Learn how to make hard boiled eggs perfectly every time! With this easy method, they'll be easy to peel and have vibrant yellow yolks.
Here’s the good news: perfect hard boiled eggs are easy to make. …And the bad news: so are less-than-perfect ones. I don’t know about you, but I’ve certainly cooked my fair share of the latter. When you try to peel away the shell, half the whites come along with it, or when you cut it open, the yolk is slightly green instead of brilliant yellow. Pretty disappointing, if you ask me.
See, cooking perfect hard boiled eggs is easy, but that doesn’t mean that the process you use doesn’t matter. After years of trial and error, I’m happy to say that this method for how to make hard boiled eggs works every time! The yolks are always sunshine yellow, and the shells slide right off. Whether you’re getting ready for Easter, prepping for Passover, or just on the hunt for a protein-packed snack, this easy hard boiled egg recipe is guaranteed to please.
How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
Follow these simple steps to make perfect hard boiled eggs every time:
First, boil the eggs. Place them in a pot and cover them with cold water by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
Then, let them sit in the hot water. As soon as the water begins to boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Leave the eggs in the hot water for anywhere from 10-12 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. The 10-minute eggs will have vibrant, creamy yolks, while the 12-minute yolks will be paler and opaque, with a chalkier texture.
Finally, move them to an ice bath. When the time is up, drain the eggs and transfer them to a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Leave them in the ice bath for at least 14 minutes before you peel the eggs.
If you’re not planning to eat the eggs right away, feel free to leave them in the shells and store them in the fridge. But even if this is the case, don’t cut the ice bath short! It’s crucial for stopping the cooking process and making the eggs easy to peel later on.
See below for the complete recipe!
Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs Tips
- Buy the eggs in advance. If I’m cooking sunny side up eggs, fresh eggs will yield the best results every time. But if I’m hard boiling them, the opposite is true! Boiled farm-fresh eggs are more difficult to peel than older eggs. If you want to make perfect hard boiled eggs, it pays to buy them in advance and cook them after a few days in the fridge.
- Store the eggs upside down. This tip comes from Jack’s mom, who makes the BEST deviled eggs for family gatherings. In order for the yolks to land right in the center of the hard boiled eggs, she recommends storing the raw eggs upside down before you cook them.
- Don’t skip the ice bath! Overcooked hard boiled eggs have an unappealing greenish ring around the yolks. We want our yolks to come out sunshine-yellow, so transfer the eggs to an ice bath to stop the cooking process as soon as they come out of the pot. This step is also crucial for making hard boiled eggs that are easy to peel. The ice bath helps separate the egg membrane from the shell, so you’ll be able to peel away the shell without ripping off chunks of egg white.
- Peel them carefully. The ice bath should set you up for success here, but that doesn’t mean the shell will all come off in one piece. Gently rap the egg on the counter to break the entire shell into small pieces. Carefully peel it away along the fractures, leaving the egg whites as intact as possible.
Storing and Serving Suggestions
Peeled or unpeeled hard boiled eggs will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy them as a protein-packed snack with salt and pepper or Everything Bagel Seasoning, slice them into salads, add them to grain bowls, or top them onto avocado toast. I also love to make hard boiled eggs to turn into deviled eggs, pickled eggs, or healthy egg salad!
How do you like to eat hard boiled eggs? Let me know in the comments!
How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place eggs in a medium pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let the eggs cook, covered, for 9 to 12 minutes, depending on your desired done-ness (see photo).
- Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and chill for 14 minutes. This makes the eggs easier to peel. Peel and enjoy!
Sound s like a keeper to me.
I have a question about hard boiled eggs. I usually boil 12–18 lg. Eggs at one time. We use boiled eggs for many different recipes during the week. I put the couple week old store bought eggs, from the fridge into a heavy lg. Pot, cover them about 1” of cold faucet water, put on an electric stove on med-high heat, bring to a soft boil , turn the burner off, cover, & move off the burner, let sit 7-15 minutes, drain off all hot water, rinse in cold faucet water a couple of times, fill pot with cold faucet water till completely cold. We don’t have or use ice. Some of them peel easy & some don’t. Would it help to sit the cold pot of eggs with water in the fridge?? I will try the baking soda next time. Thanks for the helpful info and for everyone’s comments. Very helpful.
So I tried this and my first attempt ended with the whites not cooked and the yolks were great. Not sure what I did wrong. I did not bring to a full rolling boil and maybe that had an affect on it.
Hi Shelley, bring it to a full boil before turning it down. It sounds like they just needed to cook more.
Great recipe. Worked perfectly for me!
Perfect! I tried 10 minutes and 12 minutes and they came out exactly like the picture. No grey parts inside the egg either!
Delicious
Sorry to report, this method did not work for me. I had such hope it would.
I just made 17 at the same time and they are PERFECT!!! No cracks or broke ones, didn’t poke no hole or add any baking stuff…… Thank You ?
This worked beautifully!!! Thank you so much!!! I love cooking and do it often, but I never make hardboiled eggs for some reason and was definitely a little intimidated, thanks to your recipe they came out absolutely perfect 🙂 Also I am in love with that blue and white board in the photo where you’re peeling the eggs, do you mind if I ask where you bought that? I want one so bad! Thanks again for such a killer how-to, now I can confidently make devilled eggs whenever I please:)
i use this meathod for boiling chicken eggs -i prefer the 10 minute range, since the full 12 minutes seems a bit “over-cooked” for me .
the eggs i used are fresh within a couple days of our chickens laying the eggs – i add baking soda to the water since it seems to help for a nicer peeling the shell.
i also boiled a duck & a turkey egg with the 1/2 dozen chicken eggs, but left them in the hot water for 3 extra minutes since they are larger
i’ll add a follow-up of the results once i peel/eat them
(note: we dont peel the eggs til we are ready to eat, so they will be refrigerated in the shell for possibly up to a week)
What size eggs do you use?
large eggs
I read somewhere that the water used to boil eggs is beneficial for watering your plants or houseplants because it’s rich in calcium. Also eggshells for your garden.
Thanks for the great recipe -Using it now!
that’s so interesting!
Do I need to bring the eggs to a boil without the pot’s lid on? Seems like a novice question, I know. But I’ve tried everything… and I mean E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G… to get easy-to-peel, green-free eggs and it just never happens. Thanks in advance!
Yep, bring to a boil, then put the lid on. Easy peeling can also depend on your eggs – farm fresh eggs are harder to peel, older grocery store eggs are easier. I hope that helps!
Thanks, Jeanine!
thanks bill!!!
It was yummy. My momomy made it since I’m 8 and can’t cook.
They came out absolutely perfect!! Thank you!!
Super good with avocado and cheddar cheese for breakfast
I tried this and the yolks looked nice…but the shell was the worst thing in the world to peel. Most of them took all the egg with them.
try adding some baking soda to the water – it seems to help
Turned out perfectly!!
Will running gold water from the faucet continuously do to chill the HB eggs after the 12 unite cook time? I don’t have ice and it’s 12:30 AM Easter morning.
Please help
That should say cold water. Lol
Not gold water.
Yes, that works for me. I usually refill the bowl with cold water a few times as the eggs warm the water up and I don’t like to run the tap for 14 minutes. Be careful to hold the eggs in place if you’re tipping water out of the bowl; saves the eggs bumping into each other and cracking.
Bless you for the “jump to recipe” button! ❤️