What’s the best way to hard boil eggs so they peel easily? Steam them!
Psst! Want to know the best way to make hard boiled eggs? Steam them! That’s right, forget about boiling the eggs, just steam them in a steamer basket.
Why steaming hard-boiled eggs makes peeling easier
Some of the air from the hot steam enters the eggshell, making the egg easier to peel.
Video! How to steam hard boiled eggs
0:53
How to steam hard boiled eggs
Now I love my time-tested method of cooking hard-boiled eggs, especially because I can turn off the timer and the eggs still come out good, not green and overcooked. But sometimes they are difficult to peel.
The best way to hard boil eggs for Deviled Eggs
When I really need to have easy-to-peel eggs (to make devil eggs or something else that calls for nice peeled eggs), I steam them and watch the timer. Even with absolutely fresh farm eggs, I’ve never had trouble peeling a steamed egg.
More ways to make hard boiled eggs
Another way to easily peel hard boiled eggs is to use the Instant Pot. For more tips on perfecting hard-boiled eggs, check out our guide.
CONTINUE READING:
Do you have an abundance of hard-boiled eggs? Make these recipes!
- Spinach gratin with hard boiled eggs
- Quick and easy egg salad sandwich
- Mixed green salad with honey mustard, eggs and toast
- Buffalo Blue Cheese Deviled Eggs
- Nicoise salad
From the editors of Simply Recipes
How to steam hard boiled eggs
The steaming time will depend on the size of your eggs, how cold your eggs are to start, the elevation of your location, how hard the water boils, whether your eggs are in a single layer or stacked, and how soft or firm you like your hard-boiled eggs . So you may have to experiment to find the right timing for your situation.
A steam basket is handy but not necessary.
ingredients
-
6 big eggs
method
-
Prepare the pot and steamer basket:
If using a steamer basket, fill a saucepan with enough water to reach the bottom of the steamer basket (about 1 inch or so).
If you’re not using a steamer basket, simply fill the bottom of a saucepan with 1/2 inch of water.
-
Heat water to a boil and add eggs to the pot:
Heat the water on high until it boils and produces steam.
Turn off the heat and carefully place the eggs on the bottom of the steamer basket or on the bottom of the pan.
Turn the heat back on to medium-high and cover the pot.
This method works best when the eggs are in a single layer, but you can double it, just increase the steaming time.
-
Set your timer and steam the eggs:
Set your timer for 6 minutes for tender-cooked meats, 10 minutes for hard-cooked meats with the yolk still translucent and light-colored, or 12 to 15 minutes for well-done hard-cooked meats.
If you have doubled the eggs in the pan and they are not in a single layer, you may need to add a few minutes or so to the cooking time for hard-boiled eggs.
The large eggs used in these photos were cooked to my satisfaction in 15 minutes when I cooked 6 in a single layer and 17 minutes when I cooked 12 in the pan.
Note that many things affect steaming time, including the height and size of the particular eggs you are using. I recommend taking an egg out a few minutes before you think it should be ready, rinsing it with cold water and cracking it open to see if it’s ready for you.
-
Remove the eggs into a bowl of ice cold water:
Spoon eggs into a bowl of cold water or ice water, or run cold water directly into the pan to cover the eggs and cool them quickly.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 72 | calories |
| 5g | Fat |
| 0g | carbohydrates |
| 6g | protein |
