Soft Boiled Eggs
Soft-boiled eggs are a variety of whole boiled egg where the white is solid and the yolk is runny. They take about 7 minutes to prepare and are often served with buttered toast, perfect for dipping into the runny yolk.
- Prep
- 24 min
- Cook
- 57 min
- Total
- 1 hr 21 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Equipment
Small saucepan
Equipment
Stovetop
Equipment
A slotted spoon
Equipment
A sharp pin or tack (optional)
Procedure
There are several popular ways to make soft-boiled eggs, and it is up to the cook to decide which method works best for them. Some of the most common ones follow.
Procedure
This method boils the eggs continuously in the water.
Procedure
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil.
Procedure
Gently add the eggs, and boil for 4–6 minutes (4 minutes for runny yolk, 5 minutes for soft yolk).
Procedure
Remove the eggs from the water.
Procedure
This method boils the egg for a brief period of time before letting it sit in hot water.
Procedure
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan.
Procedure
Gently add the eggs, and boil for 1 minute.
Procedure
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and allow eggs to stand in the hot water for 5 minutes.
Procedure
Remove the eggs from the water.
Procedure
This method does not boil the eggs at all, instead letting them sit in hot water for a longer period of time.
Procedure
Bring water to a rolling boil in a saucepan.
Procedure
Gently add the eggs, then immediately remove the pan from heat and cover it.
Procedure
Let the eggs sit for 8 minutes, then remove them.
Procedure
This method uses steam to cook the whites firmly while still maintaining a perfectly cooked, runny yolk. It produces consistent results every time.
Procedure
Bring about 1 inch of water to a rolling boil in a saucepan. You want just enough water to create steam but not evaporate completely.
Procedure
Gently add the eggs, then cover with a lid.
Procedure
Let boil/steam for 6–6½ minutes, depending on how runny you want the yolks.
Procedure
Immediately remove pot from heat, and drain the hot water.
Notes, tips, and variations
Adding a bit of salt to the cooking water can help to quickly set the whites if the egg leaks during cooking.
Notes, tips, and variations
Running the cooked eggs under cold water will help stop the cooking process.
Notes, tips, and variations
Some people use a pin to poke a small hole on the larger end of the egg before boiling it. It is believed that this helps give the egg a smooth, round bottom, and some say the pinhole makes it easier to peel.
Notes, tips, and variations
Soft-boiled eggs can be carefully peeled as an alternative serving method.
Photo: Michael Matuzak · CC BY 2.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 27 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Nutrition information is not available for this recipe yet.
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