How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs (and Peel them Easily!) (2024)

In this post you will learn How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs no matter how you like the yolk. This method will show you the best boiled egg cook times for a soft yolk, medium yolk and fully cooked yolk. You will also be able to peel these eggs with ease.

How do you get your hard boiled eggs like that?

This is probably the most common question I get when I share my breakfast plates online. SO I am finally sharing my method for making perfect hard-boiled eggs.

It is SO easy to make these with a fully set white and either a fully cooked yolk or a slightly runny yolk. My perfect hard boiled egg boils for exactly 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

Check out the charts below to see how long you should cook boiled eggs. This will help you determine how long to cook for different yolks.

How do you get hard boiled eggs to peel easily?

My hard boiled eggs always peel very easily. All you need to do is immediately transfer your eggs to an ice bath after you boil them.

This seems to sort of shock the shell and make it easier to peel. It also halts the cooking process allowing you to decide exactly how your yolks are cooked.

I let my hard boiled eggs sit in the ice bath for about 10 minutes. Then, I remove the eggs.

To peel I tap the bottom and top on the counter to crack. Then, I roll the center along the counter. The peel should easily slide off.

So people swear by adding a splash of vinegar to the boiling water to help the hard cooked eggs peel easier. This supposedly softens the shell and makes it easier to peel, but I don’t notice a difference.

You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to make your hard-boiled eggs. I know that egg boiling appliances exist and you can make them in your instant pot, but truthfully I like the old fashioned method best.

• A sauce pan for boiling the eggs
• Large bowl for the ice bath

serving suggestions

Once you’ve got your perfectly cooked eggs there are so many different ways to enjoy them. I love to make a simple egg salad sandwich with my hard boiled eggs or I chop them up and mix them into Southern Style Chicken Salad. Some people even like adding eggs to potato salad.

I like to make soft boiled eggs to serve on top of a chopped salad, noodles or even avocado toast. My favorite breakfast is a sliced of my overnight bread with lots of creamy mashed avocado and a perfect soft egg on top. Then, I season it generously with flakey sea salt and black pepper.

ingredients

This should come as no shock, but you only need three basic things to make the perfect hard boiled eggs.

• Eggs – as many as you want to make! I try to do no more than 8 so that I don’t crowd my pot.
• Water
• Ice for an ice bath

Does it matter what kind of eggs I use?

Yes and no.. you can’t really predict yolk size anyway. Every egg is different! I tend to buy large eggs so this timing is based on pasture raised large eggs.

Whatever type of egg you use is perfectly fine. This method will give you a rough estimate for how long to cook.

Boiled egg tips and tricks

• Use older eggs – fresh eggs can actually be much harder to peel. I like to use eggs that have been in my fridge for a while, but are not yet expired.
• To prevent cracking, remove eggs from the fridge before you boil the water – placing eggs that are too cold from the fridge in hot boiling water can cause the shells to constrict and crack. Allowing the eggs to get closer to room temperature before boiling prevents cracks
• Add eggs to the pot once the water is already boiling – use a slotted spoon to slowly lower the eggs down into the boiling water. Then, reduce the heat just a little to prevent the eggs from bouncing around
• Transfer the eggs to an ice bath immediately – this will immediately stop the eggs from cooking which allows you to control how runny the yolk will be. It also causes the egg to get shocked and contract from the shell which makes the eggs easier to peel.

how long should I boil my eggs for?

Use the diagram above as a boiling time guide! I like to do 5 minutes if I am putting my eggs in a bowl of ramen, but otherwise I boil my eggs for 7 minute and 30 seconds.

If I want a fully cooked yolk, like for egg salad, I boil them for 10 minutes. You can see from the hard boiled egg time chart that cooking time totally depends on how hard you want the yolk to be.

Why do my boiled eggs turn green

Overcooked eggs will result in a very hard yolk and sometimes a green ring around the yolk. They will also have a slightly unpleasant sulfur smell after sitting in the fridge.
I recommend cooking them for no longer than 12 minutes and transferring them to a large bowl of ice water as soon as they are done cooking.

how to make hard boiled eggs!

Step 1: Remove eggs from the fridge

First, remove your eggs from the fridge about 10 minutes prior to boiling them, if possible, to allow them to warm up a bit. This will limit the shells from cracking when you place the cold eggs in the boiling hot water.

Step 2: Boil water

Then, add cold water to a saucepan. Fill it 3/4 of the way full.

You want to choose a saucepan that is large enough to allow the eggs to lay in a single layer once added to the pot. Then, place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil.

Step 3: Boil eggs and soak in ice bath

Once the water comes to a rolling boil, slowly lower the eggs down into the pot to cook. Leave the heat on high and do not cover the pot. If your eggs bounce around a lot, you can reduce the heat to medium-high.

Once the eggs are in the pot, immediately set a timer based on how you want your eggs cooked – refer to the image above for boiling times.

I like to boil mine for 7 minutes and 30 seconds most days.

Then, while the eggs boil prepare a large ice bath. Once the timer goes off, immediately transfer the eggs to the ice bath and allow them to cool in the ice bath for 10 minutes.

Finally, remove the eggs from the ice bath, peel and enjoy!

How long do boiled eggs last?

Remove hard boiled eggs from the ice bath and transfer to an air tight container in the refrigerator. I personally feel comfortable eating my hard boiled eggs up to 7 days after preparing provided they remain in the fridge during that time.

I like to peel them as I eat them instead of peeling them all at once because I think it helps them stay fresher for longer.

Want more egg recipes? Check out these delicious egg bite recipes!

• Copycat Starbucks Egg Bites
• Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Egg Bites
• Dairy Free Egg Bite Recipe

You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!