Are you ready to get PERFECT hard boiled eggs every single time? This hard boiled eggs recipe is foolproof and will get you the exact kind of yolk you want!
I promise this is the only easy peel hard boiled eggs recipe you’ll ever want to use again. In this post, we’ll teach you how to hard boil eggs + answer all your questions about cooking hard boiled eggs.
Whether you’re looking to make egg salad or just eat a hard boiled egg for a snack, you’ve come to the right place to learn how to make perfect hard boiled eggs!
Why Make Hard Boiled Eggs?
Before we jump into this guide, let’s talk about all things hard boiled eggs and why we love them so much at Fit Foodie Finds.
Eggs are a breakfast staple in our kitchens and hard boiled eggs specifically, are in our weekly rotation for both breakfast and snacking. We love hard boiled eggs because they’re:
- easy to make – you can make hard boiled eggs in less than 30 minutes.
- packed with protein – 1 large egg has 6g protein.
- Low carb – 1 large egg has 1g carb.
- great for meal prep – you can make 2 eggs, 4 eggs, or 24 hard boiled eggs at a time!
- grab-and-go – don’t have time to make breakfast? Pre-boil your eggs for an easy grab-and-go solution.
- versatile – eat them as-is or make an egg salad, egg toast, or top your favorite salad with them!
What You Need for Hard Boiled Eggs
Medium Pot: You’ll need to pull out a medium to large pot depending on how many eggs you want to hard boil. Want to make 2 eggs? 4 eggs? 24 eggs? Make as many as your heart desires, but make sure you have a pot big enough.
Large Eggs: This hard boiled eggs recipe calls for large eggs. You can use any kind of large eggs you can find, but the #1 tip we have is to make sure you use fresh eggs. Fresh eggs will cook better and taste better too!
- organic
- free-range
- white, brown, speckled
tip – egg size matters
If you use small, medium, or XL eggs, your cook times will vary from the ones listed in this guide.
A Bowl of Ice Water: To create your ice bath, you need a medium bowl filled with ice and water.
How to Hard Boil Eggs (4 Steps)
Now that you’ve got everything you need to make perfect hard boiled eggs, it’s time to get cooking!
Boil Water
The first step is to bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Make sure your pot is big enough to boil the number of eggs you want to cook and that there is enough water in your pot to fully submerge them.
Bring water to a boil over high heat.
Add Eggs & Cook
Once the water is boiling, carefully add large eggs to the boiling water and continue boiling for 6-12 minutes.
quick tip
You can either carefully drop the eggs right into the water using your hands, or use a ladle to submerge the eggs if you’re afraid of the eggs accidentally cracking.
Do my eggs need to be room temperature? We typically take our eggs straight out of the fridge and boil them cold, so don’t worry about bringing them to room temp.
Cook Time Matters for Yolk Consistency
The perfect hard-boiled eggs really come down to preference. Do you like soft boiled yolks? A yolk that is more well-done? Here is our quick guide to help you make a perfect hard boiled egg every time.
- 6 minutes: soft-boiled, the yolk is bright yellow in color and a runny.
- 8 minutes: jammy, the yolk is bright yellow in color and a little runny.
- 10 minutes: just right, the yolk is yellow in color with a yolk that is cooked and just right.
- 12 minutes: well-done, the yolk is a lighter yellow in color and fully cooked.
Ice Water Bath
Once your eggs have cooked for 6-12 minutes, it’s time to take them off the heat and transfer them *immediately* into a bowl of ice water.
The reason we’re calling this an easy to peel hard boiled eggs recipe is because of this step! An ice bath does a few things for your eggs:
- Easy to Peel: By going from boiling water to ice water in a matter of seconds, it helps peel back the membrane of the egg, disconnecting the shell from the egg itself making your eggs much easier to peel.
- Bright Yellow Yolk: the quick difference between hot water and cold water helps preserve the bright yellow color of the yolk. If you don’t use an ice bath, you’ll notice that your yolks could turn brown or much lighter in color.
verdict?
Whatever you do, do NOT skip the cold water step. Make sure you let your eggs chill in the cold water for at least 5-10 minutes.
You can thank me later when your eggs are gorgeous and easier to peel 😀
Peel
And now, the final step! It’s time to peel your hard boiled eggs. You’ve done the hard work of boiling and chilling, and now the fun part has arrived –> PEELING.
Since you’ve followed this recipe to a tee (I’m only assuming you did :P), your eggs should be rather easy to peel. We like to take the simple route of cracking the egg on the countertop to loosen the shell and then use our fings to peel it off. However, we know there are many ways to peel an egg.
Storage
Should I peel my eggs before storing them? Oh the burning question! The short answer is either option works. If you’re planning for your eggs to last you all week, we suggest NOT peeling them because once you peel them, they will smell like eggs.
However, if you’re planning to use them within a day or so, we say to peel them all at once! This will make them a super simple grab and go snack or breakfast.
Store: store eggs in the refrigerator for up to 7 days (per the FDA).
How long can I leave my hard boiled eggs on the counter?
The FDA recommends letting your eggs sit on the counter outside of the fridge for no more than 1-2 hours before bacteria can start to grow and cause illness.
quick tip!
If you plan to store your eggs in the fridge with the shell on, you can write the date on the shell so you know how long they’ve been there.
Can you freeze hard boiled eggs?
Yes, you can freeze hard boiled eggs. Simply peel your eggs and transfer them into a freezer-safe gallon size bag. Remove as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months.
Common Hard Boiled Egg Questions
How long do you boil an egg? To make perfect hard boiled eggs, boil eggs for 6-12 minutes. Yolks will range from soft to well-done.
What is the easiest way to hard boil eggs? Bring a pot of water to a boil. Then, add hard boiled eggs and continue boiling for 6-12 minutes. Immediately transfer to an ice water bath to chill for at least 10 minutes before peeling.
What does it take to hard boil an egg? To make hard boiled eggs, you’ll need large eggs, a medium pot, and a large bowl with ice water in it.
How do I know if my hard boiled eggs are still good? Hard boiled eggs will last in the fridge for up to 7 days. Anything after that and we suggest tossing them. The best way to know if your eggs have gone rotten is the small. If your eggs smell bad/rotten/gross, throw them out immediately.
What to do with Hard Boiled Eggs
We know that you love eating these perfect hard boiled eggs with a little salt and pepper on top, but we thought we’d share a few other ideas on how to repurpose your hard boiled eggs!
Egg Salad – egg salad is a give in. It’s made with a base of hard boiled eggs and then we like to mix in Greek yogurt, mayo, and a little mustard. Try our favorite Egg Salad recipe.
Develied Eggs – deviled eggs are a fun appetizer staring hard boiled eggs. They’re tangy and a fan favorite.
Cobb Salad – A star ingredient in a cobb salad is a hard boiled egg. It not only adds flavor, but protein. Try our Rotisserie Chicken Cobb Salad or Spring Cobb Salad.
Toast/Bagel – Keep things simple and top your toast or bagel with hard boiled eggs!
How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
Looking to make PERFECT hard boiled eggs? This hard boiled eggs recipe is foolproof and will get you the exact kind of yolk you want!
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 3–6 large eggs
Instructions
- First fill a medium bowl halfway with ice cubes and cover the ice cubes with water. Set aside.
- Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
- Gently add the eggs to the boiling water and let boil for >>>
- 6 minutes for soft boiled eggs (bright yellow yolks)
- 8 minutes for jammy hard-boiled eggs (yellow yolks)
- 10 minutes for medium hard-boiled eggs (yellow yolks)
- 12 minutes for fully cooked hard-boiled eggs (lighter yellow yolks)
- When the eggs are done cooking drain water from the saucepan and place the eggs in the ice bath for at least 5 minutes.
- Carefully peel the shell from each egg. If the shell isn’t peeling easily, try running the egg underwater while peeling the egg.
- Cut the egg in half and enjoy!
Tips & Notes
- Store hard boiled eggs (peeled or unpeeled) in the refrigerator for up to 7 days (per the FDA).
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 egg Calories: 70 Sugar: 0 Fat: 5 Carbohydrates: 1 Fiber: 0 Protein: 6
Keywords: hard boiled eggs