How to make Perfect (Easy to Peel) Hard Boiled Eggs: Instant Pot Recipe

No more hard to peel eggs! Make perfectly easy to peel hard boiled eggs every time using your Instant pot.

My family and I love having hard boiled eggs in our fridge, but when the shells stick to the eggs, it's no fun. Eggs are such a quick and easy source of protein that they almost feel too good to be true.

By the way, my name is Michelle Johnson Jerome, and I'm a Master Health Coach. I'll let you in on a little secret about me, I'm always a little nervous using my instant pot, so I had my husband help me out with this recipe. I hope you find this easy to peel hard boiled eggs recipe helpful!

My husband assures me that making instant pot hard boiled eggs will always give you perfect and easy to peel hard boiled eggs.

Forget the 5-5-5 method, the recipe below will make your hard boiled eggs cooking so simple you will never want to make them any other way. Well, I have to be truthful, ever since my husband discovered how to make hard boiled eggs in the instant pot, I no longer have to make them. He is the instant pot hard boiled eggs maker in our house.

What is the trick to making easy to peel hard boiled eggs?

Your first trick for egg peeling greatness starts with selecting the best eggs for the job.

Selecting the best eggs for hard boiling

  • Favor the oldies: Age before beauty, as they say! Older eggs peel like a dream compared to their fresher counterparts. Opt for eggs closer to their expiration date.
  • Inspect for imperfections: Carefully examine your eggs for any cracks or damage. Flawless eggs will ensure a smoother cooking and peeling experience.

The secret to flawless peeling

Steam! Yep, the air from the hot steam helps permeate the eggshell making the egg easier to peel. In fact, I have been told that the already peeled hard boiled eggs you can buy in the store are steamed at low pressure to make them easier to peel.

Why does steaming the egg make it easy to peel?

Because the pressure difference between the exterior of the egg and the air pocket inside inflates and separates the shell from the egg.

The Chill Factor

Make Instant Pot hard boiled eggs easy to peel by finishing in an ice bath

As a health coach who is also a certified personal trainer, I always emphasize the importance of cooling down after a workout, and the same applies to your eggs! An ice bath is the key to achieving the ultimate easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs.

Prepare the cold plunge: Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water, ensuring there's plenty of ice to maintain a chilly temperature.

While your eggs are in the Instant Pot fill a large bowl with ice and cold water.  Make sure there is a lot of ice in the bowl to maintain a chilly temperature when you put the hot eggs in it directly after the Instant Pot is finished with them.

Let the eggs chill out in their frosty bath for about 5 minutes or until they’re cool to the touch.

Hard Boiled Eggs Best Tips

Letting your eggs sit in the refrigerator for a week, helps the air pocket between the shell and the egg increase in size. This is a natural occurrence. Therefore, if you also steam the eggs in your instant pot you are enhancing the ease of peeling your hard boiled eggs.

Easy to peel hard boiled eggs best made in the Instant Pot

Eggceptional Peeling Techniques

With your eggs boiled and cooled to perfection, it's time to reveal the eggspert peeling techniques my family developed over the years to make your egg-peeling easy:

Rock and roll: Gently tap your egg on the counter to create cracks across the shell. This will encourage the shell to peel off in larger pieces.

Give it some water: Hold the egg under a gentle stream of running water while peeling. The water will act as a lubricant, helping to ease the shell's detachment and washing away any stubborn fragments.

Start from the bottom: The wider end of the egg usually hosts a convenient air pocket. Begin peeling your egg from the bottom, and the shell should come off more willingly.

Are eggs good for you?

Eggs are a go to for many people, especially for breakfast or if you are looking to add a quick protein source to your meal. But are they good for you? It depends. Why? Because it is important to look at your specific health conditions. The American Heart Association recommends one egg (or two egg whites) a day can be part of a balanced diet.

Looking beyond the nutrition label whole eggs are pretty tasty all by themselves and when hard boiled are a quick, easy, and portable snack.

Mealtime conversation starters

A hugging egg used as an icon for relationship conversation starters questions.

What you say matters. Words can unite and they can divide.

“It’s not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” Audre Llorde

It’s not always easy to see how we are more alike than we are different. Find out more about the people who are surrounding you by asking a more serious question.

Question: Is there a subject that you consider off-limits? Like, it’s too serious to joke about.

Easy to peel hard boiled eggs best made in the Instant Pot
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Perfect (Easy to Peel) Hard Boiled Eggs: Instant Pot Recipe

This is the best method of cooking easy to peel hard boiled eggs in less than 15 minutes.  They turn out perfect every time.
Prep Time1 minute
Cook Time7 minutes
ice bath5 minutes
Total Time13 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 72
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

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Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup water plus additional cold water for ice bath
  • 2 cups ice or more as needed

Instructions

  • Put one cup of water in the Instant Pot and place an egg rack or any type of steam rack that will hold the eggs in place and off the bottom of the Instant Pot.
  • Put in as many eggs as you wish but don't allow them to touch the side of the pot or each other or they may crack.
  • Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
  • Let them sit in the Instant Pot for an additional minute, carefully release the steam, and immediately place them in an ice bath for about 5 minutes to stop the cooking process.
  • Enjoy them immediately or put them in the refrigerator.

Video

Hand Size Portions

Nutrition Facts
Perfect (Easy to Peel) Hard Boiled Eggs: Instant Pot Recipe
Serving Size
 
1 egg
Amount per Serving
Calories
72
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
5
g
8
%
Saturated Fat
 
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Cholesterol
 
186
mg
62
%
Sodium
 
80
mg
3
%
Potassium
 
69
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
0.5
g
0
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
6
g
12
%
Vitamin A
 
270
IU
5
%
Calcium
 
33
mg
3
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Hand Portions

When you look at the nutritional values of a meal to log what you are eating, that is called tracking macros. A lot of people use this method to reach their health goals.

Looking at hand portion size and using this method to gauge how and what you eat is also a great method to help you reach your health goals. Many people who use this method often think this form of tracking meals is easier and more sustainable for a lifetime.

Want to learn more about hand portion size and how to use it to reach your goals? Check out the article How to Get Started with Hand Portion Sizes.

Michelle Johnson Jerome is an expert on busting through perfectionism. She is passionate about helping others live life with purpose and joy. By drawing on her extensive experience as a nutrition coach, personal trainer, and yoga instructor she helps develop a realistic approach to goal setting that allows you to make progress and stop obsessing over mistakes.

Find other articles written by Michelle on her coach profile. Discover your "easy button": learn how to manage life's unpleasant parts so you can move forward, reach your goals, and live your best life.

  • Nate says:

    I guess it’s my turn to use the instapot today.