Medium Boiled Egg Timer

How long to boil a medium boiled egg

A medium boiled egg sits between the two extremes: the yolk is firm at the edges but still soft, glossy and slightly liquid in the centre. This is the texture usually called jammy, and it is what you want for ramen eggs, grain bowls, salads and snacking. For a large egg, boil for 8 minutes at a rolling boil.

Eight minutes is a genuinely narrow window. At 7 minutes you are close to soft boiled territory with a mostly liquid centre; by 9 the yolk has set almost through. If you like a wetter centre, pull at 7 minutes 30 seconds. This is the doneness where using an actual timer rather than guessing makes the biggest visible difference.

Medium boiled times by egg size

• Small: 7 minutes
• Medium: 7 minutes 30 seconds
• Large: 8 minutes
• Extra large: 8 minutes 30 seconds

Ramen eggs (ajitama)

For marinated ramen eggs, boil for 7 to 7 minutes 30 seconds rather than the full 8 — the eggs firm up slightly while they sit in the marinade. Chill them thoroughly in an ice bath, peel carefully, then steep in a soy, mirin and sake mixture for at least four hours. The shorter boil keeps the centre properly molten after marinating.

Method

1. Bring the water to a full rolling boil before the eggs go anywhere near it.
2. Lower the eggs in gently and start the timer immediately.
3. Keep the boil steady. A violent boil knocks the eggs together and cracks them.
4. Ice bath for at least 5 minutes. This matters more than it does for soft boiled eggs — residual heat will set the yolk the rest of the way if you let it.

Medium boiled eggs peel more easily than soft boiled but are still more delicate than hard boiled. See the egg cooking time guide for altitude adjustments and the steaming method, which cracks fewer eggs.