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Learn how to make perfect hard boiled eggs that are easy to peel and have a creamy yellow yolk every time by using these tips. Only 6-7 minutes to make.
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A bad hard-boiled egg can ruin your breakfast. Have you had a complimentary hotel breakfast where you grab an egg from the breakfast buffet only to find out later that it’s overcooked – gray-green ring around the yolk. Yuck. Here I am sharing with you my tips for making perfect eggs every time.
The perfect egg has no green ring around the yolk; the yolk is creamy and mellow; and if you want, you can stop short of the hard-boil and make them gooey soft-boiled instead.
Many people recommend different ways of cooking the perfect hard boil egg. Some suggest removing the saucepan with the eggs from the heat once the water starts boiling and to let them sit for about 15 minutes. I even found one recipe where the author recommended baking the eggs in the oven for 30 minutes. That’s a lot of time for me. You can cook a whole meal for that amount of time.
You can also cook eggs in the Instant Pot and cook them for only 5 minutes.
How to boil eggs quickly & easily
I believe hard-boiled eggs should be quick & easy to cook. You can cook a beautiful creamy egg for only 6-7 minutes. Why spend half an hour when you can have perfect eggs within minutes? Especially when I cook eggs in the morning for breakfast, the last thing I want to do is wait so long for the eggs to cook.
Eggs are a convenient and affordable source of protein. With hard-boiled eggs on hand, you have the components of a satisfying breakfast, lunch, snack, appetizer, or dinner. So get cracking! 🙂
Ingredients
You will need eggs, water and ice to make the best hard boiled eggs.
Equipment
Saucepan
Timer
Slotted spoon
Bowl for the ice bath
How to make hard boiled eggs
- Place eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan. Cover them with cool water by 1 inch.
- Cover the pan with a lid and bring water to a rolling boil over high heat; when the water has reached a boil, reduce heat to medium-high and maintain a gentle boil. Set the timer for the desired time and boil for 6 – 7 minutes over medium-high heat for perfect hard boiled eggs.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and let them cool for a few minutes. Or you can place them under cool running water to stop the cooking. This will also help the eggs peel easily.
- Remove the eggs from the cold water and tap the egg on a solid surface, then gently roll to crack the shell on all sides before peeling the egg shell. (Skip this step if your eggs are soft-boiled with runny yolks or if you’re planning to dye your eggs for Easter.)
Check out my video where I show you how to make these eggs for only 7 minutes.
How long to boil them and cook time chart
Here are the times for boiling eggs:
- For soft-boiled eggs: 4 minutes
- For slightly soft-boiled eggs: 5 minutes
- For custardy yet firm soft-boiled eggs: 6 minutes
- For creamy hard-boiled eggs: 7 minutes
- For firm yet still creamy hard-boiled eggs: 8 minutes
- For very firm hard boiled eggs: 9 minutes
How to peel the eggs
After boiling the eggs and cooling them in ice-cold water, gently crack the shell and roll them on the counter. The shell will fall off easily.
If you notice that some eggs are hard to peel, crack them all around without peeling them and place them under a little bit of running water or soak them in a bowl with water for a while. The water penetrates under the shell and makes it easier to peel.
How long do boiled eggs last
Make sure the eggs are refrigerated within two hours after cooking. They can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. (If you notice a gassy odor in the refrigerator, that is normal and harmless, it’s caused by hydrogen sulfide that forms when the eggs are boiled.)I prefer to peel their shells before refrigerating. They are harder to peel after they have been refrigerated.
How to use hard boiled eggs
- Sandwiches. These eggs are perfect to make Egg Salad Sandwiches or any other sandwich you make.
- Salads. Use hard boiled eggs as an addition to your favorite salad, or use them in Cobb Salad, Chef Salad, 7 Layer Salad, Potato Salad, Russian Salad Olivier, and any other salad you want to add more protein to.
- Appetizers. These boiled eggs are great to make Deviled Eggs.
- Breakfast. For a simple breakfast serve them sliced on an Avocado Toast, on a cheese bagel, or simply with bacon.
TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN
Tips and Notes for perfect eggs every time
- Don’t place the cold eggs from the fridge in the hot water on the stove. Place the eggs in cold water and then turn on the cooktop. If an egg has a crack, you can add a little bit of vinegar to the pot. It will help to congeal the egg white if it starts to leak out from the shell.
- Boil the eggs over medium-high heat.
- Set a timer and don’t cook the eggs for more than the recommended time.
- If you are planning to make Easter eggs and want to make sure they will be easy to peel, it’s best to buy eggs at least a week in advance. Older eggs are easier to peel.
- To make the eggs easier to peel, use some of these suggestions:
- Use older eggs (~ 1 week old). A few days old eggs are easier to peel.
- Add 1/2 tsp salt to the water. Adding salt to the water may help make the eggs easier to peel.
- Add 1/2 tsp of baking soda. Some people suggest adding baking soda to the water which increases the alkalinity of the water and makes the eggs easy to peel.
- Add vinegar (if you are using farm fresh eggs). You can easily peel hard-boiled eggs by adding a little bit of vinegar to the water which makes the shell softer.
- If you would like to hard boil a dozen eggs, you can use a pressure cooker to make Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
More egg recipes
How To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
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Equipment
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan. Cover them with cool water by 1 inch.
- Cover with a lid and bring water to a boil over high heat; when the water has reached a full rolling boil, reduce the heat to medium-high and maintain a gentle boil. Set the timer for the desired time and boil for 6 – 7 minutes over medium-high heat for perfect hard-boiled eggs.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and let them cool for a few minutes. Or you can place them under cool running water to stop the cooking. This will also help the eggs peel easily.
- Remove the eggs from the cold water and tap the egg on a solid surface, then gently roll to crack the shell on all sides before peeling the egg shell. You can sprinkle some paprika or chives on top. (Skip this step if your eggs are soft-boiled with runny yolks or if you’re planning to dye your eggs for Easter.)
TIPS & NOTES
Boiling eggs Cook Time Chart
- For soft-boiled eggs boil eggs – 4 minutes from the time water starts boiling
- For slightly soft-boiled eggs boil eggs – 5 minutes from the time water starts boiling
- For custardy yet firm soft-boiled eggs boil eggs – 6 minutes from the time water starts boiling
- For creamy hard-boiled eggs boil eggs – 7 minutes from the time water starts boiling
- For firm yet still creamy hard-boiled eggs boil eggs –Â 8 minutes from the time water starts boiling
- For very firm hard boiled eggs boil eggs – 9 minutes from the time water starts boiling
Easy to peel hard boiled eggs
- Use older eggs (~ 1 week old). A few days old eggs are easier to peel.
- Add 1/2 tsp salt to the water. Adding salt to the water may help make the eggs easier to peel.Â
- Add 1/2 tsp of baking soda. Some people suggest adding baking soda to the water which increases the alkalinity of the water and makes the eggs easy to peel.Â
- Add vinegar (if you are using farm fresh eggs). You can easily peel hard-boiled eggs by adding a little bit of vinegar to the water which makes the shell softer.
- Roll them on the counter. After you boil the eggs and cool them in ice-cold water, roll them on the counter to remove the shell. It will fall off easily.
How to prevent your eggs from cracking
Don’t place the cold eggs from the fridge in the hot water on the stove. Place the eggs in cold water and then turn on the cooktop. If an egg has a crack, you can add a little bit of vinegar to the pot. It will help to congeal the egg white if it starts to leak out from the shell.How to store boiled eggs
Refrigerate any unused eggs, with their shells removed, for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.ÂNUTRITION
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Works like a charm! I add vinegar and salt as suggested. I also put an egg back in the ice water if it seems hard to peel to let water in the cracks I’ve made and try it again last.
I love this method and time chart.
I love this method and time chart. It’s nice to not have to devote over a half anhour just to boiling eggs, and I love the fact there isn’t any fussing over them by adding things to the water, figuring out if they’ve cooked long enough, etc.
Works like a charm! I add vinegar and salt as suggested. I also put an egg back in the ice water if it seems hard to peel to let water in the cracks I’ve made and try it again last. Thank you!
Perfect guidance! I did try it so great! So informative
I love this method and time chart. It’s nice to not have to devote over a half anhour just to boiling eggs, and I love the fact there isn’t any fussing over them by adding things to the water, figuring out if they’ve cooked long enough, etc.
I have made these twice now and each time they came out amazing! I will only use this method from now on. So easy and fast. Perfect every time. Thank you so much for this recipe.
This is the absolute best! I remember my Mom making hard boiled eggs, and it took forever. Sorry Mom, but these are even better, with less cooking time. Thank you!
I’ve used this recipe a couple times now and they’ve turned out really good! I live at a higher altitude so the water takes less than 10 minutes to boil & then I set the timer for about 7 minutes. I do have a question though, am I supposed to leave the lid on for the 7 minutes or take it off after it comes to the first boil? Really liked how you showed the pictures along with the time, thanks for the recipe!
You can leave the lid on, but make sure it’s ajar a little bit because otherwise, the water will spill over.
Perfect! This is the only way! THANK YOU!!!
Turned out perfectly for egg salad, thank you so much for this process!
So good! Boiled mine for 8 minutes. Produced velvety soft, fluffy yolks. So pleased!
I love love this technique for boiling eggs. They come out perfect every time!! Thank you for sharing!! I do have one question though. I was only able to buy Jumbo eggs at the supermarket. All the large were sold. Should I add extra cooking time because of the size? I usually cook the large eggs for 8minutes.
Thank you 😊
Hi Wendy, so glad to hear that you love this recipe! Yes, if you use Jumbo eggs, I would recommend cooking them 30 sec. to 1 minute longer.
Great recipe for Easter!
This is the 2nd time I prepared my hard boiled eggs this way and voilà ! Perfect, both times! I am thrilled! The real winner for me was the tip toward the end about ROLLING them on the counter to before peeling. Genius! They peeled like a dream. I’ve been sharing your recipe and will continue to do so. This is the first year I will have deviled eggs I’m happy with for Easter. Thank you!
Simple and beautiful. Just what’s needed for an old man like me that can barely boil water without reading directions!
If cooking 12 eggs, do I increase the cooking time?
No, you don’t have to increase the cooking time, it will still take 6-7 minutes to cook each egg, regardless of how many are in the pot.
My go to recipe for perfect boiled eggs for over a year now. Thanks so much!
Hi! If you only want to make 2-3 eggs, is it still 6-7 minutes, regardless of the number of eggs? Thanks!
yes, it’s still the same time.
Perfect everytime. I live at high altitude so after the rolling boil, I simmer very low for 10 min.