The no muss, no fuss way to make Perfect Jammy Boiled Eggs every single time. Forget the millions of faffy, overcomplicated instructions flying around, and follow my simple 7-minute method to make boiled eggs with a fully set white with a slightly soft yolk every single time.
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A jammy egg is the perfect half way between a soft and a hard boiled egg. The white is fully cooked – which to me is important in any boiled egg as far as I’m concerned. And the yolk is still a little soft but not at all runny.
I feel like I’m having a constant battle against ridiculous egg cooking hacks that simply scare people into thinking that cooking an egg is hard. Poached eggs might be the biggest culprit with boiled eggs coming in a close second. But just like my other simple egg cooking techniques, this “recipe” is here to show you that the only think you need to boil an egg is boiling water. But I do mean properly boiling water!
How to Serve Jammy Boiled Eggs
“Go to work on an egg” was a marketing campaign from before my time but one that I wholeheartedly support. I’ve always loved an egg for breakfast, no matter how it’s cooked. So breakfast, or a breakfast type meal will always be my first port of call for eggs.
I’ve shown them served as part of a largely vegetarian breakfast on this page – with air fried halloumi, grilled tomatoes, beans, veggie sausages and plant based bacon rashers.
They are also the absolute best portable egg. They’re ideal for taking to work for a desk breakfast (I speak from experience) or on picnics etc. The keep well in the fridge for a couple of days so they’re ideal for meal prep too. Add to salads or make into an egg mayonnaise topper.
A 7 minute egg is also what I use to top my bowls of ramen. No matter the broth, which noodles you choose or the other toppings, there is always a place for an egg. It might be more traditional to marinate them in a soy/mirin mixture for at least a few hours but being truthful, I’m rarely that organised.
Which Eggs?
Egg Size
The 7 minute timing of this recipe works perfectly with UK size large eggs (63-73g). This is generally my preferred size of egg to buy and use for pretty much everything – just the right ratio of white to yolk.
Medium eggs (53-63g) will need 30 seconds less cooking time. Extra large eggs (73g+) will need an extra 30 seconds added to the cooking time.
Egg Temperature
It is extremely important that your eggs are at room temperature. A generally cool or warm kitchen isn’t going to make a big difference but keeping them in the fridge absolutely will.
It’s widely known that in the vast majority of the world, eggs are kept, sold and stored at room temp but in the US, they have to be kept refrigerated. This is because it is mandated that the egg’s natural protective layer be washed off before they can be sold.
Free Range, Organic etc?
What kind of eggs you choose to buy is entirely down to your preference and budget. None of the chicken rearing methods have any bearing on how the eggs cook or how long they take to cook.
And while we’re on the subject, the colour of the shell also makes no difference. Different breeds of chicken lay different colour eggs but they’re all the same inside. And again, all cook at the same speed.
As for the colour of the yolk, this is also no indication of the quality or freshness of the egg. A more orange yolk simply reflects what the chicken was fed – paprika, marigold flowers and orange vegetables like carrot and pumpkin are often used to enhance the colour. Again, this has no effect on how the egg cooks or how long it takes.
Age
There is a school of thought that believes that older eggs are easier to peel than fresher eggs. But honestly in all the years I’ve been boiling eggs and peeling them, I have never once found that it made a jot of difference. I do tend to reserve my freshest eggs for when I’m poaching but otherwise I don’t pay any attention to which eggs I grab to boil.
How To Make Softer or Harder Eggs
To make soft boiled eggs, you need to cook them for 3 to 5 minutes depending on exactly how soft you want them. For truly hard boiled eggs, leave them in the boiling water for a full 10 minutes. It really is as simple as that.
How To Peel Boiled Eggs
I rarely have any problems peeling eggs but there are a couple of things that definitely help. Firstly I usually peel them as soon as they have cooled to the touch. It is absolutely fine to refrigerate and store the boiled eggs in their shells for a number of days. But I do them find that occasionally they are a bit trickier to peel.
I also feel like I hear many many more complaints from the US about eggs being hard to peel. I have no good way of testing my theory but I feel like it might be a result of the pre-sale egg washing process that they do.
So the easiest way to peel a hard boiled egg is to bash it gently on a flat surface then roll it so it cracks all the way around. Use a thumb to get under the shell and membrane (under the membrane is key) and then the shell will come off in just a few pieces by continuing to run the thumb around the egg,
Equipment Notes for 7 Minute Eggs
An electric kettle will vastly speed up the water boiling process. But all you really need is a saucepan and a decently powerful heat source.
The size of the pan is kind of important if you have the luxury of options. Ideally you want a pan which is deep enough to hold enough water for the eggs to be fully submerged. And then wide enough that the eggs fit in without touching. But not so big there is a lot of wasted energy or water.
A comprehensive list of the equipment used to make this recipe is included in the main recipe card below. Click on any item to see an example. There are no hard and fast rules so many items can be sensibly substituted to achieve the same results.
Leftover Jammy Boiled Eggs
Once cooked, the eggs can be stored in the fridge for a few days. They will be good for longer if you leave the shell on. But as I mentioned, I do find they are sometimes harder to peel this way, especially if you try to peel them straight out the fridge. But this does make them ideal for batch cooking and meal prep.
I find that by far the best way to reheat eggs is in the microwave but you do need to be careful not to overheat them. Firstly there is a change they’ll explode. And secondly you will lose all of the jammyness in the yolk and make the whites turn into rubber. So go easy. Oh and make sure that are peeled first!
It’s quite an extreme use of leftover eggs but they are absolutely ideal to turn into scotch eggs. Or the more obvious use is to make a creamy egg mayonnaise. Perfect for topping a jacket potato or making a delicious sandwich.
7 Minute Boiled Egg Tips
Don’t forget to make sure the eggs are at room temp. If you live in a place where eggs must be stored in the fridge, take them out around half an hour before you plan to boil them.
THE WATER MUST BE VIGEROUSLY BOILING BEFORE ADDING THE EGGS. Did I sufficiently stress this point enough? I hope so.
Be gentle when lowering the eggs into the water but they’re also not actually made from glass so don’t panic too much. If you do get a tiny crack, just carry on as normal. Dispose of any whisps of escaped egg white after they’ve cooled.
When peeling, you must get under the membrane. Otherwise you could be there for a very long time.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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More Simple Egg Recipes
How To Cook Eggs – Simple Recipes
Find all of my simple egg recipes in one place – featuring everything from the easiest method to poach eggs, the creamiest scrambled eggs and classic scotch eggs to the quickest ever egg mayonnaise, egg and bacon pie and fluffy french toast.
The Recipe
Perfect Jammy Boiled Eggs – 7 Minute Eggs Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Large Eggs - at room temperature
Instructions
Boil The Eggs
- Put the kettle on to boil.
- Put a very small bit of water in the saucepan and put it on the heat. This will speed up the rest of the water boiling once in the pan.
- Once the kettle is boiled, fill the saucepan to around 2/3 full – you basically need to have the water at least the depth of an egg on it's side.
- Wait until the water is back at a very good boil. No "just a few bubbles" or "gentle simmer" – it wants to be a hard boil so it doesn't cool down and stop boiling as you add the eggs.
- Lower the eggs in one by one using a spoon. Don't mess around, get them all in without delay.
- Set a 7 minute timer. And make sure you're in a position to be standing at the pan as soon as it goes off. Set a second timer for 6 minutes if you're prone to getting distracted.
- Immediately pour the water out of the pan. Or spoon the eggs out into another large bowl.
- Run the eggs under the cold tap for around 30 seconds. This will stop the eggs from cooking further.
- The eggs are ready to either be stored in the shell in the fridge, peeled and stored in the fridge or peeled and eaten immediately.
To Peel The Eggs
- Give each egg a sharp tap on the side – use a board or flat surface, not the edge of a pan or bowl.
- Firmly roll the egg against the flat surface – this will break the shell all the way around.
- Use your thumb to prise of a bit of shell and then your fingers to start separating the shell from the egg.
- The tricks to peeling an egg easily is to make sure you get under the thin membrane which sits between the shell and egg, Once you are under, the rest of the shell should peel off quite easily.
- If you think there is any chance of there being any shell debris, give the eggs a quick rinse under the tap and then dry thoroughly before serving.
Dave says
I was very pleased that my eggs turned out perfectly with your method. Thanks.
Karen says
Totally agree, so many how to cook egg posts but some are just overly complicated. Followed your simple instructions and the eggs were perfectly cooked, no runny whites which I just can’t stomach.