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 :)
Just made myself 2 of these wonderful eggs. Perfect is the only word to describe the outcome!
Sorry if this is a silly question, but I’m having a hard time finding a good answer anywhere else – I have a steamer basket I use for my veggies. How long would I steam my eggs using the basket, rather than the bottom-of-pan method? Would the technique be the same? For my veggies, I typically put them in the basket over an inch of water and then start the heat, letting the veggies sit there while the water comes to boil and then steaming until tender. Should I do the same for eggs or only put the eggs in the basket after the water starts boiling? I might just have to mess around with some trial and error on this one, I think.
Not a silly question! I haven’t used a steamer basket, BUT In theory you would use it for the same amount of time since the steam will be the same temperature as the water used in the method. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
I gave it a go this morning and it worked perfectly. I only set my timer for 5 minutes because I wasn’t right at the stove when it started boiling, so I wasn’t positive how long it’d been boiling/steaming already. I then removed it from heat and let it sit for a bit, probably less than a minute. Ran then under cold water for a bit so I could handle them and then they were ready. The first one I handled my standard way – karate chopped in half and scooped out the halves (yes, I am one who prefers to disembowel and eat the resulting mess, as gorgeous as the egg cups are, lol). The second egg, I decided to try something different. These eggs were so perfectly cooked with such perfectly done whites, I peeled – yes, peeled – that second egg. It took a slightly daintier hand than if you were peeling a hard-boiled egg, but with such fully cooked whites, this still peeled just fine. I then had a lovely whole egg that, when broken open, had lovely runny yolks, only slightly cooked around the edges. Perfect. (Have I mentioned ‘perfect’ enough times – because that’s what these eggs were.) Goodbye, boiling; hello, steaming! :)
This recipe works well. Cook’s Illustrated calls this “Soft-Cooked Eggs.” Michel Roux, in his incomparable cookbook, “Eggs,” and Marie Simmons, in the James Beard award-winning “The Good Egg,” also title their recipes “Soft-Cooked Eggs.”
Marie Simmons writes that “it’s a mistake to call it a “boiled” egg. The key to a perfect soft-cooked egg (and a delicious, nicely colored hard-cooked egg as well) is NOT TO BOIL IT — boiling an egg will cause the proteins to toughen.”
You are fabulous! Can I hire you to go through all of my posts and respond to people who argue that the methods I share don’t work? :)
Haha! You wouldn’t have to pay me much. I retired after serial careers as copy editor, menu consultant and food photographer.
Tried this method yesterday and it was perfect. I was using room temperature extra large eggs so I settled on 6 Min. Thank you for sharing this ingenious technique.
First attempt: flawless. I steamed them for 7.5 minutes as I’m at 4500 feet above sea level (lower steam temperature). They are Perfect. Eating them now, lol.
I don’t see what SIZE sauce pan to use. 1/2 inch in a small pan covers more of the egg than a large(r) one. Please what size saucepan?
It doesn’t matter what size saucepan you use because the goal is simply to create steam with that 1/2 inch of water. I would use something larger for more eggs and something smaller for less eggs.
This is the BEST way to make a perfectly cooked soft boiled egg.
Perfect! I grew up with the cold water to boil for 3 mins, always had various results. This was easy and the eggs are supreme.
Thank you!!! This really does work every single time and running cold water over the egg just until you can handle it works well too. Egg stays hot inside and peels easily!
OK. .. one egg popped. 1 the other was almost perfect ?. Will do 5.5 minutes next time.
Like idea of steamer basket.
First time user of this site … following.
Thanks.
+Peace
Must be a dumb question, since no one else asked it. but do you turn the heat off when it boils, keep it boiling, or lower the heat?
There are no dumb questions around here! Keep it boiling :)
Beautiful and simple presentation of a soft boiled! Please do tell who the plateware is by?
Hi Ronnie! Thanks so much! I’ve had that egg dish for years and I’m not sure where I got it, but I think it was part of a Nigella Lawson set.
Worked perfectly. The yolks are still soft and runny the next day. YUM! So glad I found this recipe.
Ooo, the next day? How did you store them? Did you reheat them? This is an exciting development!!!
I let them sit in the cold water until completely cooled then popped them in the fridge in the shell. I did not reheat them; I ate them cold. I cracked the shell on the bottom, peeled it away a bit, then carefully scooped the whole egg out with a small spoon. I was pleasantly surprised by the yolk. I expected it would have thickened. I cooked 14 for the week. I cannot wait to see what they look like tomorrow. :)
I wonder how they would be transported. I often eat my breakfast at work. I have a colleague who hard boils her eggs and opens them at work for breakfast and says they are still warm. It would be wonderful to transport a soft cooked egg to work, make a piece of toast and enjoy the soft cooked egg.
Seems to me that essentially boiling them for 6-1/2 minutes, they’d be hard boiled.
What I do is bring water to a rolling boil. Add the eggs very gently. Cover with lid. Turn OFF the heat. Let sit in the covered pan for 7-1/2 minutes. Remove eggs from the water and flush with cold water. Perfect every time.
Ah, but they’re not boiled, they’re steamed :) I’m glad you have a way that works for you!