Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
This hard boiled eggs recipe makes perfect, easy peel eggs every time.
Hard Boiled Eggs
If you’ve been disappointed by hard boiled eggs recipes in the past, then you are going to love this easy method for making hard boiled eggs.
This egg recipe has revolutionized the way that I make hard boiled eggs. (Yes, I still love Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs and Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs, but sometimes you just want a basic stove top recipe, right?)
I used to use the cold start method to make hard boiled eggs, adding eggs to cold water and then bringing the pot to a boil. The problem with this method is that the cook time can vary depending on how long it takes the water to come to a boil. This method also often produced eggs that were frustratingly difficult to peel. Something about the cold start method tends to make the shells cling to the eggs.
But no more! The best way to make hard boiled eggs is to bring the water to a boil first, and then add the eggs. This method is much more foolproof when it comes to cook times, and it also makes eggs that are so easy to peel.
These hard boiled eggs have creamy, yellow yolks and soft, tender egg whites. You can cook them a little more or a little less, depending on how you like your yolks cooked: slightly jammy in the center or fully cooked but still creamy and golden yellow.
Enjoy these hard boiled eggs for breakfast, as a protein-packed snack, or use them in your favorite egg recipes. They’re perfect for making Deviled Eggs, Egg Salad, Spinach Salad, and more!
How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
Here is an overview of how to boil eggs. Find the full printable instructions in the recipe card below.
First, fill a medium saucepan or pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
Now you’re ready to add the eggs to the pot. Reduce the heat so that the water is at a low boil and gently lower the eggs into the pot using a slotted spoon. Then immediately increase the heat to bring the water back to a gentle rolling boil.
Boil the eggs for 12-14 minutes, depending on how firm you like your egg yolks.
Use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Let the eggs sit in the ice bath for 5 minutes.
Then, remove the eggs from the ice bath and either peel them right away or store them in the refrigerator.
How Long to Boil Eggs
Boil eggs for 12-14 minutes, depending on how firm you want the egg yolks to be. I usually use a cook time of 13-14 minutes for completely set egg yolks. 12 minutes will give you set yolks that are still creamy and a bit soft in the center. If you’d like to make soft boiled eggs, boil the eggs for 7 minutes.
Boiling eggs for longer than 14 minutes will usually give you overcooked eggs. If your yolks turn out chalky or green around the edges, they are overcooked.
Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
This recipe is the only stovetop hard boiled eggs recipe I’ve tried that consistently produces easy peel eggs. These tips can also help to ensure that your eggs peel quickly and easily:
- Eggs usually peel the easiest right when you take them out of the ice bath. But, for storage it’s best to leave them in their shells. (Don’t worry, with this cooking method even eggs stored in their shells will be easy to peel.)
- To peel eggs, crack the shells all over on the counter and peel starting from the wider end of the egg. If one end of the egg isn’t peeling well, try starting from the other end. If the shells are being difficult, peeling the eggs under cold running water can help.
- Old eggs often peel easier than fresh eggs.
Recipe Tips
- Add eggs to the pot cold from the refrigerator. There is no need to let them come to room temperature (and doing so could alter the cook time).
- You can cook as many or as few eggs as will fit comfortably in the pot in a single layer.
- Reducing the heat when you add the eggs helps to prevent cracking. Be sure to increase the heat to bring the pot back to a rolling boil after adding the eggs.
- Set a timer after adding the eggs to the pot so that you don’t accidentally overcook the eggs.
- The ice bath stops the cooking process so that you don’t end up with overcooked eggs, so don’t skip it!
How Long Do Hard Boiled Eggs Last
According to the USDA, hard boiled eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Refrigerate eggs within two hours of cooking. You can store the eggs in the fridge before or after removing the shells, but if you plan to keep the eggs for more than 5 days I recommend storing them with the shells on.
Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs {Easy Peel}
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs*
Instructions
- Fill a medium saucepan or pot with enough water so that it will cover the eggs by ¾ to 1 inch when you add the eggs to the pot (but do not add the eggs yet).
- Put the pot on the stove over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Then reduce the heat to a gentle boil and very gently lower the eggs into the water using a slotted spoon or metal strainer. Immediately increase the heat so that the pot comes back to a gentle rolling boil.
- Boil the eggs for 14 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle rolling boil. (14 minutes will give you eggs with fully set yolks; reduce the time to 12 or 13 minutes for eggs with soft, creamy yolks that may not be fully set in the center.)
- Immediately transfer the cooked eggs to a bowl of ice water using a slotted spoon. Let the eggs sit in the ice bath for 5 minutes.
- After the ice bath, the eggs can either be peeled right away or stored in their shells in the refrigerator. Hard boiled eggs can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week. Unpeeled eggs will stay fresher in the refrigerator than peeled eggs, so leave the shells on if you plan to store them for more than a few days.
Notes
- You can cook fewer or more than 6 eggs, just be careful to not overcrowd the pot. You want the eggs to fit in a single layer, with a bit of room to move.
- Eggs usually peel easiest when you crack them all over and start peeling from the bottom of the egg, where there is usually an air pocket. Older eggs will peel easier than fresh eggs.
- To make soft boiled eggs, boil the eggs for 7 minutes.
Do you have a secret for easy peel fresh eggs…..from my coop?
Hi Kelli, Cooking them in the Instant Pot is what has worked best for me so far. The eggs always peel really easily. You could also try adding a little bit of salt and/or vinegar to the water.
Very helpful. In all my years of boiling eggs and getting them mostly wrong, this has so simplified the process. Thanks for sharing these tips. Awesome!
This is great! Deviled eggs have always been my contribution to family dinners… so easy now!
Thanks!