Do you love a soft-boiled egg with a delicate runny yolk? So do I! This foolproof technique from Cook’s Illustrated demonstrates how to make soft-boiled eggs perfectly every single time. As it turns out, the trick is in the steam.
I’ve mentioned before that I’m a bit obsessed with the geniuses behind Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen. Every recipe and technique I’ve tried from them has been fantastic. My recipe for banana bread muffins was adapted from one of their cookbooks, as was my slow cooker meatballs and marinara recipe.
Cook’s Illustrated is a valuable cooking magazine in so many ways. Each issue is an absolute treasure trove of knowledge. They share not only recipes but also tips, product reviews and extensively tested techniques.
Recently I tried their technique from the January/February 2013 issue for making perfect oven-roasted shrimp, and they were perfection. The same issue had several pages dedicated to the challenge of how to soft boil an egg. It’s a skill I struggled with for years when I was first learning to cook.
The Science Behind Soft-Boiled Eggs
How do you achieve perfectly set whites while maintaining runny yolks? Is it possible to create a scalable recipe that has the exact same instructions regardless of whether 1, 4 or 6 eggs are used?
The reason this is complicated is because egg whites must reach 180 degrees F in order to set, while the yolks must stay below 158 degrees F in order to stay runny. This presents obvious challenges, as it’s very easy to either overcook the yolks or undercook the whites.
After soft-boiling more than 1000 eggs in their test kitchen, they discovered the perfect technique. The key is steam. The problem with the traditional method is that cold eggs cool down the boiling water. So the more eggs you add, the longer it takes to cook them properly.
But steam will stay at 212 degrees F regardless of how many eggs are added to the pot! Kind of genius, right? It works every time; fully set tender whites and rich, runny yolks. You can use a steamer if you have one but it’s also easy to apply this technique with a standard saucepan and cover.
How to Soft-Boil an Egg
This tried-and-tested method will result in perfect soft-boiled eggs every single time. To make a soft-boiled egg, add 1/2 inch of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
Use tongs to take eggs directly from the refrigerator and lay them at the bottom of the saucepan. Cover the saucepan and let the eggs steam.
After the eggs have finished steaming, run cold water into the pan to prevent the eggs from cooking further.
The cook time for these soft-boiled eggs is exactly 6 1/2 minutes. You’ll need to set a timer, and try not to wander too far from the stove. As soon as the timer goes off you need to immediately rinse the eggs in cold water. If you fail to do this, the eggs will continue cooking and may go past the soft-boiled stage.
How to Peel
The easiest way to peel a soft-boiled egg is to gently crack it all over with a spoon. Use your fingers to peel the eggshell off, beginning at the fattest part of the egg.
If you’d like to avoid peeling the egg altogether, cut the top off and scoop the insides out with a spoon. Or dunk a piece of toast into the gooey egg yolk and enjoy your eggs that way.
Recipe Tips
- Be very gentle when placing the raw eggs in the saucepan. You don’t want to accidentally crack an egg!
- Once the raw eggs have been placed in the saucepan, do not adjust the heat level whatsoever.
- You can add as many eggs into the saucepan as you’d like, but make sure to cook them in a single layer. If you stack the eggs, you won’t achieve the same results.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve soft-boiled eggs sliced lengthwise on salads (such as this Arugula Salad with Soft Boiled Eggs, Bacon, and Shallot Dijon Vinaigrette), or in an egg cup with toast or steamed asparagus. Soft-boiled eggs are also delicious atop bowls of ramen, savory oatmeal, and fried rice.
More Easy Egg Recipes:
You should also check out my Ramen Eggs, Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Quiche, Swiss, Mushroom, & Spinach Frittata, Asparagus Egg Tart, and Tomato Feta Egg Tart.
Perfect Soft-Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- 1-6 large or extra large eggs (use more or less as needed)
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add 1/2 inch of water to a medium or large saucepan, and bring the water to a boil on medium-high heat.
- Take the eggs directly from the refrigerator. Use tongs to VERY gently lay the eggs in the bottom of the pan.
- Cover and allow the eggs to steam for 6 1/2 minutes. Do not adjust the heat level.
- Run cold water into the pan for 30 seconds to halt the cooking process. Peel and serve immediately.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
I’m not a yolk fan but thats just plain gorgeous!
Christina says
I love ATK too, and read the same article. Been cooking the eggs as suggested ever since. Foolproof! Love your blog, BTW!!
Steph @ Stephsapartmentkitchen says
Is there anything better than a soft cooked egg?? I don’t think so. Beautiful picture. My biggest problem when cooking soft-boiled eggs is peeling them. Despite running them under cold water or putting them in ice water, I still never can get them to peel perfectly. Any tips?
Jennifer Farley says
I have never tested this but apparently older eggs are easier to peel.
Nutmeg Nanny says
Beautiful photography, simplicity at it’s finest.
Daytona @ Outside Oslo says
The most simple things, excellently executed, are often the most satisfying and rewarding, aren’t they?
siree says
at last!! thank you!
Pelikan says
To the egg-peeler-questioners– the secret is: don’t peel a soft boiled egg! Stand it up it in an egg cup and use a butter knife to behead it, as we say in Berlin. Then have at it with a spoon. If you don’t have an egg cup, try a shot glass. If you don’t have a shot glass, just tap the egg down a little hard on the table, with the wide end down. That should crack the shell on the bottom, and flatten the bottom enough so it stands on its own. Then behead it and grab your spoon.
Some people peel it and dump the whole thing in a bowl and cut it up and eat the resulting mess– to each his own, but that is not for me.
Jennifer Farley says
I often peel the egg, slice it in half and put it on a salad. The yolk makes a great dressing.
Mister E says
i never have made a soft boiled egg before.. i searched several recipes before settleing on this one . it seemed the best most thought out recipe. i tried it.. n my very first time it turned out just as it should looked just like pictures, for never having eaten one or cooked one before i was impressed at how delicious it turned out to be. thank you.. now i just need an egg cup instead of a small glass stuffed with an inverted paper towel cone to hold my egg
michael says
Followed these instructions to the letter. Yolks are overlooked and disappointingly cakey. The theory and photos are arresting, but in practice this didn’t deliver.
Jennifer Farley says
That’s surprising. I use this method all the time and it always works perfectly. Other commenters have had great success, if you’ll scroll up. I’m sorry it didn’t work for you!
michael says
“Overcooked”, of course, not “overlooked”.
Walter Ezell says
The key is to have only a little water in the bottom of the pan. Measure that it is only 1/2 inch deep. Most of the egg will be above the water and cooked in steam. And be sure to stop the cooking quickly with cold water after 6 and a half minutes.
Henry says
NO! With your method, the eggs crack. Place 2 refrigerated eggs in a saucepan of cold water. Turn on heat to high and set timer for ten minutes. Drain and run cold water over the eggs for about a minute. Perfect soft-boiled eggs.
Jennifer Farley says
Did you actually try this method or are you making an assumption? I have never once had an egg crack and I prepare them like this on a weekly basis.
Henry says
Six out of ten times refrigerated (or even room temperature) eggs will crack when placed in boiling water. Now your water is all runny with escaped egg gunk. I get so angry and have to dump it out and try again. Now I have hit on the answer and it works: Put two refrigerated eggs in a saucepan, add cold water to cover, turn on heat to high and set timer for ten minutes for extra large eggs. Perfect soft-boiled eggs. It works every time. You may have to subtract time for smaller sized eggs. Set timer for 20 minutes for perfect hard-boiled eggs.
Jennifer Farley says
Henry, I am so happy to hear that you’ve found a method that works for you! Since none of my eggs have EVER cracked while using my method I will continue to do it my way. Happy cooking!
Walter Ezell says
Henry, your method no doubt works for you. Cooks Illustrated explains why this is not fool-proof for every kitchen. Placing cold eggs in boiling water lowers the temperature of the water and this will affect the cooking time required for perfect results. The amount the water temperature is lowered by the cold eggs depends on the amount of water in the pot and the size and number of the eggs. Because of this, cooking time will vary.
I have also had eggs spill their guts when using the Cooks Illustrated method, but this is rare. Using eggs that aren’t already slightly cracked, and lowering them carefully into the pot with tongs will prevent the results you fear.
Lisa Boesen says
I love ATK – this is the perfect soft boiled egg recipe! Thanks for sharing! I couldn’t find my mag!
jsil says
Do you turn off the heat, or continue with the heat ? What do you mean steam the eggs ?
Jennifer Farley says
No, leave the heat on. The water in the pan will continue to create steam from the heat. That steam will stay at 212 degrees which is the perfect temperature for cooking the eggs. The problem with a pot full of water is it will get colder if you add the eggs. This method allows you to cook the eggs for the same amount of time regardless of whether you’re cooking one egg or five. Make sense?
Jessica says
I would like to use a fresh egg, but every recipe talks about using cold eggs. I guess I’ll experiment…but if you know how to adjust for this, please let me know!
Beth says
I used this recipe this morning. It was perfect!! I’ll be doing this a lot more. Thank you!!
Pam says
I’ve always wanted to know how to make perfect soft-boiled eggs and now I know! Thank you! :)