Egg Cooking Times Chart: How Long to Boil, Poach, Bake and Fry an Egg

How long to boil an egg depends on the yolk you want: runny at 5 minutes, jammy at 7, firm at 12. This chart goes minute by minute from runny to firm, then gives timings for cold-start hard-cooked, poached, baked, fried and scrambled eggs, with safety and storage tips.

Egg Cooking Times chart: Boiled, poached, baked and fried: how long to cook an egg the way you like it

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Boiled, poached, baked and fried: how long to cook an egg the way you like it.

Boiled eggs, minute by minute

Time	Result	Yolk and white
5 min	Runny	liquid yolk, soft white
6 min	Soft	runny centre, set white
7 min	Jammy	thick, sticky yolk
8 min	Custardy	just set, soft centre
10 min	Hard	set, still moist
12 min	Firm	fully set, pale

Large eggs straight from the fridge, lowered into gently boiling water, then cooled in ice water. Typical results.

Other ways to cook an egg

Method	How
Hard-cooked, cold start	Eggs in a single layer, cold water 1 inch above them. Bring just to a boil, take off the heat, cover and stand: 9 minutes for medium, 12 for large, 15 for extra-large eggs. Cool in ice water.
Boiled, hot start	Lower fridge-cold eggs into gently boiling water and time from that moment (see the eggs above). Move to ice water to stop the cooking.
Poached	Crack into simmering, not boiling, water. 3 to 5 minutes, until the white is set and the yolk starts to thicken.
Baked (shirred)	In a buttered ramekin, at 400 F (200 C) for 12 to 15 minutes.
Fried	In a little butter or oil over medium heat. Sunny side up: about 1 minute uncovered, then 1 to 2 minutes covered. Over easy: about 2 minutes, flip, then 30 seconds more.
Scrambled	Beaten eggs over medium-low heat, stirred gently until thickened with no liquid egg left.

Safety and tips

Cook eggs until the white is completely set and the yolk begins to thicken; cook egg dishes to 160 F (71 C).
Refrigerate at 40 F (4 C) or below: raw eggs in the shell keep 3 to 5 weeks, hard-cooked eggs up to a week.
Eggs a week or two old peel more easily than very fresh ones: the white loses acidity and clings less to the shell.
Once a hard-cooked egg is peeled, eat it the same day.

Notes and sources

Times vary with egg size, starting temperature, altitude and pan; adjust a minute either way to taste.

Hard-cooked times from the American Egg Board; safety and storage from the Egg Safety Center and Clemson Extension.

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