Hard-boiling eggs are great for a protein-packed breakfast. One good thing about hard-boiled eggs is that you can get them prepared in bulk and store them. Once cooked, hard-boiled eggs can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Then, all you need to do is reheat them when you want to eat them.
This is where the question of how to reheat boiled eggs in the microwave comes. This post will give you great tips on how to go about heating up your hard-boiled eggs again using a microwave oven.
Can You Reheat Boiled Eggs in a Microwave?
If you’re in a hurry, you can reheat a boiled egg in a microwave for one minute. This should be enough to heat up the egg, but note that if you want to use a microwave method, you must remove the shell first; otherwise, you risk getting your egg to explode in the microwave oven.
Here’s the short instruction on how to reheat a boiled egg in the microwave:
Remove the boiled egg from its shell and slice it in half. Place the egg inside a microwave-safe bowl or dish. Heat the egg for 30 seconds on half power. If you find it cold, heat it for another 10 seconds. Continue this process until the egg is heated just enough to your liking.
A Hard-boiled egg explodes in the microwave because it still has moisture in it. When heated in the microwave, the moisture turns to steam and causes the pressure to build up. The shell doesn’t have enough room to expand with the steam; thus, the egg will explode once the shell cannot hold anymore.
One way to solve this is to first crack open the egg before heating it in the microwave. This will enable some steam to escape and prevent your egg from exploding.
For the same reason, it is also advisable to prick the egg with the tip of a knife or wooden pick before you microwave it. This will also enable steam to escape.
How To Reheat a Boiled Egg in The Microwave
There are two methods of microwaving a boiled egg that you could use regardless of whether the boiled egg is hard-boiled or soft-boiled.
However, before you begin heating it up, you need to make sure that the boiled egg is still good. You can tell if an egg has gone bad by either smelling it. If the egg has any sort of foul odors, it has gone bad and should be thrown out.
Many people mistakenly assume that when the yolk color is gray or green, it’s an indication that the egg has gone bad. This is not the case. A gray or green yolk simply means that the egg has been overcooked (1). The egg is still safe to eat, though it may have a less appealing texture and flavor.
Here are two ways you could reheat boiled eggs in the microwave:
Method 1 – Reheating Right Away
- Peel the egg and cut it in half.
- Place the egg in a microwave-safe plate or bowl.
- Put the plate in the microwave and heat it in short, 10-seconds intervals at half-power until the egg is warm.
Method 2 – Using Water and Microwave
- Peel the egg and place it in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Fill the bowl with water.
- Put the bowl in the microwave and heat it at half power for one minute.
- After one minute, check the egg to see if it needs more time. If it still hasn’t heated up yet and is cold, you can put it back in for another 30 seconds or so.
Tip
- If you use a food thermometer to check the temperature of the boiled egg, it should read between 110 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- As a reminder, you should never microwave eggs in their shells. While this is a convenient method, you risk the danger of an egg exploding in your microwave oven.
- When microwaving a boiled egg, you may want to prick the egg with the tip of a knife or wooden pick to create a vent. This will allow the steam to escape and prevent an explosion.
The Best Way to Reheat Eggs
Out of all the methods you could use to reheat a boiled egg, the best way would be using boiling water. Here’s how to do it:
- Put your hard-boiled eggs in a heatproof bowl. The bowl should be big enough so that you can cover the eggs with water.
- Use a kettle or coffee maker to boil water. Use your judgment to determine how much water you need. You just need enough to cover the eggs.
- Pour the boiling water over your eggs. Make sure that they are completely submerged in hot water.
- Cover the bowl with a plate or small pot to contain the steam.
- Let it sit for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove the eggs from the bowl. Be careful as water may still be hot. You may want to use a slotted spoon to do that. Peel the shells off your eggs. Your eggs should now be warm and ready to eat.
Is It Safe to Eat Reheated Boiled Eggs?
Reheating leftovers of any kind always alters the food’s taste and texture as some of its components will break down. While you can still eat reheated boiled eggs safely, they may not be as appetizing as when they were first prepared.
Related Questions
1. Can You Microwave Boiled Eggs Without Shell?
Yes, you can. In fact, it’s recommended to peel the shell off first before you put it in the microwave to prevent it from exploding and splattering inside the microwave oven.
2. Can You Eat Cold Boiled Eggs?
Yes, there is nothing wrong with consuming cold-boiled eggs. You can simply use the egg in a salad or sandwich.
Conclusion
So can you reheat boiled eggs in the microwave? Yes, you can. It’s completely safe to reheat hard-boiled eggs or soft-boiled eggs using the microwave oven as long as you follow certain guidelines.
To avoid the risk of blowing up your eggs, you could first crack the shells before putting them in the microwave oven. You could also prick it with a knife or wooden pick to create vents that’ll let the steam escape.
To reheat boiled eggs in the microwave, you can choose between the two methods explained above. You can either cut the eggs in half or keep them whole and then place them in a microwave-safe bowl filled with boiling water.
As a final reminder, don’t forget to check your egg first for any signs of spoiledness before you heat it up in the microwave.