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This simple hard-boiled eggs recipe is the secret to perfect, easy-to-peel boiled eggs every single time. It’s a no-fail method that will have you boiling eggs with gorgeous bright yellow yolks and no green lines.
Hard-boiled eggs are a meal prep staple in my kitchen. I use them to make a variety of lunches like avocado egg salad and my kid’s personal favorites, deviled eggs.
In this post, have the solution for cooking hard-boiled eggs at home, plus simple tips to make sure those shells glide right off, let’s get to it!
Easy Peel Boiled Eggs
Making easy-peel hard-boiled eggs happens when you cook and rest them properly. Yes, eggs need a break too 🙂 Here are the most important tips to making perfect, hard-boiled eggs:
Use Week Old Eggs
The best eggs for boiling are at least a week to ten days old. If an egg is fresh, the pH of the white is super low, which causes it to stick to the shell membrane. I recommend purchasing an extra carton of eggs each week, use one for omelets and scrambled eggs, and reserve the extra carton for hard-boiled eggs the next week.
Turn Off the Heat
Perfectly cooked eggs have bright and yellow yolks. I’ve found the method that works best is to bring the eggs and water to a boil, turn off the heat, and let them sit for 13 minutes. This prevents them from overcooking and the yolk getting that not-so-appetizing gray/green ring, a sure sign of an overcooked egg.
Ice Bath
There are several ways to peel hard-boiled eggs, but make sure you give them an ice bath first. The ice-water will “shock” the membrane in between the egg white and the eggshell, loosening the shell and allowing you to peel it off in nearly one piece.
How to Boil Eggs Step-by-Step
Perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs aren’t difficult - and, when you do it right, not only do you have an exquisitely yellow, tender center but you also have a hard-boiled egg that is easy to peel.
- Cover with water
Set the eggs in the bottom of a large pot or saucepan and cover with cold water by 2 inches. - Bring to a Boil
Set the eggs over medium-high heat and bring to a rolling boil. - Immediately Remove from Heat
Remove the eggs from heat and cover the saucepan with a fitted lid. - Time for 13 minutes
Set a timer for 13 minutes and walk away. The eggs will cook slowly and perfectly in the hot water. - Rest in an Ice Bath
In a large bowl, make an ice water bath. Strain the eggs from the hot water and place them in the cold water for 5 minutes. - Crack and Peel
Carefully crack the eggshells, and gently begin removing the shells, dipping the eggs back in the water, when necessary.
Boiled Eggs – Video Instructions
Need a visual for the recipe above? Check out the video on how to make hard-boiled eggs on the stove-top:
Hard-Boiled Eggs Cooking Time for Easy Peeling
Whether you’re boiling eggs for deviled eggs, lunches or another recipe, timing is everything! For large eggs, you will cook for 13 in hot water. For small or medium size eggs, you can scale down to just 11 minutes.
Once the eggs and water are at a boil, remove the pot from heat, cover with the lid, and set a timer for the entirety of the cooktime, do not boil the whole time. Once you come back the egg whites will be completely set and the yolks cooked just right.
It’s simple and easy recipe tips like this one that help parents pull off mealtimes without a glitch. You’ll find them inside the MOMables Classic Meal Plan. Download a sample meal plan here.
Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
There are a few ways to peel hard-boiled eggs without taking off the shell and in the video below you’ll see me try the most popular methods.
It’s important to keep in mind that making easy-peel eggs starts with using week-old eggs and making sure to soak them in an ice bath, prior to peeling. Once you’ve gotten that out of the way, it’s time to move on to the next step:
Tips for Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
Aside from cooking right and using week-old eggs, there are a few more tips to keep in mind so you make perfect hard-boiled eggs, every time.
- Don’t Refrigerate- refrigerated hard-boiled eggs will not peel well. Peel your eggs once they’ve been iced and are at room temperature.
- Baking soda- add 1 teaspoon baking soda to the water, it prevents any sticking.
- Peel under running water- the water helps to separate the egg from the shell.
How Long to Store Hard Boiled Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs will stay good for up to 5 days refrigerated in an airtight container. They are definitely one meal prep ingredient I keep on hand to make eggs salad for lunches or a high-protein snack that’s easy to grab before a run or after school sports.
Bonus tip: If you’re wanting to save eggs for longer periods of time, see how to freeze eggs here.
No Fail Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- Large Eggs
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- Water
Instructions
- Place your raw eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with at least 2 inches of cold water.
- Add 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Place the pan over high heat until it reaches a boil.
- Turn off heat, cover and let it sit for 13 minutes.
- After exactly 13 minutes, remove the eggs from the pan and place them in an ice-water bath and let them cool for five minutes.
- Carefully crack the eggs shells (making sure the majority of the shell is cracked).
- Gently begin removing the shells. The ice-water bath will “shock” the membrane in between the egg-white and the egg shell, loosening the shell and allowing you to peel it off in nearly one piece.
- As needed, you can dip the egg (as you are peeling it) in and out of the water to remove any slivers of shell.
- Serve immediately, use in a recipe or store in your refrigerator for three days.
Notes
Test one egg first, if for some reason it’s a bit undercooked, put eggs back and bring to boil, turn off heat.
You need to fully cover eggs with at least 2 inches of water for this to work. Less water means that it will cool down quicker and your eggs won’t cook throughly.
kiki says
are these whole eggs — still in the shell? You said “no rings” so it sounds like maybe you’re taking the eggs out of the shell and cooking like you would on the range using an egg ring — just curious to know before i try to bake an egg in the shell … 🙂
ashley says
yes, bake it in the shell
Monica says
You know I just came across hard baking my eggs…perfect every time and so many less crack….
Put eggs in muffin tins – no water…bake at 325 for 30 minutes and then take out…no rings, all perfectly cooked…I guess ovens might vary…but I have done it in two different ovens and both mad perfect eggs!
Laura says
love baking eggs!
Lauren says
Steaming them is WAY easier. Also easier to put them in the ice bath b/c you just remove the basket and plonk it in the ice water. Seriously, try it!
Laura says
GREAT idea Lauren! how long do you steam them for?
Jaime says
Update –
of the 4 eggs I made, 2 turned out pretty good (only a small piece came off), 1 was about a B-, and the other was a D+. The D+ one then fell on the floor. :/
Maybe it’s because the eggs are a couple weeks old?
They’re in the fridge now.
Rachel Lacy says
Oh, no!!!! I use this method EVERY time I make hard boiled eggs and they always turn out beautifully. I’m so sad yours didn’t do the same. 🙁
kiki says
Hi Rachel and all — thanks for this post — some great ideas here !
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Do you find that brown-shelled eggs work better than white — or does that matter?
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Also — what size egg do you usually use? I’ve been using extra large — that may be part of the problem … ?
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I’ve tried several variations — cooking them longer, cracking them while they’re in the ice bath — it still seems hit-or-miss. I didn’t know about the salt, so maybe that will help. I find that using 7 – 10 days old eggs usually works better than fresher eggs.
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oh btw — in my earlier question to Monica — I just realized she may have meant no green rings in the eggs — is that it?
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I’d also like to know how long Lauren steams them — just to try it —
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Rachel @ Following In My Shoes says
Hi, Kiki —
The egg shell color shouldn’t matter at all BUT fresher eggs WILL give you a hard time regardless of method.
I use Large eggs.
And the salt does help!!
Yes, I believe monica meant no green/gray rings INSIDE the egg (which is a a result of over cooking a hardboiled egg).
Hope all of that helps! 🙂
thomas says
Rachel dose making a small hole in the broad end of egg help the peeling job as the egg is put into the ice bath & should the hole be put in be for the egg is cooked or after? thanks
Laura says
Oh bummer!! I made my eggs like Rachel’s two weeks in a row -just to test- and they came out great-only 1 out of 8 cracked… that’s a great record for me.. since they usually nearly all crack and the yellow are green lol!
Jaime says
I tried this earlier, and maybe I didn’t bring it to the full boil, but my eggs looked like they’d been attacked by a hacksaw.
I have 4 more going – they’re in the ice bath right now. We’ll see how those turn out. Although, I don’t know what I’m going to do with 4 more hard cooked eggs!
Jess says
What size eggs were you using? I wonder if that might be your problem.
I use a very similar method, but 10 mins for me is for medium eggs, 12 mins for large and about 15 mins for extra large.
If you try again, definitely make sure it comes to a full rolling boil first before you remove from heat.
Hard boiled eggs baffled me for years, but not I feel like a pro! lol Good luck!