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!
Where is your lovely blue and white small platter from? Is it an antique? (From photo of you peeling). I need this in my life! ?
Hi Csilla, it is vintage, I found it on Etsy.
excellent recipe. As mentioned, the process works perfectly. Some modifications may need to be taken..i.e. if your pot retains a lot of heat (as mine does..and also the age of eggs,
and type of stovetop)…
I followed all directions and took the pan off the stove, covered for 9 min for perfect soft insides…will leave for 11-12 for hardboiled.
Works every time.. plunging in ice water makes peeling a breeze!! Thank you!
I’m so glad your eggs have been perfect!
Hi Jeanine.
Thanks for this recipe! Do you start with eggs straight from the fridge or eggs at room temperature?
Hannah ☺️
Hi Hannah, straight from the fridge!
I have a glass cook top which I think retains heat longer than electric coil, or gas. Have you had experience with this?
Hi Bob, I don’t have a glass cooktop. You could test one egg and see if it’s overdone, and otherwise move the pan off the burner.
Hi, do you remove the pot from the burner after the water has boiled? It doesn’t say.
I leave the pot and just turn off the heat.
I remove the pan from the heat as my stovetop retains heat. Perfect timing for large eggs. I always use eggs that have been in frig for at least a week
I made these today and they turned out just as well as the ones I made in my InstantPot. I followed the instructions exactly, even leaving the pan on the burner for the 12 minutes. The 12 minutes was perfect for my preference. They peeled very easily. Thanks for posting this method.
P.S. I used these to experiment using canned diced potatoes in potato salad and it turned out pretty well.
Hi Jimmy, I’m so glad your eggs were perfect!
Wow! I am so glad I found your recipe. For years I had tried that vinegar in the boiling water trick and it never worked. I tried your method today and perfect hard-boiled eggs slightly soft yolk but still firm enough. And easy to peel. It was the timing and the ice bath! Thanks.
I’d been using a hardboiled egg recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook for ages, and they never seemed to peel easily so when hardboiling eggs a few weeks ago to color for Easter, I checked out some other recipes and landed on this one. I followed it and colored my eggs. Colored Easter Eggs always taste better! Every egg peeled perfectly and was perfectly cooked. My husband liked having a hardboiled egg to add to his salad so I boiled another dozen today. I read the reviews and was so surprised that some did not turn out as expected. Again, 11 minutes sitting with the lid on after coming to a boil and 14 minutes in an ice bath. I just cracked one and had it for lunch. The shell came off in a few large pieces and the yolk was a soft yellow and perfectly textured. My mom taught me that if you can plan ahead of time, buy eggs and let them sit for about a week before hardboiling them. Fresher eggs don’t always peel as well. Maybe that’s why it doesn’t turn out so well for some. Thank you for this recipe.
Hi Margie, I’m so glad to hear this method worked so well for you!
I have no idea how this is getting such great reviews. I followed the directions to a T. I set timers for the cook time as well as the ice bath. I bought the eggs 4 days in advance.. I made 18 eggs. 6 peeled, 12 were so difficult it took me almost an hour to peel. Ibhave a party tomorrow and do not have time or more eggs. My deviled eggs are terrible. I will never follow this recipe again.
Need to use older eggs. Fresh will have this problem no matter how you do it.
I like to cut up a couple of hard boiled eggs in a microwave able bowl with a pat of butter and some pepper. Hear until butter melts, about 30 seconds stir and enjoy with toast, english muffin or crackers! Quick and yummy for breakfast lunch or snack!!;
I have followed a similar recipe. If you put the eggs in and bring the water to a boil, cover , remove them from heat, and leave them with the lid on in the water until the water cools the eggs turn out perfect. I do this to make a few that way I only have to pay attention until the water is boiling.
Worked out really well! They were the perfect sunshine yellow color and the shell came off easily. One little thing i noticed is some shell still pulled up the egg white but otherwise was good.
They didn’t even cook we cracked it open and egg was everywhere I suggest cook for 8 min on high and don’t turn off your stove
I make my deviled eggs with diced jalapeños. They are a favorite at a fox hunt tailgate or a fellowship meal at church.
I love that! They’re good with pickled jalapeno’s too 🙂
Maybe the person who says it didnt work, is because you are not suppose to take eggs off the burner. You leave the eggs on the burner, soon as you have a good boil, cover the eggs and turn burner off. But leave the pan ON the burner. For 12 minutes. Then move to ice bath for 14 minutes!! IT WORKS PERFECT EVERY SINGLE TIME IF YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS EXACTLY!! ITS A NO FAIL PERFECT HARD BOILED EGG WITH A SUNSHINE YELLOW YOLK! I PROMISE YOU! Everyone loves my hard boiled eggs. thanks to this recipe & believe me, ive tried them all. HOW TO COOK PERFECT HARD BOILED EGGS with these directions, is posted on the wall in my kitchen!! Part of my decor. Thank you so much for sharing
Hi Annee, I’m so glad this method has worked so well for you!
We followed your recipe. Still had a few eggs reluctant to give up their shells. We left in hot water 10 min, ice bath 20-25. The shells slid right off on most eggs, but it was frustrating to have a few with chunks missing in the white. Not sure why.
Does it matter if you’re using gas’s range or electric. I’m electric and burner stays hot for a bit.
?
Another great tip for easy to peel eggs is to add one tablespoon of salt and 2oz.. of white vinegar. When it’s time to peel the eggs, crack the egg on a cutting board and roll the egg on the cutting board. The shell will typically come off in one piece.
This was so helpful! My first try was a success. The eggs turned out better than my husband’s (and he’s hard-boiled eggs for years). Thank you!
I’m so glad they turned out so well!
this recipe is not correct! 12 min in a pot after bringing to a full boil and taking it off burner and placing the lid on top does NOT cook the eggs!!
I left my first batch on the burner and turned off the heat. They were over cooked in just 10 minutes, despite a 15 minute ice bath afterward. Wondering if I should take the pot off the burner, or leave it on but kill the heat and reduce the time.
Hi, if they were overcooked for you, I would reduce the time.
Brought to a rolling boil, covered and set the pot off the burner. After 11 minutes the eggs went into an ice bath for 14 minutes. Perfect. Peeled easily and creamy yellow yolk.
I’m so glad they were perfect!
Rolling boil is quite different from begins to boil. My egg whites were raw at 11 minutes.
What altitude are you at? (Makes a big difference).
Do you recommend waiting for a full rolling boil before turning if the heat and covering? I notice mine will half boil and lots of bubbles coming up for multiple minutes before turning into a rolling boil so not sure which is the correct time to actually turn off heat and cover. Thanks!
Hi Taylor, as soon as the water comes to a boil (medium bubbles) cover it, I don’t wait multiple minutes or the eggs will overcook.
Don’t forget, whether your water is softened or not, it’s mineral content, and the altitude you’re cooking at all affect “boiling” point. One person’s experience can vary quite a bit from another’s depending on such factors as these. Just… try it, adjust for your situation.
How do you know when an egg is upside down?
Pointy side down. Eggs are.. well, egg shaped. You want the smaller side pointed down so the yolks center up better. Usually, store bought eggs are already like this.
Omg. Eggs are larger at the bottom.