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Soft and hard boiled eggs are a fantastic high protein and low carb snack or breakfast item. Learn How to Boil Eggs with this simple tutorial for cooking the perfect egg!
How to Boil Eggs is the age old culinary question people have been asking since the beginning of time. In this simple recipe tutorial, I’ll teach you how to boil the perfect cooked eggs so you can create amazing recipes like Classic Deviled Eggs.
How can such a simple task be so daunting? Well, I have a simple answer for that. Unless you’re using a timer and closely watching it, it’s very easy to undercook or overcook eggs.
There are varying methods for boiling eggs, and the length of time for boiling really depends on your personal tastes and preferences. Some people love a quick 4-minute egg with a runny yolk for breakfast, and others prefer a yolk that is much more firm.
What do I need for boiling eggs?
To make the best boiled eggs, you’ll need three things:
- Eggs
- A saucepan
- A bowl filled with ice water
How Long to Boil Eggs:
How long you boil your eggs is really going to be a matter of personal preference. Your favorite recipes using soft and hard cooked eggs may call for different cooking times and textures as well.
You can follow these simple instructions to achieve your desired results:
To make soft boiled eggs: Cook for 4-5 minutes. The egg whites should be set but not raw, and the yolk should be runny.
To make medium hard cooked eggs: Cook for 6-10 minutes. The egg whites will be firm, and the yolks will be slightly creamy and custard-like.
To make firm hard boiled eggs: Cook for anywhere between 11-14 minutes to reach your preferred yolk consistency. The whites will be very firm and the yolks will be cooked completely and less creamy in texture.
You can use the chart below to help you decide how long to boil your eggs. The numbers above the eggs correspond to the cooking times for each texture.
How to Boil Eggs Perfectly
It’s super simple to make perfect boiled eggs if you follow my method.
The most important thing to note is this: Always start with cold water.
- Place your eggs in a saucepan over the stove, and cover them with cold water.
- Turn the burner on high heat and bring the water to a rolling boil.
- Cook for your desired amount of time (I like to cook them for 4 minutes for soft boiled and anywhere from 7-12 minutes for hard boiled), then remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Immediately shock the eggs by placing them into ice water. This will stop them from cooking any further and make them easier to peel.
How to Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
- Once your eggs have been shocked in cold water, allow them to cool.
- Tap the eggs on a cutting board or hard, flat surface to crack the shells.
- Using gentle, but firm pressure, roll the eggs to crack the shells all around.
- Peel the shells off using your fingers and discard the shell pieces.
Tip for peeling eggs: After you’ve peeled the eggs, rinse them under cold water to ensure that no more shell remains. There’s no worse surprise than a mouthful of crunchy egg shells!
Why is there a green ring around my egg yolk?
When you slice into a hard cooked egg only to see an odd green coating around the egg yolk, that means the eggs are overcooked.
Consider reducing the cooking time to achieve a beautiful yellow, creamy yolk consistency.
How do you serve boiled eggs?
There are so many different ways to enjoy boiled eggs. Here are some ideas:
- Sprinkle a little sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper over them before eating them at any texture. Serve with fresh fruit, toast, and hot coffee for a delicious and simple breakfast.
- Slice or chop hard cooked eggs and add them to a chef salad
- Make a low carb Avocado Chicken Salad
- Enjoy hard cooked eggs along with nuts and crunchy veggies for a great high-protein pre-workout snack
Looking for more ways to use boiled eggs? Try these recipes!
- Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
- Shrimp Cobb Salad
- Easy Turkey Meatloaf
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Potato and Egg Salad
How to Boil Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 Eggs
- Cold water
- Ice water
- salt & pepper for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a large saucepan and fill with cold water until the eggs are just covered.
- Place the saucepan on the stove over high heat and bring to a rolling boil.
- Boil the eggs for 4-12 minutes depending on your desired texture. Set a timer to ensure that the eggs aren't undercooked or overcooked.
- When the eggs are done cooking, immediately remove them from the heat and shock them in a bowl of ice water.
- Allow the eggs to cool, then crack and roll them on a board using gentle, but firm pressure.
- Peel and discard the cracked egg shell and rinse the eggs with cold water to ensure that no shell remains stuck to the egg whites.
- Top with salt and pepper if desired, or slice/chop and use in your favorite recipe.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
