Scrambled eggs are a great dish for breakfast. But if you’re anything like me, barely able to open my eyes in the morning before I down at least two cups of coffee, I don’t usually have the time, energy or inclination to make them on the spot.
While you can prepare this delicious protein-packed meal the previous day, the truth is that the flavor of homemade scrambled eggs gets lost quickly so if planning to make up a batch, you are best freezing what you make because this will retain the flavor.
Even if you’re a morning person, you may end up with eggs nearing their use-by-date that need to be used or binned. Scrambled eggs are a perfect and nutritious dish to use these eggs up in. And it is true they are not just a breakfast thing either.
For all those wondering if you can freeze scrambled eggs, the answer is yes. But there is a way to do it so it’s safe, and there’s a way to do it to optimize the texture and flavor.
Read on how to do just that!
Do Scrambled Eggs Freeze Well?
Yes, scrambled eggs do freeze well. Freezing your scrambled eggs won’t really diminish their natural taste, texture, and nutrients as long as you do it right. And I have the perfect trick to keep them delicious.
What Happens When You Freeze Scrambled Eggs?
Eggs (in their normal state) do not freeze well. They can go hard and rubbery.
However, if you scramble them first with a touch of cream or water—you can freeze the resulting mixture for up to 6 months without any major changes in texture or taste.
When I froze scrambled eggs made with just whole eggs and no liquids, the texture was much more “eggy” than the control sample that wasn’t frozen at all. But there was one exception: The sample with 3% milk stayed relatively smooth.
The reason this happens is that milk proteins form a protective layer around the egg proteins to keep them from forming the tight molecular bonds that cause toughness and rubberiness.
So, the next time you make a scramble-and-freeze breakfast for your kid’s lunchbox, try adding a bit of milk for best results.
Is it Safe to Freeze Scrambled Eggs?
Yes, it is safe to freeze scrambled eggs. There’s really no problem with freezing your scrambled eggs, either cooked or raw as long as you do it properly.
Follow our steps below! I suggest freezing cooked scrambled eggs as it saves you time on a future busy (or just lazy) morning plus I also think it freezes better this way anyway.
How to Freeze Scrambled Eggs
Here is the best way to freeze scrambled eggs:
Step One
Scramble your eggs just as you would normally. Add a dash of milk or cream.
Step Two
Allow your eggs to cool down.
Step Three
Pour the eggs into a tin with a plastic lid, or an ice cube tray after rubbing the tray with a little oil, then put them in the freezer for a short while.
Step Four
Wait till the eggs get solid and then take them out of the freezer.
Step Five
Tightly wrap the now frozen eggs in plastic wrap, being sure to remove all air.
Step Six
Then put the plastic-wrapped eggs in tin foil or in a freezer bag, again removing all air. To increase freezer shelf-life you can additionally vacuum-seal scrambled eggs.
Step Seven
Date and label each bag.
Step Eight
Flatly replace the bag into the freezer at the coldest part of the freezer (e.g. not by the door.)
Step Nine
Use within a maximum of six months of freezing.
How Long Can Scrambled Egg Last in the Freezer?
Generally speaking, if stored correctly, scrambled eggs will be good to eat within six months after storage. However, always check them and I would urge on the side of caution if they look or smell funny and throw them out.
How Can You Defrost Frozen Scrambled Eggs?
In addition to freezing your eggs correctly, you also need to defrost them correctly.
There are a number of different methods you can use, however, do not defrost at room temperature as this is not safe:
Defrosting in the Fridge
This is the safest method and it is best to defrost them here overnight. However, do be aware that odors from other stuff in the fridge can contaminate the taste and odor of the scrambled eggs.
Defrosting in the Microwave
If you are impatient, you can put your eggs in the microwave for 6 minutes. However, microwaving can harden your eggs, and it’s not the greatest texture.
Defrosting in Cold Water
You can immerse the Ziploc bag containing the frozen scrambled eggs inside a bowl of water. This will speed up the defrosting process over just putting them in the fridge.
Whichever method you use to defrost, do cook and eat your eggs within a day of fully defrosting.
How to Reheat Your Scrambled Eggs That Have Been Frozen
Here’s what you need to do if you want to heat your defrosted scrambled eggs:
Reheating in the Microwave
Step one
Put the eggs in a plastic container and place them inside the microwave.
Step two
After 25 seconds, stop and stir your eggs.
Step three
Remove any liquid around the bottom of the bowl.
Step four
Keep heating it at intervals of 25 seconds while stopping and stirring and emptying liquid.
Step five
Remove it from the microwave when it’s satisfactorily hot.
Reheating On The Stove
Step one
Place a frying pan on the stove with some oil in it.
Step two
Put your scrambled eggs in the frying pan.
Step three
Cook for not less than five minutes, at a regulated stove heat.
Step four
Remove any liquid from the egg.
Step five
Continue cooking until the egg is desirably hot.
Can You Refreeze Scrambled Eggs?
No. You shouldn’t re-freeze scrambled eggs. It is unsafe to do this plus refreezing your scrambled egg will deteriorate its flavor and texture in any case.
Different Varieties of Scrambled Eggs
Scrambled eggs are delicious on their own but they are wonderful with cheese and bacon or sausage. You may wonder if you can freeze scrambled eggs with different things in them and the answer to whether you freeze the combined dish is a definite yes.
However, for scrambled eggs with cheese, I would urge to only freeze for a maximum of 3 months to err on the side of caution.
This might also be interesting for you: Can you freeze turkey bacon?
Some Favorite Recipes of Scrambled Eggs
You can use scrambled eggs in all kinds of ways. Here are a few of my favorite recipes:
- Smoked Gouda, Crispy Kale, and Tacos.
- Goat Cheese Scrambled eggs with potato veggies.
- Sausage, Pepper, and Cheese Breakfast Casserole with scrambled egg
- Scrambled egg and Feta hash
- Scrambled egg muffins
- Scrambled egg and bacon
By the way, you can also use frozen cheese for these dishes. If you want to learn more about freezing cheese, check these articles about freezing gouda or freezing goat cheese for instance.
Conclusion
Freezing scrambled eggs is a great solution for a quick fix nutritious breakfast or dinner. We’ve taken you through how to freeze your scrambled eggs, the various methods to freeze, defrost and reheat your eggs.
If you’ve been freezing scrambled eggs, share your experiences with us in the comment section. We’ll be excited to read them!
