If you want to learn how to make the eggs on the stove top, here’s my go-to method on How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs perfectly. It’s a fail-proof recipe that yields perfect hard boiled eggs every time in 15 minutes or less.
Hard boiled eggs are such versatile ingredients! You can put them on salads, meal preps (hello, Egg Roll in a Bowl and Easy Roasted Veggies Meal-Prep Bowls), make egg muffins, turn them into deviled eggs and even make an easy egg salad or avocado egg salad. You can even put them in a salad like my Kale Salad with Sweet Potato and hard Boiled Eggs.
You can also just enjoy them on their own! They’re super budget friendly as well as being packed with protein and healthy goodness. They work for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! While I can make them in an Instant Pot, I know not everyone has one so here’s how to make them on the stovetop.
Hard boiled eggs are so easy to make but it can be easy to over cook them as well — but not to worry, you can learn from my mistakes and get the perfect eggs every single time. The perfect hard boiled eggs to me is what’s pictured above.
The yolk is evenly cooked, creamy, and there’s no green or grey ring around it. There’s nothing worse than opening up an egg and having the yolk be dry and the whites rubbery. Down below you’ll find all my tips and you’ll never have a bad egg again!
Ingredient to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
- Eggs — I use large eggs that are free range eggs and have extra omega-3. Free range eggs are said to contain more vitamin D as well as less cholesterol. You are more than welcome to use whatever eggs you have, including farm fresh eggs.
Instructions To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
Cover the Eggs with Water
- Fill a saucepan with water before carefully place the eggs inside of it, making sure your eggs are covered. It’s important that you don’t stack your eggs. If you have too many eggs like a dozen eggs to boil in a single layer, you should cook them in two batches.
Boil the Eggs
- Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat, making sure to keep an eye on it as once it’s reached a boil, you only boil the eggs for just 1 minute.
- Then, turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid before letting it sit for 9-12 minutes (set your timer). Time will depend on the size of your eggs and how done you prefer your egg yolks to be. If you’re using XL or jumbo eggs, you’ll need a little more time.
Optional: you can also use a steamer basket to boil the eggs.
Ice the Eggs
- After 9-12 minutes, transfer the eggs into a large bowl of ice water (cold water). Use a slotted slotted spoon to place the eggs inside of the ice water bath. Let the eggs to sit for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process and to cool down. Do not skip this step. It also makes it easier to peel as you’re not holding a piping hot egg!
Peel and Enjoy
- Gently tap egg on countertop until some part of the shell is crackled. Peel the hard boiled eggs and discard the eggs shells before serving the eggs immediately or transfer them to a glass container and place in the refrigerator. It’ll be good in the fridge for up to 1 week.
How to Easily Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
To easily peel your eggs after the ice bath, peel them under some running water in your sink or inside of the ice water. Peeling the eggs in water will help the shells to slip off more easily. If you need to crack them a little more, pull them from the water and tap them gently on the kitchen countertop or other hard surface.
Another tip for easier to peel hard boiled eggs is to buy your eggs earlier. Older eggs are easier to peel than fresh eggs as the pH of the white albumen aren’t bonded as tightly to the membrane as it ages. This is why older eggs are easier to peel!
Last if you prefer, you can add baking soda to the water because it increases the alkalinity of the water and makes the eggs easy to peel. Once water boils add some soda to the saucepan. You can also add vinegar if you prefer.
Tip: How to Meal Prep Hard Boiled Eggs
- Hard boiled eggs last for up to a week in the fridge, making them the prefect meal prep ingredient. You can pack it as part of a lunch, crack one open for breakfast (it’s great on top of avocado toast), slice them into salads, sandwiches add them to grain bowls or just snack on one whenever you’re feeling hungry.
- You can place eggs in an airtight container peeled or unpeeled after they’ve come out of the ice bath. I recommend storing them whole and not sliced or halved so they stay fresh longer.
- I do not recommend freezing hard boiled eggs as the egg whites will turn tough as well as watery when frozen.
Ideas of How to Season Hard Boiled Eggs
While you can eat the hard boiled eggs as they are, here are some ways to season them to change things up:
- salt and pepper
- garlic salt
- paprika
- Everything But The Bagel Seasoning
- lemon pepper
- sriracha sauce
- hot sauce
- flavoured salt (like truffle salt)
Tips To Prevent Cracking
- Salting your water can help to prevent cracking!
- Don’t boil eggs to intensely. This can cause them to crash together, resulting in cracks. You only need water to reach a rolling boil before turning off the heat.
- Avoid adding eggs to already boiling water, there is a high chance they’ll crack if you do this.
How To Store Leftovers
Remove your eggs from their ice water bath and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Place unpeeled eggs back in the carton, or peel and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days!
Hard-boiled eggs should not be stored in the freezer. Once thawed, egg whites become quite rubbery.
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no difference between white and brown eggs. It also doesn’t matter if you use small, medium, or large eggs. It’s up to you what size you’d like your eggs to be. Smaller eggs will need less time in the hot water compared to large eggs though.
Have you ever cut open a hard-boiled egg to find an odd looking green or grey ring around the yolk? It doesn’t look very appetizing, but it’s harmless and still edible. A green ring can form around the yolk when eggs are overcooked. It’s important to boil your eggs for only 1 minute and allow the rest of the cooking to happen while they simply sit in still hot water. Transferring the eggs to an ice water bath after they steep will also help prevent a ring as this stops the cooking process from continuing on for too long.
Why are eggs so hard to peel sometimes?! Did you know that older eggs, the ones you’ve had in the refrigerator for a while, will peel more easily after hard-boiling? As an egg ages, the pH level of the white increases, and this means it won’t bond as tightly to the shell membrane when cooked. There are a few tricks for dealing with newer eggs. Add a pinch of baking soda or a splash of white vinegar to your boiling water! You can also try peeling your eggs under running water, this will help separate the shell and membrane.
Yes, you absolutely can! Simply place eggs in a bowl of water and make sure they are completely submerged. Add a pinch of salt (to prevent cracking) and microwave on high for approximately 4 minutes. Allow eggs to rest in the hot water for a few more minutes, then transfer to an ice water bath!
Unfortunately, it’s not a great idea to freeze whole hardboiled eggs. The whites of the egg will take on a rubbery and unappetizing texture once thawed. You can, however, scoop out the cooked yolks and freeze them for later use.
Yes. Hard boiled eggs can be stored in the refrigerator, peeled or unpeeled, for about a week (7 days) before they go bad. If you notice any odd smell or texture, throw your eggs away immediately.
More Egg Recipes to Make
- Healthy Breakfast Meal Prep Bowls
- Easy Vegetable Frittata
- Avocado Egg Salad Recipe
- Breakfast Egg Muffins Recipe
How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs
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Video
Ingredients
- Eggs
Instructions
- Fill a saucepan with water. Then, carefully place the eggs inside of it. Bring the water to a boil. Boil the eggs for just 1 minute. Then, turn off the heat, cover the saucepan with a lid, and let sit for 9-12 minutes. Time will depend on the size of your eggs and how you prefer your yolks to be.
- Carefully drain out the hot water. Transfer the eggs into an ice water bath and let the eggs to sit for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process and to cool down.
- Then, peel the eggs and discard the eggs shells. Serve the eggs immediately or transfer them to a glass container and place in the fridge. It’ll be good in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Tips
- Older eggs are easier to peel than fresh eggs.
- You can add a pinch of baking soda to the water to help the eggs peel better.
- If you have smaller or XL eggs, the cooking time will have to be adjusted to reflect that.
- To store: Store the peeled hard-boiled eggs in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
- To freeze: I do not recommend freezing hard-boiled eggs as they become rubbery.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Robert L Richardt says
I don’t know what causes the black ring around the yolk or when I peel the shell off most of the white egg comes off with the shell and they look terrible!! I want the smooth white egg and the brilliant yellow yolk!!!! What am I doing wrong?? What causes the black ring around yolk and the whites to come off with the shell?????
Olivia Ribas says
It happens because the iron from the yolk reacts with hydrogen sulfide from the white when it’s been overcooked.
J9 says
You should add a “high altitude” adjustment note to your recipe as it does make a difference how the eggs come come. Thanks.
Austin Leach says
I would think you would have to take the pan of eggs off the burner if it was electric??
Debbie M says
Why do you say to peel them right away? I usually leave them in the shell until I’m ready to eat them.
Olivia Ribas says
You can do how you prefer.
Brenda says
This is so easy and works every time!! 👍🏻👍🏻
Olivia Ribas says
Indeed it works. Happy you liked it 😉
Kathleen Lawson says
I would like to know how long to cook the eggs. Love the rest of the recipe
Olivia Ribas says
9-12 minutes. Time will depend on the size of your eggs and how you prefer your yolks to be.