Soft-boiled eggs are my new obsession. The whites of the eggs are firm, but the yolk stays silky, creamy, and in a liquid gold state. It’s a little like a cross between butter and melted cheese. They’re seriously divine. And they’re not just for breakfast! I enjoy soft-boiled eggs with toast, as an addition to bowl meals, as a topper for salads or soup (hello, ramen!), or just as a quick snack. I pretty much add soft-boiled eggs to everything I eat, no matter what time of day. Are you ready to see how easy it is?
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Why we Love Soft Boiled Eggs
Soft-boiled eggs are my new obsession. The whites of the eggs are firm, but the yolk stays silky, creamy, and in a liquid gold state. It’s a little like a cross between butter and melted cheese. They’re seriously divine. And they’re not just for breakfast! I enjoy soft-boiled eggs with toast, as an addition to bowl meals, as a topper for salads or soup (hello, ramen!), or just as a quick snack. I pretty much add soft-boiled eggs to everything I eat, no matter what time of day. Are you ready to see how easy it is?
How Long Does it Take TO Soft Boil an Egg?
The short answer is that it takes six minutes to soft boil an egg with fully set white and a liquid yolk, or 3-5 minutes if you prefer softer, slightly unset whites near the yolk. The long answer is that the time for soft boiled eggs also depends on the size of your egg and the technique used to boil the egg.
The recipe below is formulated for large eggs that are still cold from the refrigerator. In the U.S. large eggs weigh approximately 56-62 grams. You can use this method for other-sized eggs, just be aware that you will need to adjust the time up or down, depending on the size of your egg. Other factors that may affect the cooking time include high elevation, the type of cookware used, adding the egg to cold water vs. hot water, and the starting temperature of your egg. Start with six minutes for large eggs and adjust the time until you find the exact amount of time needed to achieve your perfect soft-boiled egg.
The diagram above shows how long to cook large eggs (cold) to achieve soft or hard boiled eggs and everything in between.
- 3-5 minutes: liquid yolk with soft, whites not fully set
- 6 minutes: liquid yolk with fully set whites
- 7 minutes: jammy yolk with outer edges set
- 8 minutes: half set yolk
- 9 minutes: half set yolk
- 10 minutes: mostly set yolk
Using the steaming method, I find 12 minutes to be perfect for a hard boiled egg with a fully set yolk. If you prefer to use a full water bath instead of the steaming method, check out my tutorial for hard boiled eggs.
How to Boil Eggs Fast
Half of the time spent when boiling eggs is just waiting for the water to boil, so I like to use a combination of boiling water and steam. To create the steam you only need one inch of water in the pot, which comes to a boil in just a few quick minutes instead of several minutes for a full pot of water. The steam from the boiling water is then trapped under the lid, it surrounds the egg and cooks the egg just as quickly and evenly as a full pot of water. The quick steaming method allows you to cook your soft-boiled egg in just six minutes, or about the amount of time that it takes to start making your coffee or toast a piece of bread.
If you want to see how to make soft or hard-boiled eggs using a full pot of water, check out my tutorial for how to make hard-boiled eggs.
How to Make Perfect Soft Boil Eggs – Step by Step Instructions
Add one inch of water to a sauce pot. Yes, you only need ONE INCH of water. Use the smallest pot you have that will house the number of eggs you’re making, so they’re in a single layer in the pot. I usually only do one or two eggs at a time, but this same technique can be used for any number of eggs. Place a lid on the pot and bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, gently place the large egg(s) into the pot. Tongs or a slotted spoon makes this easier to do without burning your finger tips.
After adding the egg(s) to the pot, put the lid back on top, and set a timer for six minutes. The lid holds in the steam, which surrounds the eggs with even heat, cooking them quickly and evenly.
After exactly six minutes, turn off the burner, and use the tongs to transfer the eggs to an ice bath. Allow the eggs to cool until they’re no longer too hot to handle, or let them sit in the ice bath until you’re ready to eat. Just make sure you don’t let them sit at room temperature after steaming, otherwise they will continue to cook with their residual heat, and the yolks will continue to solidify.
Carefully tap the egg on a hard surface to crack the shell, then gently peel it away. You’ll need to be gentle because the inside is still liquid and the egg will be somewhat soft and wobbly. Begin peeling on the fat end, which often has an air-bubble that separates the shell from the whites, and makes an easy spot to separate the two. Give it a quick rinse after removing the shell to get rid of any shell fragments.
And now it’s time for that magic moment… OMG the runny yolk is liquid perfection! *squeal* Just so you can see a close up of the awesome results… The whites are completely solid and the yolk is ALL liquid. How perfect is that? I feel like I won the lottery.
How to Make Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs
Servings 1Ingredients
- 1 large egg, chilled
Instructions
- Add 1 inch of water to a sauce pot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, add an egg (or however many you’d like as long as they are in a single layer in the bottom of the pot), straight from the refrigerator into the pot. Replace the lid and let it continue to boil for exactly six minutes.
- After six minutes, remove the egg(s) from the pot and place them in an ice water bath or run under cool water until they are cool enough to handle. Peel, and enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
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How Long do Soft Boiled Eggs Last?
Soft boiled eggs in the shell will last in the refrigerator for about two days. To reheat the refrigerated soft boiled eggs, just repeat the initial cooing process with half the time. Bring about an inch of water to a boil in a small saucepot, add the egg, and let steam for 3 minutes instead of six.
What to Serve with Soft Boiled Eggs
Soft boiled eggs go well with so many different foods that I find myself adding them to almost all my meals (“put an egg on it!”). I add soft boiled eggs to everything from noodles and rice bowls to salads and toast. When you break open that liquid gold yolk is like adding a deliciously rich sauce to your meal. Here are a few recipes where a soft boiled egg can really take your meal to the next level:
Perfecto!
Any additional tips on ways to peel the eggs so they don’t all tear apart? The steaming method was brilliant and the eggs came out exactly as they should, but when I went to peel them they just tore apart. I let them sit in an ice water bath, but they still just ended up tearing apart when I went to peel them.
I find what works best for me is transferring them to an ice bath, but then immediately peeling. You want the outside to be cooled so you can handle it, but the inside should still be warm. The reason this works to easily peel the egg is that that really thin layer between the shell and the egg is still warm and detached from the egg, making the shell slip off easier. If you wait until the egg is fully chilled, that membrane has had a change to re-seal and it makes it difficult to peel cleanly. :)
Perfect technique. I’ve never tried steaming eggs before but now I will. My eggs were great 👍🏽
Thank you, Thank you!! Within 10 minutes of reading this recipe, I had the most delightful soft boiled egg to spread over my toasted everything bagel!! This will be committed to memory. No more tempering eggs until room temp!!
I only have medium eggs in my fridge right now. I feel I should decrease the time from 6 min?
I’d say barely! Maybe 5:30.
Yay. It worked. I was worried about the amount of water too.
Does the timing suggested require the eggs to be at room temperature at the beginning or can you use eggs right out of the refrigerator?
You actually need them to be cold here!
Fantastic recipe for my breakfast. Thanks!
1 inch of water doesn’t seem enough..?won’t most of the egg be out of the water..?
Yes they are! We use a steaming method to make soft boiled eggs! To create the steam you only need one inch of water in the pot, which comes to a boil in just a few quick minutes. The steam from the boiling water is then trapped under the lid, it surrounds the egg and cooks the egg just as quickly and evenly as a full pot of water.
Thank you! Great recipe! You did all the work and we get to enjoy a nicely constructed recipe.
Absolutely fantastic article & you are the savior to our lack luster soft boiled eggs.Served over my homemade bread…Muah!Chef’s Kiss!
Fantastic soft boiled egg! I made one for lunch with half an English muffin. Never knew it could be so easy. Have not had a soft boiled egg since I was a kid and my mum made them for me, and I am now 75 years old. Will be making often.
My mother liked softboiled eggs but only fixed them when she wasn’t feeling well. She never fixed them for us so I wonder if my dad preferred his eggs cooked differently. Thanks for the recipe! I plan to cook some tomorrow morning.
I have literally never made such a perfect dippy-egg in my LIFE!
One of the eggs had a crack in them so it hard-boiled, but the other 3 were PERFECT! My mum, who has been making them for 50+ years, couldn’t believe how amazing they were!
This has become my go to recipe for soft boiled eggs. I love that you don’t need to bring a whole pot of water to a boil. Comes out great every time, thank you so much!!
I’ve been trying to perfect set boiled eggs for a little while, but the way you explain to do it and use the steam worked perfectly first try. And every other try since, 10/10 would try again and highly recommend.
I have not had soft boiled eggs for many years and decided to try this method. They came out perfect!
My very first soft boiled egg and it came out absolutely perfect.
One time I tried to do hard boiled eggs in my instant pot. I tried four minutes and got runny yolks so I tried another minute and they were still not right and I ended up feeding each of my two dogs one of the “mistake” eggs and now whenever I make hard boiled eggs they come running! I didn’t know I could have eaten them myself and now I want to try your recipe. To those above who had undercooked eggs I’ll let my dogs know you’re hiring.
My first soft boiled eggs and they turned out perfect
Easy, fast. I am trying to switch to soft-boiled eggs instead of fried, and this recipe worked perfectly. Will be steaming eggs from now on. Thanks, Beth!
I followed the instructions to the letter and minute. It didn’t work, but I did end up with runny yolk and uncooked egg white all over my hands, so there is that. What a crock.
Perfection. The only thing I do differently is to take the eggs out of fridge ≈20 minutes prior to boiling. In my experience, the whites are a bit too undercooked if eggs are straight from fridge. (I prefer firm whites.) Of course, given other factors that can affect the cooking time of eggs, your mileage may vary. It’s a solid recipe, and
I’m an idiot in the kitchen sometimes, but I followed your instructions meticulously: whites were done, liquid gold yolks…perfect!
Followed all the instructions and left eggs covered on rolling boil for 6 mins. The whites were solidified, but the yokes were very, very runny.
That’s what soft boiled egg is
I’m surprised at how easy it was. They turned out perfectly.
Followed this recipe to a T and my egg whites were no where near being solidified enough. I’m thinking that your eggs still need to be completely submerged versus placed in 1″ of water and boiled for the 6 minutes.
Did you turn the heat up high enough and put a lid on it? Did you use a small enough pot?
I love these! I don’t put my egg in the water, however. Instead I put them in a steamer insert. They come out perfect and I like to have them with a little bit of rice, cheese, and BBQ sauce.
Honestly pretty awful. I made 2 eggs and one of them broke, so my water was full of disgusting egg confetti. Both eggs were undercooked and splattered all over my counter when i tried to peel them. Now i have a mess to clean and no lunch.
same thing happened to me
Perfect instructions. Takes into account all the variables to produce beautifully soft eggs and they reheat perfectly too. I place eggs in the water with silicone coated tongs to avoid breakage.
GREAT!
I’VE READ IT THOROUGHLY
AND ALSO ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH….!
Thanks so much I’ve never been able to get the perfect soft boiled egg. Works every time
Shell cracks going from fridge to boiling water so there goes an egg.
No it doesn’t probably put it in the pot too hard I had no problem
Wow, Looking So Yummy!! Thanks For Sharing.
Thank you. I’m 73 and rarely ever had luck cooking my eggs soft. This turned out perfect!!
I just discovered soft boiled eggs and I’m crazy about them. I made up my own way to cook them. In a pot of boiling water for only 3/4 minutes. But I will try 6. Thanks for the detailed information.
Best
Just posting here to say look up momofuku soft boiled eggs, use the technique here and then marinade the eggs in soy sauce, red wine vinegar and a bit of sugar. It’s so good
OMG THAT SOUNDS AMAZING!!!!
I never knew what I was doing wrong but now I know the answers. I always thought it should be so simple so why didn’t my eggs come out like I wanted them every time! Thanks so much, I’ve signed up for your newsletter.
Perfect! Thank you!
If I am using fresh eggs from my hens, do I reduce the time to under 6 minutes? I never refrigerate my eggs. Thanks!
Simmer for 4 minutes. xoxo -Monti
This is one of your most brilliant posts! Mastering this works with so many other things.
too many information
Excellent!!!
This worked like a dream!
I’ve found these instructions to work really well. Also I’ve refined the reheating technique when you don’t have access to a stove.
I boil water in the kettle and when it’s ready, I put my egg into a cup, pour the boiling water on the egg and let it “steep” for three minutes! It worked!
I love big bowls of vegetarian goodness, so hoping you can inspire me with your recipes!
Like the eggs.
How do you prevent the eggs from cracking open during cooking and then overflowing the pot? I’ve tried this twice and both times the eggs explode in the pot while cooking.
Hi, Alisa! We all have an egg break on us now and then! But using a spoon to lower the eggs gentle into the pot should help! ~Marion :)
I use Jaques Pepin’s method for this. You make a small hole on the pointy side of the eggshell with a thumbtack or what have you – while raw, before cooking. The membrane isn’t connected to the shell there so it doesn’t leak out, just vents the pressure.
I had an issue with a portion of the solid white sticking to the shell which made it challenging to peel. During the peeling process some white stuck to the shell, and on several occasions enough of the white pulled off and left me holding a yokie mess of broken shell and severed white. It’s the stuff that nightmares are made of. I’m assuming it’s the portion of the egg that touched the pan during the steaming pricess that got stuck. Any suggestions?
Hi, Guillermo! We’ve all been there — and it isn’t a fun mistake to make! I would suggest cooking the eggs for another 30 seconds or so, so they are not as delicate to handle (as you can see from Beth’s diagram, anything under 8 minutes will give you a jammy yoke). Fresh eggs are also HARDER to peel than ones you’ve had in the fridge for a week or so! As she also mentions, waiting to drop the eggs until the water is rapidly boiling will make them easier to peel. If all else fails, try peeling the eggs underwater (in the ice bath!) to help prevent disaster. At least this way, if the egg pops, it will be in the water and not all over you!) ~Marion :)
Finally. A perfect soft boiled egg! Thanks!
Perfect, thank you!
foolproof!
its perfect
Two out of four eggs cracked immediately when I put them in the boiling water. They were still good, but it made a bigger mess and looked yucky.
Try putting the egg on a soup spoon and then adding it gently into the pot. Better luck next time! XOXO -Monti
Absolutely perfect! Thanks so much. This recipe goes right into my notes ; – )
eggs came out grate !!!
Perfect instructions!
Great no I can finely do it right…..!
Worked beautifully. Thank you so much for this. I will be looking for your instructions as to how to make the perfect poached egg too!
Every single egg popped the moment I put them in the pot 😭
Oh nooooo!!! XOXO -Monti
Perfect every time!! Can’t believe it. My ramen is stepped up a notch, my pickled eggs have that perfect golden center… It is quicker, I use less water, and the peels almost fall off. Bravo!
Brilliance!
Cooked 3 together and they were perfect for my grandson’s “Castle & Soldiers”.
I’ve ALWAYS fully covered eggs in water but that’s history now.
I wish I would’ve known about this method years ago. Turned out perfect! My new favorite way!
Great advice thanks. Cooked 6 eggs together 5 mins boiling with steaming were perfect
Tried this recipe at 1 am because I was in dire need of a snack and there was none to be found. Wow! My eggs turned out exactly as you said. Liquid Gold. And oh so delicious. And…no frying required. Thank you so much for all of the details you put into this article. Such a quick an easy breakfast/ snack, as long as you follow the rules.
Just did eggs using your method…absolutely perfect !!!
Thanks so much
So easy
Just tried this method and it was perfect ! Eggs didn’t crack and peeled easily. Was the perfect topper for Avocado toast 😋
This is my go to method from now on – why bother poaching, this is way simpler. Thanks!
The eggs cracked from being cold and put into boiling water!
Wow this method was great. I used 5 min 20 sec. One egg was cracked a bit so more overcooked as the other which was perfect. The combination of both eggs, one runny, the other not as much. I put them on a piece of toast with melted butter! Delicious.
I just tried your method to make soft boiled eggs and it worked perfectly! I’ve tried various methods with limited success, this one was just right, thank you so much.
I have never inhaled an egg like that in my life. Thank you for this perfect recipe!! The one inch water made me skeptical but you delivered!
You missed the presentation. Soft boiled eggs are placed in a soft boiled egg cup holder pointed end up. Place the egg in the egg holder. Take a butter knife and hit the top 1/4 of the egg and remove the top. Add salt and pepper to the exposed inside of the egg. Use a teaspoon to spoon out the egg along the inside of the shell and eat it. That is the fun of eating soft boiled eggs.
Don’t forget the soldiers
They cook unevenly, might be because part of the eggs are underwater and part over it.
This recipe gave me the perfect soft boiled eggs!! Very happy
WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!! Thank you up to now my soft boiled eggs were rather hit and miss. Only problem I had was no ice cubes but I put them in the freezer while I got my rice warmed in the microwave..so eggs were a little less soft but next time I will just reduce the boiling time.
I have never tried soft boiled eggs due to the relationship they have to HARD boiled eggs (nasty). So I just tried one using your method. 1 EGG AND I’M HOOKED!!!
I made these eggs for my boyfriend and he said the experience was just as magical for him as it was for you when he bit into that perfect liquid yolk. Thank you!!! And I left mine in for 13 min to full hard.
Just as you say – quick, easy, perfect! Thank you.
My yolks were a little too firm at 6 minutes, I tried again at 5:20 and they were perfect! Thanks
Easy recipe and eggs turned out perfect!
Nailed it, will certainly be back after I forget how many minutes it is again
I just tried your 6 minute soft boil egg. Yum! I had a little trouble with the shell pulling some of the white when I started to peel the egg. But then it began to peel easily and quickly. The result were a beautiful! A creamy, soft yellow that ran down my toast and the white was perfect. It was fully set, no watery raw white. I can now say with confidence that I know how to make a soft boiled egg. FINALLY!! THANK YOU. Your recipe actually works!
I used this recipe for a culinary arts class and my chef tour me up over it. 1 inch of water???
Sounds like the chef is just not open to trying new methods. 🤷♀️
Soft boiled egg came out perfect. Hadn’t had one in a long time. I enjoyed it and will make again.
Learned a lot about “The perfect soft-boiled egg” with this info/recipe. Tyvm for this-but be careful… just 1-2 minutes Extra can & will make the Yolk “not so runny”, at all. Thanks again! Jackie.
Never to old to learn! Eggs were perfect! Thank you
Finally one that worked first try! It is truly embarrassing to me how hard it has been to find a method that I didn’t ruin a couple eggs on, so thank you so much for this! I’d like to consider myself a competent enough cook to make soft boiled eggs, and now I can haha!
Ever since I was a little child I’ve loved soft boiled eggs and soldiers (toast cut into 4 strips). However my husband had never eaten them so when I made them one day for him, he was so happy that we continued to have them for breakfast, lunch or even supper three times a week until he passed away from prostate cancer. But the last meal he requested was soft boiled eggs and soldiers.
Tried it out this morning and it was amazing! Thank you so much!
My husband doesn’t usually like soft boiled eggs, but he was amazed and they were excellent!!! Just as you described! Perfect!!! Thank you. He said the yolks were really “yummy!”
Perfect soft boiled eggs! Every. Single. Time. Thank you 🙏🏻
Perfection! Thank you!
My husband says they’re better than his grandma’s. You know they have to be good!
what about the time it takes for the water to return to a boil ?
It doesn’t ever stop when you use this method because you’re not submerging a whole cold egg in the water. Most of the egg stays in the steam above the water.
Worked for me first time. Eggs out of the fridge(36F) into ~1” of steadily boiling water. Lid back onto the pot, six mins on medium het to keep the boil going, then drop into ice water as directed. Perfect soft boiled eggs. I intend to make scotch eggs with them next.
Peel by cracking thick end and so so under a stream of cold water.
Enjoy.
I am kind of confused by your directions which seemingly contradict each other! You state in one place that steam will surround the eggs. You also state that there should be an inch of water in the bottom of the pan and that the egg should be placed in the inch of boiling water, which for the average large egg be almost half of the egg! I used a variation of your method by placing the eggs in a steamer basket that left the eggs above the steaming water (which also had the benefit of being able to lift the eggs out of the pot much easier).
‘Seemingly’….only to you. No where in the recipe does it mention a steamer basket. It’s the least technical thing you could cook after boiling water. It’s eggs, water and a pot.
Loved this! Perfect on my first time! read all directions even to size of pan etc. I love that you can just take cold eggs out of fridge and cook perfect! I did 6 minutes because I like mine runny like my dad used to make! It came out fine.
I may put them in a bowl next time and cut off top and scoop out so don’t have to peel so much. Thanks for this great recipe! It only took me 50 years to come up with a consistant soft boiled egg! I’ve even used the egg cookers but it never came out exactly like this one does.
I followed directions and my eggs turned out perfect runny yolks with whites firm ! I will definitely be doing this again !
Egg whites are not cooked. I’m on my 3rd time of putting the same egg in boiling water. Started with 3 eggs but first two were quite under cooked.
Why would you put a chilled egg in boiling water? The change in temperature to the egg from cold to immediate hot will crack the egg
It didn’t crack my egg. It worked perfectly.
Mine didn’t break either. Perfect!
Followed to a t and the whites were completely running and couldn’t even peel them.
The eggs must be cold. If they are at room temperature, the timing is too long and the yellows will not be runny.
Tapping the eggs on the fat side of the shell makes the peeling ever so easy.
Fantastic recipe for soft boiled eggs with runny yellows.
Thank you.
Peeling the egg is the real challenge for me. The shell NEVER comes off easily. The shell has to be agonizingly removed in small puzzle like fragments, with part of the white sticking to the shell.
So how is this her fault that you can’t cook an egg correctly? This is how I make soft boiled eggs all the time and have for over 20 years. Believe it or not but it make a difference if it’s a cold egg or room temperature egg and if I recall the recipe says to use eggs right from the fridge. Also you can’t just add eggs to water and bring to boil. The water needs to be a full boil before you drop in your eggs. 6 minutes and the eggs are fully set whites and the yolk will be runny. It’s not rocket science
That comment was not directed at you. I tried to delete it but not sure how. It was supposed to be to the one who asked if this was an April fool’s joke
Alvin,
Add a small slice of lemon to the water prior to the eggs.
You’re welcome
One was perfect, one egg cracked, soon ot totally pleased.
This worked absolutely perfectly! Fast and easy – thank you!
Nailed it on the first try!
I’m on my way to a perfect Scottish Egg.
This worked absolutely perfect. I’m 28 years old and it took 28 years to find the perfect method to cooking hard/soft boiled eggs
Tried this on a whim when I was craving eggs! Now runny means runny and if you like a slightly more custardy egg then I def recommend 7-8 minutes. I didn’t do an ice bath as my water is insanely cold due to the weather but this is an amazing recipe!
Please tell me I fell for an April’s fools joke?
My eggs were room temperature, I still did 6 or 7 minutes, tried peeling them and they broke and spilled all over my floor.
Maybe get a legit recipe that works before you have a recipe blog
And what have YOU accomplished?
Yes, because Beth and alllll the other positive commenters are lying just to make you mad. lol. Maybe your eggs are larger than Beth used? Maybe your water wasn’t up to a full boil?
Maybe you opened the lid and released the steam? Maybe use your brain before commenting on a recipe blog? Or just maybe, since you managed to mess up a recipe for eggs, you simply don’t have one?
recipe calls for eggs right out the fridge. that might be the deal.
Maybe you just SUCK at making eggs!
I remember my mom making soft boiled eggs served in an egg cup for breakfast. You would slice off the top of the shell and then use a spoon to scoop out the egg to eat it.
Do you think 6 or 7 minutes would give the best result for eating the egg out of the shell?
I’ve never eaten them that way, so it’s hard to say what would be best, but I would guess that a shorter time would be better so that the whites are a little softer and therefore scoopable?
Your recipe has been very nice. Ingredients that I use to make this recipe. Cook them as you like them. My definition of a perfect soft boiled egg may not be like yours, and that’s fine! It all comes down to Kusum’s continuity. I like that to be my juicy and jammy, some parts flow and some parts start to harden. To achieve this texture, I cook mine for 7 minutes. If you like rania yolk, cook your eggs for 6 1/2 minutes.
Perfect! Even with farm fresh eggs!
Smashed the crap out of 2 perfectly good eggs putting them in boiling water and replacing the cover. Never again!
Perfect egg! Amazing with just 1 inch of water. No more Sunnyside up eggs. I’m moving up to perfect soft boiled and need to tell friends about this. Thank you so much for sharing!
So I already have 2 pressure cookers so leave me out of your giveaway. My question pertains to finding any secrets to making hard boiled eggs from fresh eggs. Store bought eggs are weeks old and when trying to use fresh eggs from my chickens the peeling process totally destroys the eggs!!!!! I hate buying old eggs from the store since I get mine everyday from the “ladies”!
Anyone have any tips to easily peel fresh hard boiled eggs????
Add 1 top of vinegar or lemon juice to every cup of water used for boiling to make eggs easier to peel.
I have found that cooking them in the Pressure Cooker makes for eggs that are (mostly) the easiest to peel of all the methods I’ve ever tried. Every now and then there’s a stubborn one, but usually the shells just slip off after cracking the large end. And very fresh eggs seem as easy as older ones. I use the 5-5-5 timing – 5 minutes under pressure, 5 natural release, 5 (or more) ice bath. Seems to work about the same on high or low pressure in my Instant Pot.
Thank you ever so much! I needed a soft boiled egg for a Ramen recipe last night. I have never made soft boiled eggs.
While eating it, I realized my mother used to make me a soft boiled egg for breakfast when I was little! It’s been decades since I had a soft boiled eggs. But I always seem to gravitate toward sunny side Up Eggs. And I never gave away my shot glass.
I made soft boiled eggs for breakfast today, and I was in heaven using your recipe. I put it the the shot glass and took the top off. One at a time. Thank you again
Holy cow! i was suspicious at the recipe because it never advised to lower the temperature after the water boils. Well if you were wondering – DO NOT LOWER FROM HIGH! Weird right! Its not a mistake, and I have an electric stove. I’ve grown up with my Abuela’s perfectly cooked soft boiled eggs (huevos en cascara) and this made them perfectly first try. Absolute comfort perfection. Thanks so much for the wonderful easy recipe =]
I’m 56 bin boiling eggs for years even as a kid perfect egg’s I’ve ever made with this recipe
Best soft boiled egg ever!
Thank you for easy to follow instructions!
I followed this to the letter (did 6 minutes even though I was using SMALLER than average eggs, just to see how they would come out) and the whites are almost completely runny, basically uncooked.
This is a physical impossibility unless you turned the heat source off after adding the eggs to the pot.
NICE post!!
Tried 3 eggs for my first and only trial so far. A little undercooked, and 1 was a very easy peel, the other 2 not. Have read further, adding a little vinegar and baking soda might help. So, onto the next experiment. CJ
this is the only way i make them now. thank you
What to do about uneven heating? One side of the yolks on my eggs came out cooked through while the other was still completely liquid. My heat was on medium, maybe it needs to be higher. I did see steam coming out of the pot. Has this happened to anyone else?
That hasn’t happened to me, but it makes me think that perhaps your cookware doesn’t heat evenly? What is it made out of? Is the material thick or thin? Very thin metal can cause hot spots where it is in contact with the burner, so it sounds like the side touching the bottom was cooking faster than the rest of the egg that is being cooked by steam.
They came out perfect! When I made them before my boiling it was always dicey as to how well they would be cooked. I like them just with toast buttered and cut up but this time I added bacon bits. They were really great thanks.
These came out perfect, just like you said! I was a little skeptical because I’ve never seen a recipe that says to cook the eggs on high heat, but I’m so glad I tried it. This is how I’ll cook the eggs from now on! Thank you!
This is an old time thing my dad made for Sunday brunch! He put these eggs in a small cup with a pat of butter, dash of salt, ground pepper sprinkled with real bacon bits & buttered toast to dip–comforting!!! Today I make it with jumbo eggs in boiling salted H2O, for 5min/ice bath, butter, s&p, bacon buttered multi grain toast! Simple, satisfying & elegant! Past generations knew how to do it right!
Thanks, was exactly perfect
Amazing! The eggs turned out absolutely perfect:)
The less you chill the egg after cooking and let them cool down by themselves the creamier they become, atleast in my expirience.
I’ve tried so many recipes and was not successful until today! Thank you so much! I made 9 eggs at the same time and they came out perfectly.
I think it would be really helpful if rather than using size of an egg, use the weight. I pulled my eggs out of the fridge and even though the carton said they were “large “they didn’t like all that large to me! So I followed directions and cooked for five minutes and 30 seconds, it was perfect. For the record my egg weighed 53 gm. 😁
Indeed, perfect every time as advertised! This takes all the guesswork out and as mentioned, you can multitask without disaster.
I use my vegetable steam baskt and since there is only water, i can reuse it until dishwashing day.
The eggs came out perfectly soft boiled!!
Please note that this recipe & most of the others that show up in a Google search for softboiled eggs, will not work in high altitude areas such as New Mexico or Colorado.
PERFECT!!!
This could have been a two sentence tutorial
I did this exactly as directed and the eggs were not cooked enough, the white still runny.
Perfect soft boiled eggs. Used large sized eggs. Thank you.
* Started with slightly over an inch of water in a small sauce pan.
* Put a lid on and set to high heat.
* Once boiling, I reduced heat to a 7/10 on my electric stove.
* Carefully placed in one egg directly from the fridge.
* Re-covered the pan and started the 6 minute timer.
* Added some ice and water to a coffee mug and placed it in the freezer.
* After 6 minutes, removed the mug from the freezer, then used some tongs to move the egg to the mug.
* Waited about a minute, removed the egg and peeled off the shell (came off easily).
Egg was cooked perfectly. Delicious!
Egg was size large, and I’m at 54′ elevation.
PERFECT!! Hands down, the winner of the perfect egg contest. Thank you.
I watched the video of making the recipe and followed the step book step by step to create the soft-boiled recipe. Everything is fine. Excited for the first time I sailed. Thanks for the beautiful recipe.
Thank you!!!
So easy & so good. Thanks.
Loved this recipe. I can now have perfect soft boiled eggs every time. I used a steaming rack when I made these
I had to do 6 eggs for 9 minutes to get this texture, otherwise they were runny (I’m at about 2000 ft above sea level)
Thank you for sharing
This recipe didn’t work. Boiled 2 eggs. Both cracked and oozed egg white, which cased the water and egg protein to boil over. It seems to work better when the water height covers the eggs and when eggs are added to cold water and then boiled for about 3 minutes.
I had that problem my first time also, so I tried using a steamer basket and they came out perfect with 8 eggs.
Followed exact 6 minute timing, used the large eggs, even measured the 1 inch of water, kept pot covered, and prepared the ice bath during the boiling process. Boiled 10 eggs, all level at bottom of mom’s large pot. Sweet delicious perfection. Excellent process. Thank you!
This works perfectly!
Followed steps exactly, measured 6 minutes with a timer, egg came out half raw with raw white running all over the place. Totally off base with the timings. Sorry.
Try following the directions.
What is your elevation? Perhaps that could be the issue? If your elevation is high, boiled egg recipes like this one will be off.
We cooked ours for the full 6 minutes and the white was still runny 😰 Not sure what we did wrong
I cooked the eggs for 5 minutes and did the ice bath immediately but my eggs were still slightly overcooked. Next time I’ll try 4 min and 30 secs. Maybe my fire was too high?? I have a Viking stove.
I live in Ohio, so maybe it’s the fact I live at a low altitude, but I only boiled it for 4 minutes and it was perfection. Thanks for your inspiration as always!
First time making soft boiled eggs – they were absolutely heaven and perfect! Thank you.
I tried cooking a soft boiled egg for 6 mins and plunged it in ice..
It came out solid, not what I expected. Could it be we are at a 1000 feet above sea level and the timing is off?
It is possible that the elevation affected the cooking time, but I just did a Google search and everything I found says that eggs usually take longer to cook at higher altitudes. What size egg did you use?
The best I ever had perfect eggs!!!
This is excellent and I made it. Thanks a lot
I ruined nine eggs following this receipe. First I went exactly six minutes and ended up with egg soup. Then I went seven minutes and ended up with firmer egg soup. For the last three eggs, I boiled them in water like I always do and they ended up perfect.
This recipe was so good! I usually poach my eggs but this was so much better. Thank you!!
This is yummy goodness every time. Here’s an idea to share: As a time saver for later in the week, I do 5 at a time, and refrigerate what I don’t eat. Next day, boil 2”of water, turn off the heat, place cold egg(s) in the hot water for 2 minutes, and they will be gently warmed & perfectly ready to eat!
This recipe is gold! I have tried so many ways to get perfectly soft boiled eggs and you nailed it! Thank you for sharing!
It was my first time making soft-boiled eggs, and I got the consistency I wanted on the first try. I did everything the recipe said to do.
Just tried this and the egg was cooked perfectly.
Have to say, this didn’t work well– it worked PERFECTLY! I had three perfect soft-boiled eggs without cracks– no white oozing out and fast-cooking your eggyolk, no mess, just wonderful eggs. Thank you!
Turned out perfectly creamy & delicious! Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!!
I am waiting as I type and am excited for this new method!
Here goes…DONE!
PERFECT soft-boiled eggs!
Thank you for a new easy method!
tried this today for breakfast and my eggs were perfect. Thank you so much. They are a comfort food from my childhood and I never seemed to get them soft. I was so thrilled to have a soft boiled egg at last. A touch of butter, salt and pepper and they are oh so good.
Godd and right process very nice and thanks 🙏👍
Followed recipe exactly and it worked perfectly with Costco large cage free eggs. This will be my go to recipe now for soft boiled eggs. I also love that it’s faster than other methods since it doesn’t take long for an inch of water to come to a boil. Thank you!
I have been looking for a way to cook perfect soft boil eggs for ages. I’ve tried numerous recipes, but this one is perfect!
Well done!
Finally got a soft boiled egg and easy to follow.
cl
My egg was perfect. Hadn’t had one of these since my childhood and I’m 70. I needed an egg without any butter and I remembered having a soft boiled egg. Hit the spot even with unbuttered toast! Delish.
Sorry it did not work. Not only did yolk all run out but white was runny too.
P.S. Jenny again.
I always used to get perfect soft boiled eggs my own way but it does not work anymore either. Think the farm where I buy my eggs, they are larger then ever. Same farm for 10 yrs now. Sure was hoping. Maybe a minute longer be enough?
Yes, if your eggs are larger, as you stated, they will need more time. :)
I tried (a few times) to sign up for ‘eat more spend less’ deal and it just keeps spinning…won’t open ?
Hi Lucille, here is a direct link to the sign up page. Can you see if that works for you? Thanks!
absolutely not. six minutes was not enough. so gooey that they wouldnt even stay whole for peeling. wasted so many eggs. i followed every step exactly
Hello, I moved from America to Colombia. Here no government forces egg sellers to scrub off the protective covering and as a result we can store our eggs in the cabinet instead of the refrigerator. Do you have a suggestion on the time modification for warm eggs not cold.
Unfortunately, I haven’t tried this with room temperature eggs so I’m not sure what the modified cook time would be.
Hint: add salt to water to make peeling boiled eggs MUCH easier!
These turned out beautifully, thank you so much!
Thank you, Beth! Your recipes and methods never disappoint.
Now my hubby’s #1 favorite egg recipe!
I did 2 things wrong, my fault, not yours 😀
I picked up my first egg with my fingers, then grabbed it with my tongs. Either there was a hairline fracture or I grabbed it too hard, because it cracked. So with the other 4 eggs I was more careful. None cracked in the water!
I had XL eggs, and I should have let them cook another 45 to 60 seconds because the whites were a little undercooked for my (but my hubby loved them just the same).
Served over toast they were great. I like them more than fried eggs over easy – less fat from butter.
Thanks for the recipe – it will be a keeper for sure 😋
When I first saw 6 minutes minutes I thought they would be too hard-but I followed your instructions-and the whites were just firm enough-not gooey and the yolks were creamy enough to dip my soldiers in-perfection-thank you-im doing my eggs this way from now on and setting my timer for 6 minutes
😂 saw part of page & i made it! 6 minutes steamed was perfect!
Perfect!!! Used extra large eggs straight from the fridge. Steamed for 71/2 minutes. Did not do the ice bath. I let them run under cold water for about 2 minutes. Very easy to peel. My go to recipe from now on.
Terrible recipe – the egg cracked as soon as it touched the water, even though I lowered it gently in.
That’s a you problem, not the recipe. There’s no other way to make boiled eggs, you have to put them in boiling water. Maybe try a slotted spoon next time? Regardless, rating another person’s recipe a 1 star because you screwed up is very rude
Cold eggs from fridge in boiling water that too with a lid 🤣 of course it will crack. Its basic science for brittle nature of objects. A video of this recipe would be great where you take the egg from fridge n put in boiling water.
Eggs don’t crack, you are cracking them with the flimsy way you are putting them into the hot water …or your eggs are already cracked from the store…
Agreed. Very rude! That’s not the recipe’s fault
I just got done making three eggs following this recipe. None of them cracked. Sorry you couldn’t figure it out, maybe stick to cereal haha
Perfect soft boiled eggs!
I’ve been on a spam and rice kick and adding these soft boiled eggs has been a total game changer. Delicious!
Works beautifully, thank you! The cold ice water right after 6 min is definitely key.
Eureka! I’ve been on a quest for the perfect way to make soft-boiled eggs for fifty years, and this is it. I was dubious at first but figured all I had to lose was two eggs. What I got instead was the most amazing soft-boiled eggs I ever made. The whites were nice and firm but tender and the yolks were smooth and loose but not runny or watery — more like custard before it sets up when it can be poured off a spoon like batter. And I love that they can be peeled rather than cracked in half and scooped out with a spoon — no more burned fingers and stray pieces of shells. Thank you!
I have never in my life been able to cook a perfect soft-boiled egg until now! I really don’t like hard-boiled yolks, but now I can move from soft up to medium without being in danger of ending up with something I can’t stand to eat.
I’m almost 35 and am ridiculously excited about this lol
Sorry if this is a stupid question but since the steam is cooking the egg, can you use an actual steamer to cook it the same amount of time or does it have to be sitting in the water?
That should work! I haven’t tested it to make sure the time is exactly the same, but in the restaurant business that’s how we often cook a lot of hard-boiled eggs at once (it’s a big steaming “cabinet” but the eggs never touch actual water). :)
When I follow the instructions (boil 1″ of water on high, add eggs straight from fridge, cover for 6 min), either the eggs crack and the water over-boils all over the stove. Sometimes it works and it’s great What am I doing wrong?
Try reducing the heat a bit after you add the egg so that it’s still boiling, but less heavily. That way you’ll still get the steam, but hopefully your egg won’t get knocked around. There shouldn’t be enough water that it can boil over, so you might try a little less water as well.
Followed your instructions to a “T”. Yolks not at all liquify. Disappointing.
I did this with extra large eggs and steamed them for
6 1/2 minutes. They were perfection!
Okay, so I know it might be silly to get so excited over an egg, BUT steaming them was truly the easiest and most effective way to make them perfect. I used extra large, so I set the timer for 7.5 minutes. Thanks for the tip.
By far the *BEST* way to make soft boiled eggs! I’ve never had a perfect soft boiled like stated in article, without goopy whites, and soft liquid yolks, before. The whites were firm but flexible and the yolk, like I said, soft, golden and liquid. Just perfect. Thank you!
Could I make these then put them in the fridge and put them in the microwave the next day? We will be doing a pancake lab for culinary arts and I want to use this as one of the sides but I have to make it at home… would that be ok??
Unfortunately, I’ve never tried that so you’ll probably just want to test one first. Microwaves cook from the inside out, so it’s possible that the reheating would just cook the yolks. I’ve heard that some people pop them in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes to warm them up, though.
But I want to eat them hot not cold so put in the microwave for a few seconds?
Mine are always still hot when they’re done.
HI, I just have done something wrong. I used large eggs, brought to boil, one-inch water. Put in eggs for 6 minutes, continued boil, all eggs cracked and I have a pot full of eggwhite and egg yokes as the egg came out the cracks. I have done soft boiled 100 times and never has this happened. They are in cold water now and I will see. I will also take pictures.
Grant in Ottawa, March 4, 2021
The water was probably boiling too vigorously so it cracked the eggs… that’s what my take on it would be.
Great recipe! Could I leave them boiling for say 10 mins when I need hard boiled eggs too?
Yes, when I’ve used the steaming method for hard “boiled” eggs, I usually do about 12 minutes.
This worked for me with the recipe exactly as written!. Yummy solid whites and liquid yolk. Great recipe.
perfect eggs that I make for my Havenese dog who likes them with butter mixed in. thank you!
What happened to the 4 minute soft boiled egg
LOL! It was only 3 minutes when I was growing up!!
Thank you for this! Such an easy way to cook perfect eggs and I can freely run around the house for the 6 minutes they are cooking, which is great for busy mornings. I found this recipe about 3 weeks ago and have used it nearly every day since.
I just followed this recipe and my soft boiled eggs came out perfect. I made one change though. The burner on my stove is very powerful so instead of 6 minutes I left them boiling with the steam cover on for 5 minutes. I think if I left them in there one extra minute there wouldn’t much of liquidity yoke.
I followed the exact instructions but had to put my eggs back on for 2 minutes. It took 8 minutes to cook them perfectly.
Mine turned out perfect! Thank you for the awesome recipe!
OMG! My new breakfast go to, thank you so much, these are perfect!
Just made. Six minutes boiling with lid on. Into ice water bath for about one minute. Peeled and they were perfect!
Did not work, just yoke.
Yum! Thanks! My new fave breakfast on top of last nights leftovers. Delish!
Egg perfection! Where had you been all my life 😀.
I love soft boiled eggs but rarely make them. I never do it right. Saw this method and have it a go. Perfection! I’ve now done then twice. I use jumbo eggs so upped the time to 8 minutes. Most lovely creamy soft boiled eggs ever! Thank you!!!
I feel silly commenting on this out of all of your wonderful recipes/posts (dragon noodles!), but I wanted to share my experience. I was half awake this morning when I was reading/skimming the recipe and I saw something about letting the steam cook the eggs. In my mind, it meant to me to boil the water, put in the egg, cover, and then turn off the heat. Anyone reading this- DO NOT DO THIS!! She never says that–but I’m wondering if the ones who mentioned it being undercooked made my same mistake. Luckily I only ruined one egg—total operator error. I realized my mistake and repeated the process leaving the water boiling while covered. Perfect-o! Thanks for teaching me a new trick! ;) I appreciate the time & effort you put into this blog–my family & I have enjoyed countless of your recipes.
So good! I used medium eggs and a very small saucepot and they turned out so perfect :)
saucepan*
I have looked up literally a thousand recipes online and not once have I left a comment. I do Keto and eat eggs every possible way imaginable. This is by far, the best I have ever had! I cannot believe I waited 50 years to try a soft-boiled egg. Totally decadent and satisfying, cooked to absolute perfection. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Just tried this…came out perfect, thank you!
Great recipe, absolutely perfect soft boiled eggs. Lets be honest though, most people looking for this recipe are against undercooked babies coming out. That is all.
Perfect!! But any recommendations for peeling them successfully? I’ve tried gently tapping, starting on the bigger end with the air bubble…etc. I can’t get the shell off without pulling off big chunks of whites! I’m too apprehensive to be more “aggressive” when peeling them b/c they’re so delicate!
Good morning Beth,
My family is celiac so we eat a lot of eggs of all styles.
We are lucky enough to have chickens do they are super fresh and I find that the fresher they are the harder to peel.
I found that if I leave them out at room temperature for 4 days they slide right out of the shell.
Have been doing it this way for years w great success.
I have read that the US is one of the few country’s that refrigerated our eggs.
I never do.
I really never have any issues with the peel not coming off easily. My suspicion is that it has to do with the quality of the egg more so than anything else.
Eggs you buy at a store must be refrigerated because they’ve been washed. Washing the eggs takes the protective covering off. That’s why other countries don’t refrigerate their eggs, because they don’t wash them first.
Hi!. i made these once, and I had that same issue at first where I was taking tiny pieces of shell off at a time. The i saw that there was a thin clearish layer under the shell and around the white part of egg. I peeled that instead of the shell and everything came off easy.
These turned out perfectly! Hope the next time goes as flawless as the first! Thanks for sharing!
This worked PERFECTLY! So simple!
My eggs broke…. Maybe not enough water?
Mine boiled over and the shells broke after only two minutes.
It is 1 inch of water in a pot. It shouldn’t be able to boil over. We’re you using a pot or a pan?
So easy, so tasty, so helpful. Thank you!
My hard boiled eggs were excellent, I used large brown organic eggs I cooked them for a minute longer they are larger than regular eggs. They turned out perfect. Will use this method again. Thank you
These eggs were completely delicious!! I made some for my mom, and she thought so, too. These are totally going in the favorites section of my cookbook!!
Great recipe. I tried it with slight modification in spices and it came out fabulous.
I have never made soft boiled eggs before, but always wanted to try. These were absolutely fantastic and super easy! And I’m relatively new to cooking, so that is saying something!
These were the easiest soft boiled eggs I have ever made. They were perfectly cooked. I followed the directions exactly and used my oven timer to make sure they cooked exactly 6 minutes.
followed the directions exactly and the whites were still pretty much completely uncooked :(
Did you make sure the water was boiling before you put the eggs in?
Just made them and they were perfect!
First time I was ever able to properly cook a soft boiled egg! My toast thanks you. I will also try your veggies for breakfast suggestion, which makes so much sense for someone who is trying to return to lower carb ways.
Can’t wait to try this method. I’ve never been able to get it right. My Grandparents are from Ireland and soft boiled eggs in an egg cup was my Banny’s go to breakfast.
Going to give it a go tomorrow morning.
Amazing!
Best soft cooked eggs ever.
Thank you..
They came out perfect. I have vintage soft-boiled egg holders from my mom. Thank you!
Thanks to the recipe, Boiling eggs is like a piece of cake for me right now. It’s so good!
I’ve made this many times and it always turns out perfectly! I am so grateful for your different cooking times per egg softness.
These are soft boiled eggs Matthew. They’re supposed to be runny. I’m sorry you have an apebrain.
Sure method to get cracked shells!!
Yep – that just happened to me! Next time I’ll let the egg sit out of the fridge for a few minutes before adding it to the boiling water.
H0w do you keep the eggs from cracking when you put them in boiling water? No matter how gentle I pull in the water they still crack.
Honestly, I’ve never had one crack ever, so I’m not sure what might be causing yours to crack. Perhaps it’s the thickness of the shell? I’ve noticed that some brands are super thin-shelled.
Worked perfectly
I love this method of soft boiling eggs, works great. As to the peeling of eggs, I have found that the fresher the eggs, the harder to peel. I wait at least 2-3 days to boil eggs for any use. I usually get about half of shell off and easily scoop out rest of soft boiled egg, cleanly, from shell. When young, my mother always took at least half dozen eggs out of boiling water for soft boiled. All dyed same color to identify them.
Perfect with following directions
Made for the best/easiest 1st timer here too.
I love soft boiled eggs and this is by far the easiest recipe that I have ever used. I like my eggs a bit softer than the recipe and I changed the time to 5:45 seconds and the eggs are beautifully done. I ice bath my eggs after steaming to cool them and the peel comes off easy.
Flawless indeed. I always struggled with various methods for a soft boiled egg when it comes to refrigerated eggs. This is a life changer. Thank you. Cheers!
FINALLY found a recipe that really works to make soft boiled eggs. Thank you!
Extremely easy and fool proof. I did six eggs no problem. The only hard part is that I’m not very good at peeling. Any suggestions?
The peeling bit is a mystery to me because I so very rarely have an issue with the peels coming off like people say they do. I’m starting to believe that maybe it’s an issue with the quality of the eggs. I’ve noticed that when I buy more expensive eggs the shell is much thicker than cheap eggs, so maybe that makes it come off easier? Not sure!
Maybe more expensive eggs comes from smarter chickens, hence better shells. lol
I wanted to post that this method of boiling eggs is flawless.
Crack them open all around, then continuously dip in the ice bath as you peel— it helps the membrane separate from the egg white :)
Tried this, and it worked perfectly. Delicious creamy yolks, runny in the middle, and the whites were also creamy in texture.
Add a tiny bit of vinegar or lemon juice to the water before boiling. The I very gently roll on the counter just enough pressure the crack the shell. It normally just slips off. This is for store bought eggs, for fresh backyard chickens I’ve never had much success but the eggs do taste better so it’s a toss up.
Tried them today. Awesome!
Can you make more than 1-2 eggs with this recipe?
Yep! You can make any number.
Perfect! I’ve never made soft boiled before and they came out perfect for our ramen bowls.
OMG, astounding! I’m notoriously horrible at timing shelled eggs (good on the fry tho), made it exactly per the instructions, and the eggs were sheer perfection! Thank you so much! Now, do u have any suggestions for peeling them properly? Ha! Looking forward to checking out ur other recipes, like the spinach breakfast bowl which made my mouth water :))))
Made soft boiled eggs this way this morning and they were sheer perfection! Thank you !
Great recipe. Also I love the dark mini wooden cutting board. Can someone tell me where it’s from?
I believe I got that at H&M, but it was a few years ago so I don’t know if they still have it.
YAY!! Since I have been a child, one of my fav quick eats has been soft boiled eggs and toast. I like to chop the eggs in a bowl, add salt & pepper, and add butter to “thin” the yolk out for my “toast scooping/dipping.” I have never been able to master the yolk as you have: sometimes they get too well done, other times, the whites are too runny. In an effort to prevent the latter, I usually end up with a thicker yolk than I desire, which in turn requires the use of butter.
I NEED TO THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!! You have made me a happy woman! NEVER in my life have I had a soft boiled egg with the PERFECT yolk as I just did. A bit of salt and pepper, AND NO BUTTER REQUIRED!!!!! I needed to make a 3rd piece of toast to complete my “yolk cleaning up” process. Which by the way is the best part of this meal for me. So very glad I came across this great advice. :) :) :) :)
Ah-Mazing!!! Mommy-girl (yep, that’s right, to this day, only way I address MY mother!!) would always lovingly fulfill my request for this “special” brekky-fast, especially when I was feeling a bit out of sorts- or just had the drearies!! Hee, hee…I know my “MA” did them the old fashioned method, however much more complicated, and CLEARLY, no good reason for it!!! This is now my Holy Grail for SBE!! Kudos!!😜😘
Forgot to give the (5) Stars. Here they are.
Perfecto. Tossed (4) of these bad boys on top of (2) slices of wheat toast and feasted out.
Really did make petfect soft boiled eggs.
As soon as I pit the eggs in the boiling water they cracked and all the whites leaked out!
Worked great for me .Maybe those whose eggs cracked are boiling too violently. I had a moderate boil just after the tiny bubbles get bigger and maintained that using large egg.
I have been intimidated to make soft boiled eggs for so long! This recipe was perfect! So happy to have learned this trick and I will be using it weekly for sure :)
Absolutely useless as a recipe. I only boiled them for 6 minutes and they had already burst after 5.
Elena, I’m sorry to hear that. I followed Gordon Tome’s advice above this post and turned the flame down to a slower boil when I added the eggs. It turned out perfectly. You may want to try this again if you didn’t do that the first time. Wish you the best of luck because I think this is one of the best little kitchen tricks I have learned in my lifetime. Which, I have been cooking for a very long time. LOL
Eggs were perfect! Thanks for the tips.
Perfection! Very glad I came across this site. Thank you.
Tried these just now and mindblown. Can’t believe how easy, quick and straight to the point this method was. Thank you
This recipe worked p-e-r-f-e-c-t! It was so quick and easy. Gone are the days of placing the eggs in cold water and slowly bringing to a boil. This is my new go to recipe for soft boiled eggs!
Unless you really MUST use those cute little egg cups you found, then I suggest a similar method, less arduous and avoids much of the egg peeling process: BASTE the cracked eggs in about an inch of boiling water – like in a medium skillet. This also avoids using oil, if you are cholesterol conscious. Splash the boiling water over the eggs, making small indents in the whites with your spatula. When you get a white film over the yolks, carefully spill the water, then plate your eggs. I think you will find this technique far less hassle with very similar results.
This is the best soft-boiled eggs recipe ever!! A big big thank you and a BBBBBBBBBIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGG HUG to you!! Thanks to you, I was able to nail soft-boiled eggs for the first time in my life! xoxoxo
Why are eggs always such a pain in the ass to peel!?!?!? Hard boiled, soft boiled, ice bath, rinse- it doesn’t matter!!! Question of the century!!!
It is such a mystery because I almost never have any issues peeling mine, which makes me wonder if it’s the type or quality of egg that makes a difference.
We raise different varieties of chickens. Seems the brown eggs are harder to peel. An ice bath right after boiling helps, but we find that no matter what variety, the fresher the egg, the more difficult it is to peel. So we usually refrigerate the eggs we use for hard/soft boiling for a couple of weeks.
I learned a trick if you put a few slices of lemon in your water to boil, the eggs peel more easily.
This recipe ROCKS!!! I’ve been struggling with the “cover with cold water and boil” method at high altitude – I usually undercook the eggs and it’s a mess. This recipe worked ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!! For those of you that it didn’t turn out, I think it is because you didn’t read the directions – the eggs aren’t placed in a steamer basket, they are placed directly in the bottom of the pan. The only question I have is: if you are making hard cooked eggs – how much time do you add?
I haven’t tested the time for hard cooked (I just love that runny yolk too much), but I bet it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 12-15 minutes. When I’ve done hard boiled eggs in the past, in a full pot of water, I turn off the heat at let them sit in the hot water for 15 minutes.
I would suggest not to add any time , Never burned boiled egg in my life, but the water burned out , while I was eating my perfect egg, I added 4 minutes….
I’ve never been more confused for a seemingly easy straightforward recipe. If you follow the recipe exactly you will under no circumstances get edible eggs. What this recipe fails to mention (that i only discovered after ruining my eggs) is that you must use a steamer and cannot put these eggs in the water. Otherwise you must turn the temp off and let the water stop boiling and then put the eggs in. Probably a good recipe. But excluded EXTREMELY necessary info. I’m going to find a different recipe somewhere else
I do not use a steamer. I place the eggs directly on the bottom of the pot in the water and it works perfectly for me every time.
I use a spider or a spoon to put the eggs in. A large tablespoon or ladle works perfect.
Just made this recipe as instructed, no steamer, and it worked perfectly! Not sure why you think it wouldn’t.
I don’t use a steamer, put them right in the pan with cover. Not sure how much simpler it could get. You are kind of rude for someone who can’t boil water
The BEST soft boiled egg ever! I tried this recipe today, and for the first time in my life, I prepared an egg the way I love it.
Absolute perfection! The only way i will have my eggs on avocado toast! Yummy! Thank you so much for your experimenting.
Well I tried this method and both of my eggs cracked and looked like poached eggs after 6 min
Same for me….
same here. Also, pan boiled over. Next time I’ll turn heat down after I add egg.
Perfection!!! Worked the first time I tried it! My soft boiled eggs never turn out, but this recipe is the BEST. I couldn’t believe that it would work with just 1 inch of water, but it’s the steam that cooks it, not the water. And yes directly in the pot. Don’t drop it in the boiling water, but lower it in with a spoon or ladle.
Cracked just like I knew they would even though I gently lowered them into the water. Too much of a temperature change too quickly. I recommend a steamer rack or lowering the temperature of the water back down before putting in the eggs, then bring the water back to a boil. Time might need to be adjusted.
Can I make this recipe in the oven and how if different?
We haven’t tested this recipe in the oven sorry! A quick google search led me to this post that could be of help https://www.wholesomeyum.com/perfect-baked-hard-boiled-eggs-in-the-oven/
Just searching for how to make perfect soft-boiled eggs, I don’t like the yolk runny, I’d like to try this method but right now, I’ve just eaten the one I made before the search.
Thanks.
Thank you! This is like a less messy poached egg and exactly what I was searching for! I am glad I came across this recipe first because I was not ready for a trial and error kind of morning. I used a timer to be precise because 6 mins is not as long as you expect in the morning. I made my coffee and toast all within that time and it was spot on! I was worried the ice bath would cool the eggs down too fast and they would not be as good but no! Just a few seconds in an ice bath and they peeled with no problem and perfect temp for eating. I am sorry to go on and on but I never had egg directions that worked out so well. No more separating the runny whites and doing tricks like adding vinegar to make the perfect poached egg. This is my new favorite thing! Thank you for the game changer!
Just like Grandma used to make, but easier. With home-made toast & apple/cran juice, a perfect summer breakfast! 127′ above sea level here.
Nevermind on my last comment. I didn’t read the recipe carefully enough. I see you are supposed to out the eggs directly in the water. I’ll try that next time.
It didn’t quite work right for me. At 6 minutes and 10 seconds, the whites were still not quite set, resulting in somewhat messy outcome when I peeled the eggs. I used a silicone steamer instead of metal. I don’t know if that would make a difference.
The recipe says to steam, but doesn’t say to use a steamer. Kind of mis-leading in that sense. If using a typical steamer I’d cook for 7-8 minutes. But I believe the idea is when the egg is half submerged you get the perfectly runny yolk at 6 minutes.
Get the fudge outta here! This flippin works! And it’s stupid easy. I’m prego and craving soft boiled eggs. I came across this recipe and obviously was skeptical 🤨. The reviews helped pushed me to give it a try. And when I peeled the shell and sliced my little egg in half I started laughing in disbelief that this worked! Thank you ooooo soooo much! This is so easy and Makes perfect soft boiled eggs 🥚!
It depends on the altitude people. At 4000ft it is 4 minutes. Look at your altitude. Perfect for me at 4000 ft for exactly 4 minutes.
How on any mountain do you cook for a shorter time at a higher altitude?
You are correct Jamil, it should take longer at higher altitudes!
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/High_Altitude_Cooking_and_Food_Safety.pdf
It worked just as they said . And the came out soft boiled . I ran them under cold water to cool them off enough to peel .
They were still gooey after 6 mins. I tried 3 eggs and the first 2 were gooey so I put the 3rd egg back in the boiling water and it still came out gooey. I will keep trying till I get it right though!!!
A couple nights ago I was watching television and a man in the show had a soft boiled egg. It reminded me of my childhood when on occasion my mother would serve soft boiled eggs.(Usually with bacon and toast) I decided to try one today for lunch and came across this recipe. I followed the recipe for one egg and kept the heat at a low boil. I served it over my whole wheat toast with melted provolone cheese, and seasoned with salt and pepper. It came out perfectly!
If you’re steaming the eggs, they’re not at soft BOILED.
Steaming cooks them more evenly than boiling them in water that covers them completely. I make soft boiled eggs like this, but I use a steamer basket. Six minutes, covered, with the water underneath at a full boil, turns out perfect SOFT BOILED eggs every time.
When I put cold eggs in the hot water they just break. Any suggestions?
You could bring them to room temperature before cooking. That could help!
The same happened to me. I follow this exact recipe, but I use a steamer basket. Put the steamer basket in with the water. Then, boil the water. Once the water boils, place your cold egg(s) in the steamer basket, cover and let steam for six minutes. Mind turn out perfectly every time. 😊
My dad eats soft boiled egg on english toast everyday for breakfast. He’s had the same electric egg cooker since the 70’s. In that cooker, there is a small tack built into the lid where he pokes a hole in the fat end of the egg before cooking. I’m going to try to poke a hole next time to prevent egg breakage. When I tried this recipe today for the first time, one egg broke within seconds of gently lowering into the water and the second one didn’t break. They both came out great. Ahh the memories :)
love them thanks for the help
OMG, this recipe was both easy and fool-proof. Honestly, sheer perfection. Thank you so much for posting. After one time, I feel like a pro. :)
These are delicious on my avocado toast! Easy, fast and perfect!
A soft boiled egg is a 3 minute egg unless you live in high altitudes. To cook 5 or 6 minutes is not a true soft boil which is why the original picture here shows some medium boiled egg yolk under the runny top. You can buy soft boiled egg holders in which you just set the boiled egg on it then using a spoon you tap around the upper sides of the egg, cracking the top open. Take the top off and eat the egg with the soft runny yolk inside without having to peel it. You use your spoon to eat it out of the shell. My Mother use to make them for me when I was little.
Steaming requires more time than boiling, because the egg isn’t fully immersed in the boiling water. I steam my eggs now and use a steamer basket in the pot. Six minutes cook time, covered, results in a perfect soft-boiled egg yolk, with a slightly firmer white (which I happen to prefer). An egg steamed for only three minutes wouldn’t even be cooked hardly at all.
Just FYI. 😊
For anyone having problems:
– Measure your thumb with a ruler, now you know how much an inch of water is when filling it since you can fill it to that part of your thumb
– Take about a few eggs
– Once you put them in the boiling water, start a timer
– Take one out at 5min, 6min, 7min, 8min, you get the idea
– After they have cooled, you can put the halves on a piece of paper with the times for each one written underneath, take a picture with your phone
Now you have a personalized reference sheet for your specific kitchen/pot/burner/eggs for different levels of egg-doneness, and will be able to repeat it every time!
These were so absolutely perfect. My girlfriend was amazed at how perfect and delicious these were.
I was so nervous to make these based on reading some recent reviews but I figured the worst that it would cost me if it was a flop was the price of one egg. I followed the recipe exactly and they came out just as described! Next time I might do 7 minutes purely based on preference but this is the first time I could get soft boiled eggs right. Thank you!
6 minutes is WAY too long. They don’t call them 3 minute eggs for a fun little ditty⚾️
Hi Jackie. For your information, steaming requires more time than boiling. This recipe is perfect, give or take a little time, based on each person’s particular stove, altitude, etc.
There. Now, you’ve been provided with this very BASIC cooking knowledge. If you’re so dissatisfied with your life, that you feel the need to be rude and sarcastic toward the author of a recipe? At least make sure you know what the heck you’re talking about. That way, you won’t look like a fool. Okay? I hope you feel better soon. Remember to BE KIND! 😊
Followed recipient they were not soft bullets came into mind
Cheers
I made these this morning and they were slightly overdone. Will try again at 5 minutes. If I can figure out the perfect length of time on my stove then this will be my new favorite way to cook soft “boiled” eggs!!
My question involves altitude!. Water boils at a lower temperature at the altitude I live. Do you know if there should be an adjustment of time and if so how much?.. I have never been very successful with boiled eggs. Perhaps this is why I avoid cooking them. Thanks
I am at a 5400 altitude so boil time is adjusted. Water evaporates faster but boil time can be 1 minute longer. Practice, it should only take 2 or 3 tries to get it.
If you have a steam basket insert for you pot – heat 1 inch of water to a gentle rolling boil, place the eggs in the basket then put the basket in the pot and cover. After six minutes either lift the basket and put it in ice water or lift the eggs individually and place in cold water. Using the basket avoids cracking the eggs when putting them into the hot water or cracking when rolling around one the bottom of the pot. The basket technique also allows you to have exact timing when cooking several eggs at once.
Sorry for the typos – I hit send before I proofed
Oh my gosh!! Liquid gold indeed! Most perfect eggs I’ve ever made–and I’ve tried a lot of recipes!!
1/2 – 1 inch of water, no more. Use cold eggs. and place them only when water is boiling. If the eggs are bouncing there is too much water. Depending on your preference wait 6- 6 1/2 minutes. Cool for 30 seconds before peeling.
see website for more detailed information.
Brilliant! Thank you!
Couldn’t wait to finish my exersizes so’s I could make my soft boil eggs with toast…well lo and behold I finally made something with my own hands and your recipe to a marvelous mouth watering delicious EGG…can’t wait till tomorrow….thank you much……
First attempt failed, both eggs cracked during boiling and the yolk leaked out and cooked, like some of the other comments on here. I think the reason that happens has to do with the temperature difference between the cold eggs and boiling water. So the second time I put the eggs in cold water, then waited for it to boil before starting the timer. Worked perfectly!
I just steamed 4 eggs To perfection, I Peeled them and dropped them in the sink . They slipped right into the garbage disposal and Im not eating them. There was a green slime with hard yellow chunks on them. Could be ebola or staphylococcus. Now I have black tar stuff stuck under my fingernails. How do you clean out garbage disposals? Anyway I will try again tomorrow.
FYI: First time around, we set timer for 6 minutes as soon as we put the eggs in, lid on, and this did not work out. White parts were still raw.
We had to figure out that once you place the eggs in, wait until the water comes back to rolling boil again, and then immediately set timer for 6 minutes as soon as it comes back to rolling boil. And then do as instructed… when timer goes off, take eggs out and put into ice bath.
I just made 2 eggs and both broke open. I did exactly as you said, but how high do you have the temp on the eggs? Maybe that’s the issue.
The water reaches boiling temperature at 212. That’s the temperature when you will gently place the eggs into the pot for six minutes. Hope that helps for next time!
I just made 4 large eggs following this recipe. An inch of water in the pan and boil for exactly 6 minutes. Didn’t have ice though so I just used cold water. Turned out perfectly. I used soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar as seasoning afterword. Amazing.. ramen egg in 10 minutes as apposed to hours lol
This recipe was a total bust both eggs broke open and cook the yolks and squirted out of the shells. Would not recommend
Maybe you did it wrong. It worked perfectly for me.
I just used this recipe with 4, worked for me. I think it depends on the egg.
This was perfect! Ashley it seems as though your burner was on to high. I cooked two and they were amazing.
Wow! These were perfect! I’ve never made soft boiled eggs, but wanted to try them and they were literally perfect, exactly according to this recipe. Thank you!
Worked perfectly first time. Tyvm!
Cooked 4 eggs, two exploded as they were bouncing around. Maybe this only works for one egg at a time.
I just used this recipe with 4, worked for me. I think it depends on the egg.
Boiled the eggs for 6 min and they came out hard boiled 😅
Any time I put eggs cold out the fridge into boiling water the shells bust open and the whites ooze out.
Thank you! They were beautiful and perfect!
Absolutely perfect soft boiled egg. Thank you.
Added 2 minutes for my liking. This is a good recipe.
Did EXACTLY as the recipe called for and the eggs were not cooked sufficiently.
Needed 2 additional minutes to be ‘soft’ boiled. Not sure why it works for some and not for others????
I live in Denver, 5,280′, so I went 6 1/2 minutes, still a little runny. 7 minutes then next time, and they were perfect. Water boils at a little over 200 degrees here, all the way down to 194 at 10,000′. Could be the root of some people’s problem.
I had trouble with 4 different eggs varying the time I cooked them and then I gave up…also wondering about soft boiled eggs and salmonella??
Anytime you have a runny yolk, whether it be in a sunny side up, over easy, or soft boiled egg, there is a chance of salmonella. To eliminate this risk, you can buy pasteurized eggs.
I get the same results by microwave. Put water in a glass dish add egg(s). Microwave between 45 and 50 seconds on high. Pour off water slide the egg onto toast—perfect soft boiled eggs with soft egg whites too.
Since you didn’t say ‘peel’ the eggs before sliding them onto your toast, I assume you are poaching them without the shell????
Well that didn’t work at all. I followed this recipe to a T, and I tell ya, a skilled veterinarian could have brought those chickens back to life! The egg white was hardly cooked, and the yolk slipped right out.
There goes two eggs in this quarantine.
I did the same thing… now in full experiment mode.
New hypothesis: I am boiling for 7 minutes, and the after 7 minutes, I am letting cool for at least 3 in ice. I hope for better results.
I had major issues before using this method.
I am obsessed with ramen and eggs, so I kept trying.
This method FINALLY worked! Please make sure you have a rolling boil before adding your eggs using the thongs. The moment I removed the lid the first time my boil went away. I waited a bit longer for a bigger boil and then added the eggs. After placing the eggs and putting the lid back on, I started the 6-minute timer. Good luck!
Wow! These were perfect! I’ve never made soft boiled eggs, but wanted to try them and they were literally perfect, exactly according to this recipe. Thank you!
I tried this and the eggs were perfect and I thought it might be just luck, so I made them everyday for a week, PERFECT, PERFECT, PERFECT, PERFECT,PERFECT, PERFECT, PERFECT. ALL SEVEN PERFECT.
Perfect!!!! THANKS
Perfect right out the gate (and I’ve had trouble with soft boiled eggs before – too runny, overcooked, etc.)!!
I served them the way my mom used to: opened them on buttered toast (letting the yolk get to the butter and the toast), added salt and pepper, and then poured a little warm milk over the top.
My mom called this “soft boiled eggs on milk toast.”
Poached eggs would result in virtually the same dish (IMO), and they’re messier (to cook) to me..
She always served this on toasted regular grocery store white bread, but I used artisan sourdough this morning to good effect.
Can you do the same on a pressure cooker (_6₩ min egg)
We haven’t tried in a pressure cooker but there are many other sites out there that have had success!
I love a soft boiled egg but have never made one for myself. Followed your method exactly and had perfect results! Loved them soo much. It’ll be fun to change up my daily fried eggs for decadent soft-boiled eggs on occasion. Thanks!
Perfect! Just made them today. Recipe is exact. Thank you
Absolutely perfect soft boiled egg.
Been looking for an easy soft boiled egg recipe for my Pho Vietnamese noodle soup for a long time. This recipe is PERFECT every time. Thank u sooo much.
I wouldn’t have believed it. Six minutes! I thought they’d be boiled hard. But they were cooked perfectly. Right on, thank you.
1st try was a success, thanks!
Even let my eggs steam for 7 min because 6 seemed so short. The egg whites still weren’t even cooked when I tried peeling and wasted them. I’d recommend letting them steam longer. Tried it twice following step by step and undercooked egg every time !!
You’re not doing something right, my were perfect first time.
First ever attempt at soft boiled eggs and came out PERFECT!!! 🤩🤩 I was afraid the eggs were going to crack when put into the boiling water, but no issue at all. Amazing!! Thank you!
Absolutely perfect. Easy Peasy
my eggs cracked as the water was quite hot
perfect 6m large egg I add a tsp of sea salt to ease peeling luscious eggs
I am great cooker like you, my recipe was so delicious. I perfectly followed your recipe exactly and perfectly came out. thanks.
If the eggs are cold from the fridge, 7 minutes is the sweet spot. My eggs came out perfect. Thank you!!
By far the easiest way to make perfectly soft boiled eggs ever. Thank you!!
So glad I caught this article. I haven’t had soft boiled eggs since I was a kid! Very yummy
I followed recipe exactly and my eggs came out perfect. Thanks!!!!!
Nope. 6 minutes and I’m left with a load of raw runny snotty white. Yuck.
As I was reading this article I kept thinking, “No way these eggs don’t crack”. I mean, refrigerator cold eggs put into boiling water? They’re gonna crack. So I tried it with three eggs in a small pot and followed the instructions to a “T”. One egg turned out perfect, the other two…..
…..cracked.
Fortunately I’m not picky so I ate all the floaty parts along with what remained in the shell. I’m happy for those this worked perfectly for but I’m surely not the only person with this experience.
Next time (because there will be a next time since I think with tweaking this method can be perfected) I’ll use room temperature eggs instead.
Thanks for the foundation to build upon!
I was totally skeptical but these were perfect in my homemade ramen tonight. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out golden and creamy with a fully cooked exterior.
Best soft boiled eggs ever! Seriously.
And I used farm fresh eggs too which tend to need time to age but they were perfect. Perfectly cooked whites and perfectly running yolks. So happy! Thank you!
I made these for the first time and they were amazing!
Amazing!!! It works!!
Perfectly soft boiled eggs!
Best soft boiled eggs ever!!
I have to agree Lisa!
This makes THE PERFEFT soft boiled egg.
Thanks Kayla!
Extra large eggs at 7 minutes came out perfect!
Thanks for sharing Otto!
Excellent!!! The perfect soft boiled eggs.
Thank you!
Excellent! 5 STARS!!!
Thank you!
Thank you Gina!
My eggs came out perfect! Whites were cooked, and yolks were perfectly runny. Thank you!
Thanks Alicia!
Been trying to get this right for years. This cake out perfect! Now I can finally make the soft boiled egg and toast bowl my mom used to make for me when I was a kid. You made my morning! :) Thank you
This makes me so happy to hear Dawn! Thank you for sharing.
6 minutes is NOT long enough. That is, of course, unless you prefer a runny, snotty mess instead of a soft boiled egg. Over half of the white was still completely uncooked at 6 minutes.
Sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you. I’m happy to help you troubleshoot to see if there was a step missed perhaps?
I think you must have not followed the directions correctly. Mine came out perfect. Try again.
What is your altitude? At sea level water boils at 212F in Denver it’s 202 F. Also you need to take in the temp of your fridge – time to get from A to B really depends on where you start and how fast you go..
PERFECT! And they were just right for ramen. Thank you!
Yes they’re the best topping for ramen!
Tried this today and they were perfect!
Glad to hear it Joyce!
Perfect. Never could get it right till now. Thank you!
Hooray!
Followed the directions exactly but my egg was still mostly raw inside. Maybe an alignment needs to be made for higher altitude (I live in Denver)?
Hi Stacy! I live in Northern Colorado at about 5030 and I’ve found my eggs to be perfect right at about 6:15. You can play with it a few times and see what works!
Hello! I am trying this out right now. I was wondering if you had any recommendations as my eggs always crack when I put them in the pot. Thanks !!
I put mine on a spoon and gently place them in the water that way. Or bring the eggs to room temp first too.
Kelly, I have the same problem with SOME of the eggs cracking.
I’ll try your advice and bring the eggs to room temperature first.
I thank you and my Golden Retriever thanks you. She gets an egg daily with her breakfast meal. She loves the runny yolks, same as me!!
Aww give her a sweet hug and scratch from me! Let me know how it goes.
Kelly,
Thanks for the help. Last time I took eggs from fridge for about 20 minutes, too impatient to wait any longer.. That did the trick. No cracked eggs.
Thanks again for your recipe.
Belated Merry Christmas 🎄 to you and your readers.
Same to you Cathy!
Simple. Delicious. Perfect.
Thanks for excellent directions.
Thank you Denni!
My egg burst about one minute into cooking… so this didn’t work at all for me.
Turned out perfect and tasted great. Make sure to use tongs or a slotted spoon to add the egg to the boiling water, otherwise you might crack the egg by dropping it in. Even a half inch of height can crack it.
Great tip!
Tried this – it really works, haha. Nailed it! Thanks for the great recipe, not going to be afraid of soft boiled eggs anymore.
Happy to hear it Gerard!
I was skeptical but this really works! Finally, a perfect soft boiled egg. Thank you!
Hooray!
Awesome!! Best soft boiled eggs – will share and use all the time…thanks
Thanks Catherine!
Thank you so much, looking forward for more recipes. I am not an expert in the kitchen, for sure your advice will be a blessing.!!
The eggs were perfect. Thank you
Delicious! I’m always looking for different ways to eat eggs (I eat them a lot!), but soft-boiled always seemed like a mystery for me. Just tried this and they turned out perfectly! My kids love them too. I will be making these often, thank you!
Hooray! Happy to hear it went over with the kids too!
I’ve not made soft boiled eggs before and I’m currently caring for my widowed 84 year old father who recently had major surgery. He’s not been feeling well and he is VERY picky/spoiled (as much as I love him, my step mother spoiled him!). I found your directions for his requested eggs and he loved them!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I’m sure it will be on his food request from here on out-
Came out perfect! Thank you!
I used a 1.5 quart pot and was able to put 7 eggs not realizing they were medium sized.. I did 6 minutes and immediately put them in an ice bath. They came out perfect.
The best recipe for soft boiled eggs EVER!!!!
Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! We are foodies and this dish was a definite keeper.
Worked great. Just need to make sure to keep the water at an even boil so at some point I had to adjust the heat.
Amazing
This is one of the first “recipes” I fell in love with on your blog. The “steaming” technique is a game changer, it’s not only a great way to save water, but also a produces super consistent results. Thanks so much for sharing!
These eggs were great. The inside was perfect and no shell. I did put them in my egg cups. I like using the cup and little spoon. Thank you.
When my mom made them instead of pealing we gave them a good chop with a table knife to cut in half and scooped them into a bowl with a spoon and seasoned with a little salt and pepper.
Followed instructions. Egg was closer to hard boiled.
I’ve been making soft cooks eggs for 35 years with a good method that worked well most of the time. I just tried your method in the 15 min window I had for breakfast and it was PERFECT, thank you!
First recipe I’ve followed that actually gave me boiled white and a runny yolk! Thank you so much for this recipe! I just made one right now and I was in heaven. 😁👌
My mom always said that your taste changes over time. I used to loce scrambled eggs. Now…not so much. I now love a good fried egg when the white is completely set, but the yolk is runny. Problem is my stomach can’t handle the grease from fried eggs. I tried this recipe since I’ve never attempted to do a soft boiled egg. Perfection on the first try!!! The white set completely, but the yolk remained a consistency similar to ranch salad dressing. A little salt. A little pepper. Heaven on a plate!
I am a big fan of eggs like shown in the picture but whenever I biol egg, it turned to hard. I hope following your instruction will help me to boil egg like this.
OMG. PERFECTION. I have always wanted to try making soft boiled eggs because I LIVE for that luscious, runny yolk, but always found it too intimidating. But your method with the exact 6 minute time frame made it so easy! I soft boiled two eggs, toasted an English muffin, and went to TOWN. Thank you so much for giving me another way to cook one of my all-time favorite foods!
Side note – have you ever tried Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning? It’s delicious on so many things, but in particular, SO GOOD on eggs. Highly recommend giving it a try if you haven’t already!
PERFECT “MOLTEN” EGGS! I had soft boiled eggs when I was a child but they were a little less “done” and sitting in an egg cup, I reflected how you could make it perfectly molten but peelable.
Your recipe is terrific. Exactly 6 minutes and into a cereal bowl of cold water & 1 ice cube. Even though my eggs were old (expiring today) they were ez peel.
I served over Instant Grits with a little shredded sharp cheddar- perfect breakfast/lunch.
I’m now going to find a new recipe because I forgot for a minute how great your site is (I started with homemade enchilada sauce when, in the midst of making dinner, I realized I forgot to buy it- and yours is so much better!)
Thank you
“Old” eggs peel easier than fresh eggs! :)
PERFECT MOLTEN EGGS!
Thank you for this tip. It would have taken me forever to figure out the 6-minute rule.
Of course, being a guy, I’m not going to follow the directions. :-)
The plate of eggs, spinach, tomatoes and avocados looks “out of this world” good.
These eggs are delicious on top of the yellow jasmine rice
The eggs came out PERFECT! Yay! I plan on making soft boiled eggs often now!
Can’t wait to try this! I notice you said that the 6 minute time limit was for large eggs. What would you say to do for medium sized eggs? I recently bought one of those like 5 dozen boxes but their medium eggs and I really want to try this out!
Because the eggs will be smaller, it will be a shorter cook time to get that “perfect” soft boiled result. Unfortunately I never buy medium eggs, so I’m not sure what the exact right time will be for that size.
I made these today, and they’re perfect! The tip about using tongs is really handy. One thing to keep in mind is that after you put in the first egg with tongs, the tongs are REALLY hot, so I still burnt my hand slightly. My egg yolks turned out a tad more solid than yours, but they were still super soft + yummy.
Mmmm, they look pretty good.
This looks perfect for topping my favorite breakfast salad (yes, salad for breakfast): spring mix, crispy bacon bits, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and a runny egg, served with hot buttered toast. I’ve always poached my egg in the past, but this looks easier and I won’t have to pat it dry. The runny yolk combined with the vinegar and S&P makes a delicious, luxurious dressing!
Thank you! I’ve been trying to get the knack of making pretty poached eggs, with little success, so far. Hard boiled eggs are unhappy in my tummy, too. So, this will be a delightful and welcoming approach. Thanks again!
This turned out well and hits the spot when you want a soft egg. I had it on top of a baked potato.
What is the size of pot to use? I don’t cook so every time I get a pan, it’s eithet too big or too small. I like having 2 eggs 3 1/2 min in the morning. Ty.
I would just use the smallest pot you have available, that will allow the eggs to sit on the bottom without being piled on top of one another.
Perfect
This is great. You’ll have to get used to a runny yolk but it is worth it for your health. Hard boiling kills much of the health benefits of the egg/yolk and leaves you with just the protein to thank for it. It was either this or poaching so I’m glad this worked just like you said. I pulled my 2 eggs out at 5:45 just to make sure they weren’t overdone and there was no caking at all of the yolk. And yes, a cinch to peel like another said. Rock on!!
These turned out awesome.; whites cooked perfectly, tools runny and poured all over my toast, just perfectly. Peeling was a piece of cake.
Cooked two boiled eggs using this method and they are exactly as promised. Cooked whites and a runny yolk. Its been forever since ive had a perfect soft boiled and i loved it.
Made 2 eggs using your 6 minutes method and put on toast. Yummy. They looked exactly like your pic, not super runny.
Add some vinegar to your water for easy peeling every time without shell particles Beth M and B. Docktor
When it comes to eggs in general though, to paraphrase Robert Plant, I ain’t yoken woman I got to scramble.
I followed instructions and eggs were properly cooked, bit it was very hard to get tiny shell fragments off the egg. Why would that be?
I’ve read so many different theories about why eggs are sometimes hard to peel or what makes them easier to peel, but I’ve found no consistency with any of them. For me it’s just random. Sometimes they peel effortlessly and sometimes they are impossible. I would say that I only have a difficult egg once in a great while, so my theory is that it has to do with the freshness of the egg or perhaps even the brand (I find great differences in shell quality between cheaper eggs and more expensive eggs).
I don’t know how long ago I saw this recipe, I’ll guess at least 2 years, the eggs are perfect every time, firm whites with lovely runny yolks. Thank you!
I cover with water and bring to a rolling boil , turn off heat and let cook 3 mins. covered. Then put in cold water til cooled. then crack at the larger end and peel. Never had a problem with this method.
When I was a kid my mother soft-boiled eggs perfectly; we’d peel them and put them on toast. I’ve never been able to cook soft-boiled eggs right. I finally bought 2 floating “egg boats” and set them in boiling water with an egg, cover and cook for four and a half minutes. That’s the closest I’ve been able to come, but I’m anxious to give this a try. Thanks!
I suspect this is easier said than done, but I shall give it a try.
Thank You, worked like a charm. Did not bother to cool it down, just plopped it in my egg cup and chowed down. It was just the way I liked it.
I’ve always loved soft boiled eggs but I’ve never had them come out well except by accident! Yours is the first technique I’ve found that works every time. I’ve made up to 5 eggs at a time & it works. Any size egg works.
Thank you, you amazing person! You’ve made me & my family very happy!
I was frustrated making sunny side up eggs too until I saw a method on tv that really works–crack the eggs into the skillet and then add a bit of water, put a lid on, and in about three minutes the whites are cooked but the yolk is perfect. I use 1/4 cup water for two eggs.
–oiling the skillet as usual, I should add
Thank you so much for this post and this method. Just had two perfect soft boiled eggs. I’ve been waiting for this day for so long.
I saw your soy noodles with spinach and eggs then this recipe! Two great lunch/dinner ideas for work, but hate inconsistent results from micro. Years ago I saw this recipe combination. Never used jasmine, I use basmati thinking it is more separate rice, of course with a large dollop of coconut oil. But for this recipe I use “wild rice” with long black pods/seeds and coconut oil in it. Really good. And I feel thin the next day! Lol
My favorite food!
Followed these instructions to a T, and I got the most perfect soft boiled egg! Great for ramen! Awesome recipe.
Just to pass on a tip for sunny side up eggs – just before they’re done add about 1 tablespoon water to the pan and cover for about 15-20 seconds. The steam will cook the egg whites around the top of the uncooked yolk.
Now I will try your method for soft boiled eggs – which are my favorites! Thanks.
I tried this method today and it was total perfection!
Thanks!
Thanks so much for this post! These are delicious! I will definitely be making them again.
My first time making soft boiled eggs and I followed your instructions to a T. They came out perfect!! I now have another option to serve my 6 yr old eggs. She doesn’t like scrambled only over medium. This was perfect and she LOVED it!
This is wonderful! I’m a college kid home for the summer and I’m left to my own devices for lunch a lot. We’re on a slightly tight budget and I don’t want to use too many dishes so this was perfect! I cooked the egg and microwaved some of the add-ins (slow-cooker chicken and frozen corn) as it was going, then when i finished the egg, I filled the same pot with hot water and put it back on the element and cooked the block of ramen all the way through. The egg was perfect and I was proud enough I took a picture :D Plus it was delicious + filling.
Oh my gosh! Thank you for this! This is the first explanation that I was willing to try for the first, and oh my gosh! The best eggs I’ve enjoyed in a long time that I’ve prepared myself, along with able to eat a ton of leftover rice that I buttered.
Personally the coolest sensation when to peal the egg!
I’ve used this method several times since finding this post, and it is the only way I will do soft-boiled eggs from now on. They come out just right every time!
This is wonderful! I’m eating one over rice with teriyaki sauce right now.
I’ve tried two or three times to poach eggs for soup, but they always come out over- or underdone. This had goopy white on one side of the yolk, but I think it is because I used my smallest pot but a larger lid. I will choose a matching set next time. THANK YOU!
This just changed my life. I have always been a little afraid of soft boiled eggs but I made some tonight and they were perfect. Thanks for the awesome tutorial!
You’re totally my favorite!! Thanks for posting such awesome recipes and tutorials.
A suggestion for peeling the eggs. I don’t know if this will work with soft boiled eggs, but it works great for hard boiled eggs. If you crack the eggs shell at the big end of the egg, there is an air pocket there, and you can peel of the shell and the inner membrane. Then you take a metal teaspoon (not a measuring spoon), get it wet, and carefully slide it in between the egg and the membrane, then just work your way around the eggs and the shell slides right off.. You can easily remove the shell this way, though you may have to keep rewetting the spoon. I think it would also work with soft boiled eggs if you do it carefully.
I’ve done this (thanks to this suggestion) with the soft boiled eggs I have now, finally, figured out.
This morning I made these with toast instead of the poached eggs that make a terrible mess when I cook.
Soft boiled eggs and this technique of shelling eggs has changed my life!!!
This is amazing! I just made one nearly perfect egg and one perfect egg! Jumbo eggs need just a smidge over six minutes, it would seem.
Thank you for this recipe. It’s the best recipe I have found to make a perfect soft boiled egg. It’s one I’ll use from now on.
If I wanted to make hard-boiled eggs using this technique, could I just leave the eggs in there longer? Any suggestions on time?
Thanks!
Yes, you definitely can. I would guess around 9 minutes for hard boiled, but I haven’t tried it. It might take a little experimentation! :)
I love poached eggs, but I can never make them at home without them breaking or getting soggy! Even when I order them at a restaurant, it still sits in a pool of water.
I’d never even heard of soft boiling eggs before this. This method is so much easier, and the result is very similar to a poached egg. The only downside is the peeling – it’s very difficult to do this without breaking the yolk.
With a little practice, this is going to be my new go-to for eggs!
I just tried this and while the yolk and whites turned out great I had a problem with the shell being hard to peel which ended up creating a mess when I broke through to the yolk before it was fully peeled. What can I do to combat the shell being hard to peel?
I’ve heard and tried many techniques, but I haven’t found anything that consistently makes a difference. Sometimes they’re easy to peel, sometimes not (even between eggs from the same package) and I don’t know what the determining factor is.
I don’t peel the eggs, I crack off one end of the egg and scoop out the inside with a spoon. If you are gentle the entire egg will come out in one piece.
Perfect eggs! Thank you so much for sharing your method!
I love the fact that you use the term ‘snot’ to describe uncooked egg whites.
Now I can prove to my family that no, I’m NOT the only one that does that!
I also feel that way about uncooked whites (even had a major family blowout one year when I refused to eat the snotty whites).
I just tried to make these, and after 6 minutes, the whites weren’t cooked all the way (I have large eggs). So I will have to try again in the future.
In the meantime, I promised my husband and daughter eggs…so poached it is! I can do those no problem!
Last September I spent two weeks in London, where I tried soft boiled eggs for the first time.
Every morning at the breakfast buffet I would have a soft boiled egg and all sorts of other wonderful high cholesterol foods… Mmmm. Anyway, I haven’t had soft boiled eggs since then, because I didn’t know how to make them. This tutorial was super! I didn’t know it would be so fast and easy.
I just made these with sautéed spinach and jasmine rice… PERFECTION!!! THANK YOU for this recipe!!!
Perfect! I had not had soft boiled eggs since my mother used to make them for me (and mind you, I am now 60), and these were so much better than I remember! Perfect instructions, it worked exactly as you said. Thanks!
Oh, my. These were SO good! You made this tutorial completely idiot-proof, thank you SO much!
Tried this technique for breakfast this morning and it turned out perfect. I did cut the time down to 4 minutes or so though, because the eggs I was using weren’t that big.
I’m definitely having my eggs like this again. Thank you so much! <3
I just made a couple of eggs like this and they were delicious! I will be sure to pass this on! :]
I tried it and the eggs came out a little overdone. Next time I will cut down a little on the time. The method is great and saves the burnt fingers.
I have eggs for lunch or breakfast several times a week and perfecting the soft boiled egg has always been a crap shoot. I’m now 4 for 4 using your method — perfect every time. Thank you!
Thank you for this. I haven’t tried poaching or sunny side-up, for reasons related to impatience/laziness, but soft-boiled eggs are so wonderful. Probably my favorite way to eggs, to be honest.
I used medium eggs so I guestimated cooking time to one minute less. They turned out a little overcooked, the yolks were dark yellow but firm, not the runny yolk I was hoping for. Next time I’ll try just 4 minutes for medium eggs. Still this is quick, easy & wonderful, thank you!
I am in absolute /heaven/ now that I’ve been taught this technique. This morning I changed things up a little. I made sushi rice–mirin and all. I soft boiled the eggs. As they were boiling I quickly sauteed some Swiss Chard in sesame oil. I served the whole thing in a bowl and topped with a little soy sauce. Best breakfast ever! Thanks!
I just found this post on Pinterest yesterday. I love eggs and have always gone through the pains of poaching to get that fabulous creamy yolk. Your technique made for the perfect egg without all the trouble! I used a jumbo farm fresh egg and will probably give it an extra 30 seconds next time. Thanks for the share!
I love soft boiled eggs, but have always had trouble getting them to that perfectly cooked stage – cooked white, runny yolk. This worked like a charm!
I find this affects the cooking time, so I have to ask: did you start with room temperature eggs or were they straight from your fridge?
I believe they were straight from the refrigerator. Maybe out for a few minutes while I took pictures. :) Cooking time will vary with the size/depth of your dish, too, so you kind of have to just keep an eye on it.
I just made these and they came out perfect! I had a thick slice of pumpernickel and some black forest ham, then I grated a little asiago on it and toasted it all. Broke the eggs over the top and squeezed a bit of fresh lemon and tossed a little fresh basil on top. BEST BREAKFAST EVER!
OMG! I love eggs any way shape or form except for the white to be runny. That’s gross! Trying this tomorrow for breakfast =) Yum…
I watched the video on America’s Test Kitchen where they cooked 1000s of eggs to perfect it, and it really does work amazingly well! :)
Just tried this technique and oh man, the yolk was perfect & delicious! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this one, I tried it and… perfect, I will even go a little less time on the next because my induction burner seems to do everything with a little more zing, it was amazing on the rice bowl recipe, I substituted collards for spinach and still amazing!
A little late to this party . . . but have you ever made these ahead and kept them refrigerated? Wondering if, in the shell, these would keep for a few days, like hard-boiled. As a busy mom, anything to save me time in the morning. THANKS!
I haven’t tried that. I’m honestly not sure how they’d hold up!
Beth-You’re the Egg Angel! Amazing isn’t it how the world can be going to hell in a finely woven basket or our personal life might be coming down around our ears, yet some how something as simple as a deliciously runny yolk and firm white makes it all seem so manageable. As a child my mom made perfect soft boiled eggs, but I never learn how. A tragedy. Now, at last, the holy grail of egginess! I too saw the episode on America’s test Kitchen and if you get on the internet after the show they allow access for non-subscribers. Alas I was delayed, but you have saved the day with what I assume is a very old secret of good cooks.
I too just found you and your site and will be getting your book.
As I said before, amazing. All over something as simple and plain as a properly cooked egg. It’s always the little things. Thanks so much.
Yum, just tried this for the first time this morning and it turned out perfect. I’m such a visual person and generally have no idea what I’m doing in the kitchen so I love your step by step instructions. Happily discovered your site recently and I love it, thank you for doing it.
Made your eggs this morning. Perfect! We’re full time RVers and spend time at altitudes, so also appreciate the hint about increasing cooking time. At sea level now but will be experimenting with increased time when we get back to our mountains.
Heh, i noticed by the color of the yolks, the eggs are not supermarket eggs. (not orange-ish, but yellow-ish)
:) find/invest in some pastured eggs man :D
the yolks should be very orange and very very good and smelly!
you’ll never buy supermarket eggs again
I hadn’t had a good soft boiled egg since my mother used to make then when I was young…until today! Yay! This technique worked perfectly! Yum!!!
I just watched this technique on America’s Test Kitchen. I’ll definitely be giving it a try.
Perfect! I love soft boiled eggs and I actually eat them from egg cups with toast soldiers. I usually make a 3 minute egg, but I think I like this method better. Thanks Beth! Also, old eggs peel easier than fresh eggs.
Oh my goodness. You have no idea what this method of cooking eggs means to me. I’m eating one of these eggs on a slice of toast as I type this. This is absolutely perfect for me! Thank you so much.
I’ve done my soft boiled eggs this way three times now and it’s been perfect every time. I’m obsessed! Tonight I tried them on top of rice with sauteed veggies. This is a simple and yummy meal that I will be having often!
That’s my favorite meal, too!
This has become one of my FAV meals… thanks so much for sharing and we love your website! We plan our weekly meals around your posts.
Dressed up a bowl of maggi noodles and stir fry veggies with one of these suckers…it was a divine way to eat breakfast :9
I have been having a soft cooked egg with leftover veggies and a tiny potato for breakfast. I love the meal, but have been experimenting with the perfect way to cook the egg. Tried this method this morning and it was indeed perfect! Quick, easy, with no guesswork. I was a bit skeptical with boiling the egg for 6 minutes. Seemed too long to me. But the egg was wonderful. I was even able to crack the shell and peel it with no problem.
Also: Use a pin to poke a hole in the big end of the egg. This allows the air bubble to escape, which prevents it from cracking.
Thank you! Just tried this and they came out perfect. So yummy.
made these last night to go on my risotto and they were PERFECT. Thank you!
Just found you earlier this week and LOVE your site. Made these tonight and oh my goodness. So easy, delicious, and probably pretty versatile as my imagination has run wild with ideas to put these on!
Tonight had them over two pieces of multi-grain toast with some sriracha.
Cracking the cooked white and watching the liquid yolk run out feels kind of magical.
Right? That’s my favorite part!
I absolutely love your site. I will be trying this method of soft boiled eggs very soon. I just thought I’d share a tip that my mom taught me to easily peel a soft boiled egg: tap the side of the egg with a spoon, Use your thumbs to push gently into the cracked part of the eggshell, then pull the halves apart with both hands (as if you’re cracking open a raw egg). Then use your spoon to scoop out the egg by inserting it just between the shell and the egg, just like you would with an avocado. Easy peasy with no stubborn shells to deal with.
Thanks for the great, easy to follow recipe! I made soft boiled eggs for the first time ever today, to have over ramen… divine! I’m now kicking myself for not having done so earlier… five plus years of crappy semi-poached eggs… sigh.
I can poach eggs perfectly but I’ve never been able to do the soft boiled…until this morning!!
This method worked perfectly for me. I made 2 eggs – because I get very fresh eggs, I did the salted vinegar water which I see another commenter recommended for very fresh eggs. They peeled easily – I peeled both immediately.
Also used your Jasmin rice spices with leftover sprouted brown rice, a spoon of cranberry beans (a Rancho Gordo heirloom bean) and a handful of spinach — all warmed up together with the eggs on top.
Just discovered your blog and bought your book. I am 58 and an experienced cook but there are always things to learn and I love your easy-breezy style.
Another winner Beth – had this tonight over risotto, and it was incredible. Also enjoying the cookbook!
This looks amazing. I love a good runny egg, but I always dread how long it takes to boil the water… I never though of “steaming” them! I’m definitely having this for Sunday breakfast tomorrow
Also, if you’re ever trying to make perfect sunny side up, crack the eggs into a hot pan, add a tablespoon or two of water, and cover. I usually test the done-ness by jiggling the pan, and seeing if the whites are firm. The steam will cook the tops a bit so the whites are not gooey and gross, but the egg will still be perfectly runny :)
Thank you so much!!! My grandma used to make the perfect soft boil eggs, and I could never get them quite right, so eventually I just gave up. Already did this twice this week. I like to just remove 1/4 of the shell on the top and scoop the egg out with a spoon :)
I love sunny side up eggs, but hate hard yolks. I’m going to try this for breakfast this weekend. Looks like the perfect way to cook eggs!
Additional note – I’ve made these several times over the last week and a half and they have turned out perfect every time. Great way to cook a fabulous, quick breakfast.
This post has changed our lives! We are fans of soft boiled eggs, but, like you, always a little icked out over the soft edges/whites (I won’t call ’em snot, ‘cuz I’ve spent years talking them up to the kids so they will eat them without gagging!).
We had soft boiled eggs for breakfast that very morning just before I read this post — and we’ve had them every day since then.
We are EGG FANATICS already (with chickens in the backyard). Now we are even more so.
I have a few tips to share with you that I’ve picked up for hard boiled eggs (and my years long search for perfectly hard boiled eggs that I can peel!):
Add a dash of vinegar to the boiling water (chemical effect with egg shells, illustrated best by the famous how-to-make-a-naked egg experiment, found here:
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/naked-egg-experiment).
Add a shot of salt (brings water to higher/hotter boil, very slightly).
Peel just when cool enough to handle easily and under a TINY stream of cool water (can do this underwater, too, if you want to conserve water).
Finally, since we have an electric stove (yuck), we have found that we need to stop at 5 minutes for a perfect egg.
Our favorite NEW soft boiled egg dish for breakfast? Saute onions, deglaze with a shot of water while topping with fresh spinach (will create JUST ENOUGH steam to soften spinach perfectly). Plate, top with cottage cheese and two soft boiled eggs (my kids like cottage cheese cold atop the spinach/onion mix, but my husband and I toss it in the pan before plating and, although it’s slightly runny ‘cuz the cheese produces a lot of liquid, it’s nothing a piece of toast or eating with a spoon won’t solve).
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
PS — I’m getting your book as a gift for my daughter when she heads out to college.
I had never eaten a soft-boiled egg before, but I had to give your method a go. I love it! I’ve already made it three times. The eggs are perfect on toast and polenta. Thank you!
Just wanted to say that your recipe really got us through the polar apocalypse that gripped NC this past week. We had to walk a block in horrendous weather with our two small children after our car got stock. Not fun stuff. Thankfully, we had all the ingredients at home to make your suggested soft boiled eggs and greens bowls. The eggs cooked perfectly and quickly. I cut up a couple pieces of bacon, garlic cloves, and a shallot. Then, I sauteed some collard greens in the bacon grease with the cooked shallot and garlic. (Healthy, right?!) Added a little lemon juice to finish and served it over rice with the soft boiled eggs and siraracha. HEAVEN! (The beer on the side didn’t hurt either, though the kids didn’t have any of that.) Thanks!
you need to consider readers of your blog who aren’t american. you keep repeating “1/2 an inch” but that means nothing to those using metric who have never used inches as measurement. it’s 1.3 centimetres for the rest of the world.
Most european/non-american blogs that I’ve read don’t convert to the US system for us. However, it’s nothing that a simple 2-second google conversion couldn’t fix…
No problem. Assuming you’re happy with only selling your book to the non-metrical.
Oh my goodness! Thank you! I am going to make these this morning.
Thank you for the great instructions. I made them and enjoyed them.
Hello from Colorado. Water boils at a lower temp at altitude. Here in the mile high city, this same result takes 8-9 minutes.
AHHH! Thank you very much! I was stressing about the altitude and the cool time! THANK YOU!!!
My daughter loves grits, her dad and I think they are helped along with one of these soft boiled eggs on the top.
Amazing, and much easier than the elusive poached egg with a better flavor if you ask me.
Also, this is very kid friendly. If you cut up pieces of toast, you have dippy eggs and soldiers.
Just tried this for lunch yesterday and it came out perfectly. I plan on making it again and putting it over my risotto for dinner tonight.
I call these “6 Minute Eggs” and my kids call them “Eggs in a little bowl”. Mash them up in a little bowl with a dab of butter and a pinch of salt. Total kid comfort food.
I had no idea a soft boiled egg existed! It’s a dream come true! I will definitely be trying this as there is truly nothing better than a creamy egg yolk…mmm Delectable…
I recently decided to try making poached eggs because I love yolks so much and struggled. UNTIL I saw Alton Brown’s video tutorial (easy to find with an internet search). I swear to you it changed my life…well, my poached eggs. This was the third or fourth technique I tried, and they really came out perfect. Keep trying! Once you get poached eggs down, I have no doubts that you will come up with an excellent spin on Eggs Benedict.
You’re awesome for posting this! I love soft boiled eggs, but I too find the runny whites icky. They come out perfect, Thank you!
Just made this – yum & cooked perfectly! I did a quinoa, goat cheese, spinach bowl topped with this egg. Amazing breakfast!
I have always wondered how to do this! I usually poach but it is such a pain! Thank you soooo much! My cookbook arrived over the weekend and I can’t wait to pick up some of the “staples” I am missing and get cooking!
This worked perfectly, as I suspected it would. Side-note…pre-ordered the cookbook, Beth, and me and the gf are really loving it so far. Congratulations!
Love soft boiled eggs. I found them in a Bittman book I got for Christmas last year. As soon as you make them you’ll wonder why you ever ate eggs another way!
Hi Beth,
I’ve been following your blog for a while and try out your recipes quite a bit. So far all of them have been fantastic- but it’s the perfect deliciousness of the lovely, gooey, perfectly cooked yolk that has finally spurred me to post a comment. Really fantastic. I can’t wait to have eggs tomorrow morning again!
Your cookbook is on my definitely to order items. I was really happy to see that it’s available through the European Amazon sites!
M
I discovered this method a few weeks ago after a desperate Google search for the “perfect soft-boiled egg.” Now I’m looking for reasons to try them out at every opportunity! Thanks for expanding eggs beyond the breakfast category, Beth!
I am with Lani. The eggs are perfect over torn up buttered toast. Thanks for the recipe and your book is fabulous!
Just made these and had them on the golden Jasmine rice bowl.
I am astonished at how well the egg process worked.
Here’s a quick tip for peeling eggs. Crack the small end of the egg on the counter, then crack the big end, and then gently rub your hands together back and forth with the egg between them. Just hard enough so it keeps cracking. It only takes a couple seconds to peel an egg this way. The shell just slides right off.
Think hands flat together in prayer with an egg between if you are having trouble imagining it.
To prevent the icky uncooked “goo” on the top of your sunny-side up eggs, you can just cook the eggs on low and cover them. The steam cooks it away. Alternately, you can flip them for a second before you plate them, but you risk breakin ’em. Thanks for the recipe!
As a young boy, my mother used to make me soft boiled eggs. I loved them so much that to this day, hard boiled eggs don’t really do it for me. Over the years, I’ve learned a few skills in the kitchen, but the soft boiled egg has always eluded me.
I just tried your method for the first time tonight… perfect! Thanks so much!
You just changed my life forever!! I LOVE soft boiled eggs over torn up toast with salt and pepper, just like my gramma always made. I just made them with your instructions and they. were. *perfect*!!!! One thing, I did crack one of the eggs because my tongs suck, and the yolk cooked a little. So, next time if I crack one ill take it out a minute sooner : )
You rock!! Thank you for this recipe : )
Oh, this takes me way, way back when Mom made us soft boiled eggs and we’d mash them in a bowl with buttered toast that we broke into little pieces.
I’ve never tried to make soft-boiled eggs, always make poached, but now I have to, and then mash them in a bowl with buttered toast pieces.
Hi Beth, these eggs look really simple will definitely give them a try. I would like to serve them like the image with rice and greens, is there a recipe for it on your site? Thanks
No, it’s just something that I improvise. Sometimes I just take some frozen spinach and add that to pre-cooked rice. This particular day I had some left over braised kale. Sometimes I do cubed avocados instead. These Golden Rice Bowls are similar, though.
Thanks Beth I will give it a go.
Funnily enough, I tried this with avocado this weekend (and quinoa instead of rice). I was happy to see this guide, as I usually fail with soft boiled eggs!
Great step by step tutorial, made them this morning and loving them! I have a dumb question though on the rice bowl. Do you just use fresh, cold greens from the fridge? Don’t they get warm and droopy from the eggs and rice? I’m sure it’s a dumb question, just wanted some clarification. Love your site!
No, I had the greens pre-cooked (they were leftovers). A lot of times I’ll just take some frozen spinach from the freezer and add that to the rice before I reheat it in the microwave, though.
I just made two of these eggs. One came out perfectly soft boiled and the other one was cooked all the way through. What gives? The one that ended up hard boiled was the one that I peeled second and then ate second but I can’t imagine in that time it could cook all the way through. They were fresh from my neighbor so maybe that had something to do with it. Thanks for sharing this method!
Wow, that’s the strangest thing I’ve ever heard. Was it the same size? The six minute time is good for “large” eggs. Smaller eggs probably need less time and extra large eggs will need more.
The hard boiled one must have been smaller but not noticeably so. I don’t know. My three year olds loved the soft boiled egg and gobbled it up. They were bummed when the second one was hard. I guess I’ll just have to try out this method again and see what happens!
Nope, it probably cooked through while it sat. I have been making six-minute eggs for breakfast for years and the second one is always hard-boiled if you wait to open it till after you have eaten the first.
By the way, I usually call this a “medium-boiled egg.” Soft-boiled eggs are still runny in the whites and are cooked 3 minutes.
I do this in my pressure cooker on low pressure for 1 min, but it is *awesome* that I can do it on the stove! Thank you Beth!!! You have made my kitchen tasty!
America’s Test Kitchen?
That’s what a couple people have mentioned, but I haven’t seen their version. :) (I went to their site to go look, but you have to be a subscriber to see their content.)
Just did this! Turned out perfectly! I usually use a microwave egg poacher, and it does a good job, but the results are inconsistent. This was simple and delicious. Having it w/ sprouted grain toast this morning, but I’m going to try your rice and greens idea tomorrow. Yay, eggs!!
Question: Can you cook extra to keep in the fridge, or do soft boiled eggs not keep well?
This worked perfect aside from the shell sticking a bit, still managed to get it all off without spilling the precious yolk. Love the site!
When I boil eggs, I put a drop of olive oil in the water. Shells peel off with ease!
I seem to have a lot of bad luck with the shells sticking.
I tried this recipe today, and they stuck a lot. I’ll give the oil a try to see if that helps!
I also try breaking/tapping the shell on the end with the air bubble first. If you start peeling there, you can get under that filmy stuff that separates the shell from the egg. That seems to make a big difference for me.
One question.. are the eggs cold or room temp?
I just grab them straight out of the fridge and into the boiling water. :)
Always a awesome post….o!!! I got the book…love it :) congrats. on the book and thank u :)
Making eggs over easy will also do the trick. I’m obsessed with runny yolks, especially a good quality cage free egg yolk. There is somewhat of a chicken taste to them.
re: Rice
I cheat.. wegmans (northeast grocery store of the GODS) has bags of rice in the frozen vegetable section..Jasmine white or classic hippy dippy brown. 4 minutes in the microwave and you are happening!
Nice!
Don’t want to be a hater (because I do really like you site), but you should really cite where you adapted this recipe from. It’s very clearly taken directly from America’s Test Kitchen, which I watched three weeks ago. You are correct though, it does produce perfect soft boiled eggs every time.
I was doing research for another project a couple months ago and saw this method used several places. I wasn’t aware that one person/organization invented the method or else it would have been cited (and, coincidentally, I don’t think I saw their tutorial on it). :/
This is how my mom taught me to make them when I was 8 years old, so I don’t think ATK has the exclusive on it. (I’m not trying to be insulting, just pointing out it’s a pretty basic technique that’s been around a while.)
It’s not really even a recipe though, it’s more of a method…it’s not like ATK was the first place soft-boiled eggs were ever created. That would be like saying Beth plagarized a “recipe” for how to hard boil eggs or something.
ZOMG! I am going to try this for breakfast while my coffee is getting made. I LOVE soft boiled eggs. nom nom
THANK YOU THANK YOU! I’m going to try this right now! I’m obsessed with hard-boiled eggs for breakfast, but always secretly wish I knew how to make soft-boiled eggs (to eat with my toast) instead. They seem more decadent, and therefore more filling. Hahaha… Thanks for the tip!
Just made them…woohoo…perfect!!
Do u turn the heat down or keep it boiling while the lids on? When u make your rice do u add the coconut oil b4 or after cooking? Thanks
I keep the heat on high so that it continues to boil rapidly while the lid is on. I have the rice precooked (just plain) and when I reheat it in the morning I stir in a little coconut oil.
Cool thanks!
Honestly, with half an inch of water, you can turn the heat down to medium or medium-low as soon as it hits a heavy boil, and that small amount of heat will maintain the boil effortlessly. But hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, I guess.
Kind of dumb question how do you cook your rice?
I guess I need to do a tutorial on that next! :) The directions on the package usually work pretty well, though.
Earlier today I had a conversation with my friend (after a delicious brunch) about how I need to learn to make poached eggs, so I can make my own eggs benedict. This looks so much easier! Can’t wait to try it
Yes! I would love to get a Budget Bytes recipe for hollandaise/eggs benedict. Yummm.
Thanks Beth, great post, seems like eggs are popping up in recipes everywhere these days! I love how fast & easy it is.