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What is your favorite food in the world? Mine is eggs. Always has been. There are so many delicious ways to enjoy them, and perfect hard boiled eggs are one of my favorite ways. Today, I want to show you how to boil eggs perfectly every time – and how to peel boiled eggs easily, too!
Boiled eggs were one of the first foods I learned to make as a kid. But, I refined my favorite method for boiling eggs only a few years ago. I had a pretty good idea of how I like them, but I wanted to make a definitive chart. That means you can make them just how you like them. Every single time.
As a scientist at heart, it was really fun for me to do the testing for this article. So even if you already know how to boil eggs – and I know many of you do! – I hope you’ll still get something out of it. Because when it comes to boiling eggs, the method does make a difference, and every minute counts for the end result.
This is going to be your ultimate guide for how to boil eggs, the best way to peel them, and how to store them afterward.
The Best Method for Boiling Eggs
There are two main methods for how to boil eggs on the stove.
The most common method is to bring the eggs to a boil, then turn off the heat, close the lid, and let them cook in the residual heat. This method works fine, but it takes longer, because the water stops boiling. I’m not a patient person, so I prefer the second way.
My preferred method for boiling eggs is to boil them the whole time. Once the water comes to a boil, you set a timer and cook them for exactly the number of minutes needed for the level of doneness you want.
Yay for having faster, perfect boiled eggs!
There are actually lots of other ways to boil eggs. People do it in a pressure cooker, slow cooker, or even the oven. I’ll share how to boil eggs using some of these other methods down the line. (And please, let me know if you’re interested in one of them in particular!)
Still, my go-to way to make perfect hard boiled eggs is the stove. It’s super easy, no fuss or equipment required, and is really, really fast.
In addition to the eggs, there are two important ingredients needed to make perfect, easy peel eggs.
Adding Salt and Vinegar When Boiling Eggs
The first ingredient we add to the water is sea salt. There are a few reasons that adding salt makes for perfect hard boiled eggs.
Some people think that adding salt makes the water boil faster, which is actually not true. However, we add salt to the water because it:
- Increases the temperature of boiling water. Adding salt raises the boiling point of the water slightly. This is not the same as boiling faster! Since the boiling point increases, the time it takes to boil is the same. But, it does heat up faster and in the end boils at a higher temperature. This causes the egg white to cook a little faster, which makes it easier to prevent overcooking the yolk.
- Helps seal and cracks or leaks. If a crack develops in the egg, the salt will aid in coagulation. That basically means it will seal faster when it hits the salt water.
- Makes the egg easier to peel. A tiny bit of salt actually permeates the egg shell. It’s not enough for you to taste it, but it does help with peeling.
The second ingredient we add is vinegar. You can use white vinegar, but since it comes from corn, you can also use apple cider vinegar if you want paleo eggs. The important part is the acidity from the vinegar.
Why does vinegar help create easy peel boiled eggs? It softens the shells! This makes them easier to peel. Yay!
How To Make Hard Boiled Eggs vs Soft Boiled Eggs
How do you like your boiled eggs? It’s really about that yolk. Soft boiled and runny? Medium and creamy? Nice and firm?
The best method for how to make boiled eggs is the same no matter how you like them. Like I said, my favorite is to boil the eggs the entire time and set a timer to get them just right. It’s just a matter of how long…
How Long To Boil Eggs
How long to boil eggs depends on how much you want them done. Hard boiled eggs will take longer, and soft boiled eggs take less time. But, the difference is really just a matter of minutes.
Lucky for you, I tested how long to boil eggs by going through a few dozen of them! I took out a couple boiled eggs at a time, at one-minute intervals. Why two at a time? I wanted to make sure that the result was not a fluke.
Then, I even repeated this twice! This way, we would get a very consistent answer. I wanted to guarantee perfect hard boiled eggs every time!
Can you over boil eggs? Oh, yes. For sure.
How do you know if boiled eggs are overcooked? There are a couple of ways to tell. The first indicator is rubbery whites. Yuck.
The more common way to identify overcooked hard boiled eggs is a greenish-gray surface (ring) around the yolk. You don’t want that.
What causes the greenish-gray ring? It’s a chemical reaction between the sulfur in the egg white and the iron in the yolk. Though not harmful, the yolk will be very dry.
Preventing this is easy. Just boil your eggs for the right amount of time, and you’ll be fine!
How long to boil eggs also depends on the method you use. As mentioned before, the method of boiling until they are done will take less time. If you use the other method, where you bring the water to a boil and then remove from heat, they will take longer.
Hard Boiled Eggs Time Chart
Okay, we need a hard boiled eggs time chart. (I love charts!) Just follow these cook times, and you’ll know how to boil eggs perfectly every time:
| Cook Time | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 minute | Very runny soft boiled eggs |
| 2 minutes | Runny soft boiled eggs |
| 3 minutes | Very gooey medium boiled eggs |
| 4 minutes | Gooey medium boiled eggs |
| 5 minutes | Just set medium boiled eggs |
| 6 minutes | Medium-hard boiled eggs |
| 7 minutes | Very creamy hard boiled eggs |
| 8 minutes | Creamy hard boiled eggs |
| 9 minutes | Firm hard boiled eggs |
| 10 minutes | Very firm hard boiled eggs |
Just to be clear, this is how long to boil eggs after the water has reached a rolling boil.
Also, these times are based on large eggs. This is the most common size, and it’s what I buy. The times might take a little longer to get to the same level of doneness if you have extra large or jumbo eggs, or be done quicker if you have medium eggs.
Here is a visual showing how the boiled eggs look after 1 minute, all the way to 10 minutes:
How To Peel Hard Boiled Eggs Easily
Before I figured out how to peel hard boiled eggs, the process drove me crazy. It was so long and tedious, especially if you make a big batch to have in the fridge. I’d pick off little pieces of shell, and could never get a smooth end result.
Fortunately, after some testing, I found a sure, foolproof way to peel hard boiled eggs easily every time. There are several parts to it:
- Start with eggs that are a few days old. Why? Fresh eggs are slightly less acidic, so the white sticks to the inner shell more. As the egg gets older, the shell absorbs more air, becomes more acidic, and also shrinks slightly. All of these aspects create more space between the egg white and the shell. That means easy peel boiled eggs!
- Add salt and vinegar to the water before cooking. I already talked about this above. The salt permeates the shell a little bit, and the vinegar helps to break down the shells, making them easier to peel.
- Cool the eggs in ice cold water for ten minutes. There are multiple reasons to do this. First of all, it stops the cooking process from residual heat, so you don’t end up with overcooked eggs. But just as importantly, it makes for easy peel boiled eggs! The reason is, some of the water permeates the shell, which helps loosen the bond to the egg white.
- Roll the egg on the counter. I’ve tried different techniques for how to peel boiled eggs, and this one wins, hands down. Simply roll the egg on the counter with the palm of your hand, creating cracks all over. This process helps loosen the shell in general. Then, start peeling at one of the cracks toward the center of the egg, and the shell will come off effortlessly from there.
When it comes to the vinegar, you can use either regular white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. White vinegar is derived from corn, so use apple cider if you want to avoid that.
A tiny amount of vinegar does permeate the egg shell, but don’t worry. You won’t taste it!
Some people swear that adding baking soda helps to make eggs easier to peel. I tried it, but it didn’t make any difference. The vinegar did. Yay!
You might also be wondering when the right time is to peel hard boiled eggs. That depends on how long you plan to store them.
How To Store Hard Boiled Eggs and When To Peel Them
Once you know how to boil eggs perfectly, you’ll probably make them in batches. Why wouldn’t you? They make such wonderful snacks and store well.
Hard boiled eggs are okay at room temperature for a couple hours, but beyond that, store boiled eggs in the fridge. They will keep for about a week.
The soonest time to peel hard boiled eggs is after they have sat in cold or ice water for ten minutes. Give them at least this long, to prevent overcooking and make the peeling process easier. However, don’t leave them in the water for too long without refrigeration, because bacteria can grow.
If possible, do not peel hard boiled eggs until you are ready to use them. The shell will protect them and they will last longer. Just refrigerate them in the shells and only peel when you need them.
That being said, if you still prefer to peel your eggs all at once, you can. After peeling, store the remaining eggs submerged in cold water in the fridge. You’ll need to change the water every day, so it might not be much of a time savings. Alternatively, you can drape damp paper towels over the eggs instead of submerging in water, but it’s still recommended to swap them daily.
Unfortunately, freezing boiled eggs is not recommended. I’ve tried, and the texture when thawing them is just terrible. Don’t do it!
Hard Boiled Egg Nutrition – How Many Calories in a Boiled Egg?
When it comes to nutrition, boiled eggs are exceptional.
Eggs contain 13 essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B12, biotin, pantothenic acid, iodine, zinc, selenium, molybdenum, and choline. And, each egg contains 6 grams of quality protein, meaning it has all the essential amino acids. 1, 2 The nutrients of the egg are found in the yolk, and the white contains the protein.
Choline, one of the most important nutrients in egg yolks, has been associated with lower risk of liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders 3.
How many calories in a boiled egg? It depends on the size. A large egg, which is most common, has only 70 calories and 0 grams carbs. Yay!
Not surprisingly, eggs are pretty much the perfect food for a low carb diet. And, the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association no longer limit egg or cholesterol intake, which used to be a concern with eggs. The myth of the relationship between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease has since been debunked. 4, 5
In fact, studies have shown that consuming whole eggs daily, as part of a low carb diet, actually improves cholesterol and insulin sensitivity. It also improves lipid and glucose markers in diabetic patients, and can aid in weight loss. 6, 7, 8, 9
Soft or Hard Boiled Egg Recipes and Uses
Now that you know how to boil eggs perfectly every time, I hope you’ll make them more often!
If you need ideas for how to use boiled eggs, I’ve got you covered! The most common ways are salads, like cauliflower potato salad or seven-layer salad.
You can also dunk cheese sticks or veggies into a soft boiled egg, make a breakfast sandwich on keto bagels, or mash the yolk with mayo and spices for simple deviled eggs. Check my low carb & keto food list for the full list of low carb foods, to give you more ideas of what you can combine with eggs.
But my favorite way to enjoy boiled eggs? Simply plain with a little salt and pepper. When you have that idyllic creamy yolk, that’s all you need to enjoy perfect boiled eggs.
More Low Carb Recipes To Love
RECIPE CARD
How To Boil Eggs Perfectly Every Time - Easy Peel
PrintIngredients
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- 8 large Egg (or any number you want)
- 4 cups Water (or enough to cover eggs in the pan)
- 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar (or white if not paleo)
- 1 tbsp Sea salt
Instructions
More TIPS about this recipe in the post above!
VIDEO + NUTRITION INFO + RECIPE NOTES below!
How To Boil Eggs Perfectly
Place eggs in a single layer at the bottom of a large saucepan or pot. Add enough water to cover the eggs with at least 1 in (2.5 cm) of water over them.
Add a tablespoon (15 mL) of vinegar and a tablespoon (14 g) of sea salt to the pot. Stir gently.
- Place the pan onto the stove over high heat. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
- Once the water is boiling, set a timer to the following number of minutes based on how you want your eggs.
- 1 minute - Very runny soft boiled eggs
- 2 minutes - Runny soft boiled eggs
- 3 minutes - Very gooey medium boiled eggs
- 4 minutes - Gooey medium boiled eggs
- 5 minutes - Just set medium boiled eggs
- 6 minutes - Medium-hard boiled eggs
- 7 minutes - Very creamy hard boiled eggs
- 8 minutes - Creamy hard boiled eggs
- 9 minutes - Firm hard boiled eggs
- 10 minutes - Very firm hard boiled eggs
- Right before the timer is about to go off, turn on the faucet to the coldest that it goes and let it run until the water is ice cold. Once the timer goes off, drain the hot water and place the pan under the cold running water, letting the ice cold water fill the pan. The water will turn lukewarm from the heat of the eggs and pan. Keep running the water (it will overflow from the pot), until the water in the pan is ice cold. Leave the eggs in the pot for about 10 minutes, until they reach room temperature.
How To Peel Boiled Eggs Easily
- Once the eggs are at room temperature (but not colder), you can peel them.
- To peel an egg, roll it on the counter with the palm of your hand, pressing gently to make cracks all over the shell. The peel will come right off!
- If not using right away, see notes in the post above about how to store hard boiled eggs and when to peel them.
SIMILAR KETO LOW CARB RECIPES
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 egg
Video Showing How To Make Perfect Boiled Eggs:
Click or tap on the image below to play the video. It's the easiest way to learn how to make Perfect Boiled Eggs!
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
More Low Carb & Keto Support!
If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:
Low Carb & Keto Diet Plan
Starter Guide 
Sweetener Conversion Calculator 
Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator 
Low Carb Keto Food List
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50 Comments
Nicole Dawson
I make hard boiled eggs for my daughter in batches as well and found that using the salted water method works best. When it comes to peeling, the tricky that works for me is to firmly shake the saucepan back & forth so the cooled eggs start to crack. Kinda like making jiffy popcorn. It cracks the shell and makes it super easy to peel.
Linda
Sorry to be so dumb about this— but I loved your piece on hard boiled eggs! And had a question— with your method (ie boiling the egg for the entire cooking time)— do you start the egg After the water (& salt/vinegar) are already boiling? Or do you start the egg in cold water? And if you do the first, ie drop the egg into already boiling water— doesn’t it usually crack due to the temp differences? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Linda, You put the eggs in the cold water first, then pour the water over them, and then place onto the stove to bring to a boil. Don’t wait for the water to boil before adding the eggs, or they’ll be undercooked (plus they’ll crack like you said).
Krista
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I have never commented on a blog, but this deserves it!!! I looked at all the eggs and decided the one that looked best to me (because I am the grey overcooker that you mentioned – lol) and followed the recipe. They turned out AHHHHMAZING! Thanks for taking the time to research the perfect hard boiled egg. 🙂
M
Worked great! Thanks for the tips. Peeling eggs one micron at a time is maddening, this did the trick.
Athena Poe
Thank you for the tips! Very helpful! What about if you are boiling eggs for Easter eggs that will be colored? We make egg salad and deviled eggs from them when we are done with our tradition. (We color the night before and let the easter bunny see them in the fridge on his nightly visit, then prepare the following day.) It drives me crazy that I can never get them to peel right and half the egg ends up in the trash. If I use the salt and vinegar for easy peel where the vinegar softens the shell, will that affect the coloring of the eggs at all? Sorry if this is a no brainer but I was curious as I was reading since you seem to know a lot about this subject. Thank you again for the helpful tips! I will be following this guideline in hopes of not losing my sanity in the peeling process again
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Athena, It should be fine to dye the eggs with food coloring after using this method.
Bonnie
Does it make any difference in easier peeling if brown-shell eggs are used as opposed to white shells? And using the same boiling/cooling/salt/vinegar process?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Bonnie, It shouldn’t make any difference in peeling. I’ve heard some anecdotes that some people find brown ones harder to peel, but we always buy brown and they peel just fine.
Melanie
Thank you so much. Peeling eggs can be a nightmare. Your tips really helped. I needed to make 20 for a family gathering. Last time was a disaster. Much better this time.
Jim
I used table salt instead of sea salt, didn’t have any on hand. Eggs was runny and hard to peel. I boiled water, vinegar and salt, set eggs in for 10minutes, now boiling for 5 minutes more.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jim, It sounds like you put the eggs in after boiling the water? You put the eggs in first and let the water come to a boil with the eggs in there.
William
How much vinegar do you add to the water to get good results?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi William, The amount is on the recipe card above – 1 tablespoon.
Evita R
This is a great read and find on Pinterest! I’m making some Asian noodles and was originally looking for the perfect amount of time to cook eggs creamy/medium and this was incredibly informative. I like the science, experimentation and time you put into this and peeling the eggs is the absolute worst part of the process!!! So, I’m going to try the salt and vinegar and say a little prayer and hope that this will change my mind about boiling eggs once and for all! Haha!
Sara
Do you put the lid on the pot after it reaches a boil?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sara, No, with this method you don’t need to cover them.
Tina M Nichter
Do you put your eggs in the water first or after it starts boiling?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tina, It would be before. Place the eggs in the pot first, then add water, then bring to a boil.
Fergie
Thank you for your posting on boiling eggs. I usually boil my eggs 20 min. then immediately place them in ice cold water to shock them and the peeling comes off much easier.
Trent
Thank you. I like to boil them, cut them in half and sprinkle salt, turmeric and smoked paprika. Yum!
Samme
Hello! I love reading your recipes! I just wanted to add that when peeling an egg after you roll it on the counter, if you lift the shell a little bit you can stick a teaspoon under there and the shell will easily lift off. It’s a little tricky at first, but if you stick it in and then gently move it around a little bit, the shell will fall away. My grandmother taught me this many years ago.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much for sharing, Samme! Great tip!
Linnie
The easiest way I found is pressure cooking, peels so easy.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thanks, Linnie! I have a post about that coming soon.
Kimberly Rodriguez
I just have a question. Do you start with eggs from the refrigerator or do you bring them to room temperature first?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kimberly, Straight from the fridge is fine! The times would probably be a bit lower if starting from room temp.
Gloria Hardy Moore
So, scientist-at-heart-to-heart, I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I have a science degree and I have studied physics & chemistry. I have been using xanthum gum for a while now and we all know it absorbs whatever liquid it is put in. If you start with dry xanthum gum and a recipe doesn’t call for much liquid then what will your end result be? I’ve thought about mixing up some xanthum gum at the beginning of a baking cycle would it make the outcome more moist? I’m sure it would but not sure if it would be better.
So what do you think?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Gloria, I love these discussions. It depends on the usage. Xanthan gum can have many functions like binder, thickener, and stabilizer, so it really depends on the recipe. In many baking recipes it’s not used with a lot of liquid, so in these cases it acts as a binder.
Barathi
Thanks a lot! A lot of advice!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for stopping by!
Natalie
Hi Maya, You are such a truly patient person while you don’t think like that
You did a very great job!! The 10-minute-boiling-egg chart is awesome!!
Who can say boiling eggs is just put the eggs into the hot water after reading this
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Natalie! Thanks for stopping by!
Jeanette
There was a tip I tried, add a level tspoon of baking powder when boiling eggs they peel so easy. I have used this and it works wonders.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Great tip, thank you Jeanette!
Heidi
I’ve always made boiled eggs the way you do, as that was how my mom taught me to make them. Add eggs to water, turn on heat, then start the timer once the water comes to a boil. I’ve always boiled them for 8 minutes before submerging in a cold water bath, however, sometimes they’re slightly undercooked, sometimes they’re perfect, sometimes I get green yolks, so it’s NOT foolproof. I’ve been making boiled eggs for at least 45 years, and there is no consistency to them. And yes, I always use large eggs. All things being equal, boiled eggs are still hit or miss.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Heidi, Thank you for the feedback! I’ve always had consistency when using this method, but it’s hard to say what may be causing the discrepancy for you. It might be variances in the temperature of the water at the end?
Crystal
When I cook 1-3 eggs I do like to boil them. Have you tried cooking 4 or more in the Instant Pot? I have never had all eggs come out of the shell with out a blemish on them. If you haven’t tried the instant pot for eggs, it’s far easier than anything else.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Crystal! I never had all the eggs come out perfect until I started using the methods in this article. The vinegar, salt, and rolling method on the counter really make them come out perfect for me every time. I’ll have a separate post on the Instant Pot method in the future, too.
Tiffany
Do you put the eggs in after it’s boiling or put them in the water and bring it up to a boil then start timing? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tiffany, Place the eggs into the empty pot first, then cover with water. Add the vinegar and salt as written on the recipe card. Place the pot on the stove and then bring to a boil. The timer starts once the water starts to boil.
Jan Krassner
Great article. Thank you. Vinegar really does work.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Jan! Yes, I won’t boil eggs without it.
Roberta
What about cooking eggs in the microwave? (Without shell to avoid damage for explosion!) So not useful for boiled eggs, although for these you can use a microwave-safe sort of shell, in which you transfer the egg without shell. I have one but I sometimes can’t reach the exact point of creaminess of the yolk.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Roberta, I try not to make eggs in the microwave, but when I have to, I like this device which essentially steams them. It works pretty well.
Roberta
WONDERFUL and very useful resource! Thank you for sharing!
I love eggs too 🙂 I usually boil them (few minutes, I digest them better if the yolk is runny and creamy, but when I prepare them as take away food I have to make them more done to avoid mess).
I also have a kitchen tool that I find really useful and “dummy-proof”: it’s a simple egg cooker I’ve found on Amazon (here in Italy), doesn’t cost much, it’s quite small and very simple to use and clean so you can keep it also in a small kitchen. Try to see if you know what I’m writing about, hope this suggestion may help!
Just a question: white vinegar from corn?! Here is from grapefruit. Anyway, I always substitute it with apple cider vinegar so for me doesn’t matter, just curious about American white vinegar.
Now we wait for your tips about eggs in the SLOW COOKER!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Roberta! I do have a microwave egg cooker, but don’t usually use it. I prefer boiling them.
White vinegar, or distilled vinegar, usually starts with corn in the United States, but sometimes malt or petroleum. I’ve never heard of it being derived from grapefruit, but that sounds so much better!
I’ll be posting the slow cooker method down the road!
Roberta
Thank you for your detailed answer, Maya! I didn’t refer to a microwave egg cooker: the one I mentioned I have is to keep as a small kitchen tool.
About white vinegar, sorry for the wrong translation: not grapefruit, but grape fruits, so the fruit to produce wine (in fact here we have from white wine white vinegar and from red wine red vinegar…but never heard vinegar from corn or something else before you explained me, thank you for teaching me :-))
In the microwave, I use silicone molds to cook eggs too, or a simple mug with half a cup of water and a tbs of vinegar to make poached eggs. Put an egg in the mug, covered with a small plate, for 1 minute. The yolk stays creamy and the white comes just done, not gummy.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for clarifying that! I know what you are talking about now.
Oh, yes, we do have red wine vinegar and white wine vinegar here too. But those are still less common than plain distilled vinegar. I would imagine that either red or white wine vinegar would work fine for eggs too, though, since the purpose is the acidity.
Thank you for sharing that trick for microwave poached eggs. I’ll have to try it sometime!
Helen
This is just wonderful! I hate separating eggs (don’t we all?) and have stayed away from white cakes and such because of this. Eggs were on sale this week (I wonder why?) and we have no kids to dye with, so I think I’ll try this. I’ve also heard that an older egg is easier to separate than the one you just brought home. Older being a day or so.