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Place cold eggs in boiling water and let them boil for the desired amount of time (see my handy chart!), transfer them to a bowl of cold water and peel them after they’ve cooled. Okay, now that the basics are out of the way… Let’s get into the details of How Long to Boil Eggs!
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Boiled Egg Time
Follow my handy chart below for a quick reference guide on how long to boil eggs – but keep scrolling for even more info, methods, and tips so you can cook the perfect eggs every time!
| Boiled Egg Type | Cook Time | Yolk and Egg Whites Consistency |
|---|---|---|
| Runny Yolk Eggs Time | 3-6 minutes | Runny yolks and barely set whites (3 minutes for egg dippers!) |
| Soft Boiled Eggs Time | 8-9 minutes | Custard-like, spreadable yolks and soft, set whites |
| Hard Boiled Eggs Time | 10-11 minutes | Firm but smooth yolks and firm whites |
| Overcooked Eggs | 12+ minutes | Rubbery whites and powdery yolks, green ring and sulfur smell |
How to Boil Eggs
- To prepare the eggs, take a spoon and very gently tap on the bottom of the eggs until you hear a soft click. This will help them peel later.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once it’s rapidly boiling, place in cold eggs and set the heat a little lower to a gentle boil. Let the eggs cook for 6-11 minutes depending on desired consistency. Use a kitchen timer for best results!
- Transfer the eggs to an ice bath or bowl of tap cold water using a slotted spoon, and chill for 14 minutes. This is a critical step for peeling the eggs!
- Carefully peel by gently tapping the egg all over on a hard surface and rolling it on the counter until the egg is well cracked all over, then peeling starting with the bottom of the egg. Peel underwater for even more ease.
Soft Boiled Eggs
Soft boiled eggs are eggs that have been boiled only long enough for the white to set, but not the yolk. This leaves the yolk runny and the white tender and soft, perfect for popping into a bowl of ramen!
Soft Boiled Egg Time
Luckily, making soft boiled eggs is almost exactly the same as hard boiled. Just make sure to boil the eggs for no longer than 9 minutes; I like 8 minutes for nicely runny eggs! They will be harder to peel, so be extra gentle.
Important Safety Note for Boiling Eggs
⚠️Never cook eggs in the microwave! ⚠️ Microwaved eggs can explode upon being touched, leading to severe burns or worse. It’s not worth the saved time. Cook eggs on the stove, in the Instant Pot, or in the Air Fryer:
How to Peel Hard Boiled Eggs Easily
Peeling hard boiled eggs is half the battle! Depending on the boiling time and age of the eggs, the ease of peeling can change.
- Egg Age: To make the perfect hard boiled eggs easy to peel, it all starts with choosing older eggs. If you’re picking up eggs from the store, almost any carton will work, as grocery store eggs are typically already several weeks old. For farm eggs, let them sit in the fridge for 2-3 weeks before boiling for best results.
- Boiling Time: The boiling time will determine how firm the eggs are, and thus how careful you need to be! For soft-boiled or runny yolk eggs, be extra careful peeling them. For dippy eggs that have been boiled for only 3 minutes, peel only the very top of the egg.
- Rolling the Egg: This is the secret for easy peeling! Gently roll the boiled egg on a hard surface, lightly pressing down just enough to start hearing the shell crackle and crack. Break the shell on all sides this way, then peel it. It’ll come off in one large piece.
- Peel Underwater: Peeling the eggs in a bowl of water makes a huge difference! It helps the peel slip off easily and keeps your hands mess-free.
- Don’t bother with baking soda: There are a lot of hard boiled egg hacks out there, but don’t be fooled. Baking soda, salt, and other water add-ins won’t even permeate the shell of an egg as it boils, and will do no good.
Boiling Eggs Tips
- The true key to easy to peel hard boiled eggs is choosing older eggs. Pick out a carton of eggs with a slightly closer expiration date for super easy to peel eggs. Adding baking soda to the water won’t make any difference!
- For the richest eggs, use farm fresh eggs– it makes a big difference for hard boiled eggs! Just be warned, farm eggs may be harder to peel, so take extra care to loosen the shell.
- Don’t over-crowd the pot! Add a single layer of eggs with enough room for them to wiggle around a bit.
- Always place the eggs into the water AFTER it starts boiling. This will ensure that the cook times are always the same.
- Use fridge-chilled eggs to make sure the cook time stays consistent.
- Egg size makes a difference! These times assume large eggs as labeled in the grocery store. For extra large eggs, add 30 seconds to each time. For jumbo eggs, add one minute.
Hard Boiled Eggs Time FAQ
For a firm hard boiled egg, cook it for 10-11 minutes in hot water. For a slightly less firm egg with a custard-like yolk, cook it for 8 minutes. For soft-boiled, take the eggs out of the water at 6 minutes.
The secret to easy-to-peel eggs is all about the age of the egg, as older eggs have a less tightly attached inner coating. Two extra tricks include “pinging” eggs, which means gently tapping on the base of uncooked eggs until you hear a quiet “ping”, and rolling the boiled eggs on the counter before peeling. Rolling them finely breaks up the shell, making them nice and easy to peel!
Do not ever attempt to boil eggs in the microwave. It is extremely important to never ever cook eggs in the microwave. Eggs can heat up to extreme temperatures in the microwave, and are very likely to explode upon being touched, causing severe burns and worse. Please always cook eggs in an egg cooker, in the Instant Pot, Air Fryer, or on the stove!
Boiled Egg Uses
Each style of boiled egg can be used differently! Once you know how to make hard boiled eggs in boiling water, you’ll be adding them to everything. Here are my favorite ways to serve boiled eggs:
- Dippy Eggs: Eggs cooked for 3 minutes will be completely soft except for a thin layer of white around the shell, perfect for dipping strips of toast into! I like serving these for breakfast.
- Soft Boiled Eggs: My favorite for popping into soups and ramen! The custard-like, runny yolks pick up flavor beautifully and are great for broths. Try it in my Instant Pot Pho, or on Avocado Toast!
- Hard Boiled Eggs: The perfect choice for salads, sides, and more! I like slicing hard boiled eggs thinly into a tasty Caesar Salad, chopping them into an Egg Salad Sandwich, or slicing them in half and making a platter of Deviled Eggs.
Storing Hard Boiled Eggs
Hard boiled eggs can’t be frozen, so I recommend only peeling the amount of eggs you need for your meal and leaving the others in the peel as it keeps them nice and moist. Store boiled eggs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Easy Egg Recipes
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Recipe
Hard Boiled Eggs Time Chart
Equipment
- Glass bowl
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 6 large Eggs
- Cold water
Instructions
- To prep the eggs, take a spoon and very gently tap on the bottom of the eggs until you hear a soft click. This will help them peel later.6 large Eggs
- Bring a pot full of water to a boil over medium-high heat, then add in fridge-cold eggs. Turn down the heat to a gentle boil and let the eggs cook for 9-12 minutes, depending on desired firmness.
- Transfer the eggs to an ice bath or bowl of tap cold water using a slotted spoon, and chill for 14 minutes. This is a critical step for peeling the eggs!
- Carefully peel by gently tapping the egg all over on a hard surface and rolling it on the counter until the egg is well cracked all over, then peeling starting with the bottom of the egg.
Video
Notes
- The true key to easy to peel hard boiled eggs is getting older eggs. Pick out a carton of eggs with a slightly closer expiration date for super easy to peel eggs. Adding baking soda to the water won’t make any difference!
- For the richest eggs, use farm-fresh– it makes a huge difference for hard boiled eggs! Just be warned, farm eggs will be much harder to peel, so take extra care to loosen the shell.
- Wondering how long to boil eggs for deviled eggs? Because you need to mash the yolks, you’ll want a nice firm consistency, so they should be boiled for about 11 minutes.
- Always place the eggs into the water AFTER it starts boiling. This will ensure that the cook times are always the same.
- Use fridge-chilled eggs to make sure the cook time stays consistent.
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