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Learn how to make perfect hard boiled eggs that are easy to peel. This recipe has been a hit on my site, with over 7.5 million views since 2015. The clear step-by-step instructions and precise timing guarantee you get perfectly boiled eggs with vibrant creamy yellow yolk every time.
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Table of Contents
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Featured Readers Praise
- What You’ll Need for Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
- How To Hard Boil Eggs
- Tips for Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs Every Time
- Hard Boiled Eggs Time Chart
- How To Peel the Eggs
- How To Use Perfect Boiled Eggs
- Recipe FAQs
- More Egg Recipes
- More From Delicious Meets Healthy
- How To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs Recipe
Making the perfect hard boiled egg might seem easy, but after years of cooking for my family, I’ve realized even the basics deserve some love.
As a nutritionist, recipe developer, and self-taught cook with over 13 years of experience, I’ve created a foolproof method for making perfect hard-boiled eggs – tried, tested, and trusted by millions. This recipe stands out with hundreds of five-star reviews, making it one of the best breakfast ideas to start your day right. It’s a recipe you can trust for consistently perfect results every time.
Don’t miss the expert tips in this post—they’re your key to perfect eggs and easy peeling every time. Once you try these tricks, you won’t go back!
If you would like to hard boil a dozen eggs, you can also check out how to boil eggs in the Instant Pot. And if you’re looking for the best scrambled egg recipe, I’ve got you covered with some of my favorite tips.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to peel eggs: My recipe technique ensures hassle-free peeling
- High in protein: Packed with protein, this recipe provides a healthy protein-packed snack or meal component that fits into any diet plan.
- Great for meal prep: Hard boiled eggs are great for batch cooking and meal prepping for the week, and this recipe helps you prepare them in bulk with ease.
- Quick recipe: With clear instructions and precise timing, you can prepare hard boiled eggs quickly, perfect for busy mornings
Featured Readers Praise
Debbie: “Ok Im sold! Tried your recipe twice now and my eggs peel so easily. I was using the one you mentioned where you remove from heat, cover and let sit and then ice bath, but still a pain in the butt to peel. Thank you so much for this! I actually have a whole egg when Im done peeling! 🙂”
Addie: “YAY!😅😭 25YRS OLD and can finally, boil AND peel the PERFECT EGG. With the bonus of eating them still WARM?! So rewarding💜 I’ll never boil eggs another way. Where has this SIMPLICITY been my past 2 pregnancies?! (For some reason my littles CRAVE *CORRECTLY cooked* boiled eggs.) So seriously thank you! 😎🙏“
Janis: “It worked! A perfectly hard boiled egg. Thanks for perfecting and sharing this simple method”
Jodi: “THE Best hard boiled egg recipe -delicious and so easy to peel! I’ve tried them every way but the way your article recommends, and they are always green or I lose 1/2 the egg w/the peel. Thank you so much for sharing! Worked great!”
Michelle: “Wow! This Is my first review ever; I’m 61. I have tried Martha Stewart, Ina Garten, eg anything on the internet, on how to hard boil eggs. Your technique is the winner!”
What You’ll Need for Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
You will need eggs, water and ice to make the best boiled eggs.
Equipment
Saucepan
Timer
Slotted spoon
Bowl for the ice bath
How To Hard Boil Eggs
1. Add eggs to a pot with water. Place eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan. Cover them with cool water by 1 inch.
2. Boil the eggs. 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 and maintain a gentle boil. Set the timer for the desired time and boil for 7 minutes over medium heat for perfect hard boiled eggs.
3. Cool eggs in an ice water bath. 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. This will also help the eggs peel easily.
4. Peel the eggs. Remove the eggs from the cold water and tap the egg on the countertop, 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.)
Quick Tip
Make sure you start your timer when the water starts boiling, not when you place the eggs in the water.
TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN
Tips for Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs Every Time
- Don’t place the cold eggs from the fridge in the hot water on the stove. Place the eggs in a pot and then add cold water and 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.
- Shock the eggs in ice water. Right after you take the eggs out of the boiling water, quickly move them to an ice water bath. This stops the cooking and makes peeling them a lot easier. Tce bath helps separate the egg membrane from the shell.
- 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. The shell will fall off easily.
- Peel them under cold running water. 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.
- To make the eggs easier to peel, some people suggest to use older eggs. A few days old eggs are easier to peel. Boiled farm-fresh eggs will be more difficult to peel than eggs that are a few days older.
- 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.
Hard Boiled Eggs 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
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.
How To Peel the Eggs
Here are a few easy ways to peel hard-boiled eggs after they’ve cooled in ice-cold water for a few minutes:
- Gently crack the shell and roll the egg on the counter. The shell should come off easily.
- Crack the shell all around and peel the egg under running water or let it soak in a bowl of water for a bit to loosen the shell.
- Another method is to place the eggs in a Tupperware container with an inch of water, cover it, and shake for about 15 seconds. The shells should slide right off.
These tips will help you peel hard-boiled eggs with ease every time!
How To Use Perfect Boiled Eggs
- Sandwiches. These eggs are perfect to make Healthy Egg Salad or any other sandwiches you make.
- Salads. Slice them into 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.
Recipe FAQs
When the water begins to boil, start a timer and gently cook the eggs for 7 minutes.
To minimize the chances of your eggs cracking, start by placing them in a pot of cold water before turning on the heat. Bring the water to a gentle boil gradually, which reduces the stress on the eggshells. Additionally, avoid overcrowding the pot, as eggs bumping against each other can cause cracks.
For easy peeling, use eggs that are at least a week old. After boiling, immediately transfer the eggs to an ice bath for several minutes to cool them quickly. Once cool, gently tap the eggs on a hard surface to crack the shell all over, then peel under running water or in a bowl of water to help loosen the shell from the egg.
You can also try rolling them on the counter and then peeling them.
Alternatively, place the eggs in a Tupperware with water, cover, shake for 15 seconds, and the shells should slide off easily.
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.
More Egg Recipes
Appetizers + Snacks
Classic Deviled Eggs Recipe
Breakfast Recipes
Egg Muffin Recipe
Breakfast Recipes
How to Make Scrambled Eggs (Fluffy & Moist)
Breakfast Recipes
Perfect Fried Egg
More From Delicious Meets Healthy
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Equipment
Ingredients
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 and maintain a gentle boil. Set the timer for the desired time and boil for 7 minutes over medium heat for perfect hard-boiled eggs.IMPORTANT: Make sure you start your timer when the water starts boiling not when you place the eggs in the water.
- 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.)
Video
Notes
Tips for easy to peel hard boiled eggs
- 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.
- Place cracked eggs under water. 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 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.
Nutrition
I usually don’t write reviews but I’ve never known how to cook hard boiled eggs and wow. I’ve always had them overcooked and never knew how good a 6 minute egg can be. I’m obsessed and it’s now what I eat every morning! Thanks for explaining!!
My husband came home with three dozen eggs he was gifted.. say what?! I hadn’t hard boiled eggs in years and actually forgot how to do it lol. I followed your directions (rather than the technique of removing them from the heat and letting them sit) and had great success with boiling them for 9 minutes since we like a firm yoke. I then ran cold water over them and peeled when cool. They turned out perfectly! Thanks for posting the recipe, especially the picture guide showing the consistency of the yolks for different times. I really appreciate it.
Good advice
Thank you, you are awesome
If you live at a high altitude (7000′) like I do I think that affects the cooking time.The first time I followed this recipe the neither the white or the yolk was as fully cooked as it should have been (using 8 minutes from start of boil). The second time I used 12 minutes and it was just right.
If you live at a high altitude, I am sure you have to adjust ALL boiling and baking recipes not just this one. 😉
The recipe is perfect as is as well as the cooking times.
I cooked my eggs 9 minutes and ,they looked like 5 to 6 minute eggs , then I cooked them to 12 minute put in ice water 5 minutes later cracked and had perfect eggs.
Perfect recipe! I love Eggs they are super healthy and full of nutrition.
It worked! A perfectly hard boiled egg. Thanks for perfecting and sharing this simple method
YAY!😅😭 25YRS OLD and can finally, boil AND peel the PERFECT EGG. With the bonus of eating them still WARM?! So rewarding💜 I’ll never boil eggs another way. Where has this SIMPLICITY been my past 2 pregnancies?! (For some reason my littles CRAVE *CORRECTLY cooked* boiled eggs.) So seriously thank you! 😎🙏
Hard boiled eggs have always been my kryptonite. The smell when cooking them is nauseating, but i love deviled eggs. Boiled eggs this morning adding some vinegar and salt to the water and my house doesn’t smell. So excited. Thank you!!!
thanks