After lots of experimenting, this Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs recipe delivers every time. A simple three-part process nails it. No more shell cracking while boiling and special tips for high altitude.
Why Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs and Not Traditional?
Maybe it will seem weird but one of the first things that sprang to mind to master when getting my Instant Pot was a hard boiled eggs recipe. It’s not that I eat that many hard boiled eggs but they are tricky to make. With Easter coming I knew we’d soon be making lots of them and wondered if making them in the Instant Pot would be easier or with more predictable end results.
For those of you about to click away because you TOO don’t eat hard boiled eggs consider this recipe for Huevos Diablo (spicy Devil Eggs) or this Bacon-and-Egg Salad Sandwich. They will cause the most ardent of non-hard boiled egg eaters to reconsider!
After 15 test batches, and dozens of eggs, I have mastered How to Make Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs! I’m very excited to share what I learned. First I set my personal criteria for the experiment…..
What Defines Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
- The eggs are cooked all the way through, white and yolk, without overcooking
- No eggshells crack in the process
- The eggs peel easily without removing any of the cooked egg white
- The three goals above are accomplished in the least amount of time
Before launching my experiment, I had tried a few methods I found online.
My first observation was that there are MANY methods to cook Instant Pot hard boiled eggs online, and they are all different. Some maintain you cannot cook the eggs on high pressure or they will crack. There were multiple methods named with three numbers sounding like swim team drills my kids do: 5-5-5, 6-4-2, etc.
Some swear by quick release, others by slow release. It was really hard to know where to begin!
The two methods I tried didn’t work to meet my criteria. Both left the egg yolks uncooked fully as well as the peeling wasn’t predictable leaving the eggs looking gnawed on (not something I would want for a hard boiled egg recipe I was serving at a party). After this, I stopped the experimenting and dove into some research. This tidbit changed everything for me:
“For every 1,000 feet above 2,000-foot elevation, you must increase cooking time by 5 percent.” – Mother Earth News
I live at approximately 5,500 feet and though I have not run into issues with altitude affecting prior Instant Pot recipes, the precision of how to make perfect Instant Pot hard boiled eggs seemed possibly affected. This was a game changer in my experiment.
Testing the PERFECT Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs Recipe
I’ll spare you my elaborate spreadsheet of testing and results but I tested on low pressure and high pressure, with a quick pressure release and slow release, with an ice bath and without, conventional white eggs and cage-free pasture-raised brown eggs. My results showed cooking eggs on high pressure (I experienced no cracking with white eggs which are more thin-shelled or brown eggs), with a slow release of 5 minutes and another 5 minutes in an ice bath was the golden method.
I was able to cook them on low pressure successfully (for a longer time) to my criteria too though it took longer and they weren’t quite as easy to peel. I think the ice bath serves to both cool the eggs and stop the cooking process as well as improves ‘peel-ability’; they peel like a dream.
I did run into a surprise during this testing, however: that these are the best hard boiled eggs I’ve ever eaten! The white is perfectly cooked without being rubbery.
The yolks are light and fluffy with a beautiful flavor. The yolks are a brilliant yellow with no grayish outer ring from over cooking. I’m very excited about how to make the perfect Instant Pot hard boiled eggs!!
The best Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs Recipe:
claudia says
oh this is great thanks!
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
Thanks for sharing this. I’ve tried several different things so far in my Instant Pot, but I haven’t tried this yet.
Toni Dash says
If you try it please let me know how it works for you Stacie. As mentioned in the post I went through many eggs with a pretty details scientific approach and this worked the best and was repeatable (there were things that did not meet my criteria in every other variation I tried).
Jenna Wood says
What a timely read before Easter season! I don’t eat hard boiled eggs, but the other half loves them and I never quite learned how to make them right.
robin Rue says
They are actually REALLY easy, but this way is even easier :)Love it.
Elizabeth Neas says
Oh, this post came at the perfect time. I love boiled eggs and we just got an InstaPot. So excited to give this a try!
robin Rue says
No way! One guess what I am going to be doing today? This is awesome – we love hard boiled eggs!
Jeanette says
I am totally going to try this! We just got an instant pot for Christmas and I have been trying to find a way to cook a whole bunch of these eggs at once. I’m excited to try this.
Reesa Lewandowski says
It’s amazing that I STILL can mess up hard boiled eggs! I really need to try this!
Toni Dash says
Me too Reesa. They really can be tricky.
Melissa says
I feel so inadequate not having an instant pot. it can do so much. My son has been asking for deviled eggs this past week so now I will have to make this for him.
Heather @ Kraus House Mom says
I have the worst luck making hard boiled eggs. When I get my Instant Pot I’m trying this.
Toni Dash says
I am hearing this from so many people; I feel validated! They just shouldn’t be that hard, should they?
Cassie Tucker says
My husband loves boiled eggs and has talked about getting an Instant Pot. I will have to keep this in mind for when we do.
Liz Mays says
Ah, I need to remember to use my Instant Pot for recipes like this. I’ll be super happy if it can make hard boiled eggs easier!
Pam Wattenbarger says
The Instant Pot seems like it can do just about everything! I had no idea you could hard boil eggs in it.
Olivia Douglass says
This is awesome!! I don’t have an instant pot but I’ve been wanting one. My friend has one and I told her that I would share any recipes I found!!
Meagan says
These look so easy. I really need to consider an instant pot.
Jeni Hawkins says
This looks so awesome! I definitely need to give this a try. I love them on my salads.
Ann Bacciaglia says
I love my Instant Pot! Since I brought one home we have been eating a lot more home cooked healthy meals. I never thought of making hard boiled eggs in it. I will have to give it a try this week.
Patty says
I don’t have my pot yet but I do know one thing I’ve learned with regular hard boiled eggs that the older they are when you make them the easier they will be to peel in the end. I’ll have to experiment when my pot gets here.
Toni Dash says
That’s interesting Patty. That’s one factor with the stove top method I’ve never paid attention to. I thought the peeling had to do with the cold water afterwards. After all the work I put into finding the perfect Instant Pot method I think I’ll just stick with that now LOL!
Theresa says
This is so timely for Easter. I hate hard boiling them on the stove because I am never sure if they are actually done or not.
Toni Dash says
Or if some will crack while cooking if you are planning to dye them!
Stacie says
I have to try making these in my Instant Pot. I haven’t even thought of doing hard boiled eggs in it.
Tara says
You can cook everything in an Instant Pot it seems. I’ll have to see about getting one.
Claudia Krusch says
Thanks for sharing this. I haven’t tried hard boiling eggs on my instant pot yet!
Dawn McAlexander says
I don’t own am Instant Pot, so I need to get one. I love hard boiled eggs, but I can never get them fixed properly. I always undercook them. I would like to fix them right, so I need and Instant Pot.
Chelley @ A is For Adelaide says
The instant pot is so awesome!! I keep seeing all these simple and complex, delicious recipes- how awesome to make hard boiled eggs!!!
Lisa Collins says
Now THIS may have me sold on an instant pot! I LOVE boiled eggs but am really terrible at making them!
Annemarie LeBlanc says
Wow. Amazing what this Instant Pot can do. I have seen so many different recipes and I am totally convinced I should have my own Instant Pot.
Our Family World says
My son really loves a boiled egg but he wants a perfect one! I’m glad that you shared this smart tips.
Jocelyn @ Hip Mama's Place says
I just got my Instant Pot but have not tried making hard boiled eggs in it yet. Thank you for this very helpful how to guide!
makeba says
My mom used to make hard-boiled eggs all of the time. I wish Instant Pot would’ve been around then – I know she would have loved it!
Toni Dash says
During our moms’ era they would have used a stove top pressure cooker (which always scared me to death). I wonder if they made hard boiled eggs in them? I think that was a stove top recipe only. I’ll share after making them in the Instant Pot, I’m never going back to the stove (knock wood)!
SHELLEY R ZUREK says
I enjoyed your tips. My dad is always seeking the perfect boiled egg for his salads. Now I have to get him an instapot.
Jeanine says
These look perfect! I had no idea you could make these in the instant pot. Is there nothing that can be done in the instant pot? This looks awesome!
Toni Dash says
I don’t know the answer to your question Jeanine but I’m on a quest to find out!
Karrie Truman says
That Instant Pot is so handy! I am constantly finding out new ways to use it like this one!
Myrah Duque says
Neat! I wasn’t aware of the ice bath. I always have problems with cracking them. Not sure if they are ready or not. THis helps a lot. Thank you.
Veronica Solomon says
I love hard boiled eggs. I love them in my salads
Shannon Gurnee says
I would love to have an instant pot someday! It looks like there are all kinds of great recipes you can make in it!
Marcie W. says
Now this recipe will have me running to purchase an Instant Pot! I love hard boiled eggs as a snack or in salads, but peeling them is the absolute worst.
Jane says
I’ve recently started using the instant pot for hard boiling eggs, and it does work well 95% of the time. However, within each dozen eggs I cook, I will usually get a couple that end up with green yolks. All the rest are fine. First I thought it was that they were touching the sides of the pan (increasing the amount of cooking on those ones) but upon investigation, that appears to not be it. Any idea why it may be happening? We eat them anyways, they just aren’t as pretty.
One time I actually set them to cook, and forgot about them for literally HOURS, came back home, put them in an ice bath, and besides being very well done and all green yolks, they were totally edible. 🙂
Toni Dash says
I’ve always read it’s related to them cooking too long Jane. You might be interested in this: https://www.extension.umn.edu/food/food-safety/preserving/safe-meals/green-eggs-and-ham/
Andrea M Larsen says
This is the worst kind of teaser – I finally got the courage to take my Instant Pot out of the box, did the water test, and then searched for a high altitude hard boiled egg recipe. Your lead up had me grabbing my eggs, but every time I click on the link to get the actual recipe, the main page reloads.
Toni Dash says
Oh no! I just checked it an it’s working for me. Can you check it again on your side?
Tina says
This is great. I am at altitude and wondered if there would be avtrick to making these. Thanks for posting.
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says
Toni, I just might be the last person on the planet who doesn’t have an Instant Pot. I keep hemming and hawing because I have soooo many appliances and gadgets (*every* one except the Instant Pot!). So this caught me eye. Tell me, should I get one? How often do you actually use it? Do you recommend the 6-quart or the 8?
Toni Dash says
Confession? I wondered the same thing before getting mine. I actually made three recipes in mine yesterday! I am using it more and more. I have decided hard boiled eggs taste better through this method (I am making a batch a week and never thought hard boiled eggs would all taste the same no matter how they are made, but I seriously think they taste better). I’ve reviewed a few Instant Pot cookbooks (and have another one coming up) that really offer a variety of recipes from sauces to main dishes and desserts (as well as I’m developing Instant Pot recipes too).
I really use the pressure cooker function and love that you can saute in the IP then switch to pressure cooking (no extra clean up). What I love about the pressure cooker is it retains more nutrients in the food (any pressure cooking does), with the IP you click the lid on and don’t have to pay attention while the cooking is happening, AND that it’s fast!! The ‘fast’ is my favorite part. It gets dinner done in a flash.
On size, I have the 6-quart and have not found a recipe that couldn’t be made in it. If you have a large family you might want the 8-quart but I feel the 6-quart is good.
I have not yet tried the slow cooker function or the yogurt function. I love the pre-selected settings like ‘soup’. Dump the ingredients in and press the button!
Nicole says
I live at a high altitude (6000 feet) and have not had any issues with my Instant Pot hard boiled eggs when I cook them on High Pressure with a Quick Release and an ice bath. I have always put my cooked eggs into an ice bath even when I used the regular stove top method, so I automatically did it with my Instant Pot eggs, too. It gets perfect results for me as well.
Toni Dash says
That’s great!