Making hard-boiled eggs seems like it should be so simple, and yet somehow it winds up being more complicated than we expect. Sometimes even the easiest way to peel hard-boiled eggs may not feel that way. That’s why we were so intrigued when we came across a TikTok hack that claims they have the secret to how to cut a hard-boiled egg perfectly.
Even if you’ve already mastered a lot of kitchen hacks—including how to crack an egg—you may still be perfecting your slicing technique for perfect deviled eggs. (We’ve already got you covered on the easiest way to hard-boil eggs.) When we saw the recent TikTok hack for how to cut a hard-boiled egg without making a mess, we knew we had to put it to the test.
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What is the viral hack for cutting hard-boiled eggs?
@andrealanevI’m just now figuring this out after almost 30 years on this spinning rock?♬ original sound – Andrea VanDerwerker
This TikTok hard-boiled egg cutting hack has already racked up over 3 million views and is still going strong. In the video, she puts a peeled hard-boiled egg on her cutting board, places her chef’s knife on top of it and gently pulls it back. The hard-boiled egg rolls across the cutting board beneath the knife’s sharp edge, cleanly cutting the white in two while the yolks remain untouched. Not only are the eggs cut perfectly for deviled eggs, but the knife blade remains clean, and neither the yolks nor whites end up crushed.
Here’s how to cut a hard-boiled egg the TikTok way:
- Cook, cool and peel a hard-boiled egg.
- Put the egg on a non-slip cutting board.
- Place a chef’s knife on top of the egg, close to where the handle meets the blade.
- Apply gentle pressure and pull the knife toward you, letting the egg roll with it.
- After the egg has made a full rotation, remove the split egg white from the intact yolk.
Does this hack work for cutting hard-boiled eggs?
I tried this hard-boiled egg hack for myself to see if it works—and the answer is yes and no. Eggs aren’t perfectly round, so they wobble when they roll, which makes it difficult to get a perfectly symmetrical cut. When I first tried cutting my hard-boiled eggs lengthwise, I ended up with a spiralized cut and uneven egg whites. It was much easier when I cut the eggs horizontally, which works great for egg salad, but is not ideal for deviled eggs.
Also, this hack works best with hard-boiled eggs that are overcooked, which makes their whites tough and bouncy enough to roll across the cutting board like a ball. While this works great for making TikTok videos, it’s not as good for eating. An ideal hard-boiled egg should have a vibrantly yellow-orange yolk that practically glows, and it will easily mash to a smooth consistency when pressed with the back of a fork. Using this oven trick is one way to make sure you get perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs every time.
Overcooked eggs will have a light yellow yolk with undertones of gray or green, and a chalky, crumbly texture when mashed. They’re still edible, though, and if you’re making a large quantity of deviled eggs, you may want to use this TikTok hack for easy cutting and compensate for the yolk’s less-than-perfect texture by adding extra mayo when mashing. For the best deviled eggs, check out the results of our taste test to find the best mayonnaise brands.
I found that instead of letting the knife do all the work, use your hands to stabilize and guide the egg as it rolls to ensure you get a clean, even cut. You can also hold the egg and use a smaller knife (like a paring knife) to cut around the egg without going all the way through, which will give you a straight cut, two even halves and a perfectly intact yolk.
What are some other ways to cut a hard-boiled egg?
Did you try the TikTok tip to learn how to cut a hard-boiled egg, and it wasn’t your thing? Here are some other egg-slicing options you can test out too.
Use a sharp knife
Sometimes the best way is the most obvious one: Simply cut the hard-boiled egg in half with a knife. To avoid smooshing or smearing yolk all over your knife, make sure the edge is razor sharp. Dull knives not only do a poor job of cutting foods, but they can also lead to more slip-ups and accidents. So it’s important to sharpen and hone your knives regularly.
Use unflavored dental floss
For a clean, quick cut, wrap a piece of unflavored dental floss around an egg and gently pull the ends toward each other. The floss will slide right through, perfectly bisecting the yolk and white into two pieces. This is a great way to cut hard-boiled eggs for deviled eggs. You can also find out how to remove eggs from the carton before you get started preparing them.
Use an egg slicer
If you enjoy making egg salad regularly, you may want to buy an egg slicer to make quick work of cutting hard-boiled eggs. We like this egg slicer from OXO, which has more than 14,000 positive reviews on Amazon.
The post Does the Viral TikTok Hack for Cutting Hard-Boiled Eggs Work? We Put It to the Test appeared first on Reader's Digest.