This method for easy hard-boiled eggs makes the most perfect eggs ever — and they're easy to peel. The whites are firm but not rubbery, and the yolks are cooked and still creamy.

How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

eggs

Place eggs in a saucepan and pour in cold water to cover; place over high heat. When the water just starts to simmer, turn off heat, cover the pan with a lid, and let stand for 17 minutes. Don't peek.


Pour out the hot water and pour cold water over eggs. Drain and refill with cold water; let stand until eggs are cool, about 20 minutes.


This is a tried and true method for perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs... and the only method I've used for years.  (I used to struggle mightily to hard-cook a decent egg.)  For those who are complaining about the yolks being undercooked, perhaps you are starting your 17-minute timing a bit prematurely.  One should wait until the eggs themselves start to "dance" on the bottom of the pan; this is the exact time to turn off the heat, cover, and set your timer for exactly 17 minutes.  Do not remove the saucepan from the burner; I believe the residual heat to be an essential part of completing the process correctly.  Oh, and following these directions explicitly has always produced eggs that are easy to peel... but only after complete cooling, and I never use fresh eggs... only those that have been in the fridge for at least a week.  (After cooling according to the directions posted in Chef John's recipe, I usually cool them in the fridge for at least an additional hour before peeling.)  I hope these suggestions are helpful to others.

This recipe completely failed me. I followed the video exactly. When I cracked one open this morning for breakfast, it collapsed in a puddle. So disappointed, because that means I have five more failures in the fridge at home! UPDATE: The third time I made this recipe was a charm! Turned out, my eggs were not dancing violently enough before I turned off the heat per Chef John's suggestion in the video. One person's simmer is another person's boil, apparently. I suggest to others who had my same initial outcome (sad eggs) to try this recipe again and do not shut off the heat until you think you've reached a boil, as I bet we share the same misconception of what "simmer" means. Thanks, Chef John!

For those who've had trouble with the white sticking to the shell, the problem is not with the recipe...it's that the eggs are too fresh!  You should buy your eggs about a week ahead of the time you want to boil them, and let them sit in the refrigerator (do check the date on the eggs to make sure they will still be fresh enough to cook).  The longer the eggs sit in the fridge, the easier they will be to peel.

This recipe is great, this is how I've been making eggs my whole life, passed down from many generations. The only problem I have with it is not quite enough water and not a hard enough boil before removing from the heat source. The water should be an inch higher than the eggs in the pot, not just covering them and the water should be boiling violently. I can see why so many on here have had uncooked eggs and it's because there's not enough water to retain the heat properly. Also, the best trick I've ever gotten for peeling eggs came from my brother-in-law. If you use a small spoon (can't be too deep, the flatter the better) and after cooling the eggs and then smacking them all over to loosen the shell just peel a small part so you can insert the spoon under the membrane and gently turn the spoon and lift off the shell. Works perfectly everytime and I never have ugly eggs, no matter how fresh they are!

After following the directions as listed, I was very disappointed with how the eggs turned out.  The whites clung to the shell and the yolks were barely hard...resembling cool molasses.  This is not a recipe I'd save.

I didn't know how *wrong* my eggs were until I made them the right way.  These were not green, they were not rubbery, and creamy is exactly how I'd describe them.  Just a simple change in technique has turned a food I never touched into a favorite snack.  Thanks for teaching us the basics, Chef John!

This was a fail for me.  My eggs turned out like soft-boiled eggs -- runny centers.  No way would they make deviled eggs!  I have a couple of thoughts:  One reviewer says "I bet we share the same misconception of what "simmer" means". Perhaps, but the video very clearly depicted a very mild simmer.  The eggs might have been just starting to "dance", but they were not "violently dancing" as another reviewer suggests they should.  The other comment that I think makes some sense is to not remove the pan from the burner because the residual heat helps to cook them.  That only works if you are using an electric cooktop. Gas cooktops don't retain enough heat. 

This is similar to the technique I have used for years from my old Betty Crocker Cookbook which says to bring the eggs and cold water to a boil quickly and then cover and remove from heat.  Let them stand 22 to 24 minutes.  I tried Chef John's timing this time.  I won't be using it again.

Ugh!  This recipe fails sometimes and sometimes not. I'm really at a loss here to explain why it works sometimes and sometimes not. Any ideas out there?

Great recipe
1. Eggs have to be a week old not new eggs 
2. Bring the water to a complete boil 
3. Keep on the same burner after you turn off the heat 
4. Using the same burners cooks the eggs
5. Start the timer after you turn off the heat 
6. Enjoy 
I drained the eggs after 17 minutes added cold water and ice and let them sit for 10 minutes. 
This is a great recipe. I use for it in culinary school years ago

This worked great!  Nothing looked or felt rubbery.  Five stars Chef John, these deserve it.  :)

Has worked everytime so far. I add salt to the water and that helps peel the eggs later and also avoid cracking while getting to that boil. I always make a couple extra eggs and test one.  If not done just cook it longer.

This has to be THE worst way to make hard-boiled eggs.  Came out anything but. Wound  up with  severely runny yolks and whites.  Couldn't even call it soft-boiled eggs.  You, sir, should learn to write a recipe correctly before posting them..people rely on details when it comes to helping them learn to cook.  BTW, followed  the recipe to a tee.  I signed up just so I could post this..very upset.

It's important to specify that you actually take the pot off of the heat. I have an electric stove and the burner stays hot. So merely turning off the heat is not the same as on a gas stove.

Perfect eggs! This is my go to hard boiled egg recipe! Thank you for posting!

My mother in law taught me to make my eggs like this about 25 years ago.  And they have always been cooked perfectly.  Peeling sometimes have been a problem.  So recently, I read to cool the eggs covered in ice water for about  20 - 30 minutes.  Since  making that small change almost all my eggs peel perfectly. I have read about others who have problems with this method and I don't understand it. (Oh yeah, I was taught to bring to a roaring boil, place lid on, turn off and set timer for 15 minutes) and then drain. My 25 year old son made these while I was in the kitchen (not paying attention to what he was doing)  just giving him instructions, while I worked on something else. They turned out with the white half done and yolk raw. So I threw them away and told HIM to give me the instructions I had just given him and the same thing happened again.  I threw them away, again. But when I did them myself they were fine, so I understand some people's frustration.  I'm not sure why this is happening!!

My eggs came out perfectly! Instead of draining the water the second time, I added ice to the water to cool the eggs further.

The first time I made it, it turned out horrible. I realized that it was because I removed them from the burner. WAIT UNTIL THEY START TO "DANCE", then cover them up and DO NOT remove them from the burner. Leave them for 17 minutes. After that, rinse them with cold water and let them sit for 20 minutes. To peel them easily, crack them and roll it and the shell should come off right away.

Never had hard boiled eggs go wrong until following this. Brought them to a good simmer,  covered pan, forgot about for 17 minutes and they were not done inside.

I made these this morning and they were perfect! I've never had such creamy eggs and the shell peeled off perfectly!

Never, ever fails!  I've been using this "hack" for over 30 years with always perfect results.  The only other "trick" to it is make sure your eggs are NOT fresh.  They will stick to the shell!

Perfect hardboiled Eggs!

I followed the directions at first and I tested one egg. That egg was runny in the middle. I took the remaining eggs and started cooking directions again, this time I boiled the eggs for about 5 minutes, resulting in perfectly hard boiled eggs. 

I suggest to be sure to boil eggs for about 5 minutes after the first strong simmering occurs. And before turning off the high heat burner for the 17 minute burner off period.

These came out great. I’m at high altitude so I let the eggs rest for 19 minutes after simmering instead of 17. Followed all directions and the eggs came out cooked with no green surface on the yolks. Some eggshells came off easily and some didn’t— even though I let them cool for 30 minutes and they were a week old, but not a big deal.

I just wasted 6 eggs and disappointed my son. The shell stuck to the whites and the yolk was not fully cooked. Thanks bunches!

My eggs were anything but hard boiled.  When it was time to peel, I found the egg was almost runny.

I live at a mile high, and have tried many foolproof recipes over the years. This one actually works! Also, the shell practically peeled itself, and no pits or breaks in the white. Perfect every time. Thank you!

This did not work at all.  Followed the recipe exactly as written.  Cracked the eggs and they dribbled out 4 tablespoons of jellied clear liquid and uncooked yolk.  Not sure what is accomplished by turning off the heat.  Eggs can be easily hard boiled by leaving the heat on and boiling for 12 minutes.  Faster, far more effective, and less yuck at the end.

Awesome and perfect egg also, the shell came off without egg on it.

Hard to peel. The tender whites tore off and the yoke was under cooked. I used fresh eggs by the way.

This did not work at all, my eggs can out like soup. Stick with the Martha Stewart recipe on this one.

I Love Chef John but this method does not work. I measured the temp with a thermometer on Simmer as noted and still after 17 minutes the eggs were liguid. I will stick to the old fashioned boil for 4-5 minutes and let sit for a few method.

My eggs came out pretty much completely raw. The outside of the whites were cooked, but the yolk and middle of the whites were completely liquid. I brought the rest of them back up to a boil and let them boil for a while, then sit for about 10 more minutes. After that they were pretty much what he described, but the whites stuck to the shell. Definitely won't make these again.

I followed the directions strictly and I got the result of raw eggs...

They turned out perfectly!! They were even really easy to peel no sticking to the shells, creamy yolk and not rubbery.

I followed the directions exactly, and my hard boiled eggs turned out PERFECT! The whites had the perfect consistency, and the yolk was solid yellow and just the right texture. The shells peeled off quickly and easily. Just follow the recipe and it works!

Very good. Exactly as described and perfect texture. I made 5 for having one per day for my weekday breakfast and am looking forward to enjoying.

Like many, followed the instructions explicitly and they turned out terrible. Whites were runny, yolks were ok, peeled terribly.

Didn't work at all. I don't know what I did different from you, but did the 17min thing and then the 20 min thing. Still runny HELP

Yeeeesss! They turned out perfect. FINALLY I know the secret.

I was completely satisfied with the way my eggs turned out and will absolutely use this method again and again!

This worked perfectly for me.  I thought the best suggestion was to "wait for the eggs to dance in the bottom of the pan" before shutting off the heat. It was not easy to tell when the "simmering" had started.  The eggs came out perfect and were so easy to peel.  Thanks for the great tips.

These are the best and easiest to peel hard boiled eggs I've tried.  I took the advice of several reviewers and made sure the water was REALLY boiling before I turned it off.  I also placed my eggs in an ice bath after the initial cold rinse.  They were perfectly cooked and peeled wonderfully.  I peeled mine by shaking it around in a plastic container with a bit of water.  Worked great!

Just tried this method and they came out perfect! I'll do this from now on
 Thanks

They are absolutely perfect just added some fresh cracked black

Best recipe so far for my deviled eggs which depend on the peels coming off. In addition, I always use older eggs (I buy them at least 7 days ahead) and I peel the shells by first rolling the egg on the counter pressing gently with my hand, cracking the shell all over and then peeling. This works for me. The shells will almost always come right off. But not every egg, all of the time. Nature is inconsistent, so I always boil 2 or 3 extra eggs than what I need to compensate.

I have used a similar technique to hard cook eggs for years and, although I bring the water to a full bubbling boil and leave mine for 20 minutes instead of the 17 shown, I have made batches from four to 24 eggs at a time on both gas and electric ranges with only one failure. The trick I have found also seems to explain the failure; I make sure the pot is large enough to cover the eggs with at least one inch of water before starting and that I use a heavy weight pot (my current set has a heat spreading disk in the base and adds extra heat holding capacity along with the water to cook the eggs after the heat is turned off). My failure was in an aluminum camping  pot, barely enough room for the correct water and no heat holding in the pot and the water just cooled down too fast to fully cook the eggs from the retained heat. I hope this helps explain what others may be dealing with!

Wow, It was so easy and made perfect Hard boiled eggs. I made Avocado Egg Salad sandwiches for my 3 sons this morning and they all replied in favor!  So simple so easy all you need to do is follow basic instructions and you will get perfect hard boiled eggs just like I did! I can see it becoming the way I make Hard Boiled eggs.

I am a seasoned cook and followed this recipe to a T (didn't even peek) and these eggs turned out HORRIBLE!  Unpeelable, unusable mush.

PERFECT hard boiled eggs!! Follow to the "t" and you cannot fail. Thanks Chef John

Did eighteen at once with this method and they were still perfect. Let them"dance", turned eye off and covered pot. Didn't remove from the eye! Proceeded as in recipe and they were perfect!

I am awful at making hard boiled eggs even though it's seemingly easy, but this recipe helped me make the best batch I've ever made! And peeling the eggs under cold water was easy and fast, no frustrations.

Nailed it! After reading the reviews, I went with the "rolling boil" instead of the "simmer". Recommended times were adhered to strictly.  The eggs were relatively fresh (15 days prior to sell by date) and peeled easy by hand. Thanks Chef John!

Wow, I’ve always struggled to make good hb eggs and these turned out exactly as described. The shells practically fell away and the eggs were delicious and buttery. FYI- my eggs were not fresh, they were almost 2 wks old. I won’t use any other recipe!

Best hard boiled eggs I’ve ever made!!!!

The eggs were not cooked at all. It was very runny.

Followed the recipe exactly and my eggs were not cooked AT ALL!

Worked for me! But some of my eggs were hard to peel... Could be the recipe or the age of the eggs? I may try the other recipe that does ice water then boiling again then ice...

Followed the recipe exactly and they were very soft and hard to peel, taking the shell off removed half the egg with it no matter what I did and the texture was odd. I'm probably throwing the rest away.

I used this recipe for coloring Easter eggs. I read the other reviews and waited until the eggs were "dancing" before turning off the heat. They came out perfect. Thanks Chef John!

This is my new favorite way to boil eggs! This is the first time I haven't had cracked eggs or sticky peels. The shell slid right off after being in ice cold water. I did get it to a rolling boil before I turned off the burner. I also left it on the hot burner. I tested one first just in case. It came out perfectly cooked with a firm but not too firm yellow yolk. I uploaded a picture.

This did not work for me and I was not able to use any of the eggs.

Works if you want a soft boiled egg....this is garbage

Cooked 1 egg and it came out perfect.  Threw in some ice cubes at the end.  Not rubbery or green and peeled perfectly.  Thank you for sharing!

I've done boiled eggs like this for several years now, it's the only way to go. No ugly grey/green ring. They come out perfect every time. The only thing that I do differently is that I crack the shell when I put them into the cold water, and I do that because I have hens and the freshest of eggs. It makes fresh eggs easier to peel.

When I first cooked them like this the eggs cooked perfectly but didn't peel well.. After talking with other cooks, I learned to put a tsp, of baking soda in the water, don't overcrowd the pan, and when they are cool enough to handle crack  the fat end of the egg and let them finish cooling.

I did exactly what the recipe calls for and exactly what the chef says....shut heat off just when it starts simmering.  He specifically said not boiling.  So I normally make them boil but instead did this as it read.  Huge fail!  8 eggs in the trash.....they were not cooked nearly enough.  Very disappointed in the verbiage in this recipe and by the chef.

I wouldn't make a change in this recipe, but I must stress that the eggs need to be at least 5 days old. The older, the better. The only problem I had this time was that my eggs were too fresh and the eggs did not peel perfectly. What was the difference? The first time my eggs have been in the fridge over a week. The second time? Take a guess.

My eggs came out very undercooked and in a poached consistency. Will try again, but will leave simmer a few minutes longer, and maybe let set for 20 minutes.

Who has an hour to hard boil eggs? Plus, waiting this long before shelling them makes them too cold to melt butter.

This actually turned out nice! Although at the very end instead of just putting cold water in, I filled a bowl with ice water and placed the eggs in them. I think if I waited a little longer to take them out of the ice water it would've been easier to take out.

Thank you, now I know how to make perfect hard boiled eggs ??

Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. I don't buy that it's the eggs being too fresh. All eggs you buy at the grocery store are weeks old by the time you get them. Nothing fresh about them LOL

You have to stand there and wait for the water to boil. I like to boil for 12 minutes then place the eggs in an ice water bath.  Eggs are perfectly boiled and peel perfectly as well.

It turned out perfect.   Make sure you bring to a full boil before turning off.

I followed the directions using 4 medium eggs.  Cooking elevation was 68 feet above sea level using gas burner.  Peeled one egg, the white was runny, the yolk soft.  I scrambled that egg to finish cooking it, and boiled the others to finish cooking them.

Foliewed this exacted and was so undercooked they were all ruined. Don’t follow this

Yeah don’t try this at home. Followed the Recipe and the video to the t and my eggs were liquid. One start only because i don’t think i can give zero stars.

I followed this recipe to the letter but none of the eggs were cooked! They were pretty much raw when cracked! Wasted a dozen eggs, thank you very much ??!

Just tried this.   Perfect hard boiled eggs!   Bravo!

These eggs were made according to the recipe and they were raw!
4/15/17

This is exactly the same as my grandma's (born 1867) recipe that she inherited from her mom.  It works perfectly every time.  Be sure to cool quickly with cold water immediately after the boiling is done.  It will result in easily peeled boiled eggs that are perfect.

I tried it exactly as you said with the exception of peeling under running water. I am in Thailand and my tap water is not potable. I use bottled water for cooking. it is true, I did not have green on my yolks, but a couple were slightly runny.  about 60% of my egg whites stuck to the shells. not happy.
I found it seems to work better when I add salt &amp; vinegar to the water and let the water boil for a minute or so. I suspect that older eggs seem to peel easier.
An interesting note, In Thailand 90% of the eggs are brown, white eggs are a premium

11/29/2016  I tried it a couple more times, Yes, I discovered older eggs work better and immediately dousing the eggs in ice cold water helps. I also let the water come to a full boil for a minute or so, and my yolks did not green.

I make eggs this way all the time - total perfection! You must follow the recipe exactly! Using this recipe, you don't have to worry about using "old" eggs.  If you have trouble peeling them, try starting at one of the ends.

Perfect eggs!  Beuatiful yellow center, no discoloration.  The only way to make hard bolied eggs.

I'm a big fan of Chef John, but these instructions did not work for me.  Followed the directions and the yokes were done perfectly, but the egg shell would not separate from the shell.  Tried cold water and then warm water to no avail.  So a large part of the egg white went down the disposal.

Discover the secret to perfect hard boiled eggs.

how to make perfect hard boiled eggs

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total: 50 minutes

Servings: 6

Author : Chef John

Ingredients

Instructions

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