Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
on Nov 28, 2022, Updated Aug 21, 2024
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If there’s one thing I hear, is that people love tricks and tips to make basic cooking tasks perfect. This is my Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs method that will give you the best results every single time. I have never had an eggshell get stuck to my egg with these tips 🥚. I’ve heard that some people swear by adding a little bit of baking soda, vinegar, or salt to their boiling water to get the cleanest peel every time 🫧. I haven’t tried these hacks because my tips work so well for me. Let me know if this trick works for you, or if you have a hard boiled egg secret to share!
Why You’ll Love Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
For me, this Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs recipe gives me silky, smooth eggs every time 🥚. As long as you follow this easy method 100%, you’ll never have to worry about sticky peels and broken eggs. If you love meal prep, this hack will save you a ton of time when peeling your eggs for the week. If you like to serve hard boiled or deviled eggs for breakfast, this method guarantees they’ll look fantastic on the plate ☀️.
“I needed this hack! Thank you! 🙌”
– AJ
Ingredients
- Eggs: An obvious ingredient for Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs, but a lesser known tip is that “older” eggs are easier to peel than fresh eggs. Please do not use expired eggs, and also don’t use super farm fresh eggs. Though it’s difficult to calculate the age of eggs (unless you buy direct from a farmer) the aim is to use eggs that are about 8 days old.
- Ice cold water: Use ice cold water as a bath to “shock” the eggs right after they finish cooking. Submerging cooked eggs in ice water immediately stops the cooking process, ensuring the eggs do not become overcooked by residual heat.
Nonna’s Tip 🧊
Don’t let the eggs sit in the ice bath for too long as the shells may stick that way.
Variations and Substitutions for Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
- How soft or hard you like the 🥚 egg will be totally up to you, so feel free to experiment. ⏳ A soft-boiled egg will cook for about 6-7 minutes. The yolk will be jammy and slightly runny.
⏳ A medium-boiled egg will cook in about 7–8 minutes. The yolk will have just the slightest softness.
⏳ A hard-boiled egg will cook in about 9 minutes. The yolk will be fully cooked. - If you don’t want to prepare an ice bath, you can place the eggs under cold running water from the faucet instead 🧊.
Best Served With
- Use these Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs to make my Deviled Eggs, Egg Sandwiches, or Grated Egg Avocado Toast 🥑.
- Use these boiled eggs to add protein to a salad, like my Simple Green Salad, Cobb Salad Recipe, or Olivier Salad 🥗.
- These are a great way to start the preparation on Fried Boiled Eggs.
- I love egg salad! Try these eggs in my Egg Salad Cucumber Boats 🥒.
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Tips and Tricks for Success
- Use adequate water: Your eggs should be submerged in water when cooking. If the eggs stick out of the water, they will not cook evenly.
- Use “older” eggs: The older the eggs, the easier they are to peel.
- Prepare your ice bath: While the eggs cook, prepare the ice bath. As soon as the eggs reach your desired doneness, transfer them straight into the cold water to stop the cooking.
- Batch cook: Pre-cooked eggs are great to have on hand for busy mornings. Yo can store unpeeled eggs in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
Equipment
Ingredients
- eggs
- ice cold water
Instructions
- Place the raw eggs into a pot of water. Turn the heat on and let the water come to a rolling boil. As soon as the water is boiling, turn off the heat and cover the eggs with a lid for 10 minutes.
- How long you leave the lid on will determine how soft/hard the yolk will be. 10 minutes is more than enough for a hard boiled yolk. If you want a softer yolk, just let it rest for about 6-7 minutes or less time.
- Now, remove the lid and place the eggs into a bowl with cold water and ice. If you don’t want to prepare an ice bath, you can place the eggs under cold running water from the faucet in that same pot for about a minute or so.
- Don’t let the eggs sit in the ice bath for too long as the shells may stick that way. The trick is to soak them in the ice bath for about 1 minute or so or until they are cool enough to handle. They should still be warm to the touch.
- Take all the eggs out of the ice bath and gently crack it onto a hard surface. Using this method the peels come out beautifully and my eggs are silky smooth every single time.
Video
Notes
- Temperature Matters: The key to perfecting this recipe is getting your temperatures right. Start with cold water in the pot and end with ice cold water for shocking the eggs so they don’t overcook.
- Endless Possibilities: There are so many ways to transform hard boiled eggs: chopped and mixed with mayo and seasoning for egg salad; split in half lengthwise, stuffed with sandwich toppings, and secured with a toothpick; topped simply with a dollop of good mayo and a splash of your favorite hot sauce.
- Doneness Preferences: How you like your eggs is so personal. Lovers of jammy, slightly runny yolks will want to cook their eggs for just 6 minutes; those who prefer medium, just-creamy yolks will want to cook for about 8 minutes; and for fully cooked yolks, leave the eggs on for 9 minutes.
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Common Questions
To ensure easy peeling, gently tap the eggs on a hard surface after they’ve been in the ice bath for about a minute. Then peel from the wider end where the air pocket is located, as this can help the shell come off more smoothly.
The ice bath stops the cooking process, preventing the eggs from overcooking and helping to separate the egg white from the shell, making peeling easier. It also cools the eggs quickly, so they’re easier to handle.
Yes, you certainly can. Simply adjust the boiling time based on how runny or hard you like the yolk.
It’s so easy to make hard boiled eggs in the instant pot. Check out my recipe here.
These are delicious as-is, seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper. You can also remove the yolks and transform these into Deviled Eggs. Or grate the full egg on top of avocado toast.
Certainly! These eggs will last, unpeeled, in the fridge for about 5 days.
I needed this hack! Thank you! 🙌