How to Steam Hard Boiled Eggs

What's the best way to hard cook eggs so they peel easily? Steam them!

How to Steam Hard Boiled Eggs
Elise Bauer

Pssst! You want to know the best way to make hard boiled eggs? Steam them! That's right, forget about boiling the eggs, just steam them in a steamer basket.

Why Steaming Hard Boiled Eggs Make Them Easy To Peel

Some of the air from the hot steam permeates the egg shell making the egg more easy to peel.

Video! How to Steam Hard Boiled Eggs

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How to Steam Hard Boiled Eggs

Now I love my tried and true method for cooking hard boiled eggs, mostly because I can space out on the timer and the eggs will still turn out fine, not green and overcooked. But sometimes they're hard to peel.

Best Way to Hard Boil Eggs for Deviled Eggs

If I truly must have easy to peel eggs (for making deviled eggs or something else that requires beautiful peeled eggs), then I steam them, and pay attention to the timer. Even with perfectly fresh farm eggs, I've never had difficulty peeling a steamed egg.

Eggs in a Steamer Basket to Hard Boil
Emma Christensen and Elise Bauer

More Ways to Make Hard Boiled Eggs

Another way to make easy-to-peel hard boiled eggs is to use the Instant Pot. For more tips on hard boiled egg perfection, check out our how-to.

Got Hard-Cooked Eggs Aplenty? Make These Recipes!

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

How to Steam Hard Boiled Eggs

Prep Time 0 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 6 servings
Yield 6 eggs

The steaming time will vary depending on the size of your eggs, how cold your eggs are to begin with, the altitude of your location, how vigorous the water is boiling, if your eggs are in a single layer or are stacked, and how soft or firm you like your hard cooked eggs. So you may need to experiment to find the right timing for your situation.

A steamer basket is convenient, but not necessary.

Ingredients

  • 6 large eggs

Method

  1. Prepare the pot and steamer basket:

    If you are using a steamer basket, fill a saucepan with as much water as needed to reach the bottom of the steamer basket (about 1 inch or so).

    Water for Steaming Hard Boiled Eggs
    Elise Bauer
    Using a Steamer Basket for Hard Boiling Eggs
    Elise Bauer

    If you are not using a steamer basket, just fill the bottom of a saucepan with 1/2 inch of water.

  2. Heat the water to boiling and add eggs to pot:

    Heat the water on high heat until it is boiling and producing steam.

    Turn off the heat and gently place the eggs at the bottom of the steamer basket or the bottom of the pan.

    Turn the heat back on again to medium high, and cover the pot.

    This method works best if the eggs are in a single layer, but you can double them up as well, you'll just need to add more time to the steaming time.

    Eggs in a Steamer Basket for Hard Boiling
    Elise Bauer
    Steaming Hard Boiled Eggs
    Elise Bauer
  3. Set your timer and steam the eggs:

    Set your timer for 6 minutes for soft boiled, 10 minutes for hard boiled with a still translucent and bright yolk, or 12 to 15 minutes for cooked-through hard boiled.

    If you have doubled up the eggs in the pan and they are not in a single layer, you may need to add a couple minutes or so to the cooking time for hard boiled.

    The size large eggs used in these photos were cooked to my satisfaction after 15 minutes when I cooked 6 in a single layer, and 17 minutes when I cooked 12 in the pan.

    Note that many things will influence the steaming time, including altitude and the size of the particular eggs you are using. I recommend removing one egg a couple minutes before you think it should be done, rinsing it with cold water, and breaking it open to see if it is done enough for you.

  4. Remove the eggs to a bowl of icy cold water:

    Remove eggs with a spoon to a bowl of cold water or ice water, or run cold water directly into the pan to cover the eggs and quickly cool them down.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
72 Calories
5g Fat
0g Carbs
6g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 72
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 6%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 186mg 62%
Sodium 71mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 28mg 2%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 69mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.