Follow these simple tips on how to make perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs, which result in tender, creamy eggs every time. And no green ring!
I complain endlessly a lot about how my kids don’t really like Mexican food. Can you blame me, though? BUT nothing compares to a kid who doesn’t like eggs.
I was talking to a mom the other day who told me that neither of her kids like eggs. Any kind. Scrambled, sunny side up, fried, hard boiled. Nope. My jaw agape, I almost wept for her. I cannot even imagine this!
My kids love love love eggs. I could serve eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and they’d be happy. Thank goodness. Sort of makes me forgive them over the Mexican thing. SORT OF.
I make hard boiled eggs almost every week – they’re perfect for BBQ deviled eggs, egg salad, soy sauce eggs, and just on their own as a snack with a little dash of salt. Haley and Trevor both like getting them in their lunch box.
Pet peeve of mine? Seeing hard boiled eggs with a green ring around the yolk. Just…no.
Why some hard boiled eggs have a green ring and how to avoid it!
That greenish-gray outline appears around the egg yolk from over-cooking the eggs (and sometimes from having too much iron in the cooking water.) It’s caused from a chemical reaction – the sulfur (from the egg white) and iron (from the egg yolk), creating a slight sulphuric flavor. Eggs with a green ring aren’t bad for you, but they certainly aren’t pretty!
The perfect cooking time for boiled eggs
How long to boil eggs is the magic question! Well, this is sort of subjective, right? It depends how you like your yolk. And it also depends if you boil constantly the entire time or use my cooking method where you bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and put the lid on. I think 12 minutes (using my cooking method, below) is ideal. It cooks the yolk through, but still leaves them pretty, tender, and creamy.
Does it matter if I have a gas or electric stove?
Nope! Because either way, once you achieve that rolling boil, you’re removing the pot from the heat source. I’ve used my method on gas, electric, and induction all with the same great results.
Can I make hard boiled eggs ahead of time and store them?
Yep! If you want to make the hard boiled eggs ahead of time, cook and peel as directed, then store them in a tightly sealed container and place in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Once you’ve got your hard boiled eggs, then make some Classic Deviled Eggs!
Recipes Using Hard Boiled Eggs We Love!
Other Helpful Egg Recipes to Check out!
- The Best Scrambled Eggs
- Perfect Poached Eggs
Watch the video for perfect hard boiled eggs
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
How To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- 8 large cold eggs
- Cold water
- Ice
Instructions
- Gently place the eggs in a single layer at the bottom of a medium pot. Fill with cold water to cover eggs by 1-2 inches. Heat the pot on high and bring the water to a rolling boil. Once it starts boiling, turn off the heat, remove the pan from the burner, cover, and let sit for 12 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a large bowl of ice water and let cool until just slightly warm, about 4-5 minutes. (This will cool them quickly and prevent further cooking, plus make them easier to peel.)
- When the eggs are cool to the touch, peel by gently tapping the eggs on the countertop so they’re crackled all over, rolling eggs between your hands to loosen the shell. Holding the egg under cold running water, start peeling at the large end where the air pocket is.
- Slice, dice, or enjoy whole.
Notes
Nutrition
Thomas says
Awesome, I like boiled eggs, I cook it often but in a different way, I will try to boil it your way, it sounds very new, thanks for your sharing.
Jessica Luther says
Valeri says
Very easy and simple. Thank you.
Melissa says
I boil eggs very often, but I have never boiled this way. Definitely have to try it tomorrow
Joel Ciszewski says
I have always placed the eggs into
an already vigorously boiling pot of
water, letting them boil for perhaps
6-7 minutes.
This has always resulted in perfect
hard boiled eggs, for me at least.
I prefer a more solid yoke.
Mattie says
Works perfectly every time!
William says
Cooking is an art, I love it, learning and updating new recipes has always motivated and loved me. Today was a lucky day, How To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs was great, just follow the instructions and everything else is simple, I know something new, I love that. Thanks for your sharing
Dawn says
I always see recipes that state the lid needs to be on them after taking them off of the high heat. I do not see that posted one way or the other. Which should I try?
Amy @Belly Full says
Hi Dawn – if you read step one again, you’ll see it does state “remove the pan from the burner, cover, and let sit…” Cover means lid on.
J.West says
Cant wait to try this my self. A perfect morning dish! Thanks for sharing!
Ramirez says
Boiled Eggs is great! i like eggs. Simple but very useful, which I have done the wrong way before. Feel your recipe and share
Shelia Lewis says
That is THE best way.
Thanks for sharing.
Ed Carmichael says
It is look very delecious. I will try this. Thanks for sharing!
alice says
Well boiling eggs is easy but having perfect eggs is not, there are a lot skills for me to learn. Thanks so much.
tim says
Oh ya everything needs skills even boiling eggs, this’s useful post. Thanks for sharing.
site@lasesana says
Oh great to know these tips, also how to advoid the green ring, I will try and see how it works, many thanks for the post.
Sanchez says
I love eating boiled eggs. However, getting a delicious egg after boiling is not really easy.
Thank you very much for the article
Samantha says
I loved this article, thank you! Made the eggs following your tips and they were in fact perfect.
Brenda says
I tried this today for my Easter dinner and the eggs turned out perfect , I was so happy that my eggs didn’t tear up trying to peel them. Thank you for this recipe to make perfect boiled eggs.
Sharon says
This is exactly how I do it – tried and true!
Kristen says
I fall under that percentage of people today who don’t have an instant pot that’s all the rage, so I was thrilled to find this recipe. Made some using this old school method and it can’t be beat. Thank you!
Tammy says
Made a few batches today for Easter eggs using this method – it really is perfect. I had never heard of peeling them under water before. That really helped. Thank you for the tips!
Patricia says
Made these today. This method is perfect, thank you!
Cynthia says
Can we store them peeled in a Tupperware container? If so for how long? Does the whites get hard?
Amy @Belly Full says
Hi Cynthia – I cover that information in the blog post and in the recipe notes of the printable card, thanks!
habitat says
BOILED EGGS is awesome! They look really attractive. I like the color as well as its taste, great. I don’t think it’s so simple to do it. Thanks for your sharing
Nataly says
Amy, that recipe looks so yummy! I’ll have to try that one. Thanks for sharing.
Mariya says
Amy, this is such a delicious meal! I love making it for the family !
Lasesana says
Oh it’s great to know, I usually have it for breakfast , but I had no idea to make a perfect one, now I can make my own. Thanks for sharing.
Limda says
Just wondering if you save them in fridge do you take shellsboff or leave on
Golisa says
Well ya, boiling eggs is easy, I haven’t thought too much about that, just boil them, after reading your post, I know more tips for cooking. Many thanks.
Alina says
Amy, it looks so yummy! I love the step-by-step instructions, making it an easy recipe to follow!
Cyndi says
Did this and it was perfect! Excited to try your best scrambled eggs next!
Frannie says
Tried your method today – perfection!
Anna says
Amy, this looks amazing! Thank you, I will try this right away)
Alyssa says
Amy, thanks! This looks so simple to make, yet looking really satisfying and tasty!
Olga says
Amy, it looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this anytime of the day, love it!
Karen Thompson says
I keep seeing methods for instant pot, but I don’t have one. Actually, nobody I know actually has one. This old school stove top method is tried and true, thank you!
Sam-I-am says
You do not like green eggs (and ham)? How could you not, asked Sam-I-am.
I tried your technique and it works well, although I dropped the “cooking” time to 10 minutes. This lets me cook a week’s worth of eggs at once, which I keep in the fridge. I try to eat an egg a day since that study of over 400,000 Chinese adults last year showed that just one egg a day lowered the risk of hemorrhagic stroke by 26% and the risk of death by that cause slightly more, compared with egg abstainers. That’s some science for those egg-hating kids to chew on.
Shannon T. says
At the ripe old age of 43, today was the first time I have ever made deviled eggs. Never too late to try new things! I used this recipe for the hard boiled eggs; followed the directions exactly and it was perfect. Thank you for your foolproof method! I’ve saved your egg salad recipe, too.
linda w kiker says
electric stove holds heat too what to do
Amy @Belly Full says
remove it from the burner.
Marcia says
Wow finally easy to peel and perfect colored yolks. Love deviled eggs but hate making only because of the peeling process. Thanks for instructions and all the tips
MasterMommyK says
I have been happily been this method for decades. I do remove the eggs after 10 minutes and the yolk is bright yellow every time. (I do salt the water) Thanks for posting.
Tina says
If you turn your carton of eggs upside down overnight, then cook them the next day, the yolk will be in the center of the white.
Missy says
That is a fantastic tip! Thank you so much!
Brian says
Gas stove or electric?
Amy @Belly Full says
For electric, you should remove the pan from the burner.
Lisa@eatfrysmith says
easy to cook! just make it and enjoy
sanchez says
Wow! I didn’t know these things until I read yours. Thank you for your tips!
Charles Wright says
That looks delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe. Moreover, Eggs is my favorite dish. More energy
Susan Dubose says
Great method to have perfect half hard boiled eggs. Served it with fresh salads. Yummy!
Tammi J Bone says
I add baking soda to the water it help with the peeling process.
Gr8typist says
After cooled, I crack the eggs, making sure there’s at least one hole in the membrane underneath, and then put them back in the water for a couple of minutes. The key is to get water between the membrane and the egg itself, so the shell peels off nicely.
Tilesbay says
Great idea. !!
Mom says
Two thumbs up. It worked!
katy says
Thanks for sharing. I kept turning them grey inside. LOL Now I will try it your way which is way less time. :)
Mom says
Have not been that fussy about seeing the ring around the cooked yolk, but your eggs look so beautiful, I will follow your instructions and see how successful I am.
Jerry says
Good idea