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
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.
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 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.
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!
How do you recommend reheating the eggs if you cook them ahead of time?
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.
I’m cooking for 47 people…is it possible to cook MORE eggs in a bigger pan?
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.
8×8 pan seems too small for 18 eggs!