Boiled eggs are one of the most popular ways of eating eggs. Whether it’s a soft boiled egg eaten with toast soldiers, or hard boiled eggs in a salad or sandwich, boiled eggs are versatile and can be used to create a healthy meal in minutes. 

There are a number of different methods for boiling eggs. Some chefs recommend placing an egg in a saucepan of water, bringing it to boil and then turning off the heat. As the water cools down, enough heat will transfer to the egg to make it hard boiled. Another method for cooking boiled eggs is to place the egg in the water and, once it boils, leave it there for as long as it takes to cook the type of boiled egg you prefer; be that hard boiled or soft boiled. Many chefs suggest running the boiled egg under cold water or dunking it in an ice bath immediately after removing it from the saucepan. This causes the egg to shrink slightly, making it easier to remove from the shell. It also stops the pale grey ring from forming around the egg yolk. Fresh eggs are often harder to peel from the shell, while an egg that has been stored for a week to 10 days before boiling will be quite easy to peel. A hard boiled egg can be kept in the fridge for up to one week after being cooked.

One of the most common ways of enjoying boiled eggs is ‘boiled eggs and soldiers’. This is when an egg is soft boiled so the egg yolk is still runny then placed in an egg cup. Slices of hot buttered toast can then be dipped into the runny yolk, and a spoon used to scoop the remaining egg white from inside the shell. The slices of toast are often referred to as ‘soldiers’ in the UK.  

Boiled eggs also make a delicious addition to sandwiches and salads. They are often mixed with mayonnaise, mustard and seasoning to create a sandwich filling. Sometimes this is used as a base and other ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, pickles or cucumber are added. Halved hard boiled eggs are also used in the well-known French dish Salad Nicoise, and can also be added to potato and pasta salads. A popular dish for barbeques and picnics are deviled eggs.  Once boiled, the egg is peeled from the shell and sliced in half length-wise. The yolk is removed and mixed with mayonnaise, mustard, pickles and spices before being spooned back into the solid egg-white ‘cup’. As with the sandwich filling, other ingredients are often added to the yolk mix, including garlic, cheese, chutney, capers, salmon or other seafood.

Boiled eggs are also often used as decorations at Easter time. Once the egg has been hard boiled, it can be painted with colourful designs and either placed around the home or hidden in the garden for the traditional ‘Easter egg hunt’.

Try our boiled egg recipe

Or browse all our recipes