How Long To Bake Eggs For The Perfect Jammy Yolks

There's something about the golden, custardy center of a jammy egg that takes dishes like a breakfast sandwich, a Cobb salad, or a serving of shakshuka from basic to memorable. Though the color of egg yolks largely comes down to a chicken's diet, the cooking time for baked eggs directly dictates the yolks' texture. Chowhound consulted Nelson Serrano-Bahri, Chef and Director of Innovation at The American Egg Board, to get some expert guidance on the best method for baking eggs to achieve peak jamminess.

Serrano-Bahri says that, for that "soft but scoopable" jammy consistency, you'll want to bake eggs for 13 to 15 minutes in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven. Baking for less time, say 10 to 12 minutes, will produce a runny yolk, while cooking for 16 to 18 minutes will yield a fully set yolk. The exact baking time, Serrano-Bahri notes, depends on your particular oven and what kind of baking dish you're working with. His given times are for eggs baked in a ramekin or muffin tin. 

It's true that timing for baked jammy eggs is a bit longer than for jammy soft-boiled eggs, which take around six to eight minutes. But only baked sheet pan eggs will help you serve up those craveable yolks to a crowd. 

If you want to eyeball the timing on your eggs or are working with an unfamiliar oven, Nelson Serrano-Bahri suggests some handy visual cues that will still help you nail the egg texture you are after. It's the condition of the egg's whites, he shares, that give the clue. "Once they're fully opaque and firm," he says, "the yolk is nearly ready. A glossy, jiggly yolk means it's still runny. When it begins to dome slightly and loses its shine, it's entering jammy territory. A matte surface with a firmer center signals it's fully cooked."

Another helpful test, Serrano-Bahri, says, is to give the pan a gentle tap. If the yolk is still wobbly at the center, it will be runny. If it is soft set but still has a bit of movement, you've hit the jammy zone, and if there is no jiggle at all, the yolk is fully set. Once you get your timing down for the perfect jammy yolks, you may want to bake a few extra eggs for good measure; as your fork drops in, you're likely to already be looking forward to another one.