Tips for Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs
We’re really eggs-cited to share these tips for how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs! 🥚
Will you be decorating hard-boiled eggs this month for Easter? Take the guesswork out of undercooked or overcooked hard-boiled eggs by following these simple steps.
Why do we associate colored eggs with Easter?
While we often give kids colored, plastic Easter eggs with candy inside, the oldest known Easter tradition is to use dyed and painted chicken eggs. While eggs have long been considered a traditional symbol of fertility and rebirth, in Christianity, Easter eggs symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus, from which Jesus was resurrected. One ancient tradition included staining Easter eggs red to commemorate the blood Christ shed at that time of his crucifixion.
So, what about the bunny?
The Easter Bunny tale is thought to have become common in the 1800s. Since rabbits usually have large litters of babies, they became a symbol of new life. Legend has it that the Easter bunny decorates and hides eggs, which is why many children enjoy Easter egg hunts as part of Easter.
In Switzerland, Easter eggs are delivered by a cuckoo bird. In parts of Germany, eggs are delivered by a fox.
The Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs
yield: 6 SERVINGS
cook time: 10 MINUTES
total time: 10 MINUTES
There's no way to under or overcook hard boiled eggs with this recipe tip!
Ingredients
- Water
- 6 eggs
Directions
1
Use a pot that's large enough to lay one layer of eggs on the bottom. Make sure to gently lay the eggs in the pot to avoid cracks in your eggs. Fill pot with enough cool water to just cover eggs (about 1 to 1.5 inches high).
2
Turn stove to medium-high heat until the water starts to boil.
3
Cover pot with a lid, take it off the heat, and let eggs stand with the lid on for about 14 minutes for extra large eggs, 12 minutes for large, and 10 minutes for medium-sized eggs.
4
Place eggs in a bowl of cool water (Tip: Use a spaghetti serving spoon to transfer eggs to bowl). Once cool, refrigerate eggs for up to a week.
I like using this method because it helps avoid the green-tinted yolks that sometimes result from overcooking. Everyone has their own method for peeling hard-boiled eggs, but I like to tap the egg on the counter, roll it with my hand on the counter a couple of times, and peel it under running water.
Do you have any tips for how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs?
Share with us in the comments below!
Looking for some more fun, delicious, and cool Easter ideas?
- Make these pretty Mod Podge Easter eggs.
- Try these gag Easter egg hunt ideas to make the kids laugh.
- Dye your Easter Eggs with silk!
- Make this cute DIY Easter Egg Wreath!
- Create your own glow-in-the-dark Easter Eggs.
- Try this delicious bunny bait mix recipe!
- Make these super cute Oreo sand and dirt cups!
I glad you reminded me of this method because I do tend to overcook my boiled eggs a little bit most of the time, lol. Thanks Lina! Another thing my Grandmother used to tell me is to use older eggs because the less fresh ones will peel easier.
Your grandmom is right, Jennifer. They peel much easier using older eggs!
Another tip when making deviled eggs: leave the eggs in the carton and turn the carton on its side overnight, then boil them. All the yolks will be in the center of the eggs!
That’s a great tip! Thanks
My pleasure! đŸ˜‰
Eggs peel easier if they are room temperature before hard boiling.
Good to know! Thanks, SJ!
Yes, the older eggs when boiled are easier to peel!
Add salt to the water and the peel comes off easily
This is EXACTLY how I make mine! Except 10 mins once the lid is put on. I do the same for cracking and peeling though!! I also have that same chicken timer đŸ™‚ Thanks, Collin and Lina!!
Oh ha I love that timer. đŸ™‚ Thanks!
This is exactly how I do my eggs…perfect everytime!
I have to try this method, I think I overcook my eggs, because I broil them for about 30 – 40 min.. :-\
I hope that’s a typo b/c if you BROIL I’d be afraid of an egg-splosion!!
:-D. Hahaha, yes Mel it is!!! BTW. You made me laugh. Good one!
On tip.. we generally have very fresh eggs in our house. Eggs really need to be a couple of weeks old before you’re able to hard boil and peel them, so we always have a dozen or so “aging” for our hard boiled eggs and use the freshest for scrambled and other recipes.
I boil mine for 10 minutes uncovered and then put in ice water, but I like mine very hard boiled and don’t mind an overcooked yolk. đŸ™‚
I was going to say the same thing. If you buy fresh eggs (store bought eggs are 2-3 weeks old at best) they wont peel until they are about 10 days old. I raise chickens and sell my eggs and I always have to remind customers of this.
Somewhere I read to flip the eggs the night before you hard boil them, it centers the yolk for a better presentation for deviled eggs!
I use my daughters steamer from her baby bullet. Use if for veggies too
I bake my eggs and they come out perfect every time – 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Doesn’t matter if eggs are fresh either. However, I am not sure its a good option when you want to dye the eggs as they come out w/ spots (that usually rinses right off but not always). https://altonbrown.com/baked-eggs/
I bake mine as well. Soooo easy!
If you bake the eggs in paper cupcake liners or put a cotton ball under them they don’t get brown spots. Some people swear by using silicone cupcake pans to avoid brown spots but I don’t like silicone so I haven’t tried it.
One good method for testing eggs when boiling is put them into water, with maybe about 1 inch of water above. If they lay on their side, they are fresh (better to cook another way). If they stand on their end, they are older eggs (perfect for boiling because they peel so much easier!). If they float completely, they are ready for the trashcan. When cracking the egg, it’s usually easier to tap the fat end first – that’s where the air pocket is. It makes peeling a lot easier. đŸ™‚
I love love love the table! Is it a Lina original?
Oh ha it’s a photography background. I would love that as a table too đŸ™‚
For easy peel with my boiled eggs. As soon as they finish cooking I shock them in cold water, then I drain the water and jiggle the bowl so they hit each other, cracking the shell. and they usually come off all in one piece.
Nice, thanks!
That is how my MIL does it to a tee! I never do that because I want my shells on usually and will peel as I need them. But great for using peeled eggs right away in something!
I just drain the water from the pot while running cold water over the hot eggs. Once the water is cold enough to put my hand in I throw some ice cubes on top and let it be.
The more you transfer/move/fiddle with the eggs, the more chances they have to crack. When it comes to decorating eggs, feathery lines from fine cracks are just as unappealing as feathery lines from fine wrinkles.
I admire the egg holder. Collin had it in her picture of Easter bath bombs as well. Wonder where it can be purchased?
It’s from Cost Plus World Market, pretty inexpensive around $5? Thanks!
they also have similar ones at Kohl’s too.
Looks like a spaghetti utensil to me. at dollar tree, $1
Easiest to peel when just cool enough to handle. I also let eggs I intend to boil sit in the fridge for at least 7-10 days as older eggs are easier to peel. Im a nut when it comes to boiling I boil them just under medium and keep in ear shot of them so I can hear them start to “bounce” then remove them from heat for 10 min before running under cold water. I always peel right away as I mentioned before. Its funny how we have our egg cooking rituals… my mom does hers much different
Want a fun way to break your hard boiled eggs? We LOVE our hard boiled egg toss game! Once the eggs are, two people stand maybe 6 – 7 feet apart (adjust for age appropriateness) and toss them back and forth and count how many times they can catch them before it drops. Try to beat your team score next time. ADVANCED TOSS: As you catch them 5X, each person takes a step back to increase the challenge! đŸ™‚
When it drops – just peel away! đŸ™‚ enjoy! đŸ™‚
Tip for peeling hard boiled eggs… Add salt to the boiling water, works like a charm. I didn’t believe it myself until I tried.
Yes Melanie, I had about 1 cup to my pot. Works great.
What do you mean you peel the eggs under running water? How do you keep the shell from going down the drain?
Use a stainer or colander to catch shells.
Also my mother in law saves the egg shells for her garden, it’s supposed to be good for it đŸ™‚
Me too. My mother in law taught me that. Something about the slugs & the nutrients in the shells. The ground looks funny with little white shells! If they could only keep the moles away!
I just let the shells go into the disposal!
I use to let my shells go in the disposal, until one day when my sink starting draining slower and slower. My husband snaked the pipe and used drain cleaner and we could not get it to drain any quicker. He went to the basement and cut the pipe to replace it, when we looked in the pipe there were a ton of ground up egg shells all throughout the pipe. I won’t be putting egg shells in my disposal anymore!
Funny you should say that Kelly but my husband recently read online that eggshells are very bad for the disposal so we have stopped throwing the eggshells down the sink.
I tried this method once and the eggs didn’t cook through. My mother in law puts the heat on low for 10mn once they start to boil and that works great. I had NO IDEA old eggs peeled better. Thanks for all the informative comments!
Anyone have a STORAGE solution for hard boiled eggs? My family LOVES them but i can’t stand the smell lol
Thanks!
I always boil about 6 at a time (family of 3). I don’t peel them until I’m going to use them because they last longer with the shell on, and I keep them in a Ziploc bag. My husband doesn’t like the smell of boiled eggs either, but this method seems to work for us. đŸ™‚ Double layering might help if you want to peel them all after cooking – put them in a Ziploc bag and then put the bag in a Tupperware container. I keep baking soda in our fridge too, and if I have a “smelly” item I tend to put the baking soda box next to it. đŸ™‚ Hope this helps!
Many years ago, I watched Martha Stewart make Easter Eggs. She said they should never be called ‘hard boiled eggs’, but rather ‘slow cooked’ eggs. To get them to peal in one huge shell, put some salt in the water, maybe 2 tablespoons or more. I’ve used this method and they really do peal with one crack, the whole shell comes off. The info is probably on her website, but that’s one piece of cooking advice I’ve used for many years and my hard boiled eggs come out perfect every time. A beautiful yellow center and easy to peal.
I found a great tip not long ago if you only have fresh eggs to boil. I have been boiling eggs for XX years (more than I want to admit!) and have always added salt to the water for easier peeling. The tip said to use a teaspoon of baking soda in the water. I boiled some fresh eggs for potato salad last week and voila! They slipped right off. Somehow it releases the fine membrane from the surface of the egg. The shell and membrane come off in one piece and my life is just a little easier.
FYI – Egg shells add calsium to the soil in your garden and are especially good for tomatoe and pepper plants.
is this timing for the eggs on a gas stove or electric? I know with electric things tend to keep cooking even after heat is turned off.
I take it off the burner completely, and cover with lid.
thanks!
I let my eggs stand at room temp for about 10 minutes and then I steam them for 20. I immediately immerse into icy water and transfer bowl into fridge until eggs are completely cooled. Works like a charm!
To peel eggs, try a good tap, then run a spoon just under the shell along the egg. They *usually* peel perfectly without pulling off any of the egg. I always rinse them, but they often don’t even need it!
I always put my eggs on the stove, once the water starts to boil I start a 10-minute timer. When the timer goes off, the eggs go straight into an ice bath. Never any green yolks or sulfur smell.
I add salt to the water when boiling. . . and a splash of white vinegar. If the egg should crack while cooking it keeps the egg white from going all over the kettle. Instead. The egg white just leaks of the shell a bit and clings to the egg.
Lina, I adore you’re posts!! I really look forward to them to see your wonderful creativity, fonts & photography. Beautiful!
That is so sweet, thanks Tammy!
THANK YOU to the poster about lying the eggs on their sides overnight before boiling for yolks to stay in the middle for deviled eggs! WONDERFUL! FYI if anyone id looking to blow eggs or wants to decorate a durable egg, DUCK eggs have very sturdy shells. Great for blowing and decorating.
It’s a great post now i can do eggs boil perfectly. But i just follow another method beside this method. I just use my iPhone when i go to boil according this post. I’ve installed a great application on iPhone which one help me to keep temperature measurement good. It give me instruction as well as. It Helps you cook liquid, soft and hard eggs in the same saucepan..
I have tried all of the BEST methods for cooking hard boiled eggs and found the absolute BEST. If you have an electric pressure cooker – I cup water, use the rack, I can cook a dozen at a time, cover on, cook on high 5 mins. Allow to vent slowly or you can release quickly with the vent. No need for cold water bath. Refrigerate. They will all peel easily. I have cooked dozens and dozens this way. I will never go back to any other way.