Soft Hard-Boiled Eggs

Name: Soft Hard-Boiled Eggs
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 12 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 ¼ cups water; 6 large cold eggs

Rating: 4.91 stars

55 Ratings
53 Reviews
10 Photos

Here's my foolproof method for making hard-boiled eggs when we want softer, creamier yolks such as in salads. The steaming method is very precise, so you may need to experiment with different times, depending on the size of the eggs and the temperature of your fridge.

By Chef John

Gallery

Read the full recipe after the video.

Recipe Summary test

prep:

3 mins

cook:

9 mins

total:

12 mins

Servings:

Yield:

6 servings

Nutrition Info

Ingredients

Original recipe yields 6 servings

The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

1 ¼ cups water
6 large cold eggs

Directions

Step 1
Place water into a 3-quart saucepan with a lid. Place over high heat and bring to a low boil. Carefully place the eggs in the water. Cover pan immediately, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook for 9 1/2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cool eggs down with cold running water, tipping out the water, and continuing to run cold water over the eggs until they are cool.

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Cook's Note:

The steaming method is very precise, so you may need to experiment with different times, depending on the size of the eggs and the temperature of your fridge.

If you gently crack the shells of the cooked eggs during the rinsing/cool down step, the water seeps in between the shell and egg and makes them extremely easy to peel.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

72 calories; protein 6.3g; carbohydrates 0.4g; fat 5g; cholesterol 186mg; sodium 71.5mg. Full Nutrition

Reviews (53)

Most helpful positive review

mamaseajay

09/16/2017

This was perfect! Except I probably did something Chef John would gasp at horror at. Instead of gently letting cool water into the pot, after the cooking time was up I took the eggs out of the boiling water and immediately put them in ice water. Gently stirring until they were cool. It's how my Grandmother did it, it's how my Mom does it and frankly they turned out perfectly. I put a little water in a mason jar, added one egg at a time, shook vigorously and then I was able to peel the shell off in one continuous piece. Read More

Helpful

(26)

55 Ratings

5 star values: 50
4 star values: 5
3 star values: 0
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 0

Reviews: Most Helpful

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mamaseajay

09/16/2017

Helpful

(26)

Nancy Kashou Ormsby

01/08/2017

I was skeptical because I've tried two suggestions before and it never comes out the way I want. I tried this and PERFECTION. Thank you thank you!! Read More

Helpful

(12)

Rbclark

09/18/2016

My first time making soft-boiled eggs, and it worked perfectly! Read More

Helpful

(8)

Emma

09/04/2016

Excellent! Now doing all my hard boiled eggs like this. Thanks Chef john! Read More

Helpful

(3)

Hope's Mom

07/30/2017

I tried this steaming method and cooked the eggs for 7 minutes because I prefer a softer yolk. Fantastic! The yolk was still a little runny and the egg was cooked perfectly. Also used Chef John's suggestion for easy peeling - worked great. This is now the only way I will make boiled eggs. Love Chef John! Read More

Helpful

(3)

foodie-gardener

03/21/2021

The recipe worked mostly as stated, though the eggs I get fresh from a neighbor are terribly hard to peel without losing lots of the egg white. Timing for soft boiled consistency appears to be spot on. One comment on another reviewer's suggestion to shake eggs up in a mason jar of water to easily peel them...DO NOT TRY THIS WITH SOFT BOILED EGGS! Mine split open in the process and leaked yolk into the water! Read More

Helpful

(1)

Suzan Ringlen

08/05/2017

Chef John is wright on again!!!! Read More

Helpful

(1)