Huevos Cocidos (boiled eggs) are a must known skill for every home cook. With my foolproof method, you’ll learn to cook them until the whites are set and the yolks achieve the desired consistency.
Nutrition-packed, economical, and readily available, eggs really are incredible. And for perfectly cooked boiled eggs every time, you just need to follow a few basic tenets. This is a reliable method that I learned from my mom.
Most recipes say to add the eggs to a pot, cover with water then bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cook for certain minutes. I tried that method several times to see what I was missing out, and went back to this method.
Why this method works
- Bring the water to a boil, carefully place the eggs in there and keep on a soft rolling boil. Cook as follow for desired doneness:
- Soft-boiled: 5-6 minutes (a little runny)
- Medium-boiled: 10-11 minutes
- Hard-boiled: 13-15 minutes.
- Foolproof method for cooking hard boiled eggs that peel easily and have no gray coating on the yolks.
- It’s simple and reliable.
How to Make Huevos Cocidos
Make sure your eggs are fresh and good quality. However, super fresh eggs will be a little harder to peel (the shell sticks to cooked eggs when they were just picked).
- Fill a pot with enough water to cover the eggs. Bring water to a soft rolling boil over medium-high heat.
- Once the water is boiling, use a spoon to gently lower the eggs into the pot one by one. Be cautious to avoid splashing hot water.
- Reduce the heat slightly to maintain a gentle boil. Set a timer based on your desired egg doneness:
- Soft-boiled: 5-6 minutes (a little runny)
- Medium-boiled: 10-11 minutes
- Hard-boiled: 13-15 minutes.
- When the eggs are done, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl of ice water or run cold tap water over them to stop the cooking process.
- Once the eggs are cool, tap them gently on a hard surface to crack the shell, then peel it off. Season with salt and pepper if desired and use as needed.
Tips and Notes
- Take the eggs out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature for about 10-15 minutes. This helps prevent cracking when they are placed in hot water.
- There is no need to salt the water while cooking.
Serving Suggestions
Having a few huevos cocidos in the fridge saves time for when you want a cook meal or to use when needed.
They’re perfect on salads like this Ceasar Salad, or Pasta Salad. Make deviled eggs or breakfast burritos (chop boiled eggs and add them to a breakfast burrito made with flour tortillas with your favorite ingredients like cheese, salsa, and sauteed veggies. Or just plain!
How to Store
- Fridge:
- Allow boiled eggs to cool completely before storing them.
- Keep the eggs in their shells to maintain freshness and place them in a covered container or a sealed plastic bag.
- Eat within a week for optimal freshness.
- Freezer: Not recommended since the texture will not be good afterwards.
Reheating
Reheating boiled eggs can be a bit tricky due to the potential for changes in texture and flavor. However, if you need to warm them up, here are a couple of methods:
- Stovetop: Do a hot water bath. Bring a pot of water to a simmer, not a rolling boil. Place the eggs in the simmering water for a few minutes. (This method is more gentle and helps prevent the eggs from becoming rubbery.)
- Microwave: Pierce the boiled egg’s surface with a fork or make a small slit to allow steam to escape and microwave in short intervals, checking after each one to prevent overheating.
MORE delicious…
Mexican Breakfasts Recipes
Thank you for stopping by!
I hope you like this recipe! Do you have any questions I can help you with? Or if you made it, I would love it if you leave a comment or rating below.
Gracias!!!! xx, Ana
Print Recipe:
Huevos Cocidos (Boiled Eggs)
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs (or as many as you want) at room temperature
- Water. Enough to cover the eggs in the pot.
Instructions
- Fill a pot with enough water to cover the eggs. Bring water to a soft rolling boil over medium-high heat.
- Once the water is boiling, use a spoon to gently lower the eggs into the pot one by one. Be cautious to avoid splashing hot water.
- Reduce the heat slightly to maintain a gentle boil. Set a timer based on your desired egg doneness:Soft-boiled: 5-6 minutes (a little runny)Medium-boiled: 10-11 minutesHard-boiled: 13-15minutes
- When the eggs are done, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl of ice water or run cold tap water over them to stop the cooking process.
- Once the eggs are cool, tap them gently on a hard surface to crack the shell, then peel it off. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Add Your Own Private Notes
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Nutrition
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
I always used to break the eggs when boiling, but now no more! Def gonna try the breakfast suggestions too.
Thank you, Erik!! hope you like the breakfast suggestions.
It’s so hard to get the perfect egg, but the times listed worked well for me. I’m committing them to memory.
Thank you, Karlie!!!
This is a very informative post. I like that you give information on all types of boiled eggs. Will definitely come in handy in the future.
Thank you, Andrea!!! happy to help.
My daughter has a boiled egg every morning. I can’t wait to try this simple recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Mackenzie!! of course, happy to share this.
I tried your method for breakfast this morning and I really did get perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs – just the way I like them! Thank you so much!
Thank you, Anjali!!! happy to help.