How To Make The Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

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.

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. Some recipes recommend baking the eggs in the oven for 30 minutes. That’s a lot of time you can cook a whole meal for that amount of time.

HOW TO BOIL EGGS QUICKLY & EASILY

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 you want to cook eggs in the morning for breakfast, the last thing you 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

  • Water
  • Eggs
  • Ice

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.

Cook Time

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 Hard Boiled 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.

TIPS & NOTES

  • 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.