A simple method for perfectly cooked and easy to peel hard boiled eggs.
A few weeks ago I made a couple dozen of red beet eggs. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. Peeling the eggs turned into a total nightmare. Who would think such an easy task could turn out to be so complicated. One of the first things we learn how to cook and many of us have been taught all so wrong.
I’ve had the same method for cooking hard boiled eggs for years. Tried, true and they turn out perfectly cooked. Yellow, creamy yolks – no grayish greenish ickiness. So that’s all fine and dandy but they end up peeling and looking like a horror story. Then there’s method I was taught growing up – it’s the total opposite. The eggs peeled effortlessly but were rubbery and had green, dry crumbly yolks.
So I need the best of both worlds – a perfectly cooked and easily peelable egg. Here we go…..
Without a doubt out there is a whole science behind this. I’m not venturing into the whole explanation of it but here’s a great link explaining it all from Serious Eats….
The experiment is simple. A dozen eggs – same batch – and two different methods. I opted to use a fresh dozen of eggs. I’ve always heard that older eggs peel better. Thing is though, I tend not to think that far ahead. I don’t pick up a dozen of eggs with intentions of aging them in the back of my fridge for when the hard boiled egg mood strikes. So we’ll keep it real and work with that most of us have tend to have on hand – fresh eggs.
Edit 3/17/16
I’ve had my own chickens for over a year now and always have hard boiled eggs in my fridge. So fresh eggs to me now is “straight from the coop”. Eggs straight from the coop are not good hard boiled – they peel horribly. Wait at least 3 days before hard boiling fresh eggs. Anything you’re buying in the store is way older than 3 days, so you’ll always be good to go on cooking them up right away.
I’ll explain the results at the end though the pictures pretty much speak for themselves.
Method 1
Place eggs in a saucepan and fill with enough water to cover an inch over the eggs. Over high heat, bring water to a full boil. Remove pan from heat, cover and let sit for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, remove eggs from sauce pan and cool eggs in a bowl of ice water.
Method 2
Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover eggs by one inch, but do not add eggs yet. Bring water to a full boil. Add eggs. Reduce heat to medium and maintain a low boil/simmer for 11 -12 minutes. After 11 minutes, remove eggs from sauce pan and cool eggs in a bowl of ice water.
Wow. Pretty crazy, huh?
Method 1 was perfectly cooked – egg whites and yolks. The problem with my preferred method is painfully apparent – they don’t peel well. Chunks of egg whites comes off with each fleck of shell. It’s a mess. I now officially feel guilty for all the Easter Eggs made with this big no of a method.
Method 2 is clearly the winner. The eggs peel effortlessly – the shell almost slides off. The eggs yolks are cooked perfectly and the whites are close to it. You couldn’t ask for anymore on your quest for the Perfect Hard Boiled Egg. End of story.
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed this “eggs-periment” (hehehe, super cheesy, I know) and I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments! Happy Cooking!
-Amanda-
- 6 - 12 Eggs (Whatever amount you need)
- Fill an appropriate sized saucepan with enough water to cover eggs by one inch. Do not add eggs yet.
- Bring water to a full boil. Gently add eggs - I lower them in with a spoon.
- Reduce heat to medium/medium-low and maintain a low boil/simmer for 11 - 12 minutes.
- After 11 minutes, remove eggs from sauce pan and cool eggs in a bowl of ice water.
- Refrigerate until ready to peel and use.
Genius, pure genius. Method 2 is amazing. Thanks Amanda! I stumbled across your egg-speriment (lol) while looking for a new red beet recipe (I tried yours btw, in fridge now) and gave it a try. Beyond impressed. I have the hardest time with farm fresh eggs, the closest I could get to perfect was baking them, but these instructions are far superior. I’ll be using it again, that’s for sure!
Yay! I’m so glad to hear this method worked for you! I’ve found it foolproof as long as the eggs are over 3 days old. Interesting, I noticed the whites are much softer, almost silky, on “fresh from the coop” hard boiled eggs. They’re difficult to peel but absolutely delicious! Have you ever noticed it? I hope you enjoy the red beet eggs – they’re a permanent staple in my fridge all summer. Thanks so much for stopping by Brandy 🙂
Back again and it still works like a charm! Red beet recipe was also great! And yes, I do agree that the eggs whites are softer on fresh from the coop!
Wonderful to hear, Brandy! I just made over 3 dozen red beet eggs for a Memorial Day cookout. I’m gonna sneak one tomorrow but they’ll be perfect eating by Monday. Glad you enjoyed the red beet eggs – they’re one of my favorites! I’m experimenting with some dill pickle style eggs – we’ll see how all that turns out lol 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
How long to cool the eggs ??
Hi Mike. I usually throw them in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes or so & then move them to the fridge if we’re not eating them right away. Hope this helps 🙂
Hello, I just came across your page, I want you to know you saved my dinner, I had just tried to fix a dozen of eggs trying to make deviled eggs, I totally ruined the first ones, I tried your second option and it worked perfectly, Thanks
I use hard boiled eggs in the food I make for my cats and always experienced the same thing you did in method 1.
I grew up with parents who kept chickens for eggs & food. I learn
Ned the same way that you did.
Time to make cat food again, need to boil 3 dozen eggs (I am making 40 pounds of turkey thighs into cat food)
So I decided I needed to find out to make it easier.
Found your info right away on google.
Thank you so much for the info. Very helpful indeed especially for 3 dozen eggs.
Hi Kari! So glad that you found the information useful! It’s so cool that you make your own cat food – I have 3 big dogs and often think about making them homemade food.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I’m so happy I came across your red beet egg recipe, and especially the directions for making easy to peel eggs, that are not overcooked! I was thinking I had lost my mind/memory about how to boil eggs! Now I know it was that they were so fresh! Also, I was starting the eggs in room temp water, bringing to a boil and cooking for 8 minutes. Now I am realizing that most of my life I boiled the water first, and I remember them sometimes breaking. We used to poke a hole in the air pocket end. There were even kitchen utensils that did a neat job of that for you! Also tried putting salt, or vinegar in the boiling water to ‘seal’ an egg that cracked! I’m excited to try your Method #2 and make the eggs with beets. I wonder if it would be good to add a bit of thinly sliced red, or sweet onion? What do you think?
Glad to help! There are so many methods out there for perfect hard boiled eggs – I think this one is it 😉
Yes – many folks love adding sliced onion to their red beet eggs – it will be delicious!
Thanks for stopping by Rodijah 🙂
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Yay! Glad to help 🙂
My hard-boiled eggs turn out perfectly and are easy to peel, and they don’t require ice water.
I put the eggs in a sauce pan, making sure they are all covered with plenty of water. I bring to a full boil, then keep them boiling for seven minutes at least. I live at 3000 feet above sea level so times may have to be adjusted.
After they have boiled long enough, I turn on the cold water in the sink and let it get good and cold. Then I carefully tip the pan to drain the hot water from the eggs, using a half-circle pasta drainer or a slotted spoon to keep the eggs from falling out. The remaining water in the pan and on the egg shells will quickly evaporate. Then I shake and rattle the eggs around the pan, bashing them into each other and the side of the pan so that they all become cracked all around. Then, I immediately put the still hot pan and eggs under the cold running water. I let the water spill over the top of the pan until the pan is good and cold. Then I peel the eggs under the running water, letting the shells fall into the pan in the bottom of the sink.
The shock of the cold water on the cracked shells seems to make the shells contract and pull away in such a way that it is very easy to get your thumb under the membrane that connects the hard-boiled egg to the shell. It might take some practice to get your thumb under that membrane but if you do, keep that place directly under the water stream. The the eggs under the membrane will be very slick, and often I can remove the entire shell in one piece, even though it’s cracked into dozens of small pieces, held together by that membrane.
The jagged shell can be hard on your thumb if you’re not careful, but this system works perfectly for me every time.
I agree with Dan, one hundred percent, I have doing this for my whole life, although I am only 37.He took all the words right outta my mouth. Kinda scary. Lol
I add eggs, add water, add salt and bowl for 10 minutes. I take from stove and put in the sink and add ice cubes. Cracking each egg a little. I let them sit for about 10 minutes and easily peel
Do the eggs need to be room temperature before dropping in boiling water?
Hi Ruthie. No, use eggs straight from the fridge.
I added directly from fridge, and they crack as soon as they go into the water. What does this mean. I gently lower with spoon too. Help!
Hi Paul. From my experience (I keep & raise chickens for pets, for fresh eggs and to breed) when eggs crack as soon as they hit boiling water it’s an imperfection on the egg. Either a tiny hairline crack or a shell that’s not hard enough. That would mean issues in handling or issues with a chickens diet.
Except for starting them in boiling water, this is how I usually do my eggs.I tried starting them in boiling water experimenting with new and old eggs. They ALL peeled easily! Also the yolks were more centered for perfect deviled eggs. THANK YOU!
Dear Amanda, Thank you so much for your hard boiled egg recipe. It’s the first time I’ve prepared hard boiled eggs that were flawless to peel!! I’m seventy-one years old. I would break into a cold sweat if one if any of my friends asked me to bring deviled eggs to a party. Now I would easily volunteer to do the eggs in a moment. Thank you, Diane
You have made me want to eat Hard-Boiled Eggs all the time now! I have tried all the tricks of the trade and you have the key that has unlocked Hard-Boiled Egg magic! I have followed this recipe several times now and every single time the eggs turn out perfectly. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
I have chickens and have found fresh eggs peel just as easily as “old” eggs if they are at room temperature. I put about an inch of water in a pan, add my steamer insert and bring the water to a boil. Then, I add my eggs, cover with the lid and cook over medium heat for 10-13 minutes depending on the size of the eggs. When they’ve finished cooking, I put them in a bowl of ice water. After cooling for a few minutes, I crack them, roll them on my countertop, and peel! Easiest method for peeling eggs that I’ve found in my 55+ years of cooking.
Thank you soooooo much! I LOVE hard boiled eggs but often get discouraged on making them because every recipe I tried I always lost half the egg when peeling it. Finally decided to give it another try and find a different recipe, came across your method and it worked like a charm. Thank you so much for taking the time to share it, I truly appreciate it!!
Thank you soooooo much! I LOVE hard boiled eggs but often get discouraged on making them because every recipe I tried I always lost half the egg when peeling it. Finally decided to give it another try and find a different recipe, came across your method and it worked like a charm. Thank you so much for taking the time to share it, I truly appreciate it!!
I can not email the recipe to my gmail and have not been able fix it
Hi Cheryle. I’ll try emailing it to you ♥
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I meal prep on the weekend, and that includes about 2 dozen hard boiled eggs. We pre-peel and bag them up for quick protein during the week. I have always used method one, with the same frustrating results. My huaband has lent his hand to help with the weekly meal prep–he was my “egg peeler” and about to quit his job! Lol. I needed a solution and your method was perfect!
You can just bring to a boil, cook for 8 minutes, then immediately run cold water over for 2 minutes or otherwise use the ice bath… Same outcome: Easy to peel eggs!
You’ve changed my life!! Thank you so much! This worked perfectly.
So happy to help Christa ♥
I love how simple your hard boiled egg method is!Just cooked six hard boiled eggs like you said..best luck ever peeling.no more frustration sq.method worked like a dream.