How to Make Hard-Boiled Eggs

Whether you love a simple, high-protein breakfast or are a deviled egg fanatic, nothing beats a perfectly hard-boiled egg. But, short of sacrificing an egg and cracking it open, it can be difficult to know when your egg is perfectly cooked. Rest assured, I have a few tricks to get you that perfect hard-boiled texture without tearing apart the cooked whites. If you’re looking to make perfect hard-boiled eggs for your Easter dinner or meal prep menu, keep reading on for all of my tips on how to ace every step:

How To Make Hard-Boiled Eggs

You’ve got two methods for making hard-boiled eggs, and I’ll walk you through both. First, let’s talk about the classic: boiling. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then carefully lower your eggs—using a slotted spoon or tongs ideally—into the water, one at a time. Return the water to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to medium low. You’re going to want to cook them for around 12 minutes.

Fill a large bowl with ice water a few minutes before the eggs are done cooking; I recommend 2 cups of ice and 3 cups of water. After the 12 minutes are up, gently transfer the eggs to the ice bath and let them sit for around 30 seconds.

Now, we’ll get to cracking. Tap each egg with the back of a spoon, making sure you tap all over the shell. If you’re not into this method, you can also tap and roll the eggs on the counter. If you use this method, make sure that you aren’t tapping the eggs too hard. Once they’re cracked, return them to the ice bath and let them sit for 5 minutes. Peel them under a thin stream of cool running water; alternatively, peel them while they are still in the ice water.

If you’re wanting to steam your eggs instead, place a steamer basket in a large pot. Add enough water that it reaches the bottom of the steamer, no higher. Bring the water to a boil, then add the eggs to the basket and reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pot, and cook for around 12 minutes. Same rules here for the ice bath: A few minutes before the eggs finish cooking, make an ice bath in a large bowl, then transfer the eggs there when they are done cooking, and peel as described above.

After peeling your eggs, you can use them however you please! If you're looking for inspo, check out some of my favorite ideas below.

The full instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Use your air fryer. Can’t get enough of the air fryer? You can also make our air fryer hard-boiled eggs! Cook, then shock in ice water as detailed here.
• Old eggs vs. fresh eggs. You may have heard that using older eggs makes peeling a breeze, but there really isn’t a difference. As long as you stick with my methods, the shells should slip off pretty easily.
• Don’t start off with cold water. The cold water method (submerge eggs in a pot with cold water, bring to a boil then cover) is a recipe for disaster. The only thing it will ensure is that your eggs will stick to their shells.
• Set a timer. This tip is an absolute MUST. With hard-boiling eggs, unlike cooking just about anything else, there are no sensory cues for doneness—set your timer to ensure you’re not overcooking.
• How long to cook your hard-boiled eggs. For me, 12 minutes was the perfect amount of time for hard-boiled egg perfection. If you prefer runny yolks, check out our soft-boiled eggs recipe.
  

How To Use Hard-Boiled Eggs

Once you've mastered your hard-boiled eggs, there are countless options for how to serve them. Enjoy them on their own as an addition to your healthy breakfast or quick lunch, or use them in your egg salad, Cobb salad, perfect deviled eggs, or Niçoise salad. These are some of my favorite ideas:

• Cobb egg salad
• Harissa deviled eggs
• Egg curry

Storage

Once your eggs are cooked, refrigerate them in their shells in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Peeled eggs will last about 1 day refrigerated.