So you’ve got a package of quail eggs on hand but aren’t quite sure what the best way to prepare them is.
Fear not! Quail eggs are a lot like other eggs. You’ll be able to boil, crack or peel them like a pro in no time.
Just follow our steps below!
How to (Hard) Boil Quail Eggs
Many of us know how to boil a standard chicken egg. But because quail eggs are smaller, cuter and a bit more fragile, they need to be boiled a bit differently.
Since quail eggs are so small, using a pan instead of a pot will make the water boil faster. Just make sure the eggs can be entirely covered by water!
We also recommend boiling room-temperature eggs as this will prevent them from cracking early! Just add them to a bowl of warm water for a few minutes before boiling.
Place the pot or pan on a stovetop and heat on high, bringing the water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add the quail eggs.
Start your timer! Let the eggs boil for two minutes (soft-boiled), three minutes (medium-boiled) or three and a half minutes (hard-boiled).
When the time is up, move the eggs to a bowl of cold water (we recommend adding some ice cubes). Dip a slotted spoon into the water and fish out each egg, placing each one into the bowl of water. They should cool off in a minute or two.
Once they’re cool enough to handle with your bare hands, take them out and get peeling!
The cool water makes the shells come off a lot easier while you peel them. You’ll see in the next section!
How to Peel Quail Eggs
Peeling a quail egg is like peeling a chicken egg, but the quail egg’s size means it’s a touch more fragile and needs to be handled gently.
Put down a paper towel to catch any eggshell pieces that fall as you peel the eggs.
Take each egg out of the bowl of water where they’ve cooled.
Tap each egg on something hard to crack the shell.
Gently roll each egg to crack the rest of its shell. Don’t apply too much pressure while rolling the egg or you’ll crush it! Just do it lightly.
Get rid of the shell as well as the membrane around each egg.
Enjoy!
If you soft-boiled your eggs, it’s best to enjoy them immediately with a pinch of salt. If you hard-boiled them, the peeled eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for 3–5 days.
Eat them as a snack, add them to salads, or chop them up for a fun take on egg salad.
If you’d rather not boil them yourself, you can buy boiled and peeled Spring Creek eggs in brine at a range of grocery stores.
How to Crack Quail Eggs
Don’t try cracking quail eggs on the side of a bowl, like you would chicken eggs — this is because the membrane underneath the shell is thicker!
Instead, crack your quail eggs with a paring knife or serrated knife. You can also use a special quail egg scissor or cutting tool.
Grab an egg and hold it with the narrow side down.
With your chosen tool, cut the top of the eggshell, roughly a quarter of the way from the top. Keeping your fingers away from the blade, cut around the egg until the top part comes off. Be careful — the eggs can get slippery.
With the top removed from the egg, simply turn the egg upside down and empty it into your pan or bowl! The white and yolk will come out together. (Tip: it’s best to crack all of the eggs you’re cooking at once!)
Boil, fry, scramble, poach or blend and enjoy the goodness!
No matter how you enjoy your quail eggs, they’re sure to spice up your egg life!
Find a store carrying Spring Creek quail eggs today — and if you can’t find one, request them.
FAQs
Place the quail eggs in a pot, and cover with water. Set the heat to high, and once the water begins to simmer, roll the eggs around in the pot with cooking chopsticks. Rolling them around will move the yolk into the center of the egg. Bring the water to a boil, boil for 3 minutes, then turn off the heat.
How to boil quail eggs so they peel easily? ›
Fill a pot with water and bring it to a full, rolling boil. If you add a bit of vinegar to the water, it'll make the eggs easier to peel. Note: Sometimes the eggs will crack if you put them into to boiling water straight from the fridge.
What is the easiest way to boil and peel eggs? ›
Drop the eggs into boiling water. Eggs added to a pot of boiling water rather than brought to a boil along with the cold water will be easier to peel.
Do you wash quail eggs before boiling? ›
Before boiling, wash and clean the eggs. Fill a small pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Place the eggs in a long-handled slotted spoon, and gently place in the pot. To keep the yolks in the center of the shell (which is particularly useful when making deviled eggs), stir the water gently as the eggs cook.
What do I add to the water when boiling eggs to make them peel easier? ›
Baking Soda
According to our friends at Delish, adding a teaspoon of baking soda to your boiling pot of water will help the shell peel off seamlessly. Why? The alkaline in the baking soda will help your egg whites loosen up from the shell, making it easier to peel.
Why are my quail eggs hard to crack? ›
Don't try cracking quail eggs on the side of a bowl, like you would chicken eggs — this is because the membrane underneath the shell is thicker! Instead, crack your quail eggs with a paring knife or serrated knife. You can also use a special quail egg scissor or cutting tool.
How do you hack quail eggs to peel? ›
Rolling the eggs around with cooking chopsticks when they're boiling will position the yolk in the center of the eggs. By shaking the eggs in the bowls, they will crack all over evenly, and will become easy to peel!
How do you make the perfect egg crack? ›
Hold the egg (over a bowl) with your thumb near the middle of the egg and your pointer finger near the top, curling other fingers around the egg. Swiftly crack the egg against a surface or bowl, and use your thumb, pointer and middle fingers to pull apart the shell and release the egg into the bowl below.
Do I boil water first then add eggs? ›
You might have heard that you should drop your eggs into room temperature or cold water and then bring the water to a boil. This is a myth. In our tests, bringing the water to a boil first and then lowering the eggs into the bath made for easy peeling and more accurate timing.
Why are my hard-boiled eggs hard to peel? ›
The fresher the eggs, the harder they are to peel. This is because the egg white or "albumen" in a fresh egg has a relatively low pH level, making it acidic. When cooked, these fresh egg whites bond strongly to the inner shell's membrane.
Eggs are easier to peel if they're completely cooled after boiling. Add them to a bowl of iced water for 5 minutes before peeling. This will also result in more tender egg whites and that perfect yolk. Gently tap each egg on a hard surface to form small cracks all around the egg's shell before you peel.
How do you boil quail eggs easy to peel? ›
To cook them, place the eggs in a small saucepan, and cover them with cold water. I recommend you also add a splash of vinegar, especially when cooking quail eggs, because it helps the whites set faster and the shells come off easier later. Then, just cook them uncovered over low heat until the water boils.
How many minutes to boil a quail egg? ›
Here's how many minutes it takes to boil quail eggs: Soft boiled quail eggs boiling time: 2 minutes. Hard boiled quail eggs boiling time: 3 minutes 30 seconds.
Why do my boiled eggs not peel easily? ›
Eggs in General
Hard-cooked eggs may be difficult to peel if they are very fresh. This is because an egg shrinks inside during storage, which pulls the inner membrane away from the inside of the shell. For this reason, a hard-cooked egg will peel more easily if it has been stored for 1 or 2 weeks before it is cooked.
How do you dissolve quail egg shells? ›
vinegar. I like this method of peeling when I am. pickling because it does very little damage to the eggs.
Why are my chickens eggs hard to peel when boiled? ›
The fresher the egg, the more difficult it is to peel after hard cooking. That's because the air cell, found at the large end of the shell between the shell membranes, increases in size the longer the raw egg is stored. As the contents of the egg contracts and the air cell enlarges, the shell becomes easier to peel.
