How to make the the very best hardboiled eggs

Dietitians love hardboiled eggs because each one contains 6g of complete protein. You love hardboiled eggs because they’re tasty and convenient. Boil up a bunch and you have an instant way to add whole-food protein to breakfast (alongside toast), lunch (on soup or a sandwich), snack (alongside fruit or veggie sticks), or dinner (on a salad or bowl). Because of their nutritional punch — and because the options for how to use them are endless — hardboiled eggs are a back-pocket food you should learn how to make with full confidence.

There are as many strategies for making eggs as there are cooks — and those other methods aren’t wrong. This is just our favorite, easy way to make perfect hardboiled eggs every time.

Tip #1: Use older eggs

We think the older the egg, the easier it is to peel once it’s cooked. It’s been theorized that gas expands, creating a pocket between the egg and the shell making it easier to peel. 

Tip #2: Keep the eggs cold until boiling

Leave the eggs in the fridge while you bring a covered pot of water to a boil. Uncover it and gently lay the eggs in the pot. You could do this by hand, or — even better — using a skimmer to lower them to the bottom so they don’t crack. (If the eggs do crack, know that it won’t affect the finished product.) Then, let them boil. For fudgy, jammy eggs you’d use on toast or on ramen, let them boil for 6.5 minutes. For a classic hardboiled egg, like you’d use in egg salad, let it boil for 8.5 minutes. Don’t go for longer — overboiling can make for a dry, chalky yolk and an unappetizing green ring around the yolk.

Tip #3: Use an ice bath

While the eggs are boiling, fill a large bowl with some cold water and lots of ice. The shock will stop the eggs from continuing to cook. When it’s time, fish the eggs out of the boiling water and put them right into the ice bath. Let them sit until they feel cold, about 5 minutes. They’re now ready to eat or move to the refrigerator.

As we said, it helps to start with older eggs. Once you’ve boiled and cooled them, tap it several times on the counter to crack it. Then peel away just enough shell to slip the end of a teaspoon between shell and egg; it should come off in two to three big pieces.

Cooked hardboiled eggs can last in the fridge 5 days if they're still in the shell or 2 days unpeeled. After that, they may start to dry out.

Nutritionally, the peeled, pre-hardboiled eggs that come in a bag are a great snack at the airport or other times you’re on-the-go. They’re fast and convenient at home, too. The only downside is that they’re more expensive than hardboiling your own eggs, and for texture fiends, the packaged ones tend to be overcooked, making the whites rubbery and the yolks dry and crumbly.

Hardboiled eggs aren’t just for Easter. They’re incredibly versatile in all sorts of recipes, from the traditional to the probably-haven’t-tried-it, and many are even zero Points. Some of our favorite recipes include:

A hardboiled egg is a convenient way to add 6g of protein to breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack. The best way to cook them is adding them to boiling water for 6.5 minutes for a fudgy, jammy egg and 8.5 minutes for a classic hardboiled egg, before a quick ice bath.