How many calories are in a boiled egg?
A large boiled egg is about 78 kcal. Boiling adds no fat, no coating and no sugar, so that figure is the egg and nothing else — which is rarer than it sounds.
Per portion
| Portion | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 medium boiled egg | ~68 kcal | 5.8 g | 0.3 g | 4.7 g |
| 1 large boiled egg | ~78 kcal | 6.5 g | 0.4 g | 5.3 g |
| 2 large boiled eggs | ~155 kcal | 13 g | 0.8 g | 11 g |
| 3 large boiled eggs | ~235 kcal | 19 g | 1.2 g | 16 g |
| 100 g (3.5 oz), about two eggs | ~155 kcal | 13 g | 0.8 g | 11 g |
| 1 large boiled yolk, ~17 g | ~60 kcal | 2.7 g | 0.3 g | 5 g |
Soft-boiled and hard-boiled come to the same number. Cooking time changes the texture, not the energy.
One honest footnote on that 78. Databases list a raw large egg at about 72 kcal and a hard-boiled one at about 78. The egg did not gain energy in the pan; it lost a little water, so it weighs slightly less and reads slightly denser. Anywhere between 72 and 80 is a defensible answer.
What changes the number
Almost nothing, if you boil it. That is the interesting part, because the alternatives are not close.
| Two large eggs, cooked as | Approx. kcal |
|---|---|
| Boiled or poached | ~155 |
| Fried in 1 tsp (5 ml) oil | ~195 |
| Fried in 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil or ghee | ~275 |
| Scrambled with 15 g butter and a splash of milk | ~280 |
| Omelette with 10 g butter and 20 g cheese | ~310 |
A tablespoon of cooking fat is roughly 120 kcal — more than either egg in the pan. Eggs absorb and hold it, so very little stays behind in the pan. This is the clearest everyday case of the cooking medium mattering more than the food: the same two eggs run from 155 to 310 kcal without the eggs changing at all. The raw egg figures are the floor, not the forecast.
Where it fits in a deficit
Boiled eggs are one of the better things to keep in the fridge during a calorie deficit. Two are 155 kcal for 13 g of protein, they need no cooking at the moment you are hungry and impatient, and they are awkward to overeat — a third egg is a decision rather than a slip, which is more than can be said for a bag of anything.
They are not high-volume food. Two eggs is a small physical amount, so they work better alongside something bulky than as the whole snack, which is the volume-and-density trade in miniature. If you want the protein without the fat, egg whites do that job at roughly a fifth of the calories, with a cost attached.
What happens after the boiling
The pan is honest. The plate is where the calories reappear, and nearly always in a spread or a dressing:
- 1 tbsp (15 g) mayonnaise: ~100 kcal, so an egg mayonnaise filling roughly doubles two boiled eggs
- 1 slice of buttered toast underneath: ~150 kcal
- 1 tsp salad cream: ~15 kcal
- Salt, pepper, chilli flakes, vinegar: zero
Egg mayonnaise, egg salad and devilled eggs all start from the one preparation that added nothing and then add a great deal. If you are planning meals around boiled eggs, the thing worth weighing is the mayonnaise, not the eggs.
Figures are typical values and vary by variety, size and preparation. General information, not medical advice.