To hard-boil large eggs, cover them with cold water by 1 inch, bring it to a boil, then take the pan off the heat, cover it and let the eggs stand 12 minutes (9 for medium, 15 for extra large). For soft-boiled eggs, stand 3–4 minutes; for jammy yolks, 7–8 minutes. Then chill in ice water.
Key facts
- Hard-boiled, cold-water start: 9 minutes for medium, 12 for large, 15 for extra large eggs, covered and off the heat (American Egg Board).
- Soft-boiled: 3–4 minutes; jammy: 7–8 minutes, using the same method (Egg Farmers of Canada).
- Steaming: about 13 minutes for hard-cooked, 6½ for soft-cooked (Iowa State University Extension).
- USDA FSIS: refrigerate hard-cooked eggs within 2 hours of cooking and use them within 1 week.
- Eggs bought 7–10 days before cooking peel more easily than very fresh ones.
How long to boil eggs: time chart
How long to boil eggs depends on how firm you want the yolk and on the size of the egg. The times below use the cold-water method: eggs go into cold water, the water comes to a full boil, then the pan comes off the burner, gets a lid, and the eggs finish cooking in the hot water. The standing time starts when you take the pan off the heat.
| Result | Standing time (covered, off heat) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Soft-boiled | 3–4 minutes | Set white, warm runny yolk |
| Soft, firmer white | 5 minutes | Firmer white, yolk still runny |
| Jammy (medium-boiled) | 7–8 minutes | Thick, spreadable yolk |
| Hard-boiled, medium eggs | 9 minutes | Firm white and yolk |
| Hard-boiled, large eggs | 12 minutes | Firm white and yolk |
| Hard-boiled, extra-large eggs | 15 minutes | Firm white and yolk |
The hard-boiled times come from the American Egg Board and Oregon State University Extension; the soft and jammy times come from Egg Farmers of Canada. Stoves, pans and egg temperatures vary, so treat these as starting points. Write down what works in your kitchen.
How to make hard-boiled eggs
The most reliable way to make hard-boiled eggs at home is the cold-start, stand-in-hot-water method:
- Use a single layer. Set the eggs in a saucepan without stacking them.
- Cover with cold water. Add enough to sit about 1 inch above the eggs.
- Bring to a boil. Heat on high until the water just reaches a full boil (212°F, or 100°C at sea level).
- Cover and rest. Take the pan off the heat, put the lid on, and let the eggs stand for the time in the chart.
- Cool quickly. Drain, then move the eggs to an ice-water bath or run cold water over them.
The American Egg Board says not to pierce shells before cooking and never to cook eggs in their shells in a microwave.
Start in cold water or boiling water?
Both work; they just need different timing. The cold-start method above is the one the American Egg Board and Oregon State Extension publish, and it's forgiving because the eggs cook gently as the water cools. A University of Kentucky Extension food and nutrition associate recommends the other approach: bring about 2 inches of water to a boil, turn it down to a simmer, lower the eggs in with a long-handled spoon and cook 7–9 minutes for hard-cooked eggs. She advises a simmer rather than a rolling boil, which can make eggs rubbery. Either way, finish with a quick chill.
Steaming eggs
Steaming is a good choice if your eggs are hard to peel. Iowa State University Extension's method: bring about 1 inch of water to a boil, lower the eggs in a steamer basket in a single layer, cover, and steam about 13 minutes for hard-cooked or 6½ minutes for soft-cooked eggs, then move them to an ice bath. Steam firms the outer layer of the white so it clings less to the shell membrane, which makes peeling easier, even with fresh eggs.
How long to boil eggs for soft-boiled and jammy yolks
For a classic soft-boiled egg, Egg Farmers of Canada uses the same cold-water start and a 3–4 minute stand, which gives a set white and a runny yolk. Five minutes firms the white more while keeping the yolk liquid; 7–8 minutes gives the jammy, spreadable yolk people like on toast or ramen. Lift the eggs out with a slotted spoon and chill them for at least a few minutes so they stop cooking.
Are soft-boiled eggs safe?
A runny yolk isn't fully cooked. USDA FSIS and the FDA advise cooking eggs until both the white and the yolk are firm, because eggs can carry Salmonella. FSIS lists infants, young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems as especially vulnerable. For them, hard-cook the eggs or use pasteurized in-shell eggs for soft or jammy yolks. See is it safe to eat raw eggs and safe temperatures for eggs (egg dishes such as quiche go to 160°F).
How long to leave eggs in an ice bath
Leave boiled eggs in ice water for at least a few minutes, until they're cool enough to handle; to serve them cold, leave them until cooled all the way through. The point is to stop the cooking fast. Then dry them and refrigerate them, peeled or in the shell. FSIS says to refrigerate hard-cooked eggs within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour if it's above 90°F); see how long food can sit out.
How to peel hard-boiled eggs
Older eggs peel more easily. FSIS explains that the white's pH rises from about 7.4 when the egg is laid to about 9 as it ages, which loosens the membrane from the shell. The American Egg Board suggests buying and refrigerating eggs 7–10 days before you plan to hard-cook them.
- Peel once the eggs have cooled; they contract slightly, which helps the shell come away.
- Tap the egg all over until the shell is finely cracked, then roll it gently on the counter.
- Start at the large end, where the air cell is, and peel under cold running water.
- If fresh eggs keep tearing, steam them next time instead of boiling.
How to tell if a boiled egg is done
Timing is the most dependable test, because you can't see inside the shell. If you're unsure, cut one egg open: a hard-boiled egg has a firm white and a yolk that's set all the way through. For egg salad, deviled eggs and Easter eggs, cook them fully hard and use the full time for their size.
Can you overcook hard-boiled eggs?
Yes. Overcooked eggs get a rubbery white and a gray-green ring around the yolk. The American Egg Board explains that the ring comes from sulfur in the white reacting with iron in the yolk, and FSIS notes it can also come from a high iron level in the cooking water. FSIS says the green color is safe to eat. To avoid it, don't extend the standing time, and chill the eggs right away.
What if an egg cracks while boiling?
FSIS says eggs that crack during hard cooking are safe to eat. Store them in the fridge like other hard-cooked eggs. Eggs that are already cracked before cooking are a different case: FoodSafety.gov says to throw those away.
Do boiled eggs float?
Floating is about an egg's age, not whether it's cooked. As an egg ages, moisture escapes through the shell and the air cell at the large end grows; FSIS says an older egg can grow buoyant enough to float in water, which means lower quality but not necessarily spoiled. Those older eggs are also the ones FSIS says peel more easily once hard-cooked. To judge freshness and spoilage, see how to tell if eggs are bad.
How long do hard-boiled eggs last?
USDA FSIS says hard-cooked eggs keep 1 week in the refrigerator at 40°F or below, and shouldn't be frozen. Oregon State Extension suggests using peeled eggs sooner, within 2 days, so peel only what you'll eat soon. A hard-boiled egg that smells off should be thrown out. Full storage details, including dyed Easter eggs, are on how long hard-boiled eggs last. Raw eggs waiting to be cooked keep 3–5 weeks (see raw egg storage), and an egg salad made with mayonnaise keeps 3–5 days (see mayonnaise).
Boiling eggs at high altitude
Water boils at a lower temperature at altitude, so eggs take longer to cook. The American Egg Board says it's almost impossible to hard-boil eggs above 10,000 feet. At higher elevations below that, expect longer times and cut one egg open to check before cooking a full batch.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to hard boil an egg?
About 12 minutes standing in the covered pan for large eggs, after the water first comes to a boil: 9 minutes for medium and 15 for extra large. The time it takes the water to reach a boil comes first and varies by stove and pan.
How long should you boil eggs for egg salad or deviled eggs?
Cook them fully hard: 12 minutes standing time for large eggs with the cold-water method, then chill in ice water. Refrigerate the finished salad or deviled eggs within 2 hours.
How long do you boil eggs for soft-boiled?
Using the cold-water start, let them stand off the heat 3–4 minutes for a runny yolk, or 7–8 minutes for jammy yolks. Steaming takes about 6½ minutes for soft-cooked eggs.
Can hard-boiled eggs be left out overnight?
No. FSIS says to refrigerate hard-cooked eggs within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour above 90°F). Eggs left out overnight should be thrown away.
Why are my fresh eggs hard to peel?
In very fresh eggs, the membrane clings tightly to the white. Use eggs that have been in the fridge 7–10 days, or steam them, which helps the shell release.
Sources
- American Egg Board (Incredible Egg): Boiled eggs cooking lesson
- Egg Farmers of Canada: How to soft boil eggs
- Iowa State University Extension AnswerLine: Steaming eggs
- Oregon State University Extension: Perfect hard-cooked eggs
- Messenger-Inquirer (University of Kentucky Extension column): Simmer down, the secret to hard-cooked eggs
- USDA FSIS: Shell eggs from farm to table
- FoodSafety.gov: Salmonella and eggs
