How to Perfectly Boil Eggs

Learn how to perfectly boil eggs with this classic, easy, and simple method. Perfectly boiled eggs with the yolk cooked just like you prefer. Meal prep and learn how to store in the fridge for ready-to-go breakfasts, snacks, or lunches.

How to Perfectly Boil Eggs

Hard boiled eggs are a staple in our home. We all love boiled eggs and we all love them cooked at different levels. I like boiled eggs with a runny yolk, my husband likes them cooked though and my daughter somewhere in between. We love them for breakfast, as a snack, or even lunch. I love throwing a hard boiled egg in a salad and my daughter loves them in her school lunchbox too. Knowing how to make perfectly boiled eggs is a must and with this method you will never fail. Get the yolk cooked exactly how you prefer every time too!

How long do you boil an egg?

The amount of time you want to boil an egg depends on how runny or well cooked you want the inside of the egg to be. Boiling an egg for 3-4 minutes will result in a runny yolk. 5-6 minutes results in a creamier, slightly runny yolk. While 8-10 minutes will give you a yolk that is creamy and mostly set. At 12 minutes the egg is fully cooked and completely hard.

How do you boil an egg so they peel easily?

Bring eggs to a boil then set timer for the amount of time you want them to cook for. This will depend on how runny or hard you would like your yolk to be. Turn heat off and remove eggs from the stove. Take eggs out of the boiled water and place in a bowl filled with water and ice. Submerging hot eggs in an ice bath produces a shock which causes the shell to soften and unstick from the inside. This ensures your eggs will easily peel leaving the egg whole.

What you need to make this:

Ingredients:

• Half Dozen Eggs
• Water
• Ice

Equipment:

• Medium Sauce Pan
• Mixing Bowl
• Skimmer Spoon

How do you perfectly boil eggs step by step?

• Step 1– Place half a dozen large brown eggs in a medium sauce pan. Fill up with water until eggs are fully covered and submerged. Place sauce pan on stovetop on high heat and bring to a boil. 
• Step 2– At this point, cook eggs for as long as you’d like depending on how runny or hard you want your egg yolk to be. A fully cooked egg needs to boil for 12 minutes. Boil eggs for 3-4 minutes for a runny yolk. 5-6 minutes will result in a creamier, slightly runny yolk. While 8-10 minutes will give you a yolk that is creamy and mostly set.
• Step 3– While eggs are cooking, fill up a large mixing bowl with water and ice. Once you are ready to finish cooking your eggs, turn heat off. Use a skimmer spoon to remove the eggs from from sauce pan and submerge one egg at a time in ice bath. Keep eggs in ice water for 1-2 minutes. The shock from the ice bath will immediately stop the cooking process preventing eggs from overcooking. 

• Step 4– Grab one egg and remove from ice bath. Gently tap bottom of egg on a hard surface such as a cutting board or kitchen counter. Carefully peel egg shell leaving a smooth white surface behind. Repeat with the rest of eggs. 
• Step 5– If you are using the eggs for meal prep or later use, leave shells on eggs and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve hard boiled eggs as is or in your favorite egg recipes.

Tips for Perfectly Boiling Eggs:

1. Don’t skip the ice bath- Submerging hot eggs in an ice bath produces a shock which causes the shell to soften and unstick from the inside. This ensures your eggs will easily peel leaving the egg whole and as smooth as possible.
2. The shock from the ice bath will immediately stop the cooking process- This will prevent eggs from overcooking. Another reason you don’t want to skip the ice bath.
3. Leave shells on eggs if using for meal prep- Store eggs in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Meal Prepping it:

Hard boiled eggs are perfect for meal prep. They are great for a quick breakfast, snack, or even to add to salads for lunch. Make half a dozen to a dozen eggs and keep them refrigerated for up to a week. Once you hard boil your eggs and cool them down in an ice bath, place in Tupperware without removing the shell. The boiled eggs will last for up to 5 days refrigerated as long as they still have the shell on.

Use hard boiled eggs in your favorite recipes:

• Avocado Egg Salad

Did you like this Boil Eggs recipe? You may also like these other egg recipes:

• Sheet Pan Omelet
• Zucchini Quinoa Egg Bites

Print

How to Perfectly Boil Eggs

Learn how to perfectly boil eggs with this classic, easy, and simple method. Perfectly boiled eggs with the yolk cooked just like you prefer. Meal prep and learn how to store in the fridge for ready-to-go breakfasts, snacks, or lunches.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Boiled Eggs, Perfectly Boiled Eggs

Cook Time 12 minutes

ice bath 2 minutes

Total Time 14 minutes

Servings 6 eggs

Calories 63 kcal

Author Angelica Arias

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• water
• ice

Instructions

1. Place half a dozen large brown eggs in a medium sauce pan. Fill up with water until eggs are fully covered and submerged. Place sauce pan on stovetop on high heat and bring to a boil.

2. At this point, cook eggs for as long as you’d like depending on how runny or hard you want your egg yolk to be. A fully cooked egg needs to boil for 12 minutes. Boil eggs for 3-4 minutes for a runny yolk. 5-6 minutes will result in a creamier, slightly runny yolk. While 8-10 minutes will give you a yolk that is creamy and mostly set.

3. While eggs are cooking, fill up a large mixing bowl with water and ice. Once you are ready to finish cooking your eggs, turn heat off. Use a skimmer spoon to remove the eggs from from sauce pan and submerge one egg at a time in ice bath. Keep eggs in ice water for 1-2 minutes. The shock from the ice bath will immediately stop the cooking process preventing eggs from overcooking.

4. Grab one egg and remove from ice bath. Gently tap bottom of egg on a hard surface such as a cutting board or kitchen counter. Carefully peel egg shell leaving a smooth white surface behind. Repeat with the rest of eggs.

5. If you are using the eggs for meal prep or later use, leave shells on eggs and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Serve hard boiled eggs as is or in your favorite egg recipes.

Recipe Notes

Tips for Perfectly Boiling Eggs:

1. Don’t skip the ice bath- Submerging hot eggs in an ice bath produces a shock which causes the shell to soften and unstick from the inside. This ensures your eggs will easily peel leaving the egg whole and as smooth as possible.
2. The shock from the ice bath will immediately stop the cooking process- This will prevent eggs from overcooking. Another reason you don’t want to skip the ice bath.
3. Leave shells on eggs if using for meal prep- Store eggs in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts

How to Perfectly Boil Eggs

Amount per Serving

Calories

63

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

4

g

6

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Trans Fat

 

0.02

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Cholesterol

 

164

mg

55

%

Sodium

 

62

mg

3

%

Potassium

 

61

mg

2

%

Carbohydrates

 

0.3

g

0

%

Sugar

 

0.2

g

0

%

Protein

 

6

g

12

%

Vitamin A

 

238

IU

5

%

Calcium

 

25

mg

3

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.

**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used. 

**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family.