How To Make Hard-Boiled Eggs
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Perfect hard-boiled eggs, every time! With firm whites and creamy yolks, this foolproof method ensures your eggs are cooked just right, without the dreaded green ring.
There’s a reason they’re called the incredible edible egg—eggs are high in protein, low in calories, packed with nutrients, and incredibly versatile. Hard-boiled eggs are great for so many things, and since they’re portable, they make a perfect grab-and-go breakfast. While they’re easy to make, they’re also easy to mess up. There are countless methods out there, but this one guarantees perfect hard-boiled eggs every time: firm whites that aren’t rubbery, creamy yolks that are fully cooked with no unsightly green ring. Best of all, no fancy equipment needed—just eggs, a pan, and a kitchen timer.
Once you’ve mastered the art of the hard-boiled egg, you’ll have a great source of protein ready for all kinds of dishes, whether you’re making egg salad, potato salad, jazzing up a fresh Cobb salad, topping off avocado toast, adding them to a sandwich, or just sprinkling them with a little salt and pepper for an easy snack. If you’re interested in other simple ways to cook eggs, check out my soft-boiled eggs and poached eggs.
How To Make Hard-Boiled Eggs
Begin by placing the eggs in a saucepan large enough so that they sit in a single layer (use eggs that have been in the fridge for a week or two as they will be much easier to work with). Fill the pan with enough cool water so that it covers the eggs by about an inch. It’s important to start the eggs in cold water — bringing the water and eggs up in temperature together ensures even cooking and prevents cracking. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat, then immediately remove the pan from the heat.
Cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. (Keep in mind that I use standard large eggs — for smaller or larger eggs, you’ll need to adjust the cook time by a minute or so in either direction.)
Carefully pour out the hot water.
Then place the pan in the sink and run cold water over the eggs until the pan is lukewarm, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and refill with cold water; let stand until the eggs are room temperature, about 10 minutes.
Gently crack the eggs all over (just tap them on your countertop) and peel them under running water.
The eggs can be cooked and peeled 3 days ahead. If you keep the eggs in their shell, they can last for up to a week. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
For easier peeling, try to use older eggs. The fresher the egg, the more attached the shell will be, so eggs that have been in the fridge for a week or two are much easier to peel.
The green ring forms when eggs are overcooked. To avoid this, be sure to follow the recommended cooking time and immediately run the eggs under cold water after boiling to stop the cooking process.
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Hard-Boiled Eggs
Perfect hard-boiled eggs, every time! With firm whites and creamy yolks, this foolproof method ensures your eggs are cooked just right, without the dreaded green ring.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a saucepan in a single layer, and fill the pan with enough cold water so that it covers the eggs by about an inch.
- Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Carefully pour out the hot water; place the pan in the sink and run cold water over the eggs until the pan is lukewarm, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and refill with cold water; let stand until the eggs are room temperature, about 10 minutes. Gently crack the eggs all over and peel under running water.
- Make Ahead: Eggs can be cooked and peeled 3 days ahead. If you keep the eggs in their shell, they can last for up to a week. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Tip: When peeling an egg, start at the wider end -- there's usually a small air pocket in there, which makes the eggshell easier to remove.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 egg
- Calories: 61
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Sugar: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 5 g
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Thank you for making the recipe printable. It’s hard for me to find something quickly when I have to search for it.
My pleasure! 🙂
For years I had used a similar method but it was not always dependable. I use hard boiled eggs a lot so it was frustrating when the eggs were difficult to peel. When the exterior of the peeled egg is lumpy it is not pleasant to eat. So I was skeptical if yours would work. But, volia perfect every time. The difference was the 10 minute period of soaking in cool water until they came to room temperature versus just running under the cool water for a minute or two. I look forward to the newsletter as there is much inspiration and beauty. Your love for cooking is obvious in your explanations which are very clear and how you describe your dishes.
☺️
These eggs came out perfectly! Thank you for easy to follow instructions. It is NOT necessary however to use running water to shell the eggs. I used the cold water in the pot. Worked great and no wasting water!
I cannot thank you enough for this step-by-step process on making hard boiled eggs. I have literally been on the “hunt” for the perfect way to make hard boiled eggs. I have tried EVERYTHING and nothing seemed to work for me until NOW!!! Thank you, Jenn!!! I made the eggs exactly as you laid out and they came out beautifully. I sincerely thank you for sharing your recipes, tips, and always being so kind and gracious in your response to everyone. I bought your book months before it even hit the press. I’m going through it right now and it is just fantastic.
My mom unexpectedly died a year ago and she was always my “go-to girl” for so much. We shared a love for cooking and baking over the last 4 decades. I introduced her to your website and we would try out different recipes on your site. It was so much fun. I no longer can call her and ask her how to make something. Though, in a very unexpected way, you have actually filled that void for me with all of your fabulous recipes and input. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your expertise and practical sense for making foods taste amazing, has been a true blessing. I pray that you are blessed beyond measure.
Shannon, what a touching note! I’m so sorry about your sudden lost but I feel honored that I’ve been able to (in a very small way) fill the void that your mom left. ❤️ (And glad that the hard-boiled eggs technique worked nicely for you!)
I tried other recipes for hard boiled eggs. This is the best. Thank you. Your Caesar salad was also a hit.
I’m a pretty good cook ( thanks to you) but have never gotten the hang of hard boiled eggs. I have tried countless recipes and methods. Anyway, I made them according to your instructions and they were perfect! Thanks again for a winning recipe.
Hi Jen,
I was a bit skeptical about the method (no boiling time meant soft boiled eggs for me), but I’m happy to report they’re perfect!
I’ll use them for this Hungarian meal:
http://www.hungariantidbits.com/hungarian-layered-potato-rakott-krumpli/
Thank you for the recipe!
Notice that you don’t list baking temps as for convection . Do you use just regular oven temps? We just love All of your recipes !!!! 👍
Hi Shirley, Glad you like the recipes! I use a standard oven setting for all my recipes as not everyone as convection ovens.
Adding a little salt to the water helps make them easier to peel.
Hi Jenn,
I seem to have better results steaming the eggs around 12 minutes and after cooling in water for 5 minutes or so, the shells just slip off. Have you tried this technique and if so what was your experience, good or bad?
Thanks,
David
Hi David, I haven’t used this method, but I’ve read about it (maybe on Cook’s Illustrated?). It may be a bit less common because a lot of people don’t own steamer baskets. Thanks for sharing your method!