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THE SECRET TO EASY PEELING HARD BOILED EGGS

These SIMPLE NO FAIL tips will have you peeling eggs like a PRO in NO TIME AT ALL! That’s the secret to easy peeling hard boiled eggs

LESS THAN 15 MINUTES START TO FINISH! Trust me, you are gonna be so happy with your eggs! 

A hard boiled egg laying on a wooden table, blue and white towel in the background.

The Secret To Easy Peeling Hard Boiled Eggs

Why This Recipe Works:

  • 15 Minutes Start to Finish
  • Easy!
  • Just a little know how is all you need!
  • The Shells Nearly FALL OFF by themselves! 
  • Perfectly Cooked Eggs Every Time!

How This Works:

STEP 1.

Bring water to a FULL BOIL and Boil enough water to cover all of the eggs you want to boil. Eggs should have enough room so that they aren’t right against each other. 

A photo of boiling water on the stovetop

Boiling Hot Water

STEP 2.

Place COLD eggs from the refrigerator INTO the boiling water.

Eggs in a kitchen spider going straight into the boiling water pan.

The eggs ready to go into the boiling water straight from the fridge!

STEP 3. 

Bring water back up to a boil. Allow to boil for 11 minutes and immediately remove to an ice water bath with a large spoon or kitchen spider. 

A photo of eggs going into an ice bath

Eggs going into an ice bath

STEP 4. 

  • Allow eggs sit to cool enough to touch easily. 
  • Then crack the egg on the LARGE end. 
  • The shell will peel right off
  • If you have ANY problem at all, peel the egg under running cold water. 
  • Allow the water stream to hit between the egg and the shell. 
A photo of six boiled Eggs on cutting board.

The boiled Eggs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

What’s The Best Way to Peel a Hard Boiled Egg?

 The Easy Way to Peel a Hard Boiled Egg follows, but the first thing you need to know is how to best cook the egg so that it peels easily.

The secret to easy peeling hard boiled eggs lies in the cooking of the egg. 

How To Make Hard Boil Eggs Easy to Peel… 

You first have to know the best way to cook the egg AND the best way to stop the egg from cooking.

You’ll definitely want a perfect bright even yellow in the egg you cook, so you’ll want to know the best way to cook a hard boiled egg.

How Do You Make a Perfect Boiled Egg? 

The way to make a perfect easy peel egg is to cook it for the EXACT amount of time listed in the recipe below.

You certainly want a fully cooked yolk with no green rim around the outside. That is the easy part.

The hard part is peeling the egg so that the white doesn’t stick to the shell, but that is all in the cooking.

An Important Thing To Understand… 

The most important thing you need to know is some egg anatomy.  Inside the egg, the yolk is suspended mid egg by those two little white strings that you sometimes see when you crack the egg.

The strings are called the Chalaza (no test later, just an interesting fact).

There is also an airspace (usually at the large end of the egg) that allows the contents some cushion. The airspace is located on the OUTSIDE of the membrane that you find just inside the shell.

As an egg ages, the airspace becomes larger and the membrane starts to breakdown slightly.

Why Is It Important To Understand About the Airspace and the Membrane?

A fresh egg has a strong inner membrane that adheres strongly to the shell and the white of the egg. As the membrane weakens with age, it begins to separate slightly from the shell.

It becomes MUCH easier to separate from the shell.  Thus, peeling the egg becomes much easier!

When you are ready to peel the egg, you will want to crack it on the large end where the airspace is.  That is, if there is any airspace at all.

You can see a great diagram of that  at SCIENCE OF COOKING

How Do I Know How Old and Egg Is?

There is a precise way that you can determine how old your store eggs are. There is an excellent article found at  FRESH EGGS DAILY

Don’t let that weird you out. You are probably under the false assumption that eggs go bad quickly, when in fact, they do not.

I have raised chickens for years and I can tell you from experience that fresh from the barn eggs stay good  even when they are unrefrigerated for a long long time. Store bought eggs will stay good for a long time, but refrigerate because they have been washed with substances that wash off the natural protection.

Simple Steps For the Secret To Easy Peeling Hard Boiled Eggs

This process works regardless of the age of the egg…

  1. Boil water over high heat on the stovetop
  2. Add the eggs to the boiling water directly from the refrigerator
  3. Boil for 11 minutes in a medium boil
  4. Remove immediately to an ice bath
  5. Keep in ice bath until eggs are cooled – 5-10 minutes
  6. Rap the egg on the large end on a hard surface and remove the shell

Tools You Might Need…

This is a kitchen spider. I use mine for all kinds of things but it is especially wonderful for dipping eggs into and out of boiling water! (Affiliate link). 

You can click the photo to go directly through to Amazon to see the price/shipping/etc. I am an affiliate of Amazon and earn a percentage of sales made this way.

 

TIPS AND TRICKS for Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs.

  • Add the eggs directly from the refrigerator to the boiling water. You may notice that a few crack, but not many.
  • This is the way that restaurants peel large numbers of eggs for use.
  • Dunk the eggs DIRECTLY from the boiling water into the ice bath.
  • For the ice bath, you are going to want 2-3 cups of ice in 5-6 cups of water.

PRO TIP:  Keep the eggs in a single layer on the bottom of the pan and allow them enough room to boil. Do not cram too many eggs in one pan. 

PRO TIP:  The easy way to peel a hard boiled egg is to crack it on the LARGE end and then peel under running water. 

IF YOU ENJOYED THE SECRET TO EASY PEELING HARD BOILED EGGS, YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY…

Pickled Garlic Tavern Style Eggs

Eggs in Purgatory

Southern Deviled Eggs

Garlic Dill Potato Salad

The Secret to Perfect Pasta Salad

Boiled Egg Seasoning

A bowl of eggs with one peeled one on top, towel in background.

THE SECRET TO EASY PEELING HARD BOILED EGGS

 

YA’LL HELP ME OUT…

Please leave me a 5 star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟  comment below in the comment section, all right? I would LOVE to know if you made this recipe or even if you are planning to! Of course, head on over to Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram and tag me with some photos of your creation!

I can’t wait!

Ya’ll know I love your comments!! ❤

A photo of a bowl of eggs for THE SECRET TO EASY PEELING HARD BOILED EGGS

THE SECRET TO EASY PEELING HARD BOILED EGGS

Perfect Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs in just 15 Minutes!!! No more egg sticking to the shell.  Perfect Eggs every single time!
4.75 from 12 votes
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: Boiled Eggs
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Easy Peel Hard Boiled Egg, How to make an easy peel hard boiled egg.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Total Time: 16 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 94kcal

Ingredients

  • Eggs to be boiled
  • Enough water to cover the eggs by 2 inches

Instructions

  • Fill saucepan with enough cool water to cover the eggs by 2 inches
  • Heat the water on high until boiling rapidly.
  • Using a slotted spoon or kitchen spider to gently lower cold eggs into the boiling water.
  • Return the water to boiling and start a timer for 11 minutes. When the eggs are again boiling.  Keep at a moderate boil.  A hard boil will jostle the eggs too much. 
  • While the eggs are boiling, prepare a medium size bowl with ice water 
  • After 11 minutes, using the slotted spoon or kitchen spider, remove the eggs from the boiling water and place them gently into the ice water.
  • Allow the eggs to rest in the ice water until cooled (about 5-10 minutes)
  • To peel the eggs, rap the large end of the egg on a hard surface and then peel.  

Notes

  • This recipe works for ANY amount of eggs, simply use a big enough pan to cook them in so that the eggs lay in a single layer and so that they have room to boil. 
  • Older eggs will always peel easier than brand new eggs. 
  • This recipe is calculated for nutrition purposes using 6 eggs
PRO TIP:  If you are having any trouble with peeling the egg at all, hold it under running COLD water and allow the stream to  hit the egg right at the edge of the shell.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
THE SECRET TO EASY PEELING HARD BOILED EGGS
Amount Per Serving
Calories 94 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Cholesterol 245mg82%
Sodium 106mg4%
Potassium 91mg3%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 355IU7%
Calcium 44mg4%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @loavesanddishes or tag #loavesanddishes!

***This post first appeared on Loaves and Dishes on June 21, 2018 and has been updated with new photos, video, tips and tricks, information and pro tips***

A VERSE TO SHARE

What is Satan to you? Is there a Satan? Some people say there isn’t. Jesus says that there is a Satan and that he is a liar. That’s good enough for me.

So, when I learn something that is touted as true, but I am certain it isn’t, then I know where that came from.

John 8: 42-47

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you?

Because you are unable to hear what I say.  You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. 

He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.

When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.  Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!  Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?

If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?  Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.

Wendi is the writer, CEO and dishwasher at Loaves and Dishes! When not in the kitchen or behind the computer, you can find Wendi serving on International Food Conference Boards, Speaking at various conferences, Leading and Cooking for the local Arts Council's "Taste of Stokes" events or donating home cooked goodies to various local non profits such as the Danbury Songwriters and Stokes Partnership for Children. Wendi is also a Registered Nurse with a Master's Degree and serves on her town's board of councilmen.

Recipe Rating




Buster

Tuesday 27th of December 2022

Adding the eggs to the boiling water directly from the refrigerator caused the eggs to crack substantially and left too much of the white floating around in the water leaving me with a useless egg with which to make deviled eggs.

Wendi Spraker

Wednesday 28th of December 2022

Hi Buster, When adding the eggs to the simmering water, you have to add them super gently using something like a slotted spoon or a kitchen spider. Even then, you will likely have a few to crack, although they won't usually break so significantly that you can't use them anyway. The water should only be simmering and not full rolling boil. A rolling boil WILL crack the egg and make so much of the content spill out that the egg won't be usable.

Granny B

Tuesday 22nd of November 2022

Worked like a charm! Instead of pockmarked eggs that look like they were peeled by a two year old, my eggs are beautiful and smooth! Thank you so much! And I'm with you on the question of whether Satan exists. I don't know how anyone can look at the state of this world and doubt there is a devil. It's time to put our trust in Jesus before it's too late.

Wendi Spraker

Friday 25th of November 2022

That's Great! I'm glad you have pretty eggs for a successful Thanksgiving.

Trana Micthell

Thursday 27th of February 2020

Thank you so much.... look forward to using your Recipe tomorrow night. Thanks, too, for the information about eggs membranes. I am 65 and did not know that abut eggs :)

Wendi Spraker

Friday 28th of February 2020

Hi Trana, Thanks so much for leaving me a comment! Enjoy your eggs!

Bob berry

Wednesday 22nd of January 2020

I have been boiling my eggs for 15 minutes and now all of a sudden they are a bugger to peel.. can’t wait to try your method

Wendi Spraker

Thursday 23rd of January 2020

Hi Bob, maybe your eggs are fresher? I don't know. I know that this method works about 99% of the time. :) Enjoy!

Jan Savko

Tuesday 29th of October 2019

It really does work and I always use this method! The shell practically falls off!

Wendi Spraker

Tuesday 29th of October 2019

Hi Jan! Thanks so much for telling us your experience! I appreciate it so much! :)

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