This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn a commission. Read my disclosure page here.
Learn how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs with this easy step-by-step guide! Get foolproof tips for easy peeling, the best cooking time, and delicious serving ideas.
Save This Recipe
Enter your email and we'll send the recipe directly to you!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Delicious Meets Healthy.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- How To Make Hard Boiled Eggs
- Hard Boiled Eggs Time Chart
- How Long To Boil Eggs
- Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs Tips
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- What Readers Are Saying
- How To Peel the Eggs
- How To Use Boiled Eggs
- Recipe Help & FAQs
- Alternative Ways to Cook Eggs
- How To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs Recipe
Learning how to make hard boiled eggs might seem simple, but there’s a little art to getting them just right. I used to struggle with peeling them perfectly, and I remember the first time I made them for deviled eggs – everything was going great until I tried peeling them and ended up with half an egg stuck to the shell!
After years of trial and error (and a few cracked eggs), I finally nailed down a foolproof method for cooking perfect hard boiled eggs. With hundreds of five-star reviews, this recipe is a trusted go-to for perfectly boiled eggs every time. Don’t miss the expert tips and boiling time calculator below – they are your key to perfect eggs and hassle-free peeling.
For a hands-off method, check out my guide on boiling eggs in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients
For a full ingredients list with measurements, check the recipe card below.
- Eggs: You can use any type of eggs, just remember that farm-fresh eggs might be a little bit more difficult to peel. Some people suggest that a few days old eggs tend to peel more easily than very fresh eggs.
- Water
- Ice – to make an ice water bath for the eggs
Equipment Needed: Saucepan, Timer, Slotted spoon, Bowl for the ice bath
How To Make Hard Boiled Eggs
Step 1. Add eggs to a pot with water. Place eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan and cover them with cool water, about 1 inch above the eggs.
Step 2. Boil the eggs. Cover the pan with a lid and bring water to a boil over high heat; when the water has reached a boil, reduce heat to medium and set the timer for the desired time. Boil for 7 – 8 minutes over medium heat for perfect hard boiled eggs.
Step 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.
Step 4. Peel the eggs. Once cooled, remove the eggs and gently tap each on a hard surface. Roll to crack the shell, then peel.
Hard Boiled Eggs Time Chart
These times are based on average medium to large egg sizes and eggs in cold water method. Start the timer after the water starts boiling.
Here are the times I use for boiling eggs:
- Soft-boiled eggs: 3 minutes
- Jammy eggs: 4 minutes
- Medium boiled eggs: 5 minutes
- Custardy yet firm boiled eggs: 6 minutes
- Creamy hard-boiled eggs: 7 minutes
- Firm yet still hard-boiled eggs: 8 minutes
- 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 soft-boiled instead.
How Long To Boil Eggs
Now that you’ve checked out the time chart for different egg doneness, you can use my handy boiling time calculator to get a personalized cooking time based on your egg size and how you like them cooked. No guesswork, just perfect eggs every time!
Boiling Time Calculator
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
Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs Tips
- 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 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 I notice that some eggs are hard to peel, I 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 may be more difficult to peel than eggs that are a few days older.
- If you are planning to make Easter eggs or deviled 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.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to peel eggs: My recipe technique makes peeling eggs effortless.
- Wholesome: Hard-boiled eggs are a simple, delicious, and satisfying option for breakfast or a quick snack.
- 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.
What Readers Are Saying
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 to peel. Thank you so much for this! I actually have a whole egg when Im done peeling! 🙂
– Debbie
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!
– Michelle
How To Peel the Eggs
You know that moment when you’re trying to peel an egg, and half the white comes off with the shell? Yeah, I’ve been there. After lots of trial and error, I finally found a foolproof method (or three to be exact). Here’s how to easily peel eggs after they’ve cooled in ice 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 Boiled Eggs
For busy mornings, hard-boiled eggs are a lifesaver! I make a batch on Sundays, and they’re perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast throughout the week. I also pair them with some fruit or toast. Here are some of my other favorite ways to use them:
- 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 I love to serve them sliced on an Avocado Toast, on a cheese bagel, or simply with bacon.
Recipe Help & 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.
Alternative Ways to Cook Eggs
Appetizers + Snacks
Deviled Eggs Recipe
Breakfast Recipes
Breakfast Egg Muffins
Breakfast Recipes
How to Make Scrambled Eggs (Fluffy & Moist)
Breakfast Recipes
Perfect Fried Egg
If you tried this Hard Boiled Eggs Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and tell me how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
☝ Tap stars to rate
How To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
Save This Recipe
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Delicious Meets Healthy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- Cold water
- Ice
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan and cover them with cool water, about 1 inch above the eggs.
- Cover the pot with a lid and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and set a timer for 7 to 8 minutes for perfectly hard-boiled eggs. IMPORTANT: Make sure you start your timer when the water starts boiling, not when you place the eggs in the water.
- When the timer is up, use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Let them cool for a few minutes. Alternatively, run them under cold water until cool. This helps them peel more easily.
- Once cooled, remove the eggs and gently tap each on a hard surface. Roll to crack the shell, then peel.
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
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates and may vary with ingredients, brands, and portion sizes. For accuracy, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this recipe is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or nutritional advice. I am not a doctor or a dietitian. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized guidance regarding your diet or health. For more details, please read my full disclosure page.
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