Last Updated on 7th June 2023 by
For many, a morning meal is not complete without eggs. It’s safe to say that among all food products, eggs are staple morning dishes that can be cooked in various ways and incorporated into various dishes to enhance and improve their composition and flavor. Heck, you can even eat eggs during lunch or dinner if you want to.
They’re excellent, nutritious, and fresh protein sources available all year round, anywhere and everywhere. I can guarantee you a better day if you start with one egg a day.
Before we discuss how to make a hard-boiled egg, what’s in an egg?
Table of Contents
Egg Nutrition Facts
Let me cover how nutritious eggs are and why they can be considered superfoods.
When it comes to protein, only milk beats eggs. A single egg contains only 75 calories but an impressive 7 grams of high-quality protein, 5 grams of fat, 1.6 grams of saturated fat, and vitamins, iron, and minerals. Did you know that two eggs supply your body with 82% of your daily Vitamin D requirements, 50% folate requirements, 25% riboflavin, and 40% selenium requirements?
Does that seem like a lot? Because it is! Eggs are very healthy for the body and if you do not suffer any adverse reactions or allergies, consider including them in your daily diet.
How to Cook a Hard-Boiled Egg
Cooking hard-boiled eggs is a no-brainer! Leave the raw egg onto a pot of water, let it boil, sit at your desired time, and then voila! You have yourself a hard-boiled egg.
The problem, however, lies in personal preference. Some people like their hard-boiled eggs, very mushy, some quite like it just a bit mushy, and others prefer it very well-cooked. I personally prefer it well in between mushy and well-cooked.
Whatever your preference is, it all boils (pun intended!) down to how long you let a raw egg boil for and the strength of your flames. Just as the perfect hard-boiled egg is easy to make, so are less than perfect ones.
First off, put your raw eggs into a pot and cover with cold water up to 1 inch higher than the egg. There’s been a debate over using hot or cold water to boil the eggs, and either way will cook the egg just fine. Really, you don’t need to stress about it.
However, cold water will separate the membrane from the shell (that rubbery texture when you peel) and make it easier for you to peel eggs properly. Bring the water to high heat and let boil.
How Long to Boil an Egg for Hard-Boiled Eggs
For regular to large shaped eggs, you would want to cook up to 4 minutes for mushy and runny soft boiled eggs, 6 to 8 minutes for medium, a bit mushy but also hard-boiled eggs, and 10 to 12 minutes for the firm, hard-boiled eggs.
Turn off the heat after your desired time, turn off the heat and carefully remove the eggs from the pot, and give them a nice ice bath. This will halt the cooking process inside the egg so your egg is as cooked as you estimated by the time you remove them as the internal heat will keep on cooking the egg despite being out of the boiling water.
This will also prevent a green ring from forming around the yolk, which means you have terribly overcooked your eggs.
Another tip is to use eggs that have stayed in the fridge the longest. They are easier to peel.
Avocado Hard-Boiled Egg Salad Toast
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 slices of whole grain toast
- 1 tbsp of mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh herbs for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 9 to 12 minutes.
- Remove the eggs from heat and immediately place in cold water to stop the cooking process. Once cool, peel the eggs.
- While the eggs are cooling, toast your bread to desired crispness.
- Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh. In a bowl, mash the avocado and add the mayonnaise. Mix until smooth.
- Dice the cooled, peeled eggs and mix them into the avocado and mayonnaise mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread the avocado and egg salad mixture onto the toasted bread. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired. Enjoy!
How Long Is a Hard-Boiled Egg Good For?
Hard-boiled eggs that were immediately cooled and stored can be kept in the refrigerator with the shell on and sealed in a container for four days up to one week.
However, peeled ones should be consumed within 48 hours as the white egg surface can attract microorganism growth because of its moisture.
You can place the hard-boiled eggs in a sealed container or bag that you can put a date on to consume first those that were cooked earlier.
Also, remember to separate raw eggs from boiled eggs because they look similar, and cross-contamination can occur from raw eggs to cooked ones.
Hard-Boiled Egg Recipes
Egg Sandwich
Egg sandwiches are one of the most popular dishes that involves hard-boiled eggs. How long to cook hard-boiled eggs for sandwiches? You would generally want to make your hard-boiled eggs non-mushy so you can slice and grate them properly to add to your egg sandwich filling mixture.
An excellent egg sandwich filling mixture combines tomato slices, sliced hard-boiled egg, lettuce, mayonnaise in between bagel or bread.
If you don’t like sliced eggs, you can also mash the eggs in a bowl, mix them with mayonnaise, yogurt, and salt and pepper to taste. You can also add cheese and herbs to your liking. The sky is the limit for what you can make with an egg sandwich!
Soy-Marinated Eggs
Soy-marinated eggs are especially popular as a Korean cuisine side dish. You can have a delicious marinated egg on your lunch table by boiling garlic, chiles, soy sauce, vinegar, and water together, simmering it, and adding quartered eggs when cooled.
Soy marinated eggs can also be made a day or two days ahead as they’ll absorb more flavor the longer they sit in the sauce.
Egg Salads and Meatloaf
You can throw hard-boiled eggs to your favorite salads like herbed egg salad, Salmon Nicoise, chicken cobb salad, club salad– you name it.
You can also add hard-boiled eggs (chopped) as meatloaf fillings with mashed potatoes.
As delicious and easy to make a hard-boiled egg is, there are various ways you can consume this superfood at your breakfast table.
However, deciding how long to cook hard-boiled eggs is the real dilemma, as each person has their preference. Be it mushy or firm; hard-boiled eggs are just as delicious and nutritious as they intend to be.
FAQs
How long is it to hard boil an egg?
Place eggs in a pot, cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 9-12 minutes for a fully set yolk. Drain and cool in ice water.
What is the secret to hard-boiled eggs?
The secret is to start with cold water, bring it to a boil, then let the eggs sit off the heat. Cooling quickly in ice water prevents a green ring around the yolk.
How do you boil a good egg?
Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 9-12 minutes. Drain, then cool quickly in ice water.
What happens if you hard boil eggs for 20 minutes?
Boiling eggs for 20 minutes can overcook them, potentially leading to a greenish-gray ring around the yolk and a rubbery white. It may also cause the eggs to crack.
More Egg Topics!
- How To Make Poached Eggs In The Microwave
- How To Make Pesto Eggs
- How Long To Cook Quail Eggs: A Complete Guide
- How To Make The Perfect Sunny Side Up Egg
- How To Steam Hard Boiled Eggs?
I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!
