Here is a fool-proof method to cook perfect hard boiled eggs every time! Even farm fresh eggs come out easy to peel with this method.
I love hard-boiled eggs! They’re effortless and filling snack at any time. Most days, I like to simply cut them in half, sprinkle some salt & pepper and enjoy.
When I feel fancy though, I make deviled eggs.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this method:
You know what bad hard boiled eggs are, if you’ve ever bitten into rubbery eggs with chalky dry yolk. And the worst if they had that unappealing grayish green ring around the yolk. No, thank you.
Well, I’m here to show you how to avoid that disaster!
Perfect hard boiled eggs have…
- soft and silky smooth egg whites
- velvety yolks cooked to your desired doneness
- no grayish green ring around the yolks
- and they must peel easily!!
The biggest advantage of this cooking method is that no matter how old your eggs are, you’ll get easy to peel hard boiled eggs every time! Yes, even farm fresh eggs!!!
My mother-in-law raises chickens and provides us with fresh eggs every week. And this is the only way I cook my eggs and they come out perfect.
How to cook hard boiled eggs:
So, this fool-proof method I’ve been teasing you about this whole time is STEAMING!!!
Forget about those rules to boil the water first, or cold vs room temperature eggs, etc. None of those rules applies here!
- In a saucepan, bring about an inch of water to a boil. Then place a steamer basket in and add the eggs. Cover with a lid and let the eggs steam for 8-10 minutes. Then if you want hard boiled eggs with firm yolks (ie, for deviled eggs), turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Immediately transfer the cooked eggs into a bowl of ice water and let the eggs cool for 5-10 minutes.
Hard boiled eggs time chart:
Depending on your preference or what you’re using hard-boiled eggs for, the cooking time varies.
- 6 minutes for soft-boiled egg with 100% runny yolk
- 8 minutes for soft-boiled egg with semi-set yolk
- 10 minutes for hard-boiled egg with firm, but custardy yolk
- 15 minutes for hard-boiled egg with firm yolk (Note: The last 5 minutes is cooked with no heat.)
How to peel eggs easily:
Once the eggs are nice and cooled, they’re ready to be peeled.
- Gently tap the cooled egg on a hard surface to crack the shell all over.
- If possible, tear a small hole in the thin membrane under the shell.
- Then put the cracked egg back into the water, while you crack other eggs. We want to let water seep in between the egg and thin membrane under the shell.
- Then carefully peel the shells to reveal flawless hard-boiled eggs. Peeling the eggs under running water may be helpful too.
Tip
Soaking the cracked egg in a bowl of water allows moisture seep between the egg and thin membrane for easy peeling.
Tips for Success:
- Be sure to transfer the cooked eggs into an ice bath right away to stop cooking process.
- For easy peeling, let the cracked eggs sit in a bowl of water for a few minutes. Or peel the egg under running tap water.
- Hard-boiled eggs peel the easiest right after ice bath. If you’re making deviled eggs, cook the eggs right before making it.
- Though fresh eggs tend to be hard to peel, steaming method ensures easy-to-peel hard boiled eggs every time. So, farm fresh eggs are just fine!
Storing Tips:
Store hard boiled eggs in the fridge.
- Keep peeled eggs in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Unpeeled eggs are good for up to 1 week.
FAQs:
Although harmless, grayish green ring around cooked yolk is completely unappetizing. It’s generally caused by overcooking the eggs or boiled at too high temperature. To prevent this issue, steam the eggs and immediately transfer them into an ice bath.
Yes, absolutely! We mostly use farm fresh eggs and this method has proven to be the best for farm fresh eggs time and again.
Recipes for using hard boiled eggs:
Besides enjoying this protein-rich snack with just salt and pepper, you can use the cooked eggs in so many recipes:
Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
Instructions
- In a saucepan, bring about an inch of water to a boil.
- Place a steamer basket in and add the eggs. Cover with a lid and let the eggs steam for 8-10 minutes. (See the time chart below.)
- Then if you want hard boiled eggs with firm yolks, turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Immediately transfer the cooked eggs into a bowl of ice water and let the eggs cool for 5-10 minutes.
To peel the eggs:
- Gently tap the cooled eggs on a hard surface to crack the shell all over. If possible, tear a small hole in the thin membrane under the shell.
- Then put the cracked egg back into the water, while you crack other eggs. We want to let water seep in between the egg and thin membrane under the shell.
- Carefully peel the shells to reveal flawless hard-boiled eggs. (TIP: Peeling the eggs under running water may be helpful too.)
Tips & Notes:
– 6 minutes for soft-boiled egg with 100% runny yolk
– 8 minutes for soft-boiled egg with semi-set yolk
– 10 minutes for hard-boiled egg with firm, but custardy yolk
– 15 minutes for hard-boiled egg with firm yolk (Note: The last 5 minutes is cooked with no heat.) Storing Tips:
Store hard boiled eggs in the fridge.
– Keep peeled eggs in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
– Unpeeled eggs are good for up to 1 week.
Nutrition Facts:
This post was originally published on March 22, 2016, and updated on April 11, 2022.
Katie says
Yay what beautiful eggs! Funny thing I had to quickly boil some last night to have them ready for coloring and I was NOT paying close enough attention – got the green ring. Oh well, I will definitely be saving this post for next time! 🙂 Thanks for sharing, found you at Link Party Lolapalooza!
Shinee says
Thanks, Katie!
[email protected] says
What an interesting take on cooking hard boiled eggs – not to boil them at all:). I’ll have to try this. Do you think it works well for store-bought eggs as well as farm fresh?
Shinee says
Oh yes, store-bought will work just as well. I love this gentle cooking for all kinds of eggs. Hope you’ll like it too, Laura.
Hannah says
I just made hard boiled eggs for the first time using this recipe, with only 3 eggs and in a 1.5 quart pan. They came out great! Thanks for sharing!!!!
Shinee says
Awesome, glad you tried it, Hannah! 🙂