Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs (Easy Peel)

Name: Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 21 min
Ingredients: 1-16 large eggs; 1 cup cold water

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs are the best and easiest way to make hard boiled eggs. Perfectly cooked, easy peel eggs every single time!

Besides making hard boiled eggs in Instant Pot, I also like to make hard boiled eggs in air fryer.

Instant pot hard boiled eggs cut in halves on white plate.

I have always struggled with making perfect hard boiled eggs until I got my Instant Pot. Instant Pot hard boiled eggs was one of the first Instant Pot recipes I made and instantly fell in love with the appliance.

While boiling eggs on the stove is simple, it is not always a foolproof method. With hard boiled eggs in Instant Pot I no longer have to worry about embarrassing moments with undercooked or overcooked eggs.

Perfect hard boiled eggs make the best Easter eggs, snack, breakfast, healthy egg salad or healthy deviled eggs.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Completely hands off method: You do not have to watch the eggs. You can walk away while eggs are cooking.
Easy to peel: Instant Pot hard boiled eggs peel like a dream 100% of times. No matter whether they are old or fresh, from a farm or your grocery store.
Any eggs work: You can use any egg size, cold straight from the refrigerator or warm from under the chicken.
Perfect results every time: Golden set centers without greens rings.

How to Hard Boil Eggs in Instant Pot

This Instant Pot hard boiled eggs recipe is really simple. I have tested it in both 6 quart Instant Pot and 8 quart Instant Pot.

Step by step process how to cook eggs in instant pot, then plunge them in ice bath and peel easily.

Add trivet and add cold water: Add trivet and 1 cup of cold water to Instant Pot. Do not add hot water as eggs will come out undercooked.
Add the eggs: Place up to 16 eggs into Instant Pot in a single layer and not stacked on top of each other. They can touch each other a bit though. Eggs should not be submerged in water or touching inner liner walls either.
Cook the eggs: Close the lid of your pressure cooker, set valve to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High pressure or Manual button for 5 minutes. After do natural release for 5 minutes and then turn valve to Venting to let remaining steam out.
Plunge eggs in ice water bath and peel: Place Instant Pot hard boiled eggs in a bowl with cold water and ice for 5 minutes. Now peel the eggs.

The most common method to make hard boiled eggs in Instant Pot is called “5-5-5 method” which means:

5 minutes pressure cook time
5 minutes natural pressure release
5 minutes ice bath

I would also add 5 minutes of Instant Pot coming to pressure at the beginning. Then the best method for perfect Instant Pot hard boiled eggs is 5-5-5-5.

Hard boiled eggs in Instant Pot in a glass bowl.

How to Peel Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

Instant Pot hard boiled eggs are the easiest eggs to peel in the whole entire world!

Remove an egg from an ice bath and tap on the countertop. You will see the broken shell. I like to tap just a few times, not more than 2-3 times, keeping cracks larger and eggs easier to peel.

Using your fingers peel the eggs by starting at the air pocket of the bottom of the egg. The egg shell will literally fall off in big chunks. That’s it!

Tips for Best Results

Here are my top tips for the perfect Instant Pot hard boiled eggs every single time.

Test and adjust the cook time: To find your perfect pressure cooker hard boiled eggs first cook recipe as is and adjust after, if necessary. I live at the sea level and if you are at a higher elevation over 4,000-5,000 feet, you might add extra 2 minutes if making hard boiled eggs in 8 quart Instant Pot.
Don’t skip the trivet: Cooking hard boiled eggs on a trivet, egg rack or inside the steamer basket will prevent eggs from cracking.
Don’t do quick release: Hard boiled eggs will not be cooked.
Water amount stays the same: Use 1 cup cold water no matter if you use 6 quart Instant Pot or 8 quart Instant Pot.
No ice? If cooking up to 4 eggs, cold water bath will do. More than 5 hard boiled eggs, change cold water a few times or use ice bath.

How to Store Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

You can store peeled or unpeeled Instant Pot hard boiled eggs. It is a matter of personal preference and depends on how long you want them to last.

Freshly hard boiled eggs in Instant Pot last for up to 2 hours at room temperature.

Refrigerate peeled cooked eggs in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Unpeeled eggs can be refrigerated uncovered for up to 7 days. Unpeeled eggs last longer.

I like to store hard boiled eggs in a glass container with an airtight lid. Keeps eggs fresh and refrigerator smell free.

Recipes Using Hard Boiled Eggs

Hard boiled eggs in Instant Pot are easy to peel and are ideal for:

Meaty salads: Add them to avocado egg salad, healthy potato salad, tuna egg salad or Olivier salad.
Green salads: Like cobb salad, spinach salad and asparagus salad.
Toast: Top avocado toast with sliced hard boiled eggs. Or spread a bit of mayo on sourdough toast, place egg slices, top with sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper or Everything bagel seasoning.
Soups: Instant Pot hard boiled eggs are an essential ingredients in this sorrel soup.
Brunch: Cut and include on a breakfast charcuterie board or make avocado deviled eggs for guests.
Dessert: Try this hard boiled egg chocolate pudding!

FAQs

Are fresh eggs or old eggs the best?

In my experiments, I found that the age of eggs does not matter when making hard boiled eggs in Instant Pot. Both will cook and peel perfectly the same.

Does the size of eggs matter?

Yes, the size of the eggs does matter. This Instant Pot hard boiled eggs recipe has been tested with large eggs. For extra large eggs, cook them for 7 minutes. And for small eggs, 4 minutes will be enough.

How many eggs can you hard boil in Instant Pot at same time?

You can pressure cook up to 16 large eggs in 8 quart Instant Pot at the same time. And about 10 large eggs in 6 quart Instant Pot.

You can add more eggs in a single layer if you do not care if some eggs crack. For best results they should not touch the walls.

What about Instant Pot soft boiled and medium boiled eggs?

To make soft boiled eggs in Instant Pot, use 1 cup hot tap water and pressure cook eggs on High pressure for 1 minute. For medium boiled eggs, do same but pressure cook for 3 minutes. Vent right away after cooking has finished.

Can I freeze Instant Pot hard boiled eggs?

Cooked eggs do not freeze well. The egg whites become rubbery. You can always use up the cooked eggs whites first and freeze the egg yolks.

More Instant Pot Egg Recipes to Try

More Basic Instant Pot Recipes

Now that you have mastered Instant Pot hard boiled eggs, try these Instant Pot recipes for beginners.