How to Boil the Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

Published on Feb 17, 2021 By

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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.

How To Boil Eggs - hard boiled eggs time chart

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.

For the short version, check out my web story for this recipe.

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.

eggs with paprika sprinkled with chives on a blue plate

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 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 set the timer for the desired time. 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 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 peel immediately.

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

boiled eggs on a blue plate with yellow towel

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

They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. I prefer to peel their shells before refrigerating. They are harder to peel after they have been refrigerated.

Tips & 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 older 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 tohard boil adozen eggs, you can use apressure cooker to makeInstant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

How to Use Hard Boiled Eggs

In Sandwiches – Egg Salad and any other sandwich you like
In Salads – Cobb Salad, Chef Salad, Potato Salad, Russian Salad Olivier, and any other salad you want to add more protein
For Breakfast – on an Avocado Toast, or simply egg and bacon
In Appetizers like Deviled Eggs

More egg recipes

Poached Eggs
Fried Egg
Scrambled Eggs
Denver Omelet
Deviled Eggs
Breakfast Egg Muffins

How To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

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.

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 1 minute

Cook Time 7 minutes

Total Time 8 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 62 kcal

Place eggs 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 set the timer for the desired time. 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 and let them cool for a few minutes. Or you can place them under cool running water to stop the cooking.
Peel and serve the eggs immediately. You can sprinkle some paprika or chives on top.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you start your timer when the water starts boiling not when you place the eggs in the water.

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 – 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 older 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.
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.

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.

How to store boiled eggs

Refrigerate any unused eggs, with their shells removed, for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword boiled eggs, how to boil eggs, How To Make Hard Boiled Eggs

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Meet The Author: Neli | Delicious Meets Healthy

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Neli Howard and the food blogger behind Delicious Meets Healthy. I started Delicious Meets Healthy in 2014 while working in public accounting. While everything I did at work was very analytical and detail oriented, I have enjoyed cooking because I get to use my creativity and experiment with flavors and textures of different foods.

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How to Boil the Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

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