Easter is near and learning how to make perfect hard boiled eggs is here! We’ve got the most foolproof cooking technique for hard boiled eggs that will give you beautiful incredible edible eggs every time.
Thanks to these tips, there will be no more unattractive green ring around the cooked yolk. No more wasting time peeling fussy eggshells from your egg. No more hard boiled eggs embarrassment when you set ugly eggs out for family and friends.
What’s in a name?
First, let’s get the name straight.
Though they have the moniker “hard boiled eggs”, eggs that are cooked firm in the shell should be called “hard cooked eggs”.
Boiling eggs actually toughens them and results in the green discoloration that makes you blanch when you cut them in half. That green ring is the result of boiling eggs too hard and for too long. The solution? Don’t cook hard boiled eggs, but rather make hard cooked eggs. We’ll refer to them as hard boiled eggs to avoid confusion.
ALSO TRY: 20 delightfully different deviled egg recipes
The Easter holiday brings out the egg lover in all of us. Who doesn’t enjoy unleashing their creative side decorating eggs with their kids for the big Easter egg hunt? And once the hunt is over, those colorful hard boiled eggs can be gobbled up for a fast snack or transformed into appetizers, lunch, or dinner.
Deviled eggs are always a hit as a finger food for parties, luncheons, or potlucks. You can stick to the classic yolk, mayo, and mustard version or be adventurous and make them fancy by adding herbs, spices, chopped marinated vegetables, mashed avocado, shrimp or bacon, and different condiments. The possibilities are truly endless.
Hard boiled eggs can be sliced or diced and tossed onto green salads or stirred into warm macaroni or potato salads. The yolks add creaminess and a delicious dose protein, while the egg whites offer up texture and even more protein.
Need a quick lunch? Use the hard cooked eggs to make a straight egg salad sandwich or mash the eggs with tuna for kicked up tuna sandwiches. You can also put those eggs to use for a dynamite dinner. Repurpose them into Scotch eggs by covering each egg with sausage and bread crumbs then deep frying them to crispy perfection.
ALSO TRY: Spinach-artichoke deviled eggs
How to perfectly hard boil eggs
This fail-proof technique for the best tasting presentation-worthy hard boiled eggs is best for large eggs. If you are using small to medium-sized eggs, reduce the cooking time by 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 minute if using extra large eggs.
Hard boiled eggs
Yield 12 hard boiled eggs
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
- Water
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, arrange eggs in a single layer.
- Cover the eggs with 1 inch of cold water.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat, cover the pan with a lid, and remove the pan from the heat.
- Set the pan aside and let the eggs sit for 13 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the hot water and carefully place them in an ice bath to halt the cooking.
- Remove the eggs from the ice water after 1 minute to serve the eggs warm or keep the eggs in the ice water for at least 10 minutes to cool completely.
- Once cooled, the hard boiled eggs can be decorated or refrigerated for up to 1 week.
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Cook’s tip on peeling eggs: Keep in mind that the fresher the egg, the harder (or more impossible) it is to easily peel. Use older eggs (about a week to 10 days) to avoid painstakingly peeling off bits of shell or ending up with pockmarked, ugly eggs. Peeling hard boiled eggs under cold water will also help lift the shell from the white.
Want to try something a little different or let the kids help out? Try The Negg Boiled Egg Peeler for an alternative way to easily peel your eggs.