Learn all the ways to make perfect peel boiled eggs! They’re simple, fast, affordable, and yummy with so many dishes!
A lot of us have been there. You need boiled eggs for that perfect deviled egg dish, recipe, or boiled eggs for breakfast. As you chip one tiny piece of eggshell off at a time, your patience is slowly chipped away too! Well, I’m here for you! That happened to me when I was about to cater an event. After the 10th egg was destroyed with my meticulous peeling, I swore I would master the boiled egg.
There are several ways to make hard-boiled eggs and my tried and true method is the stovetop. However, I've noted other cooking methods below that you can try as well and variables with egg cooking that can vary the end product.
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My number one tip is to make 1-2 more eggs than you need in your dish. That way, if 1 or 2 fail you, you have a backup plan. If they all succeed, you've got extra eggs ready for your next breakfast, toast, or salad!
Table of Contents
Perfect Peel Boiled Egg Basics
These are my go-to perfect hard-boiled egg tips. Are they the only tips or ways of making them? No, but they work great for me!
- Size of the Egg: I prefer starting with LARGE eggs. XL or Jumbo eggs will need 1-2 extra minutes and smaller eggs 1-2 fewer minutes.
- Age of the Egg: This is a debated topic, old versus fresh, but I use eggs that are 1-3 days fresh and they peel great!
- Altitude: My house is at an altitude of 119 feet.
- Temperature of the Egg before Lowered into the Water: Mine go straight from the fridge into boiling water.
- Time: I set the timer for exactly 10 minutes of boiling time, transfer to an ice bath, then set the timer for 10 minutes again.
- Water Temp While Cooking: I drop mine in while the water is boiling and keep the water at the same low boiling heat level, uncovered.
- Water Amount: Enough that the eggs are completely submerged.
Tools You’ll Need
- Large pot
- Large Shallow Slotted Spoon
- Large Bowl
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
- It never fails me, and I hope it doesn't for you too!
- Boiled eggs are an excellent source of protein, fat, and many vitamins and minerals!
- It's a quick and cheap protein source!
- They can be incorporated intoz so many dishes!
How to Make Perfect Peel Boiled Eggs
- Stovetop Method (My Preferred Method): Bring a large pot of water to a low boil (not a rolling boil). Gently lower 1-2 eggs at a time into the boiling water. Set the timer for 10 minutes. Immediately transfer the boiled eggs to an ice bath, and set the timer again for 10 minutes. Gently crack along the side and middle of the egg. Give the egg an initial chip, then start peeling away the shell in larger pieces. Once you break the membrane, it should peel off super easily. Lastly, rinse off any excess shell.
- Instant Pot Method: Add one cup of water to the Instant Pot and place the metal trivet inside the pot. Place the desired number of eggs (up to 12) on the trivet, making sure they are not touching each other. Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the "sealing" position. Press the "manual" or "pressure cook" button and set the timer for 8-9 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. Once the cooking time is complete, let the Instant Pot naturally release for 5-6 minutes before quick releasing any remaining pressure. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to carefully remove the eggs from the Instant Pot and place them in a bowl of ice water to cool for 5-10 minutes. Once the eggs have cooled, gently tap them on a hard surface to crack the shell and peel them under running water.
- Air Fryer Method: Preheat your air fryer to 250°F for about 5 minutes. Place your desired number of eggs in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching each other. Cook 15-16 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. Once the cooking time is complete, use tongs to carefully transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool for 5 minutes. Once the eggs have cooled, gently tap them on a hard surface to crack the shell and peel them under running water.
- Oven Method: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Place one egg in each cup of a muffin tin. Bake the eggs in the oven for about 30 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. Once the cooking time is complete, use tongs to carefully transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool for 5-10 minutes. Once the eggs have cooled, gently tap them on a hard surface to crack the shell and peel them under running water.
- Steamer Method: Fill a pot with an inch of water and bring it to a boil. Place a steamer basket in the pot and place the eggs in the basket, making sure they are not touching each other. Cover the pot with a lid and steam the eggs for 13-15 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. After the eggs are steamed, immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water to cool them down quickly and stop the cooking process. Once the eggs are cool, gently tap them on a hard surface and peel them under running water to remove the shell.
Tips and Substitutions
- Set a Timer! Perfect peel boiled eggs are all about timing, and it's easy to get distracted. Make sure you're ready to submerge them into ice water as soon as the cooking time is complete.
- As I stated above, make 1-2 more eggs than you need for a recipe just in case one egg fails you.
- There are lots of ways you can use my perfect peel boiled eggs, but here are a few delicious ones:
- Eat them as a snack
- Make deviled eggs
- Add them to salads
- Make egg salad
- Make egg tuna salad
- Use them as a topping on sandwiches
- Make pickled eggs
- Make a breakfast sandwich
- WARNING: Reheating hard-boiled eggs is not recommended as they can have a rubbery texture and off flavor. However, if you must reheat, here is how to do so safely:
- Microwave: Wrap the hard-boiled egg in a damp paper towel and microwave it for 20-30 seconds on medium power. Slice the egg in half prior to eating. Biting into the egg is dangerous as the pressure around the yolks builds up and it can explode.
- Boiling water: Bring a pot of water to a boil and then turn off the heat. Place the hard-boiled egg in the hot water and let it sit for 1-2 minutes, then remove it with a slotted spoon. Again, split it open, don't bite into a hot, boiled egg.
Storage
- Perfect Peel Boiled Eggs can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week. Before storing boiled eggs, allow them to cool to room temperature. This helps prevent condensation from forming on the shells, which can promote bacterial growth and cause the eggs to spoil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Altitude can affect the boiling time and temperature of the water. At higher altitudes, the atmospheric pressure is lower, which means you may need to increase the cooking time for boiled eggs to ensure that they are fully cooked. The exact adjustment to cooking time may vary depending on the altitude and the size of the eggs.
The greenish-gray color that can sometimes appear on a boiled egg yolk is the result of a chemical reaction between the iron in the yolk and the sulfur in the white, which can occur when eggs are overcooked or cooked at too high of a temperature. To avoid this, don't overcook the eggs, make sure the water is at a low boil and not a rolling boil, submerge the eggs in the ice bath immediately as instructed, and use fresh eggs.
One way to check if an egg is boiled or raw is to spin it. A hard-boiled egg will spin smoothly and easily, while a raw egg will wobble or feel unsteady. You can also gently tap the egg on a hard surface. A boiled egg will have a solid sound, while a raw egg will make a hollow sound.
Some might find this to be true, but I never use salt in the water and rarely see them crack. If they're gently lowered into the water and are maintained at a low boil, they should stay intact.
The eggshell membrane is a thin, transparent film that lines the inside of the eggshell and separates the shell from the egg white. When boiling eggs, sometimes the membrane sticks to the shell, making it difficult to peel the egg without removing chunks of the egg white along with it. Cooking with my tips should help with this separation.
Cook the eggs for 1-2 minutes less per the hard-boiled instructions for a soft-boiled egg.
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Perfect Peel Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 large egg or many as desired
Instructions
Stovetop Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a low boil (not rolling boil). Gently lower 1-2 eggs at a time into the boiling water. Set the timer for 10 minutes. Immediately transfer the boiled eggs to an ice bath, and set the timer again for 10 minutes. Gently crack along the side and middle of the egg. Give the egg an initial chip, then start peeling away the shell in larger pieces. Lastly, rinse off any excess shell.
Instant Pot Method
- Add one cup of water to the Instant Pot and place the metal trivet inside the pot. Place the desired number of eggs (up to 12) on the trivet, making sure they are not touching each other. Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the "sealing" position. Press the "manual" or "pressure cook" button and set the timer for 8-9 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. Once the cooking time is complete, let the Instant Pot natural release for 5-6 minutes before quick releasing any remaining pressure. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to carefully remove the eggs from the Instant Pot and place them in a bowl of ice water to cool for 5-10 minutes. Once the eggs have cooled, gently tap them on a hard surface to crack the shell and peel them under running water.
Air Fryer Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 250°F for about 5 minutes. Place your desired number of eggs in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching each other. Cook 15-16 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. Once the cooking time is complete, use tongs to carefully transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool for 5 minutes. Once the eggs have cooled, gently tap them on a hard surface to crack the shell and peel them under running water.
Oven Method
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Place one egg in each cup of a muffin tin. Bake the eggs in the oven for about 30 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. Once the cooking time is complete, use tongs to carefully transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool for 5-10 minutes. Once the eggs have cooled, gently tap them on a hard surface to crack the shell and peel them under running water.
Steamer Method
- Fill a pot with an inch of water and bring it to a boil. Place a steamer basket in the pot and place the eggs in the basket, making sure they are not touching each other. Cover the pot with a lid and steam the eggs for 13-15 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. After the eggs are steamed, immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water to cool them down quickly and stop the cooking process. Once the eggs are cool, gently tap them on a hard surface and peel them under running water to remove the shell.
Amy
I followed this recipe exactly as stated and I had to throw away all 24 eggs that were to be used for deviled eggs. I always cook mine 13 - 14 minutes after they start boiling and they are perfect, except for the shell removal. I add mine to cold water at the beginning, so I was hoping by adding to boiling water and decreasing the cook time, it would make the shell come off easier. Neither happened and these eggs were extremely undercooked with a gooey unusable yolk.
Laura Ashley
I've made them this way 100s of times and have never had input that it didn't work, so other than the steps being executed as written, I would have other advice for you to make them successfully.