Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs With Easy To Peel Shells Recipe

I finally perfected How To Boil Eggs In Instant Pot and in this post I share the single timing and tip that removes all the guesswork.

I never thought hard boiled eggs could feel like a tiny kitchen miracle, but after messing around with my Instant Pot I got shells that peel like a dream. I swear the combination of baking soda and an ice bath changed everything, even when I rushed or forgot a step.

This intro is not cloying fluff, it’s me being honest about the thrill of perfectly smooth whites and yolks that behave. You’ve probably typed How To Boil Eggs In Instant Pot into search and found noise, but stick with this — I broke a few eggs to learn what really works.

Ingredients

• Eggs: protein stars, choline rich and filling, yolks have fats and vitamins, great for breakfasts
• Cold water: used for steaming, keeps pot pressure right, has no flavor, just filler
• Baking soda: optional, makes whites less sticky to the shell, helps peeling go easier
• White vinegar: optional, mild acid that can loosen membranes, also tames sulfur smell a bit
• Ice: for the bath, stops cooking instantly, firms whites and makes peeling much cleaner
• Cold bath water: cools eggs fast, prevents overcooking carryover, keeps yolks tender not chalky

Ingredient Quantities

• 6 to 12 large eggs
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (optional, helps shells peel easier)
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar (optional)
• about 2 cups ice
• cold water, enough for an ice bath

How to Make this

1. Pour 1 cup cold water into the Instant Pot inner pot, add 1 tablespoon white vinegar if you want (optional, helps sealed cracks set), then place the trivet or steamer basket in the pot.

2. Arrange 6 to 12 large eggs on the trivet in a single layer, they can touch but try not to stack them too high.

3. Close the lid, set valve to sealing, pressure cook on High for 5 minutes for large eggs (same time for 6 or 12 eggs).

4. When cook time ends let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes of natural pressure release, then carefully flip the valve to venting to quick release any remaining pressure.

5. While the pressure is releasing, fill a bowl with about 2 cups of ice and enough cold water to make a proper ice bath; stir in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda if you want (optional, raises pH and helps shells peel easier).

6. Immediately transfer the eggs from the pot into the ice bath with a slotted spoon, let them chill for at least 5 minutes, 10 minutes is even better if you want super easy peeling.

7. To peel, crack the shell all over, roll the egg gently on the counter, start peeling from the wider end where the air pocket is; peeling under a gentle stream of cold water helps loosen stuck bits.

8. If an egg has a stubborn spot, use a teaspoon to slide between shell and white or peel under running water, and remember slightly older eggs peel easier than very fresh ones.

9. Store unpeeled eggs in the fridge up to one week, peeled eggs should be used within a couple days for best texture and flavor.

Equipment Needed

1. Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker (6 qt works great)
2. Trivet or metal/ silicone steamer basket to hold the eggs
3. Slotted spoon for lifting eggs into and out of the pot
4. Large bowl for the ice bath (big enough for 2 cups ice + water)
5. Measuring cup (1 cup) and measuring spoons (1 tbsp, 1/2 tsp)
6. Small teaspoon to help with stubborn peeling spots
7. Tongs or silicone-tipped tongs for careful handling if you prefer them
8. Oven mitts or heatproof gloves when releasing pressure or handling the lid
9. Kitchen timer or phone timer (the pot has one but backup is handy)
10. Paper towels or a clean kitchen towel for drying and rolling eggs before peeling

FAQ

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs With Easy To Peel Shells Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs With Easy To Peel Shells

If you need quick swaps for pantry shortages, here are a few smart substitutions I use when I dont have the exact stuff on hand. They still give you easy to peel eggs.

• 6 to 12 large eggs: you can use medium or extra-large eggs. For medium, reduce pressure cook time by about 1 minute; for extra-large, add about 1 minute.
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (optional): no baking soda? Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water instead; it helps seal tiny cracks and can improve peeling.
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar (optional): swap with apple cider vinegar or the juice of half a lemon, same quantity.
• about 2 cups ice: no ice handy? Use a big bowl of very cold tap or refrigerator water, or press frozen veggies or an ice pack against the bowl to chill the eggs fast.

Pro Tips

1) Let the eggs warm up a bit before you cook em — if they go from fridge cold straight into something hot theyre more likely to crack. just set them out for 15-20 minutes, no big deal, it helps.

2) If peeling is a pain try the jar shake trick, works quick: crack the shell a bit, put the egg in a jar or container with a little water, close and give it a few good shakes, shell comes off in pieces. messy sometimes but faster than picking at it.

3) Keep peeled eggs juicy by storing them submerged in lightly salted water in a sealed container, not just wrapped on a plate. change the water every day and theyll stay nicer for a couple days longer.

4) When youre doing lots of eggs, do one test egg first to check how you like the yolk, then tweak from there. also silicone egg racks or muffin liners help keep eggs from banging around if you need to stack or squeeze more in.