How Long To Cook A Soft Boiled

How To Make Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs

A soft boiled egg cut in half, title text at the bottom

A breakfast bowl with a soft boiled egg on the side, title text at the top

A breakfast bowl with a soft boiled egg, title text at the top

A soft boiled egg sliced in half against a blue background

Soft boiled eggs are my new obsession. The whites of the eggs are firm, but the yolk stays silky, creamy, and in a liquid gold state. It's a little like a cross between butter and melted cheese. They're seriously divine. And they're not just for breakfast! I enjoy soft boiled eggs with toast, as an addition to bowl meals, as a topper for salads or soup (hello, ramen!), or just as a quick snack. I pretty much add soft boiled eggs to everything I eat, no matter what time of day.

Are you ready to see how easy it is?

Originally posted 2-9-14, updated 10-8-18

A soft boiled egg cut in half on a blue background

It's All About That Steam Action…

Instead of actually boiling my soft boiled eggs, I use steam to cook them. Steaming the eggs is faster, which is a total plus when you're half asleep in the morning and waiting for your coffee to kick in. To create the steam you only need one inch of water in the pot, so there's no watching and waiting impatiently for an entire pot of water to boil. The quick steaming method allows you to quickly cook your soft boiled egg in the time that it takes to start making your coffee, or toast and butter a piece of bread.

If you want to see how to make soft or hard boiled eggs using a full pot of water, check out my tutorial for how to make hard boiled eggs.

Cooking Time May Vary

The recipe below is formulated for large eggs that are still cold from the refrigerator. In the U.S. large eggs weigh approximately 56-62 grams. You can use this method for other sized eggs, just be aware that you will need to adjust the time up or down, depending on the size of your egg. Other factors that may affect the cook time include high elevation, the type of cookware used, and starting temperature of your egg. Start with six minutes for large eggs and adjust the time until you find the exact amount of time needed to achieve your perfect soft boiled egg.

How Long for Hard Boiled Eggs?

You can use this same steam method for hard boiled eggs. Simply let the eggs steam in the water for 12 minutes instead of 6 and the yolks will be cooked through! It's the perfect quick method for making Deviled Eggs.

How Long do Soft Boiled Eggs Last?

Soft boiled eggs in the shell will last in the refrigerator for about two days. To reheat the refrigerated soft boiled eggs, just repeat the initial cooing process with half the time. Bring about an inch of water to a boil in a small sauce pot, add the egg, and let steam for 3 minutes instead of six.

How to Make Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs

Perfect soft boiled eggs with firm whites and liquid gold centers are only six minutes away. Use this easy step by step guide for perfect eggs every time.

Prep Time: 4 mins

Cook Time: 6 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Servings: 1

1 large egg, chilled

Add 1 inch of water to a sauce pot, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, add an egg (or however many you'd like as long as they are in a single layer in the bottom of the pot), straight from the refrigerator into the pot. Replace the lid and let it continue to boil for exactly six minutes.
After six minutes, remove the egg(s) from the pot and place them in an ice water bath or run under cool water until they are cool enough to handle. Peel, and enjoy!

If you do not plan to eat the egg immediately, cool the eggs completely in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Otherwise, the eggs can be peeled and eaten warm as soon as they are cool enough to handle.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Serving: 1 Serving ・ Calories: 74.4 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 0.5 g ・ Protein: 6.2 g ・ Fat: 4.4 g ・ Sodium: 64.9 mg

Nutritional values are estimates only. See our full nutrition disclaimer here.

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Breakfast bowl with perfectly cooked soft boiled eggs, spinach, avocado, tomato, rice, and sriracha.

One of my favorite things to eat for breakfast is a bowl made with rice, wilted spinach, avocado, tomato, or whatever other vegetables I might have on hand, plus a perfectly cooked soft boiled egg, and a little sriracha (see Spinach Rice Breakfast Bowls). Sometimes I add hummus as well (Hummus Breakfast Bowls)!

How to Soft Boil Eggs – Step by Step Instructions

Add Eggs to Boiling Water

Add one inch of water to a sauce pot. Yes, you only need ONE INCH of water. Use the smallest pot you have that will house the number of eggs you're making, so they're in a single layer in the pot. I usually only do one or two eggs at a time, but this same technique can be used for any number of eggs. Place a lid on the pot and b ring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, gently place the large egg(s) into the pot. Tongs or a slotted spoon makes this easier to do without burning your finger tips.

Steam for Exactly 6 Minutes

After adding the egg(s) to the pot, put the lid back on top, and set a timer for six minutes. The lid holds in the steam, which surrounds the eggs with even heat, cooking them quickly and evenly.

Place Soft Boiled Eggs in Ice Bath

After exactly six minutes, turn off the burner, and use the tongs to transfer the eggs to an ice bath. Allow the eggs to cool until they're no longer too hot to handle, or let them sit in the ice bath until you're ready to eat. Just make sure you don't let them sit at room temperature after steaming, otherwise they will continue to cook with their residual heat, and the yolks will continue to solidify.

Peel Soft Boiled Eggs

Carefully tap the egg on a hard surface to crack the shell, then gently peel it away. You'll need to be gentle because the inside is still liquid and the egg will be somewhat soft and wobbly. Begin peeling on the fat end, which often has an air-bubble that separates the shell from the whites, and makes an easy spot to separate the two. Give it a quick rinse after removing the shell to get rid of any shell fragments.

Perfectly cooked soft boiled eggs cut open to reveal the silky yolk.

And now it's time for that magic moment… OMG the runny yolk is liquid perfection! *squeal* Just so you can see a close up of the awesome results… The whites are completely solid and the yolk is ALL liquid. How perfect is that? I feel like I won the lottery.