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Hard-Boiled Egg

Photo: Getty Images

BY The Editors

PUBLISHED September 7, 2024

Hard-boiled eggs are so convenient and versatile that it’s worth keeping a few on hand at all times (they keep for a week). If you have hard-boiled eggs, cooked grains, and some sautéed vegetables in the fridge, you’ve always got a meal. I think they’re best when cooked for 9 minutes so the yolk is just slightly undercooked and still creamy, not chalky. At 11 minutes (see the variation) the egg is still edible but dry.

If the yolk is green, it’s due to a harmless amount of sulfur in the egg, and to not cooling the egg quickly enough. To prevent or minimize it, be sure to immerse the eggs in an ice bath as soon you remove them from the simmering water.

 

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Hard-Boiled Egg

Prevent your screen from going dark

Makes 1 serving 1x

Time About 15 minutes

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • Salt and pepper (optional)

Instructions

  1. Fill a saucepan about two-thirds full with water and add the egg. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and cover. The average large to extra-large egg will be ready 9 minutes later.
  2. Plunge into a bowl of ice water for a minute or so, then refrigerate or crack and peel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if you like and serve.
Easy Peeling
Older eggs peel more easily after boiling than fresh eggs but it does help to immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice-cold water. If you like, leave them in long enough to cool thoroughly—5 minutes or so—then store them in the fridge. They’ll be even easier to peel after they come back out, another good reason for making extra.
If you don’t want a cold boiled egg, cool them down fast under running cold water so the outside cools enough so you can separate the shell from the egg but the inside stays warm. Just know that this won’t completely stop the cooking like an ice bath will.

Recipe variations

Hard-boiled Eggs for Egg Salad
The ideal hard-boiled egg for eating as is has a slightly soft yolk, but if you want the yolk to be completely solid (though a little chalky) so you can chop the egg, leave the egg in the hot water for 11 minutes. Be sure to plunge it into an ice bath immediately so it doesn’t overcook.

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