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:
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!