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.
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!
Love using an air fryer? Try these Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs too!
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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
Finding the Best Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs method
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 PERFECT Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
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.
They are also 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
After extensive testing, I believe this is the best hard boiled egg recipe ever (seriously). It’s:
- Fast
- Easy
- No shell cracking
- Perfect easy peeling
- I personally think it makes the best TASTING hard boiled eggs too.
How to Make Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
Making fantastic hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot is easy and takes three steps:
- cooking with high pressure and the cooking time is based on altitude (and is rounded to a the nearest minute).
- a 5 minute slow release, and
- a 5 minute ice water bath.
These eggs don’t crack and are very easy to peel, leaving the egg smooth.
The great thing about the Instant Pot is that you can make 1 perfect hard boiled egg or a dozen at the same time.
I suppose that is the same for making it on the stove top but I can’t predictably make hard boiled eggs on the stove without some cracking and the white oozing out.
I was excited after landing on what I feel is the perfect Instant Pot hard boiled egg recipe.
What I did NOT anticipate is how much better the flavor of the cooked eggs is!
Fast forward a year after originally publishing this recipe and I make a batch of these eggs a week. I crave them now.
I also have received a reader email weekly from those at high altitude letting me know that this recipe made the best hard boiled eggs they’ve had!
If you need some inspiration about what to make with your eggs, these 22 Fantastic Recipes for Leftover Hard Boiled Eggs is sure to spark some inspiration (along with the recipes on the first page).
If you are looking for some Easter Egg options I have you covered! I love these Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs – using food ingredients for dying. Have some spare ties laying around? Silk Dyed Easter Eggs are fun to make and any silk will work. Want something super easy? Tattooed Easter Eggs use removable tattoos (that you can make yourself too). I used naturally blue colored eggs for these.
Mind-Blowing Instant Pot Tips You Need to Know!
After developing Instant Pot recipes for the past few years, I’ve uncovered some unexpected, useful tips I think you’ll want to know!
Sign-Up below and I’ll tell you all my Instant Pot secrets!
UPDATE July 2018: I’ve now made Instant Pot hard boiled eggs via this method weekly; probably 100 batches. The results are always consistent and the eggs delicious. The ONLY time I’ve found an issue with cracking has been with eggs from a specific local farm which I’ve observed have very thin shells.
Recipe
How to Make Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold tap water
- Large eggs (any amount)
- Ice and cold water (for an ice bath)
- 6-quart Instant Pot
Instructions
- Place the rack that comes with the Instant Pot in the insert. Pour in the 1 cup cold tap water. Add the eggs on the rack.
- seal the lid of the Instant Pot positioning the pressure vent to SEALING.
- Select MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE and using the “=/-” buttons insert the correct time for your altitude: 0-3,000 feet=8 minutes, 3,000-5,000 feet=9 minutes, 5,000-7,000 feet=10 minutes.
- When the cooking time has completed allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 5 minutes then release the remaining pressure.
- Place the eggs (carefully using an oven mitt or kitchen towel, they will be very hot) into a bowl with cold water and ice for 5 minutes. Remove and peel or store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition Information is based on 1 hard boiled egg. Multiply times the number you make for complete information.
Joanna Cismaru says
I love using my IP for hard boiled eggs, so easy!
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!
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!
Tina says
This is great. I am at altitude and wondered if there would be avtrick to making these. Thanks for posting.
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 article.
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.
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!
Veronica Solomon says
I love hard boiled eggs. I love them in my salads
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.
Karrie Truman says
That Instant Pot is so handy! I am constantly finding out new ways to use it like this one!