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?
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
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!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Video
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:
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!