Once you learn How to Make Steamed Hard-Boiled Eggs and see how easy the eggs are to peel, you'll never look back!
I've been trying to perfect making hard-boiled eggs for over ten years, ever since my husband has requested to have at least one a day pretty much every day. Of course, the eggs must be easy to peel 😉
If you've ever struggled to peel a hard-boiled egg, you probably noticed that some of the egg white gets wasted (because it sticks to the eggshell). While I don't mind taking an extra minute to peel something, I don't like to wasting food.
Thankfully the process for steaming hard-boiled eggs is very simple. I've learned from experience that it helps to use a pot with a steamer insert (steaming basket), steam them longer than you think, and use older eggs (not super fresh eggs).
We've had our own chickens for years now. Let me tell you that they are the hardest to peel when you hard-boil them within a few days of being laid, no matter how you hard boil them. Yes, I've tried cooking them in boiling water and it's not the same.
Trust me when I say that the steaming method is the way to go when making easy peel eggs. This method for making steamed hard-boiled eggs works every single time and the process is much simpler than when you use an Instant Pot.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy Recipe Eggs, water, a pot or large saucepan with a steamer insert, and a little patience is all it takes to steam hard-boiled eggs. Once the water starts boiling the eggs cook in 18 minutes!
- Meal Prep Hard-boiled eggs last up to one week in the fridge. If you hard-boil several eggs one day you'll have them to use throughout the week. Use hard boiled eggs to top avocado toast with tomato, make egg salad, deviled eggs, etc.
- Visual Appeal There is less of a chance that a green ring will appear around the egg yolk when you steam them. This is because steaming is a gentler way to cook eggs, compared to boiling them. Cooling the eggs down immediately in an ice bath will also help reduce the chance of the green ring that can form in an overcooked egg.
Dietitian Tip
Do you ever find yourself in a hurry and at a loss for something with protein that is quick to serve? Try a hard-boiled egg!
Eggs are an easy and convenient source of high-quality protein for kids and adults alike.
As a Registered Dietitian mom, I think hard-boiled eggs are often overlooked, especially by families with kids. Some kids may only eat the egg whites, while others will eat the whole hard-boiled egg (peeled of course;), especially if it's sliced in half and sprinkled with a tiny bit of salt.
How to Make Steamed Hard Boiled Eggs
Here is a quick summary of the process I used to make steamed hard-boiled eggs. For complete instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Pour about two inches of water in a pot or saucepan. Place a steamer insert that fits your pot or saucepan inside of your saucepan or pot. Place the eggs in a single layer in the steamer basket. Place the lid on the steamer basket and, once the water starts to boil, steam the eggs for 18 minutes.
- After 18 minutes, carefully remove the cooked eggs from the steaming insert and place the eggs in a large bowl of ice water. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Helpful Tips
- In my experience, older eggs are easier to peel than freshly laid eggs. Even eggs from a local egg store peel well when I steam them. It's when I use the eggs from our own chickens within a few days of them being laid that they are hard to peel.
- There should be more than one inch of water in the pot. Two inches of water is an estimate. For reference, I use 2 cups of water when using my 2.5-quart saucepan with a steamer insert to hard-boil eggs.
- You do not want to run out of water before the 18 minutes is up. Boiling water creates teh steam that cookes the eggs.
- The 2.5-QT saucepan with steamer instert that I use holds 9 eggs, while the larger pot that I use for hard boiling more eggs holds more than a dozen eggs.
- I use tongs with a silicone heads to carefully remove the cooked eggs from the hot pan and place them in the bowl of cold water.
- Use a slotted spoon or your clean hands to remove the eggs from the water once they are completely cooled.
- Hard-cooked eggs should be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking and used within a week.
- I steam eggs for 18 minutes whether I'm steaming seven or 18 eggs.
- When steaming a second batch of hard-boiled eggs right away, dump out the hot water and start from step 1. I know you might want to make them in less time by keeping the water hot, but your eggs will likely get overcooked.
- Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the egg. I hard boil large, extra-large, and jumbo eggs. I've never hard boiled super jumbo eggs. I would think they need to be steamed for a couple minutes longer.
How to Serve Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Egg Cup Egg cups can be used to serve hard or soft-boiled eggs. My relatives in Holland serve hard-boiled eggs this way. It's a simple way to make a meal look fancy 🙂
- Salads What turns a side salad into a meal is protein. Hard-boiled egg is more commonly served with chef's salad and Caesar salads, but they can be added to any salad.
- Egg Salad Made by chopping up hard boiled egg and mixing it with a small amount of mayo, mustard, vinegar, and sweet pickled relish.
- Avocado Toast Serving a hard boiled egg with a slice of avocado toast with mango or tomato is an easy way to add protein to your breakfast.
- Filled Eggs Also known as deviled eggs. These are made by taking the cooked egg yolks out of the egg, smashing them up with other ingredients like mayo, salt, and pepper, then filling the egg white halves with the egg yolk mixture.
Questions You May Have
Here are two steps you can take to reduce the likeliness that a green ring will form: 1. Steam instead of boil eggs when making hard-cooked eggs. 2. Place the cooked eggs in an ice bath immediately after they finish cooking.
*From what I understand, a green rings forms when eggs are overcooked.
Steaming eggs is the best way to hard-boil (or hard cook) eggs because they are easier to peel and less likely to overcook.
Yes you can and I have. The egg white of an overcooked hard-boiled egg will have a rubbery texture, and a green ring may form around the egg yolk.
An overcooked egg is still edible, it just won't be as enjoyable to eat.
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📖 Recipe
How to Make Steamed Hard Boiled Eggs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 9 large eggs or however many fit in a single layer in your steaming basket.
- 2 cups water or more, depending on the size of your pot.
Instructions
- Add about 2 inches of water to your saucepan or pot. I add 2 cups of water to my 2.5-quart saucepan.
- Place the steaming insert in the pan or pot, then carefully place the eggs in the steamer basket one at a time forming a single layer. There should be a little space around each egg.9 large eggs
- Heat the eggs over medium-high to high heat until the water starts to boil. Once the water starts to boil, set a timer for 18 minutes and reduce the heat to medium-high. The heat should be high enough that the water continues to boil as the eggs steam.
- While the eggs are cooking, fill a large bowl with ice water.
- When the eggs are finished cooking place the eggs in an ice bath right away. I use tongs with silicone tips to carefully remove the eggs and place them in the ice water to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the cooked eggs from the cold water and they are ready to eat!
Notes
- While the eggs are cooking, get a large bowl of ice water ready so you can give the eggs an 'ice bath' to cool them off quickly once they finish cooking.
- In my experience, older eggs are easier to peel than freshly laid eggs. Even eggs from a local egg store peel well when I steam them. It's when I use the eggs from our own chickens within a few days of them being laid that they are hard to peel.
- Make sure there is more than one inch of water in the pot. Two inches of water is an estimate. For reference, I use 2 cups of water when using my 2.5-quart saucepan with a steamer insert to hard-boil eggs.
- You do not want to run out of water before the eggs finish cooking because the boiling water creates the steam needed to cook the eggs.
- Hard-cooked eggs should be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking and used within a week.
- Some people say that the steaming time varies depending on the number of eggs you are hard-boiling at a time. I have not found this to be the case. I steam eggs for 18 minutes whether I'm making seven or 18 of them at a time.
- If you are going to steam a second batch of hard-boiled eggs right away, be sure to dump out the hot water and place fresh cold water in the pot and start from step 1. I know you might want to make them in less time by keeping the water hot, but your eggs will likely get overcooked.
- Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the egg. I hard boil large, extra-large, and jumbo eggs. I've never hard boiled super jumbo eggs. I would think they need to be steamed for a couple minutes longer.
- I use tongs with a silicone heads to carefully remove the cooked eggs from the hot pan and place them in the bowl of cold water.
- The smaller set that I use holds 9 eggs, while the larger pot that I use for hard boiling more eggs holds more than a dozen eggs.
- Use a slotted spoon or your clean hands to remove the eggs from the water once they are completely cooled.
Himalayan Chef says
For other readers... 18 minutes is an excessively long time to steam eggs. Almost guaranteed to give you a green ring around your yolk. Full steam heats an egg faster than boiling water -- and 10-12 minutes is the maximum amount of boiling for a hard boiled egg. While steaming does make peeling easier, the age of the egg matters more (as it says in the notes). After the ice plunge cooling we always leave our eggs in the shell, in the fridge, for at least a few hours.
Kristi Ruth RD says
I appreciate your feedback but can assure you that any time I steam eggs for fewer than 18 minutes, the eggs are so hard to peel that I end up losing most of the egg white because it's so attached to the shell. This is whether I use fresh (our own) or local store-bought eggs. At the same time, I'm sure there could be other variables at play (elevation, perhaps?) ... so if yours cook faster, consider yourself lucky 🙂