Hard Boiled Eggs (Easy to Peel)
204 Comments
Mar 31, 2023
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Learn how to make hard boiled eggs that are easy to peel! Spoiler alert: it’s the sequence of steps that’s most important. And with the extra tips I’ve listed below, you’ll always have beautiful, perfect hard boiled eggs.
Hard boiled eggs are a frequent ingredient in many meals. They can be cut in half for deviled eggs, diced into egg salad, placed on top of a cobb salad, or eaten on their own with a dash of salt and pepper. And when it comes to prepping, there’s nothing more satisfying than peeling the shell off with no sticking or divots.
But I know the struggle with hard boiled eggs as I’ve been there before. You’re peeling your eggs and chunks of egg white pull off with the skin, leaving you with ugly, pocketed eggs. It’s super disappointing.
So I set out on a mission to test all the tutorials I could find online. And what I learned was that it’s actually no one trick, but rather a series of steps that makes hard boiled eggs easy to peel.
How To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
Cutting to the chase, it’s a combination of how you cook the eggs, how you cool them, and how you crack the shell afterwards.
The first mistake most people make is starting with cold water to boil eggs. The key is to have a hot boiling start, time it correctly, then shock the eggs in an ice water bath. I describe this in more detail in my how to boil eggs post, but here’s the process.
Prep the Hot and Cold Water
Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Make sure there’s enough water to cover the eggs by about an inch. And while you’re waiting for it to boil, remove the eggs from the fridge (set them on the counter) and prep an ice water bath in a large bowl.
Cook the Eggs Until They’re Hard Boiled
Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low and use a skimmer to gently and slowly add the eggs into the water. Then, turn the heat back up to a boil. Set a timer and cook the eggs for 12 to 14 minutes. See my egg timer chart.
Put the Eggs in the Ice Water Bath
Once the eggs have cooked to your preferred time, use the skimmer to remove the eggs and immediately submerge them in the ice water bath to stop them from cooking. You’ll let the eggs sit here for about 5 to 10 minutes before peeling.
Tap, Roll, Then Peel the Eggs
To peel hard boiled eggs the easiest way possible, make sure to tap, roll, then peel:
- First, tap the egg on the bottom.
- Then, gently roll the egg on your countertop with the palm of your hand. Cracks will start to form and loosen the outer shell.
- Start peeling from the bottom first (always), as there’s a little air pocket and you’ll be able to get under the membrane. The shell should come off easily from there!
How Long Can You Store Hard Boiled Eggs
You can store hard boiled eggs (with the shell on) for up to a week in the fridge. You can also store peeled eggs in the fridge for up to three days in a storage container without any issues.
Hard Boiled Egg Recipes
Congratulations, you’ve now made the perfect hard boiled egg! You can of course eat them plain with a sprinkle of salt and pepper for a snack. Or you can enjoy some of my favorite hard boiled egg recipes. Here are a few deviled egg recipes I love:
- Bacon Deviled Eggs
- Avocado Deviled Eggs
- Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs
- Spicy Deviled Eggs
- Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs
Hard Boiled Eggs Video
Want to see how I make hard boiled eggs in my own kitchen? Watch this quick video below!
More Ways to Cook Eggs
If you’re like me and love eggs, you’re in luck. I have a ton of delicious egg recipes on the website. Here are a few other methods to keep up your sleeve:
- Create the perfect poached egg
- Get crispy edges with this fried egg recipe
- Bake into egg muffins
Easy-to-Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 1 to 6 large eggs
Instructions
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Ensure there’s enough water in the pot to cover the eggs by about an inch.
- While you’re waiting for the water to boil, remove the eggs from the fridge (set them on the counter) and prepare ice water bath in a large bowl.
- Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low and use skimmer to gently and slowly add the eggs to the water. Then, turn the heat back up to a boil.
- Set a timer and cook the eggs for 12 to 14 minutes.
- Use the skimmer to remove the eggs and immediately submerge them in the ice water bath to stop them from cooking.
- To peel the eggs, you can either roll them on the countertop gently or tap the egg all around against the countertop to create cracks. Then, peel from the bottom to remove the shell.
Lisa’s Tips
- I love this skimmer as it can easily add and remove multiple eggs at the same time.
Nutrition
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Recipe originally published April 2020, but updated to include new information.
Only way I do hard boiled eggs now, thank to your cooking methods! Perfect every time!
This is the best recipe ever!! I’ve tried all the tricks and ways. This is by far the best method. Even my husband was blown away by how easy the eggs were to peel! Thank you!!
Amazing! I’m glad this method for boiled eggs was a hit, Carley.
Finally! All but one egg peeled superbly. So I had to eat that one rt away!
Glad the rest of your boiled eggs turned out great!
Eggs turn out perfect so easy to peel even my toddlers can do it 10/10
Amazing! I’m glad your hard-boiled eggs turned out perfectly, Jannie.
I have always had problems peeling boiled eggs. This method worked perfectly. Thanks for sharing it. I will be using it from now on!
I’m glad this method worked for you!
At last truly easy peel eggs!
Glad this method is helpful, Marcia!
This worked so perfectly! My grandmother did her eggs this way, but I couldn’t remember the exact procedure, even though I have vivid memories of standing in her kitchen watching. Off to make some deviled eggs with her recipe! <3
I think deviled eggs are the best use of hard boiled eggs, haha! Hope you enjoy!
Perfect
If you tap the eggs while they are in the ice bath, the water gets between the egg and the shell, and the shell pops right off.
Absolutely perfect! This is the first time I’ve ever thought it was easy to peel a hard-boiled egg. I used 11 minutes for large eggs. Done perfectly – nice soft finish and not over cooked. Thanks so much!
You’re more than welcome, Julie! Congrats on your perfect hard boiled eggs!
FINALLY! I have been searching for these instructions that actually work for YEARS. The only way that works as well as this is the instant pot, and I don’t want to have to dig it out every time I need to hard boil eggs (which is very often now that I have a little one that loves them). Followed recipe for the 14 minute ones to make deviled eggs today and it was perfect! Thank you.
Hi Ashley – Woohoo! I’m glad this method of boiling eggs worked out perfectly.
First try at boiling eggs…perfect!!!
Wonderful!
Is there a recommended time for the eggs to sit in ice bath for easiest shell removal? Thanks!
I’d like to know this too!
I was wondering the same thing! So I just tried 5 minutes. Perfect! They were cooled off and peeled 13 eggs easy peasy! I can’t tell you have long it’s been since I’ve done that!!
I stopped making hard boiled eggs because I always had such a hard time with peeling. I tried so many ways but none of them worked. This method is magic! Easy peel eggs with no mess. Thank you!!!
Hi Kristen – Glad this method worked out great!