Salmonella is a nasty little bacteria that lives on eggshells—and sometimes inside the egg, courtesy of a chicken’s infected ovaries. Yes, that egg you just cooked might have been a bacterial party bus from the start. But here’s the kicker: heat kills salmonella like a vampire in a tanning bed.
Boiling an egg thoroughly—until both white and yolk are solid—will annihilate any lurking salmonella. The magic temperature is 160°F (71°C), and boiling water hits 212°F (100°C) like a boss. So if you’re serving a hard-boiled egg that’s been in boiling water for at least 10–12 minutes, you’ve basically given salmonella a one-way ticket to oblivion.
