The Best Way to Boil Eggs for Soft Yolks, Firm Yolks, or Any Yolk In-Between (2024)


Ask any egg aficionado how to boil eggs, and they might start by telling you something you weren’t expecting to hear: Start with old eggs. As odd as that sounds, it’s good advice. Fresh eggs are harder to peel once boiled than older ones. So if you’re planning to make deviled eggs, egg salad, or porridge topped with an oozy soft-boiled egg, buy a dozen eggs a week ahead of time and shove them to the back of the fridge. That way, you’re not tempted to burn through them before you commence boiling. And, when it comes time to peel the soft- or hard-cooked eggs, your fingers will thank you.

Got your older eggs ready? Great. Here’s the best way to make perfectly boiled eggs every single time.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

The first step of the egg-cooking process is to place a large pot of water on the stovetop and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. (You only need water, by the way; some recipes call for salting the water or adding baking soda, but both are completely unnecessary.) Add enough water so that your eggs will be covered by a few inches. Eggs that aren’t totally submerged in the boiling water won’t cook evenly. If you’re cooking a large batch of eggs, consider using a wide pot so that the eggs all lay in a single layer for more even cooking.

You might have heard that you should drop your eggs into room temperature or cold water and then bring the water to a boil. This is a myth. In our tests, bringing the water to a boil first and then lowering the eggs into the bath made for easy peeling and more accurate timing.

2. Gently lower eggs into the water.

Once the water has come to a rolling boil, grab your cold eggs straight out of the fridge (the temperature shock will make them easier to peel). Use a large spoon to gently place eggs in the hot water. If you drop the eggs in haphazardly, they can hit the bottom of the pot and crack, leaving you with floating wispy egg whites strewn throughout the pot.

One exception to the nothing-but-water rule: Soft-Boiled Tea Eggs

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce

3. Boil eggs for 4 to 14 minutes.

Set a timer and let the eggs cook to your desired doneness. Adjust the heat as needed, keeping the water at a steady simmer; you want the eggs to cook, but too vigorous a boil will leave them thrashing around the pot like they’ve been dropped into a mosh pit.

For soft-boiled eggs (the kind you spoon right out of the shell), pull your fighters from the pot at 4 minutes. At 7–8 minutes, they’ll technically be hard-boiled but with a slightly jammy yolk. For those who like drier hard-boiled eggs, you can keep cooking up to 14 minutes. After that, you’re likely to encounter an unsightly green ring around the perimeter of the yolk, a hallmark of overcooked eggs. We determined the cooking times below using large eggs; for medium eggs or extra-large eggs, your results may vary. Expect to experiment a bit to find the total time for your ideal level of doneness.

How long to boil an egg:

  • 4 minutes: tender egg whites with a runny soft-boiled yolk
  • 5 minutes: firm egg whites with a runny yolk
  • 6 minutes: firm egg whites with a gooey yolk
  • 8 minutes: firm egg whites with a fully set but jammy yolk
  • 10 minutes: firm egg whites with a firm pale yolk that’s just a bit soft in the center
  • 12 minutes: firm egg whites with a firm hard-boiled yolk
  • 14 minutes: firm egg whites with a crumbly, dry pale yolk (ideal for deviled eggs)
The Best Way to Boil Eggs for Soft Yolks, Firm Yolks, or Any Yolk In-Between (2024)

FAQs

The Best Way to Boil Eggs for Soft Yolks, Firm Yolks, or Any Yolk In-Between? ›

Gently lower in fridge-cold eggs. Lower the heat slightly – so the eggs don't crack due to being bashed around but water is still at a gentle boil. Start the timer – 6 minutes for runny yolks, 8 minutes for soft boiled, 10 minutes for classic hard boiled, 15 minutes for unpleasant rubbery whites and powdery dry yolks.

How do you boil eggs for soft yolks? ›

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and lower in the eggs in a single layer. Reduce the heat to a simmer and use the following timings for large eggs: 5 minutes: just-set (not solid) white and runny yolk – ideal for dipping. 6 minutes: liquid yolk and a slightly wobbly white.

What is the best way to boil eggs? ›

Instructions
  1. Place your eggs in a single layer on the bottom of your pot and cover with cold water. ...
  2. Over high heat, bring your eggs to a rolling boil.
  3. Remove from heat and let stand in water for 10-12 minutes for large eggs. ...
  4. Drain water and immediately run cold water over eggs until cooled.

Should you hard boil eggs with or without yolk? ›

Hard-boiled eggs also offer various important nutrients, including vitamin D, zinc, calcium and all of the B vitamins. They're a particularly good source of riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin B12. Many of eggs' nutrients reside exclusively in the yolk, whereas the egg white contains primarily protein ( 2 ).

How do you hard boil egg yolks? ›

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.

How do you order eggs with soft yolks? ›

Over-Medium

The yolk should still be soft and “jammy”. There's a range for over-medium eggs but my preference is on the wet side of jammy.

Can you eat a boiled egg if the yolk is soft? ›

The food safety guidance is therefore to cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm. The American Egg Board echoes this advice, underscoring the importance of cooking eggs until there's no visible liquid egg remaining to prevent foodborne illness.

Do you boil the water before adding eggs for boiled eggs? ›

You might have heard that you should drop your eggs into room temperature or cold water and then bring the water to a boil. This is a myth. In our tests, bringing the water to a boil first and then lowering the eggs into the bath made for easy peeling and more accurate timing.

What's the secret to boiling eggs? ›

Lower the heat slightly – so the eggs don't crack due to being bashed around but water is still at a gentle boil. Start the timer – 6 minutes for runny yolks, 8 minutes for soft boiled, 10 minutes for classic hard boiled, 15 minutes for unpleasant rubbery whites and powdery dry yolks.

Is it better to hard boil eggs? ›

Hard-boiled eggs are an excellent source of lean protein. They'll fill you up without packing in too many calories, which is helpful if you want to lose weight. The protein in hard-boiled eggs also works alongside vitamin D to promote prenatal development.

Which method works better to boil an egg? ›

Fill a medium or large pot with enough water to cover eggs by at least 2 inches, but do not add eggs yet. Bring water to a rolling boil. Once water is boiling, add the eggs and adjust the temperature to maintain a rolling boil. Start a timer for 12 minutes and prepare an ice bath.

Do you hard boil eggs with lid on or off? ›

Put the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Once the water is at a rolling boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot with the lid. Allow the eggs to sit in the hot water for the following times according to the desired doneness: 3 minutes for SOFT boiled; 6 minutes for MEDIUM boiled; 12 minutes for HARD boiled.

How long should you boil eggs for soft yolk? ›

Fill a medium pot with water and heat to a gentle simmer, just below boiling. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the eggs into the water and let simmer for 7 minutes (6 minutes for a runnier egg).

How do you make boiled egg yolks taste better? ›

In a small dish, pour apple cider vinegar, cumin, crushed red pepper, celery seed, and a small drop of olive oil. Whisk this mixture together so it's blended well. Pour the mixture into a deep storage container, add the boiled eggs and let them sit for 24 hours. You will be absolutely amazed at the outcome.

How to boil eggs so they peel easily? ›

Put the heat back up to high for 30 seconds, then reduce it to the lowest setting and put a lid on the pan. Cook for 13 minutes, then shock them in an ice bath at the end to make perfect, easy-to-peel, hard-boiled eggs.

How do you hard boil eggs so the yolk stays in the middle? ›

Place eggs in a saucepan of water. Boil over medium-high heat, stirring. The constant stirring will keep the yolk centred.

How to know when boiled eggs are done? ›

The Spin. To test this popular trick, I laid both eggs on a smooth, flat surface and gave them a light spin. The boiled egg spun quickly, smoothly, and without any wobble.

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