Can You Reboil Eggs?

Boiled eggs are good to eat and a great source of protein. You can use them to make various dishes, chop them up for salads, or just enjoy them with some salt and pepper. They are a versatile food and they have a lot of health benefits. 

The thing is, boiled eggs can be challenging to make just right. It seems like it’s so easy to overcook them or undercook them and how are you supposed to heat them up after you’ve boiled them?

It’s just a big mess and you have to get it just right to truly enjoy your boiled egg, right? 

Can you reboil eggs? You can reboil eggs but it must be done carefully. For example, it’s best if they have been refrigerated first in order to boil them again. You should also be aware that boiling them again might affect the overall quality a little bit but it is a good solution when you need it. 

In this guide, we will walk you through how to reboil your eggs and what you can expect from the process. We have some tips about undercooked eggs and safely handling eggs as well. When we finish the guide, you should know all about boiled egg safety and more!

Keep reading to learn how to reboil eggs and then some. 

Can You Reboil Eggs? Everything You Need to Know

You might think at first that you can’t reboil eggs. But the truth is that you can!

Now, what you should know is that you shouldn’t just throw eggs back into boil 10 minutes after you took them off the stove. At this point, that could ruin your eggs. 

The best thing to do if you find out your boiled eggs are undercooked is to put them in the fridge and let them be for a few hours before you do anything to try to cook them further. 

You can even reboil eggs that you already peeled. So if you peeled them all at the same time and then decide they aren’t quite as hard as you want them to be, that’s totally ok! 

How to Reboil Eggs Properly

Let’s talk a bit about how to reboil eggs and then we will get into some other details.

A lot of times, you can warm up boiled eggs in the microwave but you can’t actually cook them more. You shouldn’t try to reboil them in the microwave as this could lead to an egg explosion. No one wants to clean up that mess! 

You can also separate the yolk from the egg and just cook the yolk a little bit longer if you need to.

But again – we recommend just reboiling your eggs on the stove but this is an option if you need it. 

So why would you reboil your eggs?

Maybe you thought they were hard boiled and then you open them up only to find they are soft boiled instead. Or maybe you wanted to try a slightly runny boiled egg and you don’t like it.

Then, of course, maybe you were in the mood for soft boiled but have since decided you prefer hard boiled. There are tons of reasons your eggs might need to be reboiled so why not be prepared and know the proper process to do so?

The best method for reboiling eggs is to use the stovetop. As we have said already, this process works best if your eggs have been refrigerated for a bit first. However it’s not necessarily a strict requirement. 

How to Reboil Eggs on the Stovetop

Notice that for this process, you won’t be boiling the water with the eggs in it as you originally did.

You can use this method for peeled eggs as well as un-peeled eggs. You will also want to be sure that you are storing your boiled eggs properly and only storing them for a safe length of time. 

Reboiling your eggs on the stove is safe and easy. Follow these steps to make it happen:

1. Place your eggs in a bowl or cup that can handle boiling hot water.
2. Boil hot water on the stove. 
3. Pour the boiling water over your eggs in a cup or a bowl until the eggs are covered and submerged. 
4. Cover the bowl with a lid and let the eggs sit in the covered dish until the water becomes cool. 
5. Remove the lid and the eggs from the water and check the eggs. 

What happens here is your boiled eggs will be heated back up but they will also be harder than they were before. In the meantime, you get a bonus because the shell gets a little bit softer as well so they will be much easier to peel in the end. 

You can follow this same process even if the eggs have already been peeled. 

How to Reboil Eggs in the Microwave – Separated Yolk

Now, here is a quick process for if you separated your egg whites from the egg yolk:

1. Put just the yolk in a microwave-safe bowl. 
2. Microwave in 30-second increments until the yolk darkens and cooks further
3. Add the yolk back to your egg white or enjoy it alone. 

What Do I Do if My Eggs Are Not Fully Boiled? 

Not to worry! If you boiled your egg and it’s simply not done as much as you like, you can follow the steps in the previous section to improve it.

If reboiling didn’t fix your eggs to your liking, try again, letting the eggs sit longer. They may have just needed more time (especially since they were warming up from fridge temperature).

Even if you already opened up your egg, you can still cook it longer to harden the yolk. Ultimately, the egg white will probably be done but the yolk will be what isn’t as hard as you like. 

People like to have their yolks a variety of different ways. While we typically refer to just soft boiled and hard boiled doneness, there are several levels of each. Some people even prefer their soft boiled eggs to be slightly runny. It’s purely a matter of preference. 

If you open your egg and find that it’s not as done as you like, you don’t have to just toss it out. Even if it’s 3 days later when you try your first egg from the fridge.

Just be sure to follow the steps and reboil your egg to get it as done as you like! 

The best thing is to try to be sure you cook your eggs long enough to begin with. Traditionally, a soft boiled egg will take anywhere from 4-6 minutes of boil time while hard boiled eggs will take anywhere from 8-12 minutes. 

There are a number of ways out there to boil eggs so this is just an estimate. It could vary depending on the process you are using. 

Can An Egg Be Over Boiled?

Much like you have to be cautious not to undercook your eggs, you should also be mindful not to overcook your eggs.

When you overcook your eggs, your yolk might turn a strange green color or you might notice a green coating around the yolk. This is a common sign of an overcooked egg. 

What happens is when an egg is overcooked, it releases hydrogen sulfide into the egg white. If you notice a green coating around the yolk, it might be a sign not to eat that egg. It’s definitely a sign that the egg was cooked too long. 

When eggs are boiled for too long, they can turn tough and rubbery as well and it simply won’t taste good in the end.

For the most part, your egg will still be safe to eat but some experts recommend that you don’t eat an overcooked egg that has a green layer around the yolk. This could potentially be toxic. 

Related Questions

We hope that you find this guide to reboiling eggs to be helpful in understanding the process and all of the important details you should know for a successful attempt to reboil eggs. 

It’s simple but keep in mind that your eggs can be overcooked if you aren’t mindful. 

Below, you will find some common questions with answers that might provide some additional useful information for you. 

How Long Do You Boil an Egg if You Want It Runny?

A soft boiled egg typically boils anywhere from 4 to 6 minutes.

The less it cooks, the softer the egg will be. If you prefer your yolk to be slightly runny, you will probably want to cook it only about 4 minutes. The longer the egg cooks, the harder the yolk becomes. 

Are Undercooked Hard Boiled Eggs Safe?

Salmonella is a real threat when it comes to any type of egg consumption. You shouldn’t eat eggs raw, which leads us to question whether a runny boiled egg is really ok to eat?

The less the egg cooks, the higher the risk of salmonella is as well. 

When an egg yolk is slightly runny, it can still be safe to eat. The egg has been cooked and heated but keep in mind the risk is still present. If your hard-boiled egg turned out soft boiled instead, it is still safe to eat. 

Up Next: Left Eggs Out Overnight – Are They Safe To Eat?