proved this.

What is the healthiest way to eat an egg? 

The healthiest way to eat eggs has to be by boiling at this method requires no oil or butter to grease the pan, be careful how much salt you add to your boiled egg at the end, however.

Final Words

Overall, reheating fried eggs can be done easily in a microwave or a stove until they are hot and ready to eat again, avoid overcooking your eggs as this will make them rubbery and always make sure that you eat them within the required amount of time before they go bad. 

You can store your eggs in a freezer and reheat them too, just ensure you eat them before your five months is up then reheat them for a longer period until warm.