How Long Should You Boil Eggs For When Making Egg Salad?
The question of how long to boil eggs is not as tricky to answer when you know what you're using them for. Let's say you're making egg salad. Rather than a soft or jammy egg, somewhere in the medium- to hard-boiled range works best. A solid, creamy yolk blends nicely with mayo, herbs, and other seasonings. So, with this in mind, Mashed set out to determine the optimal time to boil eggs for the perfect egg salad.
Mashed spoke with expert Nelson Serrano-Bahri, chef and the director of innovation at the American Egg Board – an organization dedicated to supporting egg farmers and increasing egg consumption. "Eggs are the foundation for egg salad, and it's important to make sure your eggs are cooked specifically for making egg salad. You want to have a yolk that is fully cooked but still creamy," Serrano-Bahri explains. "As a reminder, to ensure food safety, eggs should always be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit."
An easy egg salad recipe capitalizes on a well-cooked egg's texture. The chef recommends "cooking your eggs for 10 to 12 minutes to make sure the yolk is fully set but still moist." In contrast, six to eight minutes will ensure a softer egg.
It's hard to fix an overcooked egg
According to Nelson Serrano-Bahri, "Overcooking boiled eggs is one of the biggest mistakes when making egg salad." When you overcook an egg, both the egg white and yolk will become hard and rubbery. You may notice a blue-green hue on the exterior of the egg yolk, produced by the reaction of iron and sulfur, and you may also notice a sulfur-like smell. None of this is suitable for an appetizing egg salad. Although you can attempt to fix overcooked eggs by adding extra mayo for moisture, you'll just end up with an extra mayonnaise-y salad. You're much better off nailing the proper cooking time.
Per Serrano-Bahri's guidance on making the perfect soft-boiled egg, eggs should be added to a pot of water on the stove, brought to a boil together, then reduced to a simmer. This is when you should start your 10- to 12-minute timer.
One popular science-based technique for peeling eggs that Serrano-Bahri uses is shocking them in ice water. "Immediately after boiling, put the eggs into an ice bath to let them become fully cool, making them easier to peel and prevent overcooking." When you slice open the eggs, you're guaranteed to find a perfectly soft yellow interior.