How long to boil eggs
How long eggs boil in official recipes, what US guidance says about doneness, and how to cool, peel and store hard-boiled eggs, with the official pages behind every number.
Short answer: For hard-boiled eggs, NHS recipes cook the eggs in gently boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes. US guidance from the USDA and FDA gives no minute count; it says to cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm. Cool them in cold water, refrigerate them within 2 hours and eat them within 1 week, in the shell or peeled.
Egg cooking times in official guidance
The minute counts come from NHS recipes; US guidance describes doneness instead of time. At high altitude, eggs cooked in boiling water take longer, the USDA notes, because water boils at a lower temperature there.
| Egg | How | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard-boiled | In gently boiling water | 10 to 12 minutes | NHS |
| Boiled, for slicing into fingers (a medium egg) | Lowered into boiling water, then cooled in a bowl of cold water | 5 to 6 minutes | NHS (baby recipes) |
| Poached | In gently simmering water with a shake of vinegar, which helps the egg keep together | 4 to 5 minutes | NHS |
| Any method | Until both the yolk and the white are firm | — | USDA and FDA |
How to make hard-boiled eggs
- Use older eggs if you can. The USDA notes that older eggs peel more easily once hard-cooked.
- Bring a pan of water to the boil and lower the eggs in gently.
- Cook them in gently boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes, as NHS recipes do.
- Cool them in a bowl of cold water, then peel them or keep them in the shell.
- Refrigerate them within 2 hours and eat them within 1 week, peeled or not.
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Runny yolks: US and UK advice
US guidance from the USDA and FDA is to cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm, and scrambled eggs until they are no longer runny. In the UK, the NHS says hen eggs with the red British Lion stamp, or from the Laid in Britain scheme, can be eaten with a runny yolk, including in pregnancy, and that babies can have them lightly cooked. Other hen eggs, and duck, goose or quail eggs, should be cooked until the white and yolk are both solid.
How long do hard-boiled eggs last?
1 week in the fridge, in the shell or peeled, according to the USDA and FDA; refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking. The USDA explains that hard-cooking leaves a thin layer of water under the shell, which is why hard-boiled eggs spoil faster than raw ones. Its storage chart says not to freeze them.
Why is there a green ring around the yolk?
A green ring on a hard-cooked yolk can come from overcooking, when sulfur and iron compounds in the egg react on the yolk’s surface, or from a lot of iron in the cooking water, according to the USDA.
Why are fresh eggs hard to peel?
As an egg ages, the pH of its white rises, so the white clings less to the membrane inside the shell. That is why the USDA says older eggs are better for hard-cooking.
How do you poach an egg?
NHS recipes poach eggs in gently simmering water for 4 to 5 minutes, with a shake of vinegar in the water to help the eggs keep together. US guidance is to cook poached eggs, like all eggs, until the yolk is firm.
Where the numbers come from
Read on October 30, 2026.
- NHS Healthier Families: hard-boiling eggs, in a recipe (10 to 12 minutes)
- NHS Start for Life: boiled egg fingers, in a recipe (5 to 6 minutes, cooling in cold water)
- NHS Healthier Families: poaching eggs, in a recipe (4 to 5 minutes, vinegar)
- USDA: shell eggs from farm to table (doneness, storage chart, peeling, green ring)
- USDA: cooking at high altitude
- FDA: what you need to know about eggs (firm yolk and white, 1 week)
- NHS: eggs in pregnancy and NHS: eggs for babies and young children (British Lion eggs)
Frequently asked questions
How long do you boil eggs for hard-boiled eggs?
NHS recipes cook eggs in gently boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes to hard-boil them. US guidance gives no minute count: it says to cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm.
How long do hard-boiled eggs last in the fridge?
1 week, in the shell or peeled, according to the USDA and FDA. Refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking.
Can you freeze hard-boiled eggs?
The USDA’s egg storage chart says not to freeze hard-cooked eggs. Keep them in the fridge and eat them within 1 week.
Why do hard-boiled eggs get a green ring?
Overcooking, when sulfur and iron compounds in the egg react on the yolk’s surface, or a lot of iron in the cooking water, according to the USDA.
How long do you poach an egg?
NHS recipes poach eggs in gently simmering water for 4 to 5 minutes, with a shake of vinegar in the water to help the eggs keep together.
Can you eat eggs with a runny yolk?
In the UK, the NHS says hen eggs with the red British Lion stamp, or from the Laid in Britain scheme, can be eaten with a runny yolk. US guidance from the USDA and FDA is to cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm.
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