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Learn all the tips and tricks for how to boil eggs to make the perfect hard-boiled eggs. It’s quick, simple, and NO FAIL!
Whether you’re adding them to a salad, Egg Salad Sandwiches, or making Deviled Eggs, knowing how long to boil eggs is a MUST.
The Secret You’ve been waiting for!
After countless attempts to figure out how long to boil eggs perfectly (hot starts, cold starts, cook time, and ice bath time), we’ve learned the best method for boiling eggs.
Why is it the best?
- NO FAIL! This method works every time, no fail.
- It’s simple. Just a few added steps is all that’s needed for perfect, no gray around the yolk eggs.
- Works for Fresh eggs or Older Eggs. We tested this too, and it still works! The main trick is to always use a HOT START.
We have found many methods to make Easy Peel Boiled Eggs, but of those ways, we have our go-to that is the most simple, quick, AND always results in a perfectly boiled egg that peels easily.
How Long to Boil Eggs
If the water is boiling, ladle the eggs into the water, then boil for 15 minutes (ice bath for 5 minutes).
We have tried many other ways of doing this (with hot starts), including:
- Simmer for 15 minutes – Ice bath for 5 minutes (our top choice)
- Simmer for 15 minutes – Ice bath for 10 minutes
- Simmer for 13 minutes – Ice bath for 15 minutes
- Boil for 8 minutes – turn off the burner and let sit for 10-25 minutes – Ice bath for 15 minutes
All worked, but some took more time than others and some didn’t peel as easily, which is why we stick with the first method.
It always works, and the result is PERFECT!
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- water
- ice bath – cold water with ice in a bowl
The Perfect Method
- WATER. Bring water to a rolling boil in a medium pot or saucepan (the KEY for perfect eggs).
- EGGS. Once the water is boiling, gently place eggs using a strainer ladle or slotted spoon, into the water in a single layer. Turn the heat down so it is at a simmer, and simmer the eggs for 15 minutes.
- ICE BATH. Add the eggs to a large bowl of ice water (ice bath) and set a timer for 5 minutes.
- PEEL. Remove from water. To shell, tap the eggs on the counter to crack. Easily peel the eggs and see that they are perfectly cooked – with a nice no-gray golden-yellow yolk!
For even more methods of eggs that peel easily, check out these Methods for Easy Peel Boiled Eggs.
More Cooking options
- Microwave. Fill a bowl big enough to submerge an egg with water. Microwave for 3 minutes. Using a needle, safety pin, or thumbtack, prick the bottom of the egg to prevent it from exploding.
- Put the egg in the bowl of hot water, cover it with a plate, and microwave for 4 minutes at 50%. Leave in the water for an additional 2-3 minutes before peeling.
- Oven. Preheat to 350°F. Put 1 egg in each cup of a muffin tin. Bake for 30 minutes, and then place in an ice bath for about 10 minutes. Simple!
- Instant pot. Check out this post: Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs!
What can you make with them?
Hard-boiled eggs make a great snack. Simply peel and season with a little salt and pepper. There are also a variety of egg recipes you can make with them.
They make great additions to almost any salad!
The possibilities are endless but remember they are great as an after-school snack or for your Easter celebrations!
Recipe Tips + Storing
- Label your eggs. Place boiled eggs back in the carton and label the carton “Hard Boiled,” or mark each egg “HB” with a permanent marker.
- To check unmarked eggs, give it a spin. If it is hard-boiled, it will spin like a top. If it is not boiled, the yolk will keep it from spinning smoothly and it will wobble a bit.
- A soft-boiled egg has a completely cooked egg white but with runny yolks. To cook a soft-boiled egg, complete the recipe as directed except only boil the egg for 6 ½ minutes before placing it in the ice bath.
- Overcooking the eggs will cause a green ring to form around the yolk and it will take on a more sulfur smell, but they are still safe to eat.
- STORE eggs in the fridge. If peeled, place them in a dated Ziploc bag or in an airtight container for up to one week.
For more great Tips:
How to Boil Eggs
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- water
- ice bath
Instructions
- To start, bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Once the water is boiling, gently lower the eggs using a strainer ladle, into the water. Turn the heat down so it is a simmer, and simmer eggs for 15 minutes.
- Once done, add the eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes.
- Remove from water, tap on counter to shell. The shell will come off perfectly and the eggs will be cooked perfectly as well!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
would anybody have a tip to peel fresh yard eggs?
Hello – how are you!!
The Salt in the water is the Magic Trick to keep the eggs from bursting while boiling!
That I learned from somewhere — cannot remember exactly where
all I can think of is when I went back to school in my Late 30’s and had to take Chemistry…
Take Care and THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIP — AWESOME! WORKED PERFECTLY
Wish we could use the oil but we are coloring them tonight.
Happy Easter — 2015
Carie & Ethan
From: Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Thank you so much for posting this on boiling eggs. I feel so stupid every year asking my Mom again about how to boil eggs for Easter. They never come out the same. I’m saving this post forever:) And the best part, I can do it all by myself now:) Thank you.
Thanks for the helpful tip will have to try this mine always come off with the shell
Just saw this on tv….to remove the shell. ..put it in a glass with about an inch of water. Put your hand over the end so that all the water stays in the glass. Shake like CRAZY! The shell will slip off! It’s AMAZING! !!
My trick for easy peeling: After doing the above, take egg out of cold water, crack the shell all the way around by tapping it on the counter. Then roll the egg between your hands, under a tiny stream of cool water. The shell will practically roll right off the egg!
I use this method, but after boiling, I fill with cold water, pull each egg out and crack it at the bottom. Then, I put them back in the water for 10 minutes or so. I rarely have any trouble peeling them when I do it this way.
Finally, someone who posts the ONLY way that works! This was how my mom hard-boiled eggs when I was growing up, so I didn’t know any other way. When I read all the wacky ways to do hard-boil an egg, it’s truly shocking because they never work.
The only part that I don’t understand is the addition of salt and oil. I’ve never used anything other than boil them in plain water for 10 minutes. My advice is to drop the additions. I’ve never had issues with plain water.
This is the way I have always done it and it works every time for me. I put the eggs in a saucepan and just barely cover them with tap water. I put them on the stove-cover them-turn the burner on high. When I hear them begin to boil, I turn the stove off and never touch the pot of eggs. I leave them right there for 15 minutes. I take them off the stove and drain the water off. I then put the cover back on and shake the pot or slide them back and forth in the pot. You can either let them cool for a while or you can peel them right then, (which is what I usually do). Usually the peeling slides right off some of them during the last process, otherwise they are all cracked all over and ready to peel.
Will have to try this too!
Sharon, your way of cooking boiled eggs is eggactly (sorry) the way I did it for 50 yrs. While it worked about 60-75% of the time, that 25-40% was so frustrating! My daughter told me about the hot start, ice cold finish method 6 months ago and the results are perfect! I do a slow boil for 10 minutes (timed) and just put them immediately in an ice bath until I’m ready to use them for the meal I’m making (untimed). I find a 10 minute low boil turns them to the perfect level of doneness for me. Soft, bright yokes, yet fully cooked. For hard boiled eggs 13-14 minutes. I’ve learned you don’t want a hard boil when you slip the eggs into the pot – the shells can crack from the turbulence!