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    Sungrown Kitchen » Recipes » In My Kitchen

    Published: Feb 16, 2019 · Modified: Mar 21, 2024 by Meryl Downing Leave a Comment

    Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

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    Get Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs every time with these simple steps!  Take the guess work out of eggs, and never end up with overcooked grey or black yolks again!  Hard boiled eggs are a great addition to so many meals, and are truly more delicious when perfectly cooked!

    A hard boiled egg sliced in half with perfectly cooked yellow yolk and whites.
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    Perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs really do taste so much better! Overcooked hard boiled eggs, rubbery, black, grey or green yolks are pretty terrible! Just a pinch of salt and pepper and hard boiled eggs are delicious on their own!

    • Don't Guess! - About the worst thing you can do is toss your eggs in water, and start boiling them until you think they're probably done! No, you absolutely need to set a timer!
    • Eggs are a handy source of protein to have extras meal prepped for the week, because they can be useful in so many ways! Eat them for a protein-packed snack, on avocado toast, make deviled eggs, or a quick addition to breakfast.
    • Use this method for dying Easter Eggs! Then your beautiful eggs will be delicious enough to eat!
    • Use them for easy lunches like Perfect Egg Salad, or add them to a veggie bagel, deli wrap, or garden salad. They are delicious for dinner on a Chopped Dinner Salad with Roasted Potatoes or on Salmon Avocado Bagels!
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    • WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
    • How to Perfectly Cook Hard Boiled Eggs
    • Recipe Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Hard Boiled Egg Recipes!
    • Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

    How to Perfectly Cook Hard Boiled Eggs

    Hard boiled eggs should be two colors and two colors only, yellow and white. Not grey, not green, not black….yellow and white! 

    There are many methods out there, but the last thing you want to do is just start boiling and forget about them! The secret to perfection? Use a timer!

    1. Place eggs in a pot covering them with cold water by about an inch.
    2. Bring to a boil over high heat.  
    3. Right when they reach a boil, turn the heat off and cover.  
    4. Let them sit in the hot water for 17 minutes, set a timer! 
    5. Run under cold water, crack and peel.

    Recipe Tips

    • Peeling Hard Boiled Eggs - To peel hard boiled eggs, lightly tap them on the counter, cracking the shell on all sides. Start at the bottom of the egg where there is a small air pocket under the shell. Try to slide your thumb into the air pocket and under the membrane between the egg and the shell. Peel away the membrane along with the shell.
    • It's not you, It's the Egg! - Some eggs are just tough to peel. So if you get one that isn't peeling easily, do your best trying not to waste the white.
    • Take care not to crack the eggs when you add them to the pot.
    • Choose Quality Eggs - The nutrition in the egg is only as good as the health of the chicken. I think it is worth the higher price to buy organic eggs, especially local if you can! Local organic eggs are usually much fresher and contain healthy vitamins and omega 3's.
    • Egg Size - If your eggs are pretty small, you may only need to leave them in the water 14 or 15 minutes. If you eggs are extra large, they may need 18 minutes. For most regular size eggs, 17 minutes is perfect.
    • Storing Hard Boiled Eggs - Hard boiled eggs will last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Peel them right away, then store them whole.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I freeze hard boiled eggs?

    No, hard boiled eggs do not freeze well. The whites become rubbery and watery when thawed. The yolks can be frozen, but it's best to use hard boiled eggs, refrigerated within 5 days.

    Should I store hard boiled eggs peeled or in the shells?

    Really either way is fine! After cooking the eggs, run them under cold water, or let them sit in cold water until they are cool when handling. Then peel them or wait to peel them, and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days.

    Can I make a soft boiled egg with this method?

    Sure, just add your eggs to cold water and bring to a boil. When they reach a boil, turn off the heat and cover for 14 to 15 minutes instead of the full 17. You can take one egg out, run it under cold water, peel and slice it open to decide if they are cooked to your liking!

    Hard Boiled Egg Recipes!

    • Egg salad sandwich on dark pumpernickel bread on a wooden cutting board.
      Perfect Egg Salad
    • A green salad with roasted potatoes on a white platter for dinner.
      Chopped Dinner Salad with Roasted Potatoes
    • Plater of Salmon Avocado Bagels with hard boiled eggs, tomato and cucumber.
      Salmon Avocado Bagels
    • A platter of asparagus salad with crispy prosciutto, goat cheese, and hard boiled eggs.
      Spring Asparagus Salad with Crispy Prosciutto

    If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!

    Follow Sungrown Kitchen on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for loads of garden recipes!  Subscribe Here for new recipes delivered straight to your inbox!

    A hard boiled egg sliced in half with perfectly cooked yellow yolk and whites.

    Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

    Take the guesswork out of how to hard boil perfect eggs, and never end up with overcooked grey or black in your eggs again! Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs are delicious in many recipes!

    Hit the stars to rate this recipe!

    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Sides
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 63kcal
    Author: Meryl Downing
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    Ingredients

    • 4 eggs (any amount)

    Instructions

    • Place eggs in a pot covering them with cold water by about an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat.
    • Right when they reach a boil, turn the heat off and cover.
    • Let them sit in the hot water for 17 minutes, set a timer! 
    • Run under cold water, crack and peel.

    Notes

    • Storage - Store Hard Boiled Eggs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
    • Be careful not to crack the eggs when adding them to the pot.
    • To peel hard boiled eggs, lightly tap them on the counter, cracking the shell on all sides. Start at the bottom of the egg where there is a small air pocket under the shell.  Slide your thumb into the air pocket and under the membrane between the egg and the shell. Peel away the membrane along with the shell.
    • Egg Size - If your eggs are pretty small, you may only need to leave them in the water 14 or 15 minutes. If you eggs are extra large, they may need 18 minutes. For most regular size eggs, 17 minutes is perfect.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.3g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 62mg | Potassium: 61mg | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Rate this recipe by clicking the stars, or leave a comment below, I'd love to hear how it turned out! Follow me on Pinterest at @sungrownkitchen to browse and save all the garden recipes!

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    Welcome to Sungrown Kitchen!

    Hey guys!  I'm Meryl, chef, gardener, and mother of two little Minnesotans.  The Sungrown Kitchen combines two of my favorite things that naturally go hand in hand...cooking and gardening (read more)

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