How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs

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.

Perfect Hard boiled eggs

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.

Carton of eggs

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.

How to hard boil eggs

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.

How to make hard boiled eggs

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!

Eggs in an ice bath

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.

Peeling hard boiled eggs

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!

Best hard boiled eggs

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How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs

rate this recipe:
4.90 from 411 votes
This easy method for how to hard boil eggs works every time! They're easy to peel, and they have perfect yellow yolks. Enjoy them as a snack, add them to salads, and more!

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!

Notes

*Eggs may vary based on size, type, and freshness. Farm-fresh eggs are more difficult to peel than older eggs. 

373 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Felicia
    03.24.2024

    So, this is a perfect method. However, one should note that 12minutes at high altitude will leave you with partially uncooked whites. When hard boiling eggs using this method at high altitude, I found adjusting to 15-18 minutes will yield the desired results.

  2. Gailee Walker Wells
    03.22.2024

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes. I had this hard boiled egg recipe before, but forgot the exact times. I-m looking forward to making the other recipes from today’s newsletter.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.22.2024

      Hi Gailee, I hope you enjoy!

  3. Maria
    03.16.2024

    3 stars
    Yolk turned out perfect but not quite a smooth peel, still pieces of the egg white would come off with peeling. Still looking for that perfect boiled egg recipe.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.21.2024

      Hi Maria, I’m glad you were happy with the yolks! I find that peeling the eggs under running water can help with slipping off the shells.

  4. Michelle
    03.15.2024

    5 stars
    12 minutes is optimal for me. They come out perfect every time! This is a great “recipe” for hard boiled eggs. Thanks!!

  5. Kt
    03.14.2024

    Do you leave it on the burner once it’s boiling and you turn it off and set the timer?

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.15.2024

      Hi Kt, yes, you can leave the eggs on the burner.

  6. Rick Hillier
    03.05.2024

    Doesn’t the size of the eggs being used matter? One would think that XL eggs take longer than L eggs. It’d be nice if there was some sort of time guide based on that.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.08.2024

      Hi Rick, we typically call for large eggs in our recipes so we call for large eggs here as well. Great suggestion to add instructions for other sizes in the future.

      • Brian
        03.18.2024

        4 stars
        I use xl mostly and I find that upon a rolling boil, turning off the burner, leaving the covered pot on the burner for 9 minutes gives a great yolk with fully cooked whites.

    • Brian
      03.18.2024

      4 stars
      I use xl mostly and I find turning off the burner, leaving the covered pot on the burner for 9 minutes gives a great yolk with fully cooked whites

  7. Jim
    03.01.2024

    5 stars
    Eggs came out perfect. I went for 11 minutes. Thank you !

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.01.2024

      Hi Jim, so glad you enjoyed them!

  8. Joey
    02.18.2024

    5 stars
    Great recipe! I added 1/4 tsp baking soda to the water – helps to peel easier.

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.