I NEED to tell you about this super 100% fool-proof way to make easy peel boiled eggs that you HAVEN’T heard of. Adding olive oil to the water ensures perfect boiled eggs EVERY SINGLE TIME! Because the eggshells are porous, the oil seeps into the shell and creates a barrier. The eggshell just slides right off every time!! It’s nothing short of a miracle.
Let me guess: you’ve probably tried already a million ways to hard boil the perfect, easy to peel egg only to be disappointed and frustrated, standing over the trash for what seems like hours trying to peel that accursed egg and ending up with a lumpy, ripped up mess instead. We’ve all been there.
Here’s what you’ve probably tried in the past.
You’ve tried adding the eggs to cold water, bringing them to a boil for a certain amount of time, and letting them sit covered.
Or, you’ve tried adding baking soda to the water when you are boiling.
You’ve used an ice bath to “shock” the eggs back into the shell.
And maybe you’ve even tried this nifty as-seen-on-TV “Eggstractor” to peel your eggs. Old eggs, new eggs, brown eggs, white eggs…
Nothing seems to work.
Except THIS Perfect Hard Boiled Egg Recipe!!!
The SECRET to making PERFECT Easy Peel eggs!
The simple secret to making easy to peel eggs is adding a special ingredient to the water when you are boiling them. Are you ready? This is going to sound weird, but I promise it works…
ADD OLIVE OIL TO THE WATER! Or canola oil, vegetable oil, or any other kind of oil.
Just add a tablespoon or so to the water and you’ll get easy-to-peel eggs EVERY time!
Why does using oil to make easy peel eggs work?
Here’s the thing about eggs: their shells are porous. They have tiny holes about one-thousandth of an inch apart (it’s how oxygen gets in for the chick while it grows!).
The porous nature of the eggshells is what causes this method to work: the oil seeps inside the shell right in-between the egg white and the shell/membrane, causing a slippery barrier that makes peeling the egg VERY easy.
How exactly to make easy to peel, perfect hard boiled eggs using oil:
- First, boil water (enough to completely submerge the eggs) with a tablespoon of olive (or other) oil.
- Once the water is boiling, reduce the water to a gently boil. If it’s too vigorous, the eggshells may break.
- Gently add the eggs one at a time using a spoon to the water.
- Set your timer to 13 minutes. This is the magic number for hard boiled eggs that aren’t overcooked (you won’t get a gray line around the yolk) but are 100% solid.
- While the eggs are boiling, prepare an ice bath with plenty of ice and water- enough water to cover the eggs and enough ice (about one tray’s worth) that it will stay cold for a long time.
- At the end of the allotted time, spoon the eggs directly out of the boiling water and transfer to the ice bath. I’m actually not sure of this is necessary in terms of the eggs being easy to peel, since it never helped with other boiling methods I’ve tried before. Some people swear by it for this reason, but I like it because it cools the eggs down to where you can handle them almost immediately, rather than waiting.
- After about 5 minutes in the ice bath, remove from the water and either store in the fridge, or peel.
- When you are ready to peel, roll the egg on the counter to crack the shell and start the process, and peel under running cold water. The water helps rinse off any lingering tiny pieces of shell and makes it a bit easier to peel.
FAQs about boiling eggs
- Can I make these soft boiled? Sure! Just cook them for less time. For medium boiled, try 10 minutes, and for soft boiled, anywhere from 3-6 minutes, depending on how runny you want the yolk. Be extra gentle when peeling them.
- Can I dye these eggs? Good question. My initial thought was that the dye wouldn’t stick quite as well because of the oil, one reader commented below that she had success with the dye sticking after wiping them off with a paper towel! Hooray!
- Are there any other ways to make easy peel eggs? Boiling with oil is my favorite way to ensure easy peel eggs every time, but steaming them in a steamer basket over boiling water, rather than submerged, is my second favorite. Same time- 13 minutes once the water is boiling!)
- Should I use old or new eggs? Some people say that using old eggs instead of new eggs helps with them being easy to peel- I have not found that to be true, at least with this method. In fact, if your eggs are old, the yolk may have sunk to the bottom of the eggs, making them more difficult to use for deviled eggs and such. Old or new eggs work with this.
Try out these Hard Boiled Egg Recipes:
Did you try this hard boiled egg hack? Comment and rate below and tell me how it went!
How to make Easy Peel, Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs EVERY TIME!
Ingredients
- 6 eggs or however many you want!
- water enough to completely submerge the eggs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or other oil
- ice
Instructions
- Bring water and oil to a gentle boil in a pot large enough to lay the eggs in one layer.
- Add the eggs one at a time gently to the boiling water using a spoon.
- Boil for exactly 13 minutes for hard boiled eggs, or 10 for medium, and 3-6 for soft (depending on how runny you want the yolk.
- Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath with about a tray's worth of ice and enough water to completely submerge the eggs.
- Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place immediately in ice bath.
- Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes in bath.
- Peel gently, preferably under running cold running water.
Video
Notes
- I used large eggs for this. If you use smaller eggs, you may need to cook for less time (or more for extra large eggs).
- Nutrition information is for one egg with no oil, since most of the oil stays in the water.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
This Easy Peel Egg Recipe first appeared on Bowl of Delicious in November 2015. It’s been updated to include a video, process shots, answer some FAQs, and provide other tips and tricks for making the perfect easy peel hard boiled eggs.
Adrienne
Really enjoyed your post – it gives me hope! Will try the eggs added to boiling water and oil at 13 minutes as well as steaming at 17 minutes – make it a contest. My question is whether the times need to be adjusted because I live at 4,500 feet altitude. BtW I also add pepper jelly to the yolks for deviled eggs.
Elizabeth
Hope this method works out for you! I’m not sure about the adjustment for the altitude, but according to this post, it looks like you may need to cook for a few minutes longer. Hope that helps!
Dana Bera
I have never waited til the water was boiling to add the eggs or used oil in the water. Not only did your recipe work perfectly but I found it to be so satisfying when I peeled every hard boiled egg without one egg sticking to the shell! I am so excited to have finally found a suggestion that works! Thank you!
Elizabeth
I’m happy this method worked for you! I always did that method as well (adding eggs to cold water), and it NEVER worked for me either, so you aren’t alone :-)
Jenny
I find sliding a spoon under membrane to curve over egg slides peel off easily too.
Elizabeth
I’ve never tried that! Thanks for the tip :-)
Tami Bloom
Happy Easter!!! I tried this method today and I want to thank you!!! Finally, I won’t dread making boiled eggs EVER AGAIN!!!
Elizabeth
So happy this worked for you!! Happy Easter ????
DEBBY JOHNSON
This works!!! What a miracle!
Elizabeth
Yay! Happy it worked for you :-)
Angela Michel
I tried this method today with 36 eggs and so far it worked great. I peeled 2 of them with ease to eat and my kids are dying the other ones. I wiped them off with paper towels before handing them over to the kids and the dye seems to be sticking to the eggs pretty good. We used the pellets that you put in with vinegar and water. This was life changing. Lol Thank you!
Elizabeth
Oh, that’s awesome to know that the dye stuck! Makes Easter egg making that much easier ????
Amber Pittman | Wanderlust Conqueror
This is very interesting!
Question: have you tried this method when dying eggs for easter? I mean, if you do that. ????
Elizabeth
I haven’t tried it but my instincts tell me it wouldn’t work well because the oil would probably repel the dye. If you try it though I’d love to know how it works!
Amber Pittman | Wanderlust Conqueror
Yeah I was kind of thinking the same thing about it acting as a repellant for the dye. I’ll have to save this trick for another day! Thanks for letting me know, though! :D
Elizabeth
So, another reader just commented that dye worked for them! ????
Amber Pittman | Wanderlust Conqueror
Fantastic! Thanks for updating me! Just in time too!
Tara K
I can’t believe this worked! Life changing…thank you so much!
Elizabeth
Yay! It was life changing for me too. Glad it worked for you :-)
Shirley
It pays to read the directions first.
Joy Kaczor
I tried the ‘oil’ and the eggs peeled wonderfully— but they all had one flat end instead of being oval????
Elizabeth
That’s strange- it’s never happened to me before! I saw a trick once on a show on the food network- I think it was Trisha Yearwood- where she flipped the eggs in the carton a day before hard boiling them, in order to center the yolks for deviled eggs. I wonder if doing that would help? Or, maybe stirring the eggs (gently) while they are boiling? Hope that helps!
Holly
Followed instructions to the letter with brown cage-free organic eggs (which in my opinion are always difficult to peel) and they were perfect! Peeled with ease!!
Elizabeth
Yay! So happy it worked out for you! Maybe that’s why I’ve always had trouble peeling them, since I use pasture-raised eggs. Never thought of that!
Lindy Shelly
Woow!! awesome and very interesting post. When I am going to boiled eggs its shell is cracking. It’s my ignorance or overcooking I don’t know. But, you share a wonderful post. The ways you discuss is very easy. I had not heard of using olive oil to help the peeling. I can’t wait definitely try this one.
Elizabeth
Thanks! Hope this method works for you :-)
Shirley Wainscott
What if you did it the old way , then read recepie for adding oil, didnt’t add salt, or soda when boiling. Is there anyway to recover easy peeling method?? Just a beginner.
Elizabeth
I’m a bit confused by your question but I’ll try to answer it! If you did add oil to the water, you should be all set! The suggestions in the comments for salt or soda when boiling is not the method I usually use. If you didn’t add anything to the water, you might be able to coat the eggs in a little bit of oil when peeling them- that MIGHT make it easier, but I’ve never tried it. Otherwise, just cross your fingers and hope for the best- it’s also helpful to peel under running cold water. Hope that helps!
Lawrence Rodriguez
What wonderful posts. I was searching for ways to peel boiled eggs and came across these posts. I will try with the oil first, then with steaming the eggs. Both ways sound great but even Elizabeth believes steaming is best. Thanks for such wonderful comments.
Helen Henry
I love this idea! Works great!
Elizabeth
Yay! Glad it worked for you!
preston white
Thanks for the article. I had not heard of using olive oil to help the peeling – I had heard immediate hot cooking (bring water to a boil, or use steam, prior to adding eggs) and ice bath will both help eggs to peel easily.
Elizabeth
You’re welcome! Hope it works out for you. Another method I discovered since posting this is to steam them in a steamer basket (followed by an ice bath)- they come out super easy to peel that way as well!
Lori
The best way to boil eggs is when the water boils boil it for 5 minutes. Turn off wait another 5 minutes rinse in cold water and add ice cubes to stop from cooking. Comes out prefect each time.uou don’t have to cook them for 15 minutes.
Elizabeth
Thanks so much for the suggestion! I’ve tried this method as well, but I’ve never tried it with the added oil. Recently, I’ve started steaming my eggs- they come out even better! :-)
Ole
Save money, save Water, save Energy, the same results can be accomplished, very simply by:
Instead of drowning the Eggs in Water, use a half inch ” Water, so the Eggs Steam instead… When you’re done Steaming them, put the Eggs in an Ice Bath, or simple Cold Water, give it like 1 Minute, then put the Eggs back in the Pot, with the half Inch ” Water, or transfer to another container with a lid, and shake gently!
That is actually a competitive event in Asia :)
Elizabeth
You know what, after I wrote this post I actually tried steaming my eggs (using a steamer basket and about 1 inch of water, like you said) and… dare I say it? It might work BETTER than this method. It’s just as easy to peel, but not quite as messy! And like you said, less water. I put them in a basket with cold water under and turn the heat to “high” and set the timer for 17 minutes. Perfect every time. Thanks for the comment!
Han
Too much steps for peeling eggs. I’ve never had a hard time. I just wait until water boils, turn off heat and wait to min. Run cold water under on the eggs then peel..
Han
I meant wait 10min after it boils
Elizabeth
Well, you can consider yourself very lucky then! I’ve NEVER had luck with peeling eggs if I prepare them like you do, and many people I know have complained about the same thing. Whatever works for you! :-)
Elizabeth
I’ve never tried baking soda or vinegar- thanks for the suggestions! The other thing that I’ve discovered works since writing this post is steaming the eggs rather than boiling them. Steam them for the same amount of time (13 minutes once the water is boiling) and for some reason, it works really well!
Lynne
Going to try this. I have one of those little egg cookers (as seen on TV) that cooks 7 at a time. It cooks them perfect old or fresh everytime. Do you suggest poking a hole in the big end?
Elizabeth
I’ve never poked holes in them when I make hard boiled eggs. Glad that an “as seen on TV” product actually worked for you :-) I tried one of those egg peelers once, and it definitely did not work!