I love any hack that makes my life easier. When I spotted Eating on a Dime’s post on how to make hard boiled eggs in the oven, I squealed with glee. I hate making hard boiled eggs.
And did I mention I hate peeling eggs too.
I never–ever–do a good job. In the past, I have asked for help from my Facebook readers, but none of their tricks worked for me. ( If you have any tricks, let me know.)
So, I thought why not try cooking the eggs in the oven? I love my oven. Set the timer and go. I am not a big fan of standing near or in front of the stove waiting for the water to boil or the eggs to be done.
**Caveat** In order to say energy, use this method when you are already using the oven or will be using the oven again for another meal. In fact, you could double up if you are baking something at the same temperature.
Instructions for How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs in the Oven
1. Set the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Once the oven reached temperature, I popped a dozen eggs into my muffin tins and set the timer to 30 minutes.
3. Once the timer went off {since you know I wasn’t sitting near the oven} I ran to get a bowl of ice to put the eggs in for 10 minutes. I even covered them in ice.
4. Ten minutes, later those little eggies were nice and cool. It was a pleasure to peel these eggs when they were cool.
Was it Easier to Peel the Eggs?
I know you are dying for this answer. Was it easier to peel the eggs? They were easier to peel. However, I can’t lie. I didn’t peel the perfect eggs as you can see in the picture below. Parts of the egg shells still clung to the egg.
Also, be forewarned. You might have a brown mark on your hard boiled egg. See the picture above. I wonder if I had put them in cupcake liners then they wouldn’t have burnt?
Don’t forget those eggshells! Here are 7 ideas of how to re-use them. I threw them on a baking sheet and then put them in my warm oven. (I also put my coffee grounds in the warm oven to dry as well. See HERE what I do with these grounds.)
In the morning I take out the eggs and ground them up for later use. Dried coffee grounds go into a container.
Join the Conversation
- Have you ever cooked your eggs in the oven?
- Do you have any egg peeling tricks?
Gina Badalaty says
I discovered this a few weeks ago and now I’m not looking back! Way easier : )
ecokaren says
You know, I didn’t share my fool proof way of making hard boiled eggs, thinking, it was too easy. But now you’re saying there is an easier way?
Game on sistah!. And I bet my eggs will look much better than yours! And peel easier too!
Don Carson says
One reason not to use the oven when making hard boiled eggs: The whole oven for 30 min. uses far more electricity than one small burner for about 10 min. The larger picture is to be green.
Anna@Green Talk says
Don, I agree that using the oven isn’t as green but routinely ruining a dozen eggs since you can’t peel them is wasteful too. You can’t imagine how hard it is for me to peel eggs. I use the oven after a meal has been cooked so that I don’t use a lot of energy getting it up to speed. So I think that evens out the heat issue.
Then I take that same oven as it cools down and dry my coffee grounds and eggs shell.
Do you have a great way to peel?
Robert Keeler says
Well I have tried almost all the tricks for cooking hard boiled eggs. None of them worked until this one!
Easy to peel and done just right: Put a teaspoon of backing soda in a sauce pan of water. Boil the water, when water comes to a boil place the eggs in for exactly 10 minutes. when done immediately plunge eggs into COLD water.
when ready to peel, crack and peel a small area at one end, then crack (and roll to fracture a larger area at the opposite end.
put your lips right on the egg, Now blow really hard on the small cracked end.
the egg will either pop out of the shell or if not it will peel really easalie!
Shawn says
Peel your eggs while they’re submerged in water. The water will get under the shell as you peel and help separate it from the egg. Here’s what I do: Put my eggs in cool water on the stove, bring to a rolling boil and let it go for about a minute. Then I remove the pot from the stove, cover, and wait 12-15 minutes. The eggs cook perfectly that way and you don’t have to worry about keeping an eye on the stove, and you don’t even need a timer really because it’s almost impossible to overcook them. Once done I change out the water for fresh, cold water to cool the eggs. Then to peel the eggs I usually tap two together to break the shell (one egg will break the shell of the other) and peel them in the pot of cold water while they’re fully submerged. Egg shells peel off easily and sink to the bottom of the pot.
jackie says
Soak the eggs in cold water right after cooking them..they peel away clean. If you aren’t going to peel them right away you’ll need to soak them again before you do peel them.
Beckie says
Having plenty of fresh eggs from my GIRLS i found it easier to boil and peel eggs if u take cold water in a pan then slightly crack the eggs just a dent with hair line cracks place in the cold water then place on burn ,woodstove and let them r how ever you heat up water boil for 10-15 mins let them cool in the same pan of water then peel easy as pie
Andrea Fabry says
I’m on it! Like right away. Thanks!!
Veronica says
What a great idea! I have been eating pickled hard-boiled eggs a lot lately! This is a much easier way to get those little gems cooked up fast! Thank you for posting!
Anna@Green Talk says
Veronica, do you have a link to your pickled egg recipe? Anna
Jennifer Margulis says
What a totally cool idea!
hank says
What I have found to help to peel a hard boiled egg was to tap the ends on something hard like the corner of the sink,then roll the egg around under my palm on the counter cracking the entire shell into small pieces. Those pieces come off very easily with little problem of any shell sticking to the eggwhite. Works for me!!
Susanne Runion says
This is such a great idea. I have so much trouble peeling hard-boiled eggs and this looks so much easier. Thanks.
Michael says
Boil the eggs on the stove and save energy. When they have cooked long enough immediately pour out the boiling water and replace with cold water (use ice cubes if you want but I never have). Keep changing the water to get rid of the heat in the eggs. When the eggs feel cool to touch (put your hand in the pan and lift one out to test) dump all water out and the put a lid on and shake the pan to crack the egg shells. They will fracture in many pieces. Peel under cold water and you will be amazed on how easy the shells come off. If they don’t come off easy then you did not cool the eggs enough. Enjoy!
coytle says
Ive heard about a small tool that pierces the shell of the egg but not the membrane and it is supposed to make peeling a snap. The name escapes me but an internet search and amazon or ebay may help.
Rebecca says
you need eggs to be at least one week old, or older, to peel them easily…never use eggs that are new…I always leave some eggs in the frig to use for later…they are good for a long time
Christopher says
To keep them from burning, get a towel wet and then wring the excess water out. Then place the towel directly on the racks of your oven, and place the eggs on the towel. Same effect, but no burn spot.
Also, let eggs age a bit (7 days from fresh) before doing this to help make peeling even easier.
Bob says
Works well. But, you really need to be using the oven for something else also as to not waste energy. To cook the eggs in an electric oven, you use about 1 kilowatt hour (kWh) of energy. By boiling water for the correct time on an electric stove-top, about .11 kWh but only .025 kWh in a microwave.
Edward says
The peel-problem might be because you’re using eggs that are too fresh.
Fresh eggs cling to the shell. As they get older it gets much easier.
Try eggs close to the expiry-date. They will still be good to eat, but will not cling to the shell.
I boil my eggs for ten minutes, pour out the hot water and run cold water over them for about a minute. Never have a problem peeling, unless the eggs are too fresh.
Drippy Hippie says
One reason eggs don’t peel easily is that they are too fresh. Fresh eggs have less of an air pocket inside. The air pocket increases as the eggs age. When older eggs are boiled, the larger air pocket makes the egg easier to peel.
Lori says
Ok 2 ways are easier
1. Lose the attachment to it being a round egg and crack it into a greased muffin tin.
2. While the egg is still very warm, roll it in your hands off in the counter every direction until the shell and the skin slip right off. If the egg cools to much, it makes it twice hard. We use fresh eggs and this works every time. The other option is age your eggs 2 weeks. Then they will peel cooks but who wants old eggs?
Deb says
Just don’t use freshest eggs. We have two cartons, one marked ‘fresh’ for cooking and frying, one marked ‘boil’. Once an egg is more than 4-5 days old, it gets moved to the boiling carton. As the egg ages, especially if it’s been washed, it’s pH rises and the inner membrane of the shell loosens from the albumen. Easy to peel. I agree with Don. I’d never turn on an electric stove for just a dozen eggs, If I had room during a big bakeoff, maybe. But I find it simpler to just use older eggs.
Anna@Green Talk says
Deb, I only use old eggs and still have so many problems. I use this method when I already am cooking. Also, if I have room in the oven when I am baking something else.
I am just trying to find an easier way to peel them.
Becky says
Put a teaspoon or so of baking soda in the water when you boil your eggs and they peel a lot easier. I don’t measure… just put the eggs in the pan, cover with cold water & sprinkle in a little baking soda. I think they do best when I bring them to a full boil, cover & turn the heat off and let them just sit in the hot water for 17 minutes. 15 & the yolks are firm but with a soft spot in the middle, 20 & you get that grey ring from the sulfur cooking out of the yolk.
I love the oven idea though & am definitely going to try it the next time I bake. Wonder if it would work in a toaster oven?? (Smaller area to heat but not certain if the temp stays consistent.)
emily says
Best way to peel is running the eggs under cold water. The peel just slides off. The trick to it is, your eggs have to be completely cool! I worked in a restaurant in food prep and had to do 200 hard boiled eggs a DAY. SO, that’s my peeling trick.
mightyangel79 says
For perfect hard boiled eggs–put your eggs in the pan cover with cold water about an inch over the top. Put 1 tablespoon white vinegar in the water, so if the eggs crack the white doesn’t leak out. Bring to hard boil and turn down to a soft boil for 15 minutes, remove hot water and cover with cold water until the eggs are cool.
Suzanne says
Anna,
While I adore you, your photo of “Finished Eggs From The Oven” made the hardboiled egg lover in me cry 🙁
A hardboiled egg really is almost as simple as boiling water and is an absolutely delicious treat. They really should not have any burn spots on them and they should be easy to peel, looking pretty both outside and inside. They yokes should be a lovely bright yellow and there should not be a green ring. I can only guess that your oven eggs must have had a green ring, because that is caused by over cooking.
I like to cook my eggs covered in two inches of cold water, making sure not to crowd the eggs, on a medium-high temperature bringing them to a boil and turning them down to a simmer and cooking them for no more than SEVEN minutes. A timer is important and once it goes off it really is vital to get them under the cold water.
Another cooking method is to simply turn the eggs off once they come to a boil and cover the pot for 11 to 12 minutes. Again, it is important to set your timer. For some reason I find this one a little trickier to do.
There are three secrets to peeling perfectly cooked eggs. The most important one is to make sure the eggs are not too fresh. I always hard boil my eggs after they have been in my fridge for a week. The other secret is piercing the wide part of the egg before cooking with an egg piercer- you don’t need to prick it hard, just lightly. The third is making sure the eggs are well cooled by running them under very cold tap water for two minutes.
Now you are ready to get peeling by starting to peel the wide part of the egg first after creaking and rolling the egg on a hard surface. I find if the shell is being a little stubborn that peeing them under water is pretty full proof.
Maybe not an oven method, but truly as easy as simply boiling water on top of the stove and the key to making beautiful hard boiled eggs that can be a wonderful appetizing treat as deviled eggs, or add to a green salad.
Happy Spring!