How to Boil a Perfect Hardboiled Egg

Mastering the art of boiling eggs to get the perfect hard boiled egg is a quick and easy kitchen skill that requires a few minutes of your time. With the right method, you can consistently achieve perfectly cooked eggs that are easy to peel and have vibrant yellow yolks. Or they are ready made for dyeing at Easter. Or for using up after Easter has come and gone.

Guide to boiling eggs

Timing matters when boiling eggs because it determines how they turn out — whether you like them soft, medium or hard. Get it right and you’ve got eggs that work great in all sorts of dishes. We love working with farm-fresh eggs.

• 6 minutes: A yolk in a liquid state accompanied by a tender egg white is considered a soft-boiled egg and is ideally suited for those fancy egg cups.
• 8 minutes: The yolk becomes medium-textured, slightly soft and maintains its firmness.
• 10 minutes: Although resembling a hardboiled egg, a hint of softness remains inside.
• 12 minutes: You get a thoroughly hard boiled egg with a solid yolk.
• 14 minutes: Classic hard boiled style with a light yolk and a solid but not rubbery white.

“Just an extra minute or two makes a difference in the texture of the yolk,” says Lisa Wells who writes the Coastal Wandering blog.

Steps for making hard-boiled eggs

This process is easy, allowing you to boil any amount of eggs you like. You will need a pan large enough to fully cover the eggs in water for even cooking.

1. Begin by bringing a pot of water to a rapid boil on the stove.
2. Carefully place the raw eggs into the boiling water, making sure they are submerged.
3. Allow the eggs to boil for about 30 seconds. This will help firm up the outer layer of the egg whites.
4. Lower the heat to keep the water at a gentle simmer; 180 to 190 F or 82 to 88 C is an ideal temperature.
5. Let the eggs simmer gently in this low-temperature water until they reach the desired level of doneness, typically around 10 to 12 minutes, depending on your preference.
6. Once cooked, remove the eggs from the water and place them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and make peeling easier.
7. After cooling for a few minutes, gently tap the egg on the counter and roll it around before removing the peel. If the shells are difficult to peel, try holding the egg under running water. 

Starting with eggs in the pan

This is similar to the steps I took when boiling the eggs I used in my grandma’s deviled eggs recipe. However, I like the idea of starting with the eggs already in the pan before putting the heat on to boil.

In the past when I started with water first, it was a crap shoot when getting the eggs into the water. If I dropped them too hard, they cracked upon hitting the water. Then you end up with an egg white mess in the water.

Also, I was taught to get the water — with the eggs already in there — to a boil, then lower the heat and cover the pot. Then, set a timer for 12 minutes.

The green ring in hard-boiled eggs

Never mind green eggs and ham. If you don’t want that green-ringed eggs, make sure you avoid the following when boiling eggs:

• Overcooking: Boiling eggs for an extended period can cause a reaction between sulfur and iron, resulting in a greenish ring.
• High heat: Cooking eggs at a rolling boil, rather than at a gentle simmer, can cause a green ring.
• Older eggs: Older eggs are prone to developing a green ring, even when boiled within the suggested time frame. If using older eggs, check for any signs of spoilage to ensure the eggs are not rotten before cooking. Remember, if you have older eggs you won’t be using immediately, try freezing eggs to use for later.
• Not cooling the eggs quickly enough. Putting the eggs in an ice bath immediately after boiling stops the cooking process. Once that process stops, you reduce the chances of that green ring forming. I’ve found that by scooping out the eggs from the boiling water and getting them right into that ice bath, I never have to deal with the ugly green ring.

How to store boiled eggs

Hard-boiled eggs should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and should remain fresh for about a week. For best results, peel the eggs immediately after cooking and before storing them. In fact, hard boiled eggs are the easiest to peel right after they come out the ice bath. If you wait too long, the shells get tougher and harder to peel.

Serving suggestions

Boiling eggs opens up a world of possibilities, making them super versatile and easy to use in various dishes.

Robin Donovan has an egg-centric blog called Eggs All Ways. “I love eggs in just about any form. Hard-boiled eggs are great for egg salad, snacking or making soy sauce eggs to top a bowl of ramen,” she said. “Soft-boiled eggs are perfect on toast or in a salad of bitter greens with a tart vinaigrette dressing that adds a rich savoriness that balances the other flavors.”

Here are some additional serving suggestions to get creative with your boiled eggs:

• Egg salad: Chop boiled eggs and mix with mayo, mustard, celery and seasonings for a creamy sandwich filling or salad topping.
• Charcuterie platter: Serve boiled eggs alongside cured meats, cheeses, olives and crackers for a Mediterranean-inspired meat and cheese platter. We added them to our Passover charcuterie board.
• Cobb salad: Add sliced boiled eggs with bacon, avocado, tomato and blue cheese over a bed of greens. Or add chopped boiled eggs to a wedge salad.
• Snacks: Sprinkle salt, pepper or your favorite seasoning over halved boiled eggs for a quick, protein-packed snack.
• Pickled eggs: Learn the art of pickling and for a tangy twist, immerse boiled eggs in a vinegar solution with spices for a few days before serving.

Portions of this article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.