Who would think boiling an egg could be so intimidating? A lot of people, including myself, can easily mess it up!! The dreaded green ring is a real thing…really it is! Check out my Deviled Egg post for an example of the dreaded green ring!

I’d say my eggs come out perfect about 60 percent of the time. And as much as I cook you’d think that’s a pretty bad average. But I’m here to tell you…it’s just not that easy!!!

Timing and paying attention is key in boiling the perfect 5 minute egg!

I personally think the quality and age of the eggs is really important. But I’ve found the most essential step to a perfect soft boiled egg is timing. Timing is KEY!

You ask 5 cooks how to boil an egg and you’ll get 5 different answers. They’re basically the same but just tweaked a little differently.

raw eggs just starting to boil in a pot on the stove

1-5-10 method

Step by step, How to Boil the Perfect 5 minute Egg:

Place the eggs in an empty stainless steel pot and fill cool tap water to just cover the tops of the eggs.
Shake a little salt, I use Iodized Fine Sea Salt in the water…maybe 3 to 4 shakes. (I’m really not sure if this is necessary but my sweet mama taught me to do that so I do:)
Turn the heat to medium high and wait for it to boil. This is critical so stay close and make sure you notice when it starts to boil. (this is actually where I fail…I don’t pay attention!)

Number 1 in 1-5-10 method

Let it boil rapidly for 1 minute.
After the minute is up, cover the pan with a lid and take off the heat.

Number 5 in the 1-5-10 method

The next critical step is letting the eggs sit for 5 minutes or until the desired doneness. The longer you let the eggs sit in the hot water the more done they will be.

Cooked eggs cooling in an ice bath in the sink

Number 10 in the 1-5-10 method

Let the eggs sit in the cold water for at least 10 minutes. If you happen to go beyond the 10 minutes then it’s really no big deal.

Hard boiled egg being cracked and shelled

The very last step is peeling!!! Who hates this part?‍♀️?‍♀️, I do!!!

The easiest way is to gently hit the egg shell on the side of the sink and let it crack into little pieces all around the egg. Find the indented part on the top. Shell this part first; finding the membrane just under the shell. Shell the egg under running water and it should come right off!

In the end you should have really yummy hard boiled eggs that are not runny at all but still moist enough that makes them easy to peel and yummy to eat with a little salt or spicy seasonings. It’s a perfect low carb breakfast or snack and 0 points on Weights Watchers!!!

yummy perfect 5 minute hard boiled eggs halved with spicy Cajun seasoning on top

Perfect 5 Minute Egg

1-5-10 Egg Boiling Method

Prep Time16

Active Time20

Course: Breakfast, lunch, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 0 point food, 0 weight watchers, boil, breakfast, Cold, deviled eggs, eggs, free food, low carb, luncheon, salad

Yield: 6

Calories:

Author: Elise

Cost: 3.50

Instructions

Place desired amount of eggs in a deep pot and cover eggs with cool tap water.
Place on stove burner and turn heat up to medium high. Sprinkle with salt, 3 or 4 shakes.
Bring to a boil and let boil rapidly for 1 minute.
Cover with lid and take off heat.
Let eggs sit covered for 5 minutes.
Place hot eggs in ice bath and let sit for 10 minutes or longer.
Crack eggs on the side of the sink, find the membrane under the shell, and shell under running water.

Eggs are one of those few really perfect foods!

Enjoy!!

How to Boil the Perfect 5 minute Egg

Timing and paying attention is key in boiling the perfect 5 minute egg!

1-5-10 method