Soft-Boiled Egg Timing Guide: Chef-Tested Times for Every Doneness

Perfect soft-boiled eggs come down to seconds. This chef-tested soft-boiled egg timing guide gives you reliable times for runny, jammy, and set yolks—plus the ice-bath stop that locks texture in place. For large eggs started in boiling water, aim for 6:00 for runny, 6:30 for jammy, 8:00 for medium-soft, 10:00 for early hard, and 12–14 minutes for fully hard-cooked. Whether you’re topping ramen, packing meal prep eggs for the week, or building portable protein boxes, you’ll get repeatable results with simple methods you can trust. We also include a low-water steam approach for batch consistency, troubleshooting, and smart adjustments for egg size, starting temperature, and altitude—backed by test-kitchen data and egg science. These are the timings we use at Meat Recipe Box for reliable, box-ready protein.