Follow our simple, step-by-step tutorial on How to Soft Boil an Egg! We will show you how to achieve the perfect soft boiled eggs in a matter of minutes. Perfect for enjoying on toast, adding to a bowl of your favorite ramen, or roasted chicken soup!
The Best Soft Boiled Egg Recipe
We have been making soft-boiled eggs and poached eggs for years and although this cooking process might seem intimidating, we are here to show you just how easy it is! A soft-boiled egg, unlike a poached egg, retains its “egg” shape and, typically, the whites are fully cooked while the yolk is perfectly runny and just barely warm. But, you have control over what consistency you want. Follow along as we breakdown the perfect timing for your desired soft boiled egg.
Looking for More Ways to Cook an Egg?
Then you definitely need to try our Over Easy Eggs or Smoked Eggs!
What You Will Need
- fresh eggs – just pick-up some high-quality fresh eggs from your local grocery store.
- water – enough to cover the eggs that you are cooking in a saucepan.
How Long to Soft Boil An Egg
The first steps to making a soft-boiled egg are to bring a pot of water to a high heat and it comes to a gentle boil. Carefully place eggs in the boiling water in a single layer to begin cooking.
Cook Times For Soft Boiled Eggs
- 4 Minutes: peeling this egg is nearly impossible. If you do get it peeled, you will see that the whites are barely cooked (if that) and the yolk is raw and may not even be warm at this point.
- 5 Minutes: Peeling may still be an issue, but hopefully you can at least get the shell all the way off. Outer part of the white should be fully cooked and firm, but the inner layers of the whites will still be runny. Yolk is still completely runny and barely warm.
- 6 Minutes: This is what I did that got me the egg in the picture. Egg whites should be fully cooked with a jammy yolk in the middle. You are going to need a little bit of patience when peeling.
- 7 Minutes: the whites of the eggs are fully cooked. Outer part of yolk will start to firm up. At the very center, you will still have a softer yolk with a slightly runny center. Easy to peel.
- 8 Minutes: Whites fully cooked. At this amount of time the yolk is essentially fully cooked – the very center may be a little mushy, but it most likely won’t be runny at all at this point.
Once the eggs have been in the hot water for your desired cook time, carefully remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to an ice water bath.
Now remove the cold eggs from the bowl of cold water and carefully crack and peel the shell off each egg. They can hangout at room temperature until you are ready to cut in half with a sharp knife and serve.
5-Minute Soft Boiled Egg
Peeling may be a slight issue, but hopefully you can get the shell all the way off. The outer part of the white will be fully cooked and firm, but the inner layers of the whites will still be runny. Yolk is still completely runny and barely warm.
6-Minute Soft Boiled Egg
This one was definitely the winner – the perfect soft boiled egg! Egg whites should be fully cooked and the egg yolk should be completely runny and warm. It will still require some patience when peeling these jammy eggs but it is worth it. It has been our tried-and-true soft boiled egg timing for years!
7-Minute Soft Boiled Egg
At 7 minutes of cooking time the egg white is fully cooked and the outer part of yolk will start to firm up. In the very center of the yolk it might still be a bit runny. They should be fairly easy to peel.
Best Ways To Serve Soft Boiled Eggs
There are so many great ways to serve a traditional soft boiled egg! Feel free to enjoy them on toast for breakfast, add them to your favorite rice bowl recipe, or to a warm bowl of Pork Belly Ramen or slow cooker Beef Ramen. It is one of the best ways to add a little protein to any recipe!
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Other Egg Recipes You Might Like
How to Soft Boil an Egg
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 11 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: How-To
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
How to Soft-Boil and Egg – get all the tips and tricks for a perfect soft-boiled egg EVERY TIME! Perfect for toast or in a bowl of ramen!
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- water
Instructions
- Boil: Bring a medium saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Add the eggs with a slotted spoon and gently set them in the boiling water. Reduce to a simmer and set a timer for the time that corresponds with your desired “doneness” (see Notes for timing) – we would recommend 6 minutes for a cooked white and runny yolk.
- Ice Bath: While the eggs are boiling, prepare an ice bath (bowl of cold water and ice). Once the eggs are done remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the ice bath. Let cool for 5-8 minutes (this will stop the eggs from continuing to cook).
- Crack + Peel: Carefully crack and peel the shell off the eggs and enjoy any way you want!
Notes
- Timing:
- 4 Minutes: You will be swearing at yourself as you try to peel this and will possibly end up with yolk on your hands – just saying. If you can get it peeled, you will see that the whites are barely cooked (if that) and the yolk is raw and may not even be warm at this point.
- 5 Minutes: Peeling may still be an issue, but hopefully you can at least get the shell all the way off. Outer part of the white should be fully cooked and firm, but the inner layers of the whites will still be runny. Yolk is still completely runny and barely warm.
- 6 Minutes: This is cook time used for the egg in the picture. The perfect egg, in our opinion! Whites should be fully cooked and yolk should be completely runny and warm. You are going to need a little bit of patience when peeling.
- 7 Minutes: Whites fully cooked. Outer part of yolk will start to firm up. Very center of yolk may be a bit runny. Easy to peel.
- 8 Minutes: Whites fully cooked. Yolk is essentially fully cooked – the very center may be a little mushy, but it most likely won’t be runny at all at this point.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 egg
- Calories: 72
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 71 mg
- Fat: 4.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.4 g
- Protein: 6.3 g
- Cholesterol: 186 mg
Originally posted March 5, 2017. Recipe has been retested and new photos added.
Ethelyn Dietrich says
I can never cook eggs properly. Sometimes more cooked and sometimes less cooked. I followed your recipe step by step and tried to soften the eggs. Great cooking. I was basically wrong to take the right ratio of eggs and water so maybe I could not cook my soft eggs perfect for this.