- Healthy Breakfast
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Our recipe and tips for hard boiled eggs ensure they'll come out perfectly every time.
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In This Recipe
Do the Eggs Matter?
How to Avoid a Green Ring
Other Ways to Hard Boil Eggs
Ideas for Using Hard Boiled Eggs
I love hard boiled eggs. They're great for deviled eggs, egg salad, or just eating plain with a sprinkle of salt.
When it comes to boiling eggs, the biggest problem is that people can easily over-cook them, leading to a dark green color around the yolk and a somewhat sulphuric taste. Here's my method for how to hard boil eggs so that they don't get overcooked.
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Did you know? Older eggs are easier to peel than fresh eggs.If you're planning to make hard boiled eggs for Easter and want to make sure that the eggs are easy to peel, buy your eggs at least a week ahead of time (two weeks is even better, they'll keep).
If you've boiled a batch of eggs that you are now finding difficult to peel,try cracking the shells all around without peeling them and soaking the eggs in water for a while. The water often seems to seep in enough under the shell to make the egg easier to peel.
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All About Eggs
The size, temperature, and age of eggs all affect how easy they peel after hard boiling. For the best results, we recommend using large eggs straight from the fridge that are a week or two old.
How to Avoid a Green Ring
The dreaded grey-green ring around a cooked yolk is caused by sulfur in the yolk interacting with hydrogen in the egg white. This is either due to over-boiling the egg or using water with a high level of iron. This recipe cooks the eggs gently, avoiding overcooking and a green ring. If you have especially hard water, consider using filtered water to boil eggs.
Other Ways to Hard Boil Eggs
If you need easy-to-peel eggs and you have fresh eggs, you might want to try steaming the eggs for 15 minutes. Pour an inch of water into a pot and insert a steamer basket. Bring to a boil. Place the eggs in the steamer basket, cover, and steam for about 15 minutes. If you don't have a steamer basket, steam the eggs in a half-inch of water. The steam penetrates the shell a bit making the eggs easier to peel. You can also steam eggs in a pressure cooker!
Need Ideas for Using Hard Boiled Eggs?
- Deviled Egg Salad
- Avocado Deviled Eggs
- Dad's Potato Salad
- Ham Salad
- Asparagus Mimosa with Hard Boiled Eggs and Capers
From the Editors Of Simply Recipes
How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time20 mins
Servings6to 12 servings
Yield6to 12 eggs
If you live at a high altitude, let the eggs sit in the hot water longer orlower the heat and maintain a low simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
Induction ranges come to a boil too quickly and retain too little heat for this method to work well. If you have an induction range, we recommend steaming your eggs, which will give you much more predictable results.
Ingredients
6 to 12 large eggs, straight from the fridge
Method
Add the eggs to a saucepan and cover with water:
Fill a saucepan about a quarter of the way with cold water. Place the eggs in a single layer at the bottom of the saucepan. Add more water so that the eggs are covered by at least an inch or two of water.
The more eggs that are crowding the pan the more water you should have over the eggs. 6 eggs should be covered by at least an inch, 7 to 12 eggs, 2 inches.
Tip:
Adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the water may help keep egg whites from running out if an egg does crack while cooking. Some people also find adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the water helps prevent cracking as well as making the eggs easier to peel. If desired, add either or both of these ingredients as the water begins to boil.
Bring to a rolling boil:
Leave the pan uncovered. Turn the heat to high and bring the water to a rolling boil.
Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit:
Depending on how cooked you like your hard boiled eggs, the eggs should be done perfectly after sitting for 10-12 minutes. That said, depending on your altitude, the shape of the pan, the size of the eggs, and the ratio of water to eggs, it can take a few minutes more.
Or if you like your eggs not fully hard cooked, it can take a few minutes less. When you find a time that works for you given your preferences, the types of eggs you buy, your pots, stove, and cooking environment, stick with it.
I also find that it is very hard to overcook eggs using this method. I can let the eggs sit, covered, for up to 15-18 minutes without the eggs getting overcooked.
Tip:
If I'm cooking a large batch of eggs, after 10 minutes I'll sacrifice one to check for doneness, by removing it with a spoon, running it under cold water, and cutting it open. If it's not done enough for my taste, I'll cook the other eggs a minute or two longer.
Strain and run under cold water:
Strain the hot water from the pan, careful not to dump out the eggs, and run cold water over them until they are cool to the touch. This will stop the eggs from cooking further and make them easier to peel.
Or, if you are cooking a large batch of eggs, remove them with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice water. Let them sit for a few minutes, or until cooled.
Peel or store for later:
I find it easiest to peel the eggs under a bit of running water.
The best way to store hard boiled eggs is unpeeled in a covered container in the refrigerator. Eggs can release odors in the fridge which is why it helps to keep them covered.
They should be eaten within 5 days. Peeled eggs should be eaten within a day or two.
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The good thing about this method is that even if you forget and the eggs sit in the water a few minutes longer than you had planned, they'll still be fine.
Some people like their eggs more or less hard cooked than others. If you want your eggs still a little translucent in the center, let them steep in the hot water for only 6 minutes or so.
Did you love this recipe? Leave us stars and a review below!
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 72 | Calories |
| 5g | Fat |
| 0g | Carbs |
| 6g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 6to 12 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 72 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 5g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 8% |
| Cholesterol 186mg | 62% |
| Sodium 71mg | 3% |
| Total Carbohydrate 0g | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 0g | |
| Protein 6g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 28mg | 2% |
| Iron 1mg | 5% |
| Potassium 69mg | 1% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
