• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Garnish with Lemon logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Food
  • Drinks
  • How To's
  • FAQs
  • Our Story
  • Work With Us
  • Contact
  • Story Archives
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Breakfast & Brunch » Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

    Published: Mar 19, 2013 · Modified: Mar 2, 2023 by Lisa · This post may contain affiliate links, which means we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Sliced hard boiled egg on plate with salt and pepper.
    Hard boiled egg cut in half.
    Hard boiled withh with knife and salt and pepper.

    Get Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs every single time when you follow this easy recipe! You only need 15 minutes and a large pot to get the creamiest boiled eggs that are easy to peel and great for dying or making the best egg salad.

    Colored hard boiled eggs in white dish. this recipe

    Calling all egg lovers! We have all the tips and tricks for you to get Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs every single time you make them!

    I know you can buy preboiled eggs at the store and while they may be uber-convenient, let's face it, they don't taste anywhere as good as a freshly hard boiled egg that you make at home.

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • FAQs
    • Expert Tips for Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
    • Substitutions and Shortcuts
    • More Great Egg Recipes
    • Recipe

    Why you'll love this recipe

    ✔︎ No more losing half of the egg white when you try to peel hard boiled eggs. These peel easily every.single.time.

    ✔︎ NO green yolks! This method will give you bright yellow yolks, not overcooked green yolks.

    ✔︎ You can control the doneness of the yolk. Cook them just the way you like them.

    Ingredients

    You only need eggs to make this easy recipe. Just be sure to purchase them a week before you want to make them.

    Dozen white eggs in carton.

    Ingredient Notes:

    Eggs: Any size eggs work here but you do need to buy your eggs in advance. Eggs that are one week to 10 days old peel more easily than fresh eggs.

    Instructions

    You can get perfect hard boiled eggs in less than 30 minutes.

    Pot filled with water and layer of eggs, then covered for cooking.

    Gently set the eggs in a single layer in the bottom of a large pan and fully immerse them in water. Bring the water to a boil, let it boil for 1 minute and then cover it and remove from the heat. Let it sit for exactly 12 minutes.

    Ice water with boiled eggs in it. Boiled eggs peeled on cutting board.

    Immerse the eggs in an ice water bath and let them sit for 5 minutes. Dry the eggs thoroughly before peeling or coloring.

    FAQs

    How long do hard boiled eggs keep?

    Eggs that have been hard boiled will keep in the refrigerator for 10 days. Be sure to use a container with a tight seal to keep the eggs fresh and prevent the smell from getting in the fridge.

    How do you make a soft boiled egg?

    If you prefer a softer yolk, set your timer for 7 minutes after the water has started to boil. Skip the ice bath and eat them warm.

    What is the best way to color hard boiled eggs?

    I love to use gel food coloring to dye eggs. Here's how to do it:

    Mix 2-3 drops of gel food coloring and 2 tablespoons of vinegar in 1 cup of warm water. Add more gel food coloring as needed to get water to desired color.
    Stir until thoroughly combined.

    Place eggs in the mixture and let sit until the desired color is reached.
    Place on a drying rack to let the color set.

    Once eggs are dry, wipe them with a little canola oil to make eggs shiny and bright.

    Sliced hard boiled egg with knife and salt and pepper.

    Expert Tips for Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

    ✘ Buy your eggs ahead of time. Eggs that are 7-10 days old are best for hard boiling. If you use fresh eggs, you will probably lose some of the egg white when you peel them.

    ✘ Place your eggs in the pan and pour the cold water over the top of them rather than add the eggs to boiling water. Cold eggs going into hot water will lead to broken shells.

    ✘ Roll your hard boiled eggs on a hard surface for easy peeling.

    ✘ Don't forget the vinegar when you dye your eggs. The acidity of the vinegar helps the dye stick to the shell.

    ✘ Stir the water well to mix the gel food coloring, vinegar and water. Some colors take a little longer to combine. A mini whisk is a great way to do this.

    Substitutions and Shortcuts

    ▶︎ If you don't have gel food coloring, you can use liquid food coloring but the color will not be as vibrant.

    ▶︎ If you aren't coloring your eggs, use your favorite kind. I love to use Brown Pasture Raised Eggs to make the best deviled eggs year round.

    ▶︎ Use a food chopper to make the best egg salad! It's a great tool to chop eggs without it getting stuck in the tines of a fork.

    Sliced hard boiled egg on plate with knife and salt and pepper.

    More Great Egg Recipes

    • featured image of breakfast casserole
      Overnight Breakfast Casserole Recipe with sausage
    • sliced spinach quiche with parmesan cheese.
      Quiche Florentine (Spinach Quiche)
    • ham and egg pizza featured image.
      Ham and Egg Breakfast Pizza
    • white baking dish with sausage egg bake cut into squares and ready to serve.
      Sausage Egg Bake

    Check out all of our Tips & Tricks for the kitchen!

    
    
    Did you make this recipe? We'd love to hear your thoughts! 
    
    Please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Your feedback helps us and your fellow readers! 
    
    
    

    Recipe

    Colored hard boiled eggs in white bowl.

    Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

    Garnish With Lemon
    Youll always get perfect hard boiled eggs when you use this foolproof method!
    4.82 from 22 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast & Brunch
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 82 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Dutch Oven
    • Gel Food Coloring
    • Mini Whisk

    Ingredients
      

    For Hard Boil Eggs:

    • 1 dozen large eggs (7-10 days old for best results)

    For Coloring Eggs:

    • Food coloring gel
    • Vinegar
    • Canola Oil

    Instructions
     

    To Hard Boil Eggs:

    • Place eggs in a single layer in a large pan. Cover with enough cold water so water level is 1 inch above eggs and bring to a boil.
      1 dozen large eggs
    • Cover the pot with a lid, turn down the heat, and simmer for 1 minute.
    • Remove from heat and set timer for 12 minutes.
    • Immediately transfer eggs in a cold ice water bath to stop cooking. Let eggs sit in ice water for at least 5 minutes.
    • Remove eggs from water bath and peel or refrigerate. Make sure eggs are thoroughly dry before coloring or eating.

    To Color Eggs:

    • In a deep bowl, mix together 3-4 drops of food coloring gel and 2 tablespoons vinegar in 1 cup warm water.
      Food coloring gel, Vinegar
    • Add eggs to coloring liquid. Let eggs sit in the mixture until desired color is reached. Place on drying rack to let color set.
    • Once eggs are dry, wipe with a little canola oil to make eggs shiny and bright. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
      Canola Oil

    Notes

    ✘ Buy your eggs ahead of time. Eggs that are 7-10 days old are best for hard boiling. If you use fresh eggs, you may lose some of the egg white when you peel them.
    ✘ Place your eggs in the pan and pour the cold water over the top of them rather than add the eggs to boiling water. Cold eggs going into hot water will lead to broken shells.
    ✘ Roll your hard-boiled eggs on a hard surface for easy peeling.
    ✘ If you want softer egg yolks, set your timer for 8-10 minutes instead of 12.
    ✘ Hard boiled eggs will stay fresh for 7 days in the refrigerator. 
    ✘ Don't forget the vinegar when you dye your eggs. The acidity of the vinegar helps the dye stick to the shell.
    ✘ Stir the water well to mix the gel food coloring, vinegar, and water. Some colors take a little longer to combine. A mini whisk is a great way to do this.
    ▶︎ If you don't have gel food coloring, you can use 10-12 drops liquid food coloring but the color will not be as vibrant.
    ▶︎ If you aren't coloring your eggs, use your favorite kind. I love to use brown pasture raised eggs to make the best deviled eggs year round.
    ▶︎ Use a food chopper to make the best egg salad! It's a great tool to chop eggs without it getting stuck in the tines of a fork.

    VIDEO

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 82kcalProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 71mg

    Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.

    Did you make this recipe?Tag us on Instagram or leave a comment!
    « Creamy Gruyere and Shrimp Pasta with Peas
    Chicken Strawberry Salad with Avocado Poppy Seed Dressing »

    About Lisa

    Hi, I’m Lisa! Looking for the party? It’s probably at my house. Nothing brings me more joy than sharing good food with friends and family. That and a seriously good cocktail.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. nicole @ I am a Honey Bee says

      March 03, 2016 at 7:45 pm

      5 stars
      'old' eggs are the best!

      Reply
    2. ally says

      March 01, 2016 at 1:02 pm

      5 stars
      Alrighty! Perfect for my YUM file! Thank you...I will try this technique, and I'm thinking a little less time for sitting in the hot water if you want them semi-soft boiled! 🙂

      Reply
    3. Elaine Willingham says

      April 04, 2015 at 5:15 pm

      5 stars
      Reading a few articles about boiling and dying Easter eggs gave me a lot of thoughts.
      For color try tea. A lot of herbal teas make a very pretty color. Think about what you have easy access to and be creative. I am going to dye them a light color, let them dry and put round reinforcement labels and put them into a darker color, let them dry and remove the labels.
      I see that I have been boiling the incorrectly forever. I didn't know you are supposed to cool them down before dying them. I am going to follow Lisa's directions at the top of this page. I just recently bought some cooling racks, I'm glad I did. I used to put the hot eggs into the dye 🙁 I used to dry them on paper towels 🙁
      Now I am going to use the cooling racks and try some new creative ideas. I have a ton of different stampers, I am going to try some thoughts I have with those and see if they work. Just use deep strong colored dyes over light colored eggs??? 🙂 Thanks Lisa, you have my brain going around and around! Have a Blessed Easter everyone!

      Reply
    4. jackie @ marin mama cooks says

      March 20, 2013 at 7:10 pm

      5 stars
      Funny that you posted a recipe for hard-boiled eggs because I just posted an egg salad recipe today that showed people how to hard-boil eggs as well. It must be the fact that Easter is right around the corner.
      I seriously never hard-boiled an egg till about a year ago. My hubby always did it for me until I decided it was about time I learned, and it's honestly the easiest thing!
      Hope it's warming up over there in MN 🙂

      Reply
    5. sally @ sallys baking addiction says

      March 19, 2013 at 11:19 am

      5 stars
      I always think Easter dyed eggs are so gorgeous 🙂 I haven't dyed them in a few years, but am excited to this weekend. I love making egg salad with all the eggs later in the week!

      Reply
      • Lisa says

        March 19, 2013 at 11:35 am

        5 stars
        Thanks, Sally. I love egg salad too! Perfect with the extra Easter Eggs-deviled eggs are too! Have fun dying them this weekend!

        Reply
    Newer Comments »

    Rate the Recipe, Leave a Comment or Share a Tip! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    MEET LISA AND ANNA

    We're the creative juices behind Garnish with Lemon. In the past 10 years, millions of people have sipped & snacked on our recipes. Need easy, delicious party food and drinks for your next shindig? You’ve come to the right place.

    OUR STORY

    Popular Posts

    • layered dip on platter.
      Layered Greek Dip
    • Mini pancake skewers with sliced strawberries and Nutella.
      Mini Pancakes
    • Coconut macaroons on a copper cooling rack.
      The BEST Coconut Macaroons (without condensed milk)
    • shrimp tacos on tray with green onions and chipotle cream.
      Easy Shrimp Tacos
    • Coconut lemon bars dusted with powdered sugar on dark sheet pan.
      Coconut Lemon Bars
    • Footed glass filled with limoncello spritz cocktail, lemon slices and fresh rosemary.
      Limoncello Spritz

    Seasonal Recipes

    • cheesecake stuffed strawberries featured image
      Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
    • margarita on the rocks with salt with lime wedge.
      Grand Marnier Margarita (golden margarita)
    • sliced spinach quiche with parmesan cheese.
      Quiche Florentine (Spinach Quiche)
    • Woodford spire in a glass with crushed ice and lemon peel garnishes.
      Woodford Spire - The BEST Kentucky Derby Cocktail
    • chimichurri in small bowl with spoon.
      Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
    • Grilled Sockeye Salmon recipe with Maple Ginger glaze

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy/Disclosure Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for emails

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Garnish with Lemon Copyright © 2023