Are you ready to get PERFECT hard boiled eggs every single time? Bring a pot of water to a boil and then boil your eggs anywhere from 6-12 minutes for soft-boiled to fully hard boiled.
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!
Our method of making hard boiled eggs requires you to bring a pot of water to a boil, boil your eggs for6-12 minutes, and then place the eggs immediately into an ice bath to make sure they are easy to peel afterward.
What is our magic number for perfect hard boiled eggs? 10 minutes for bright yellow yolks.
What You Need for Hard Boiled Eggs
- Pot: your pot size depends on how many eggs you want to boil at once. You need to make sure you can fully submerge the eggs in water.
- 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.
- A Bowl of Ice Water: we use an ice bath to not only help prevent the yolks from turning brown but also to help peel the shells off easier.
How long to hard boil eggs?
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 set your timer to make a perfect hard boiled egg every time.
- 6 minutes –> soft-boiled
- 8 minutes –> jammy
- 10 minutes –> just right
- 12 minutes –> well-done
Why an Ice 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 large bowl of ice water with a slotted spoon..
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.
Storage
- Fridge: Store unpeeled eggs for up to 7 days.
- Counter: Don’t leave out for more than 1-2 hours.
- Freezing: Peel and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Store: store hard boiled 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
How long do you boil an egg for hard?
If you want your egg hard on the inside, boil them for 10-12 minutes.
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.
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.
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. Bonus, you can make sandwiches with this, too.
Deviled Eggs – deviled eggs are a fun appetizer staring hard boiled eggs. They’re tangy and a fan favorite.
Try it!
Deviled Eggs
These easy deviled eggs are seriously easy to make with simple ingredients and flavor you’ll love. Make a batch of these delicious deviled eggs today!
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!
Try it!
Avocado Toast
Top your avocado toast with your choice of soft-boiled to hard-boiled eggs for extra protein!
