Baked scrambled eggs are the easiest way to make breakfast for a crowd. Learn how to make delicious, soft scrambled eggs in the oven.
How do you make eggs for a crowd? Let me tell you…
BAKE them!
That’s right. You can BAKE them right in the oven. You may have seen the post I shared about our 2021 EPIC Family Reunion. We usually have 90 to 110 family members come. Have you ever tried cooking for 100 people?! It’s a little tricky.
My immediate family was in charge of a breakfast. We make breakfast for a crowd as easy as possible. We opted to make fresh GF Lemon Blueberry Pancakes and regular Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes with all kinds of homemade syrups like this Simple Lemon Syrup. The syrups were made ahead of time. We also served bacon and sausage–both of which were the precooked kind we just heated up, fresh fruit we cut up the night before, hashbrowns and SCRAMBLED EGGS.
Out of all the food we prepared, scrambled eggs for a crowd is by far the hardest to make “fresh” because we need such a large quantity and eggs start out liquid.
We eliminated almost all efforts needed to cook eggs for a crowd by baking the eggs.
HOW LONG DO EGGS TAKE TO COOK IN THE OVEN?
These baked scrambled eggs take about 35-45 minutes to bake. During that time you’ll want to give them a stir every 15 minutes or so and check for doneness as they near the end.
Some people prefer their eggs very soft and other want them cooked to very firm. Cook time to doneness will very depending on preference.
To fully kill any bacteria that may be in eggs they must reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit beyond that, it’s all up to personal preference.
HOW MANY EGGS CAN I BAKE AT ONCE?
This recipe is for 18 eggs in a single 8×8 inch pan.
As far as how many eggs you can fit in one pan, make sure you have at least an inch or so from the top of the pan. The eggs will expand slightly at the end. The extra room at the top will allow for stirring without spilling.
I’ve made up to 24 large eggs, 2 dozen, in a 9×13 inch pan. If you have a convection oven you can cook more than one pan at a time.
For our reunion, we baked 8 dozen eggs in a single oven, 4 pans with 2 dozen eggs in each. It did take a little more time to bake due to the fact that the oven had to bring 5x as many eggs up to temperature than this recipe but it wasn’t by much. It only took an additional 15-20 minutes and 2 of the pans were done before the others.
If you plan on making more than this recipe, plan on multiple pans.
If using a regular oven, only cook 2 pans (8×8, 9×13 or similar) on the same rack at once. With a convection oven, it is possible to bake up to 4 pans, 2 on each rack. These methods may require some additional bake time but shouldn’t be more than 20 minutes or so.
CAN I BAKE SCRAMBLED EGGS AHEAD OF TIME?
YES! You can bake scrambled eggs and store them for up to three days in the fridge. Reheat before serving.
NOTE– If you choose to bake, store and reheat the baked scrambled eggs, avoid storing and reheating again (throw leftovers out as the eggs will have been cooked, cooled and reheated once already). This is good food handling and storing.
HOW DO I MAKE BAKED SCRAMBLED EGGS LOOK LIKE SCRAMBLED EGGS FROM THE STOVE TOP?
Stir them every 10-15 minutes and DON’T over bake.
These two guidelines are the most important. The eggs will look slightly wet when they are done. When the very hot cooked edges and bottom are stirred in, the eggs will continue to cook.
HOW TO AVOID LARGE LUMPS:
Stirring more frequently and breaking apart larger pieces will help the eggs look like traditional scrambled eggs. When the eggs begin to thicken, use a whisk to break up large lumps.
HERE’S THE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE. ENJOY!
Baked Scrambled Eggs
Baked scrambled eggs are the easiest way to make breakfast for a crowd. Learn how to make delicious, soft scrambled eggs in the oven.
Ingredients
- 18 large eggs
- 1/3 cup milk or milk substitute
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Additional salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 8x8 inch pan with pan spray.
- Crack eggs into bowl. Add milk, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth and blended.
- Carefully pour egg mixture into pan.
- Bake eggs UNCOVERED at 375 degrees F. for 35-45 minutes STIRRING EVERY 10-15 minutes.
Notes
- To achieve a classic scrambled egg look and texture, it is critical to stir the mixture every 10-15 minutes to break up the eggs and help them cook evenly.
- Start checking for preferred doneness around 35 minutes.
- A blender can be used to blend the raw egg mixture before baking. Use pulse mode on low until mixed and smooth.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 18Amount Per Serving: Calories: 74Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 219mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 6g
8×8 pan seems too small for 18 eggs!
Hi PJ! 18 large eggs is about 4 1/2 cups of eggs. If filled to the top, an 8×8 pan can hold about 8 cups. This means when you pour 18 eggs into an 8×8 pan it will fill the pan a little over half way. I hope this easies your mind. That size pan may seem small but it’s not for this amount of eggs.
I’m cooking for 47 people…is it possible to cook MORE eggs in a bigger pan?
Hi Heather. You can cook more eggs in a larger pan, you’ll have to keep an eye on them as they will most likely take longer too cook. Just make sure you are stirring them ever 10-15 minutes and temp above 165F.
How do you recommend reheating the eggs if you cook them ahead of time?
If I plan to reheat before serving I like to cook the eggs to a very soft consistency then reheat on a skillet or in the oven until fully done. You could also reheat (fully cooked eggs) using a sous vide, water bath method. If using this method I would recommend sealing the eggs in a vacuum seal-type bag first to insure the seal is good. I hope this helps.
Can I make this the night before and reheat? Will the milk make the eggs runny? Thank you!
Hi Kristen. The milk shouldn’t make the eggs runny but if you are concerned you can omit. Yes, you can make it the night before and reheat when you’re ready to serve. I like to cook the eggs to a very soft consistency so they basically finish cooking during the reheat process. This way I don’t end up with overcooked eggs if you know what I mean.
Are you sure this isn’t 18 eggs in a 9×13? The pictures look like a 9×13 and 18 eggs seems like alot for an 8×8. Sorry planning a family getaway and want to do this one morning!
Hi Krystal! The pan in my pictures are from the eggs we made for our family reunion. They are larger than an 8×8 and have WAY more eggs… like 2-3 dozen. 18 eggs seems like a lot for an 8×8 pan but it will fit with room to spare. 18 large eggs is equal to about 36 oz or 4 1/2 cups. An 8×8 inch pan can hold about 8 cups. The eggs will expand a little during cooking but will fit quite nicely in that size pan. I hope this worked out for you.
How do they not stick in the pleated corners of an aluminum pan? I need to make 4 doz eggs. I am thinking of doing two pans – one with cheese and one without. Would I use 9×13” pans for 24 eggs each? Thank you for the help!
Hi Shannon. Some will get caught in the pleats but for me it was not significant enough to use non disposable as we were cooking for 100+ people. You stir them throughout the baking process to avoid burning. Yes, you can bake 24-30 eggs (possibly more) in a 9×13 pan. Hope this information was helpful to you.
Hello! I too will be using this recipe to cook for 100. Advice on the size pans and how many eggs per pan for that number since you’ve done it before? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Kim! I used 9×13 disposable tin pans with about 24-30 eggs per tin. It will take a little longer to cook as there are more eggs in each tin but it worked great for me. I made 4 pans at once in a convection oven. I did cook my eggs to slightly underdone because I know we would be reheating before serving and I didn’t want them to be overcooked. Good luck!
If reheating in the oven, how long and at what temp? Thank you!
I would cover and reheat at 350F until the eggs reach 165F. I’m not sure how long that will take as this will depend on the amount you are reheating the the temperature they are at when you reheat them.
Would it work if half way thru cooking the eggs could you add diced ham or cooked sausage
Hi Junella! Love this idea and what a great question. If the ham or sausage is precooked then yes. It will work. Make sure you have the eggs in a large enough cooking dish to hold the extra volume from the meat.
Has anyone tried adding seasoning like herbs fresh or dried ?
Just like scrambled eggs, you can add fresh or dry herbs and seasonings.
Hello! I’m so glad I ran across this article on baking eggs for a crowd! I will be preparing 12 dozen eggs. I may start them the day before in order to get them all done before brunch time and not have to start cooking at zero dark 30. haha My question is … I have access to a large warmer so you think I could take the cooked eggs out of the refrigerator and put them into the warmer to get them to temperature? However, I’ll also be using buffet/chafing dishes with the flame. maybe heat them a bit in the oven then transfer to the chafing dishes, or warmer. This is my first time cooking eggs for so many people!
How exciting! We cooked the eggs the night before then cooled and refrigerated. If using a flame to warm them back up I would recommend a water bath method (water directly above the flame). The pan with eggs then would sit in the water. This would help the eggs from burning.