Boiled eggs: the recipe and tricks to make them at home | July 3, 2025

Boiled eggs are a tasty and quick recipe, easy even for novice students or for those who are not very familiar with cooking. Like all basic preparations, however, it hides small pitfalls, starting with the cooking time: from 7 to 8-9 minutes, depending on the more or less soft consistency of the yolk you want to obtain.

For an impeccable yield, it is also essential to choose the freshest eggs: rich in nutrients, they offer various health benefits and are indispensable within a healthy and balanced omnivorous or vegetarian diet. If possible, opt for eggs of the same size to ensure they cook evenly.

Don’t forget, as our Elpidio shows you, take them out of the fridge about 15 minutes before starting cooking: they will return to room temperature and you will prevent the shell from breaking due to thermal shock. During boiling, we also add a tablespoon of vinegar, to make them tastier: the shell of the eggs, in fact, is very porous and will absorb the seasoning.

Once ready, hard-boiled eggs are delicious on their own, seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper, but they are also delicious as an ingredient for many super delicious dishes: for example, you can make eggs alla monachina, stuffed, crusted or au gratin, use them to enrich salads with boiled potatoes, rice and other cereals, or to fill savory pies, rustic and even traditional sweets.

Find out how to prepare hard-boiled eggs by following the step-by-step procedure and tips. If you liked this recipe, try other methods of cooking eggs: soft-boiled, poached, scrambled, or sunny-side-up.

Ingredients
EGGS
8
SALT
to taste
PEPPER
to
taste VINEGAR
1 tablespoon
YOU ALSO
NEED ICE
to taste

How to prepare hard-boiled eggs

Step 1
Remove the eggs from the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before cooking them 1: they should not be very cold, otherwise the shell may break.

Step 2
Place them in a pot, cover them with cold water and add 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar 2.

Step 3
Turn on the heat and heat the water 3: when it comes to a boil, cook the eggs for 8-9 minutes.

Step 4
After this time, drain the eggs in a bowl full of cold water and ice 4.

Step 5
When they are sufficiently warm, gently shell them 5.

Step 6
The hard-boiled eggs are ready 6.

Step 7
Divide them in half and season them with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper 7.

Step 8
Bring them to the table and enjoy them 8.

Tips for perfect hard-boiled eggs

see the continuation on the next page

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