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GET IT NOW- Why You’ll Love These Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
- The Best Way To Boil Eggs
- How To Boil Eggs For Easy Peeling
- How Long To Boil Eggs?
- Hard Boiled Eggs Time Chart
- Tips For Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
- Storage Tips
- Hard Boiled Egg Recipes
- My Favorite Tools
- Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs (Perfect Yolks!) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
Since eggs are my favorite food ever, boiled eggs were one of the first foods I learned to make as a kid. But, I refined my favorite method for these easy peel hard boiled eggs only a few years ago. As a scientist at heart, it was really fun for me to do the testing for this “recipe”. I went through dozens of cartons to get the perfect hard boiled eggs at different doneness levels… and a couple batches of oven baked bacon and air fryer bacon to go with them. 😉
So even if you already know how to boil eggs — and I know many of you do — I hope you’ll learn something new. Because if you want easy to peel boiled eggs, the method does make a difference, and every minute counts for the end result. I have a time chart to make this easy!
Why You’ll Love These Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
- Perfectly cooked to your liking (see the time chart below!)
- Works for soft boiled or hard boiled eggs
- Quick and easy — it’s the fastest stovetop method!
- No specialty ingredients or special equipment needed
- Makes perfect easy peel hard boiled eggs every time
The Best Way To Boil Eggs
There are two main ways to make perfect hard boiled eggs on the stove:
- Most common method – Bring the water with the eggs, 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.
- The best method – 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. The key difference is you boil them the whole time, so they are done more quickly. 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 air fryer boiled eggs and oven boiled eggs. Still, my go-to way to make easy peel hard boiled eggs is the stove. It’s super easy, no fuss or equipment required, and fast.
How To Boil Eggs For Easy Peeling
This section shows how to make perfect easy peel hard boiled eggs, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Submerge eggs in water. Place your eggs in the bottom of a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the eggs with at least an inch of water above them.
TIP: Add the eggs before adding the water.
This will ensure they don’t break.
- Add salt and vinegar. Stir gently, being careful not to disturb the eggs too much.
- Boil eggs. Place the pan on the stove over high heat and bring the pot of water to a rolling boil. Then, set a timer and use the boiled eggs time chart below to get the eggs done to your liking.
- Plunge in cold water or an ice bath. 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. (Alternatively, you can also just use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to a large bowl of ice water, as shown below.) Leave the eggs in the pot for about 10 minutes, until they reach room temperature.
How Long To Boil Eggs?
The time to boil eggs depends on how you want them done. After the water starts boiling, a good estimate is 7-10 minutes for hard boiled eggs and 1-2 minutes for soft boiled eggs, without removing from heat.
Hard Boiled Eggs Time Chart
Now that you know the tricks for easy peel boiled eggs, just follow the cook times in this boiled egg time chart to get the doneness you want:
| Boiling 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 |
A few important notes about this:
- The times above are how long to boil eggs after the water has reached a rolling boil, and you place the eggs in cold water before bringing it to a boil. If you use some other method, such as adding the eggs to the water after it’s already boiling (don’t recommend), or removing from heat once the water boils, they will take longer.
- My time chart is based on large eggs. It will take a little longer to get to the same level of doneness with extra large or jumbo eggs, or quicker if you have medium eggs.
- Plunging eggs into cold or ice water after boiling is crucial. If you skip this step, your eggs will be overcooked, even if you follow the times above.
Here is a visual showing how my easy peel boiled eggs looked after 1 minute, all the way to 10 minutes:
Tips For Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
Before I figured out how to peel hard boiled eggs, the process drove me crazy. Fortunately, after some testing, I found a sure, foolproof method. Here is how to make hard boiled eggs easy to peel every time:
- Use eggs that are a few days old. Fresh eggs are slightly less acidic, so the white sticks to the inner shell more. With older eggs, the shell absorbs more air, becomes more acidic, and also shrinks slightly. All of these aspects create more space between the shell membrane (that covers the egg white) and the shell itself. That means easy peel hard boiled eggs!
- Start with cold water. This is sometimes called “cold start” and helps ensure that the boiled eggs are easy to peel. In contrast, using warm or hot water is called “hot start” and will increase the chances that the shell will stick to the membrane.
- Add salt and vinegar to the water. Salting the water accomplishes a few things: It increases the temperature of the boiling water (so the egg white cooks a little faster and the yolk doesn’t overcook); it helps seal any small cracks or leaks; and a tiny bit permeates the egg shell, which makes for easy peel eggs. The vinegar helps with peeling as well, because it softens the shell. White vinegar or apple cider vinegar both work. 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 salt and vinegar did.
- Plunge the eggs in ice water. This stops the cooking process from residual heat, so you don’t end up with overcooked eggs. Also, some of the water permeates the shell, which helps loosen the bond to the egg white and makes the boiled eggs easy to peel.
- Roll the egg on the counter. I’ve tried different techniques for peeling boiled eggs, and this one wins compared to starting at one end. Simply roll the egg on the counter with the palm of your hand, creating cracks all over the widest part. Then, start peeling at one of the cracks toward the center of the egg, and the shell will come off from there.
Storage Tips
- When to peel: The soonest time to easily peel eggs is after they have sat in cold or ice water for 10 minutes. If you won’t eat them right away, it’s best not to peel them, because they will last longer with the shell than without. However, if you still prefer to peel your eggs all at once, you can.
- Storage: Hard boiled eggs are okay at room temperature for a couple hours, but beyond that, store them in the refrigerator (unpeeled if possible). Boiled eggs in the shell will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. Without the shell (store submerged in water or draped with a wet paper towel and change daily), they will last for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: You can reheat boiled eggs, but don’t use the microwave or they will explode. Instead, place the egg(s) into a glass bowl and add boiling water to submerge. Let the eggs sit in the hot water for about 10 minutes, then remove and enjoy!
- Freezing: Don’t do it — it ruins the texture of the egg white! If you really want to, you can freeze just the yolks for up to 3 months.
Hard Boiled Egg Recipes
Now that you know how to boil eggs perfectly (and peel them easily) every time, I hope you’ll make them more often! Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy them:
- Salt & Pepper – When you have that blissful creamy yolk, that’s all you need to enjoy perfect boiled eggs.
- Deviled Eggs – My fave is simple deviled eggs with bacon or basic deviled eggs, but they are also delicious with salmon lox on top or avocado mashed in.
- Egg Salad – Either a classic egg salad or avocado egg salad, or mix with proteins, such as tuna salad with egg or ham salad. These types of salads use a lot of eggs, so you’ll definitely want to use this method for easy peel hard boiled eggs!
- Other Salads – Boiled eggs work well in cauliflower potato salad (a healthier alternative to potato salad) or seven-layer salad. For meal salad options, try a cobb salad or chef salad.
- Soft Boiled Egg Soldiers – Dunk cheese sticks or veggies into a soft boiled egg. (You can also do this with oven baked eggs!)
- Breakfast Sandwich – Layer sliced hard boiled eggs, cheese, and bacon on your favorite bagel. I often use low carb bagels, but any kind you like will do.
My Favorite Tools
- Saucepan – This one heats evenly and is a great universal size for boiling eggs.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – This kitchen staple is useful for so many recipes, and will make for easy to peel hard boiled eggs.
- Sea Salt – Not all salt is created equal! This one is easy to pinch and full of naturally occuring minerals. It’s also a must for both cooking and eating your boiled eggs.
Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs (Perfect Yolks!)
Learn how to boil eggs perfectly, with time chart for perfect yolks! Get easy peel hard boiled eggs every time using this fast simple method.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 egg
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
How To Boil Eggs Perfectly (Easy Peel)
336 Comments
Pat
3Love this recipe! I’ve used it three times to cook eggs for deviled eggs. Perfect. Eggs. Every. Time!! I used older eggs and followed the recipe exactly. All the eggs peeled nicely, which makes for a better-looking deviled egg. I did notice one or two that cracked during boiling but there were no leaks and those eggs still cooked beautifully. I am happy to find a recipe that works so well and doesn’t leave me with unusable eggs. Thank you!
Dana
1This method is ingenious. I’ve never managed to make eggs that peeled this easily before. I don’t think I’ll make them any other way now!
Gary T Kohlhepp
1I’ve struggled with peeling eggs forever. This method worked perfectly for me. Thank you!
Patricia
1Thanks for sharing this! I’ve been using the lid on/heat off method for quite a few years since it came from the egg board. Today I went back to the old way of doing this and it’s the first time in eons I didn’t struggle with the peeling of the eggs! They were perfect!!! ?
Cheers
Shelley Roach
0I do the best method for 9 minutes- perfect every time.
Wholesome Yum D
0That sounds fantastic, Shelley! I’m so glad the 9-minute method works perfectly for you every time. Love when a simple trick makes all the difference!
791chastity@gmail.com
0Good staple recipe to keep! Nice links for use also.
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m glad you found it helpful! Always great to have a good staple recipe on hand.
Barbara White
0Amazing! Easiest boiled eggs I’ve ever made…I boiled them for seven minutes and they were absolutely perfect!
Wholesome Yum D
0Barbara, I’m so glad to hear that! Love how easy and reliable this method is, perfect eggs every time!
Janet
0Works perfectly! I used to boil my eggs in just water with no vinegar or salt, but had inconsistent results. This method works every time.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad to hear that, Janet! Thank you.
Angela
0Hi – I don’t see stated anywhere in the recipe instructions to cover the pot at any point in the process. Just want to clarify-thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Angela, I don’t cover the pot for this method. Thanks for checking!
Irene
0I did everything exactly as you stated, but it took forever to peel 8 eggs to make deviled eggs, one speck at a time. Part of the egg came off with the shell. I used brown eggs from the grocery store. I tried this method a few times, and it didn’t work for me, and this last time was the worst ever. What am I doing wrong? How much vinegar and sea salt are you adding to the water?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Irene, Sorry to hear you had trouble. It sounds like you didn’t fully follow my recipe if you are asking how much vinegar and salt, as I have the amounts on the recipe card above. Please double check. Other than that, were your eggs fresh from the store? Fresh eggs are generally harder to peel than older ones. I also have peeling tips above. Hope this helps for next time.
Deborah Sherrer
0Great Recipe.!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Deborah!
Linda
0I always wondered how long to boil an egg. It was always different times I would boil them. Thank you for the chart. I boiled my eggs according to your instructions and they came out perfect and using ACV and salt really helped with the peeling of the eggs. I will use this chart from now on.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked the chart, Linda! And I’m so happy to hear your hard boiled eggs turned out perfect. Enjoy!
John D. Pilla
0I cannot eat eggs anymore, sadly; however, I found that steaming them (10-12 min) works better, much easier to peel. Now we buy farm fresh eggs which are easier in general than eggs from a store which are at leas 100 days old. The older the egg the harder it will be to peel, regardless of method. But steaming helps and is better, and just as fast as boiling them!
Robin
0I have tried every which way, age of egg, type of egg to successfully have my hard boiled egg shells come off easily. It was only by accident did I discover that putting them carefully in about to boil water that may have vinegar to control missed broken egg shells that cause raw egg leakage, lowering the water temperature to simmer, covering the pan up and then using times similar to what you suggest it results in super easy to peal eggs after that cold water bath or even a day or two later cold water bath.
matthew murray
0I love when your recipes are almost identical to mine. Grant it, this is a basic one, but still. Only difference is, I never thought to use vinegar.
I use to make them gooey or less gooey depending on the strictness of my diet. Less mayo the gooier.
This was pre Atkins. 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thanks, Matthew! Great minds, hehe.
Patricia
0I use a pot of salted water, add eggs bring to boil. Once ready put pot under running cold water. Roll and peel. Eggs to chilled seem to tear away portion of egg when peeling, but usually works well.
Pauline Davies
0I love eggs as well and have at least one every day after the gym. I have my egg with hummus and cayenne pepper…so satisfying!!!
Pauline
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing, Pauline! That sounds delicious.
Elizabeth
010 minutes is not enough for “very firm” hard-boiled eggs — it takes at least 12 (and the ones in the photo are not fully hard). But I do appreciate the vinegar tip.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Elizabeth, The ones in most of my pictures is how I like them but that wasn’t 10 minutes, it was a little less. I have a time chart picture above that shows what it’s like after 10 minutes, which is firmer than the picture at the top. When I want very firm, 10 minutes is perfect using this method. Some people use other methods, such as removing from heat after the water is boiling, so those have different timing.
Michael Ashton
0Top rate recipe , easy to understand & worth reading .
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Michael! I’m so glad this was helpful for you.
Ty Welch
0People down south are like “Run ice cold water from the faucet?” Lol
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ty, Funny you say that because I live in Florida now, but didn’t when I originally published this recipe. So yes, I know what you mean, lol! You can definitely just use an ice water bath instead. 🙂
David W.
0Worked amazingly well! Only difference was I scooped the eggs out of the boiling water directly into a bowl of ice water that had been sitting for about 5 minutes. I left the eggs in the ice water for 5 minutes and they were room temp. I tapped the eggs on the counter once and rolled it under my palm 1 hand length, the shell peeled right off!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad this method worked well for you, David! Yes, either cold water or an ice water bath would work to flash cool the eggs right after cooking.
Lisa
0Hi, Maya!
We live at over 5280 feet elevation. How much more time should I allow for this high altitude?
Thanks for all your great recipes and tips!
Lisa
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lisa, I’m sorry, I don’t live at high elevation so am unable to test under those conditions. I would estimate adding about 2 minutes to the time for each level of doneness. Please let me know if that works for you – I’m sure it would be helpful for other readers living at high elevation.
Jan
0Best way to peel hard boiled eggs if they’ve been refrigerated
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jan, I have info about easy peeling in the post above.
Florence Moore
0Do you have a egg salad recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Florence, Yes, I do! You can find my egg salad recipe here.
jjohnson11304334@yahoo.com
0PERFECTLY GOOD.
Dee
0I have chickens, so I have very fresh eggs. They do not peel well at all! I’ve tried starting with cold water to boil, starting in hot water, using my Instant Pot, none give me easy peel. Help!
Nona B Norris
0Great information I will try soon, thanks.
Lisa
0When boiling the eggs, I am assuming that this is done without a lid – no cover! Just want to be sure as I have struggled with boiling eggs using an induction cooktop and am trying this recipe today! Thank you – Lisa
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lisa, No cover is needed for this recipe.
Pat
0Thank you ! We have chickens and I try to hard boil eggs that are not quite so fresh because it seems the fresh ones are hardest to peel. I will try this method with fresh eggs. Is it true about fresh eggs being difficult to peel or is that an old wives tale?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Pat, I recommend using eggs that are a few days old.
Amal
0Do eggs have to be at room temperature when boiling to get the consistency you mention in the recipe?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Amal, I use eggs straight from the refrigerator.
Susan Wondrers
0great tips brilliant and great deviled eggs?
Debbie K
0How often and how much sugar substitute is safe eating. I am concerned about eating this; should I be?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Debbie, This is a recipe for hard boiled eggs, so I’m not sure what you’re asking about here? There is no sugar or substitutes involved.
John D Pilla
0You left out steaming! A lot of eggs are easier to shell because they’ve been sitting for a while. However, newer eggs or farm fresh eggs are still difficult to peel UNLESS you bring water to a boil, set a strainer in the pot with the water below the bottom of the strainer. Once the water is boiling, place the eggs in the strainer into the pot. Steam about 12 min for soft and 14 min for Hard. Then, even new eggs will be easy to peel!
baltisraul
0I also poke a tiny hole at the tip of the narrow end of the egg before boiling. Like the part about rolling on the counter top!
Bonnie
0Recipe worked great! Peeling was easy and fast! I made the egg salad recipe here too. I usually cringe when I see lemon in a recipe because I’m not a lemon person, but I put it in and it complemented the recipe nicely.
Shannon
0Wow this was super helpful! Thank you. I just made a batch of deviled eggs for a party earlier this month and it was ridiculously hard to peel the shells and most of them looked pretty stupid lol. So I tried your method this time and the shells really did come off much easier. I have also heard to add baking soda but I didn’t know about the salt and vinegar. So I’m going to make sure I do that from now on. Thank you!
Jack Lucker
0Easiest hard-boiled eggs I’ve ever peeled!
SaraGrace
0The timetable, cold start, salt & vinegar make a huge difference! I would never make deviled eggs, (only eggsalad), as a could never get a ‘pretty peel’ – thank you.
April A
0I decided to try this easy peel egg recipe as I needed some today. I had boiled potatoes and put them in the fridge to lower the carbs/starch so I can make potato salad. I have seen MANY recipes for boiled eggs over the years… and many comments that whatever the way was, it didn’t always work. I like that you specify using older eggs because a lot of directions that leave out. Fresh eggs will never peel, no matter what. Your recipe works!!! I followed it and appreciated the time chart. I do have a tried and true way I’ve done them for years… just poke a tiny hole in the big end of the egg with a push pin. It always works, whether you start with cold or hot water. I’ll probably continue to do that because it is cheaper than using a Tbl. of sea salt every time! Thanks for good recipes!
Mavis Sonnier
0Thanks for the boiled egg tips. I make deviled eggs every week, and I’m often disappointed when the shell clings. I will add the salt and vinegar the very next time!
Amy M.
0Eggs turned out perfectly, peeled easily, and made great deviled eggs. Extra tip on peeling: Tap each end of the egg on the counter before rolling them.
Caroline
0It really makes peeling the shell off the eggs super easy! I love it!
Birgitta
0Wow! I finally made proper boiled eggs! Thanks so much. The peeling tips were also super helpful. I’ll be using this recipe from now on! The timings were perfect.
Adele
0Finally found a way to get my hard-boiled eggs perfectly creamy every time! Used the tip with salt and vinegar, worked like a charm. The chart was very handy and I just saved it for future use.
Amanda
0I can finally peel eggs without tearing them apart!! Thank you so much for sharing this method, worked like MAGIC! ?
Maine
0Boiled eggs this morning and tried it with creamy yolks. It was perfectly set and not too runny or overcooked. Save my time preparing before going to work.
Kelsey
0My kids loved hard boiled eggs, but they always complained about how hard they were to peel. But not anymore, this method really works. The shells practically slid off, and the eggs were cooked to perfection. I’ll never go back to my old way of boiling eggs again.
Jacquie
0Instead of baking soda you should try cream of tartar. it is acidic where baking soda neutralizes acid. So if the theory behind vinegar is because of the acid, then cream of tartar should have the same result without the smell.
Pat Schunda
0what baking soda? Salt and Vinegar and water only.
Todd
0The best hard boiled eggs ever!!
Vernon
0Good