Not The Stove Nor The Instant Pot: The Easier Boiled Egg Method For Large Batches

There are lots of tips and tricks for making hard boiled eggs because they're notoriously a huge pain to get just right. You don't want runny, undercooked eggs or boiled eggs with hard, green yolks. This is especially annoying if you're making them in bulk for a batch of your favorite curried deviled eggs with pickled carrot garnish, or to have on hand for a quick snack as easy protein for sandwiches and salads.

Fortunately, a ridiculously simple workaround to all this hassle is to skip boiling them all together and put them in the oven instead. Muffin tins are perfect for this since the compartments keep the eggs apart as they bake, ensuring they cook evenly. Silicone muffin tins are also less likely to brown the shells at points of contact since the silicone transfers heat less intensely than metal. However, no matter what material you use, your eggs may still come out speckled with brown spots — this is both normal and harmless.

There's also no guesswork when oven-baking your eggs instead of boiling them — about 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit is all they need to be perfectly set from white to yolk. While they bake, be sure to prepare a nice, big mixing bowl full of ice water to put them in as soon as they come out of the oven — this makes them a cinch to peel easily.

Even though this method is much simpler than traditional ways of making hard-boiled eggs, there are still some techniques you can employ to ensure near-perfect results basically every time you make them. As mentioned, silicone muffin tins reduce the chances of your eggs developing brown, overcooked areas where they touch the tin. Silicone cupcake liners also work well; it may be worth investing in one or the other if you plan to make these eggs often.

It's also best to pop your eggs cold from the fridge straight into the preheated oven since room-temperature eggs cook faster, leading to dry, shriveled results. However, you can also adjust the times slightly to bake other styles of boiled eggs this way. For instance, baking your eggs for just 22 minutes instead of 30 gets you perfect soft-boiled eggs with the jammy yolks of your dreams. This is a great shortcut for making soft-boiled eggs for a crowd, whether you're presenting them with traditional toast soldiers or need them for a big batch of eggs Benedict.

Using this hack also means you can basically "set and forget" your eggs until the oven timer goes off, giving you plenty of time to whip up your favorite egg salad dressing or put together the base of a quick, delicious Cobb salad. You can also leave them unpeeled and transfer them right from the ice bath to the fridge for meals and snacks later on.