How-To: Boil an Egg

Boiling an egg may seem like an easy task, but making it perfect requires an exact timing and a foolproof method.  For the perfect yoke texture and no discoloration of the egg white you better have your kitchen timer ready! 

Here’s Paula’s tried and true method:

1. Start by covering your eggs in a pan with cold water and a generous amount of salt and white vinegar; the salt and white vinegar actually help the shell separate from the egg for easier peeling.

2. Next, bring the water to a boil, and right when it starts to rumble, remove the pan from the heat, and cover it with a tight-fitting lid.

3. Now time for that kitchen timer; set it for exactly 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and put them directly into a bowl of cold water with ice cubes.  Voila! Paula’s perfect egg.

And remember, fresher eggs may be harder to peel, but they are worth it because they taste so much better!

Now here’s the thing, there seems to be a discrepancy in the Deen family about how to boil the perfect egg.  Jamie uses the same technique as his mom, but he swears that just 10 minutes in the hot water cooks the perfect boiled egg. Obviously our Test Kitchen had to try and solve this family conundrum once and for all. We found that by splitting the difference and leaving the eggs in the hot water for 15 minutes provided the best results.

So if you have a hankering for a hard-boiled egg or want to try one of Paula’s delicious deviled egg recipes, use this method and see which timing works best for you! Tell us in the comments section how you boil your eggs and what your favorite boiled egg recipe is. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Traditional Southern Deviled Eggs
BLT Deviled Eggs
Deen Brother’s Lighter Southern Deviled Eggs
Curry Pecan Deviled Eggs