How to Steam Eggs

Learn How to Steam Eggs for perfectly hard-boiled eggs that peel easily! This is a tried and true method for steamed hard-boiled eggs that will become your go-to method to cook eggs.

When cooking hard boiled eggs, you want the yolks to be firm, cooked all the way through, with the right creamy texture (not crumbly). You also want the color to be yellow, without a green or gray ring that can be caused by overcooking, and finally, the shell should be easy to peel so you don’t break the whites as you peel the eggs.

This method for steaming hard boil eggs, ensures that you get all the above just right. And I will show you how to do it!

This is a part of my Back To Basics series where I teach you all the basic skills that you need to be confident in the kitchen. I cover many topics and techniques that you will find useful, such as learning how to cook pasta, how to make bone broth, how to break down a whole chicken, and how to use a French press. You’ll find everything you need there!

Why Steam Eggs?

Steaming eggs is a fast cooking method where you cook the eggs in a steamer basket using hot steam of just 1 inch of water (so you don’t need to wait for a whole pot of water to boil). The eggs do not touch the water and cook gently until perfectly steamed hard-boiled eggs.

The hot steam vapor cooks the egg whites quickly and causes the membrane to loosen and release from the shell, which makes the eggs easier to peel compared to any standard method of cooking hard boiled eggs. It also gently cooks the yolk so it’s creamy not crumbly.

Another advantage of steaming eggs is the reduced risk of cracking the eggs as you lower them in the steamer basket in the saucepan, rather than dropping them in cold or hot water to boil them.

How To Steam Eggs

1. Fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water, and bring the water to a rolling boil.
2. Add the eggs to a steaming basket, and lower the basket in the saucepan. Cover with the lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 13 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by combining equal parts of cold water to ice cubes in a medium bowl.
4. Remove the saucepan from heat, and with kitchen tongs transfer the eggs to the ice bath, and leave them in the ice bath for 10 minutes. This will stop the cooking process.
5. Carefully peel the eggs, the shell should come right off.

Top Tips

• Use the right amount of water: Fill the saucepan with about an inch of water, you want the water not to touch the eggs but you also want to make sure that it’s enough water so it does not boil off dry.
• Cover the eggs: Make sure that you cover the steamer with a lid to trap the steam, and cook the eggs evenly.
• Storing: If you’re not serving the eggs right away, store them unpeeled in the fridge in a container for up to a week.

Recipe FAQs

Now you know how to perfectly steam eggs! Use the eggs to make egg salad, deviled eggs, potato salad with eggs, or an egg salad sandwich.