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!
Wow, this worked perfectly! I followed the recipe and cooked the eggs for 11 minutes, then 10 minutes with the ice and cold water. Success!!!
So glad they came out well for you!
Very disappointing for me and my family. I followed the recipe exactly including the 14 minute ice bath. The eggs were definitely NOT easy to peel and I lost several chunks of white. The membrane was also sticking to the eggs. Most disappointing, this recipe assumes you want cold eggs. I like them still hot when I peel them. What a let down.
Hi Jay, I have experimented with eggs and the peeling, trying all different recommendations. What has worked best for me is to cook the eggs longer, such as 14 minutes. But the secret is to salt heartily in the pan before cooking, and to peel while still warm (skipping the ice bath). I only perform an initial rinse to cool the eggs enough to be able to handle them
might want to add for electric stoves take the pot off the element. Shut off heat is vague.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I followed the recipe as stated and they turned out great for me! Thank you for sharing.
So glad you loved it!
This worked perfectly! For those asking, I left the pot ON the burner just turned it off. Cooked 12 minutes for hard boiled and they were perfect.
I’m so glad they were perfect!
Do you have an electric stove?
Do you take the pot off the burner and cover or leave it on the burner and cover (I have a flat electric stove top)when the water starts boiling? Someone else asked but there was no reply.
Someone named Billy said, below, “ turn the burner off dont remove from the heat.”
I’m going to try this method now – I can also let you know if it works for me!
Maybe eight, but didn’t go through the other tips about buying a good couple days ahead of time still good
My hard boiled eggs were just perfect!
So glad they came out well for you!
PERFECT.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
turn the burner off dont remove from the heat.
Best recipe for hard boiled eggs. And amazing how easy to peel. Thank you!!!!
I’m so glad your eggs were perfect!
Ummm I learned today THE best way to cook perfect hard boiled eggs. Flawless! It’s so simple and easy. I feel stupid for even having to learn this late in life 🙂 thank you for the best way to get easy peeling eggs. I don’t have time to mess with eggs!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
Hi Phoebe, when you turn the heat off, do you remove the pot from the burner or leave it for the 15 minutes?
I love your recipes. As usual, the eggs cooked and peeled perfectly. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad they were perfect!
You can also put them in pickle juice for a few days. For really colorful eggs put them in with pickled beet juice.
This did not work for me. Do you put vinegar or anything in the water?
My eggs were mangled..haha!
Mangled? How do you mangle hard cooked eggs?lol, yes you can add vinegar to keep them from cracking.
Do you wait until the eggs come to a rapid boil, or Emma or when you 1st start to get tiny bubbles?
Hi Sue, when the surface starts to bubble (past the point of tiny bubbles around the sides of the pot). It doesn’t have to be rolling.
Which is the top side of an egg, wide or narrow? I’d like to store them upside down but don’t know what that is! Thank you!
Top side is the pointy end.
Tried this as written and my eggs came out absolutely perfect! I left them in for 10 minutes because I like my yolks a little on the soft side and they were just how I like them. I’ve tried a lot of subtly different recipes for hard boiled eggs, but I must say I’m an ice bath convert now. Thank you for my new go-to recipe! (I’m using an electric stove in case that helps anyone decide if this method is for them!)
I come back to this post all the time— never had more consistent success with hard-boiled eggs! When using a gas stove, I might set it to « low » for an extra couple minutes as the stovetop does not retain as much heat as the electric burner I might typically use. I wonder if that, or not using enough water, might account for the people who have not had success with this method.
Hi Charlotte, I’m so glad your eggs have been so successful!
Followed the recipe leading to undercook eggs and wasted groceries.
I hope you recovered your $3
This recipie as written should be bullet proof. Almost exact same process we have used for years to hard boil ex large eggs. Only difference is we usually placed in tap water til room temp and then refrigerate for at least an hour prior to peeling. For those that had issues the most likely issue (besides not following the directions exactly). 1) too fresh or too old eggs. 2) didn’t bring water to a full boil. Water in a pot can start bubbling at 170 degrees. Bubbling and boiling are 40 degrees difference. 3) using too small pot. You have to have enough water in the pot to hold that temperature.