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Boiled Eggs (Soft or Hard)

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Eggs cooked in their shells in simmering water, timed for anything from a runny soft-boiled yolk to a firm hard-boiled one, then cooled in cold water for easy peeling.

Boiled Eggs (Soft or Hard) is an International egg dish, ready in about 17 minutes and made with egg. It serves 2 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking
A white plate of hard-boiled eggs, some sliced, against a dark background.
Photo: Efrem Efre / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
2 min
Cook
15 min
Total
17 min
Serves
2
Level
Beginner
Calories
143

Ingredients

2 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Bring a saucepan (opens in a new tab) of water to a full boil, then lower to a steady simmer.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Lower the eggs (opens in a new tab) in gently with a spoon. Simmer 6 minutes for soft, runny yolks; 7–8 minutes for jammy yolks; 10–11 minutes for fully hard-boiled eggs.

    • 10 min
    • medium heat

    Food safety: Cook eggs until the whites are fully set (and yolks firm) for young children, pregnant people, older adults or anyone vulnerable.

  3. Step 3

    Lift the eggs (opens in a new tab) into a bowl of cold water for a couple of minutes to stop the cooking. Tap all over, peel under running water (or crack the top off for soft eggs) and season with salt and pepper (opens in a new tab).

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin uncertainAn everyday home-cooking preparation made in many countries; it has no single documented origin.Also popular in United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Japan, India, France
Dish
Breakfast · Brunch · Snack · Egg dishes
Cooking method
Boiled
Taste
savoury, mild
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly · Meal-prep friendly · Portable / lunchbox · Minimal cleanup
Cook more with
Egg
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

143 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 100 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 36%
  • Carbohydrate 2%
  • Fat 62%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy143 kcal143 kcal
Protein12.6 g12.6 g
Carbohydrate0.7 g0.7 g
Net carbohydrate0.7 g0.7 g
Sugars0.4 g0.4 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre0 g0 g
Fat9.5 g9.5 g
Saturated fat3.1 g3.1 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol372 mg372 mg
Sodium448 mg448 mg
Salt equivalent1.1 g1.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
138 mg
Calcium
131 mg
Iron
1.8 mg
Magnesium
27 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
160 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
2 µg
Vitamin B12
0.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
47 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: black pepper.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Start timing as soon as the eggs go into the simmering water so results are repeatable.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling hard for too long gives a grey-green ring around the yolk and a sulphurous smell.

Serve with

  • Soft-boiled with toast soldiers; hard-boiled in salads, sandwiches or packed lunches.

Storage

  • Hard-boiled eggs keep in their shells in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Egg4 piece · 200 g
Used in step 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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