Muffin Tins Are The Perfect Pan For Shortcut 'Hard-Boiled' Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs make a great breakfast, a quick snack, or an ingredient for egg salad. They're also a versatile addition to party platters in the form of deviled eggs. When it comes to cooking them, there are all sorts of tips and techniques, from timing to water temperature.

If you want to avoid standing over a stove to boil eggs, there are alternative methods too, which don't even involve water. You can switch to your air fryer for no-fuss hard-boiled eggs. Or, try the muffin tin method for cooking eggs in the oven. A technique that has been tried and tested over the years, it's a hack that has also taken foodie TikTok by storm, largely thanks to its simplicity.

The muffin tin method involves placing each egg in a hole before baking. This helps keep the eggs from rolling around during the cooking process, as they can when boiled in water on the stove, so there's less chance of the shells cracking. It also produces eggs that are evenly cooked, easy to peel, and with much less stress, especially if you're looking to cook a large number of eggs at once.

Although the eggs are technically baked rather than traditionally boiled, the muffin tin technique is a winner if you're cooking lots of eggs. It means you don't need to worry about timing or the risk of cracked eggs. And it's incredibly easy to execute. Simply place an egg in each hole of the tin, then pop the tray in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes. If your oven tends to run hot, try turning it down to 325 degrees Fahrenheit instead.

Once the eggs are out of the oven, use tongs to plunge them into an ice bath (a bowl filled with ice and cold water), and leave them there for 10 minutes. This step also makes it easier to peel hard-boiled eggs; it cools them down so they're more manageable to handle, and the cold temperature helps the white come away from the shell with less effort.

If you notice any brown spots on the whites of the eggs once they're peeled, these are perfectly safe to eat. It's just where the eggs have been in contact with the pan. But, you could always cut those parts away if you prefer the eggs to look neater. The cooked eggs will last for up to a week in the refrigerator, either peeled or in their shells, if you're preparing a batch in advance.

Hard-boiled is not the only way to cook eggs in a muffin tin; this piece of kitchenware can also be used to create a variety of alternate egg dishes in handy individual servings. Try greasing a muffin tray with oil or fat and simply breaking an egg into each space, then baking for 15 to 20 minutes for soft- or hard-baked eggs. Or, try whisking the eggs first for mini make-ahead portions of scrambled eggs.

A muffin tin is also great for cooking egg bites. Just whisk up the eggs with your favorite fillings and pour the mixture into the greased tray before baking for 20 to 25 minutes. Filled with anything from sausage to spinach, the egg bites will keep for several days in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a quick, tasty, protein-packed breakfast or snack.

Or, for a next-level breakfast dish, try pressing fresh hash browns into an oiled muffin tin and pushing them up the sides to form cups. These can be baked and then filled with whisked eggs and a choice of toppings, and then baked again to make cute hash brown egg cups. When it comes to cooking eggs, a trusty muffin tin can be endlessly versatile for a variety of fuss-free recipes, from simply boiled to appetizing snacks or complete breakfast dishes.