Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs are the BEST and ONLY way to make PERFECT hard-boiled eggs. Eggs are cooked to perfection EVERY SINGLE TIME!
How to Make Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs
I will never forget my first Easter I spent away from my family.
We were living in Georgia at the time and invited friends over for an Easter Egg hunt and Ham Dinner. While the ham and scalloped potatoes were delicious, the eggs were a complete disaster.
After coloring the eggs, our guests cracked a few open for a snack to find that they were not fully cooked!
But I used the same stove-top method for cooking hard-boiled eggs that I had for years. That method worked MOST of the time, but clearly, it was not fool-proof. And frankly, I became a bit fearful to ever cook hard-boiled eggs again--well at least for company!
By cooking eggs in my Instant Pot, I no longer have to worry about embarrassing accounts of under-cooked (or over-cooked) hard-boiled eggs. Pressure cooked hard boiled eggs are FOOL-PROOF. You will have golden, set centers without green rings, and these hard-boiled eggs peel like a dream!
5-5-5 Method for Cooking Hard Boiled Eggs
The perfect technique for cooking hard boiled eggs in the pressure cooker is the 5-5-5 method.
- 5 minutes to come to pressure
- 5 minutes cook time
- 5 minutes natural release
But to really get PERFECTLY cooked hard boiled eggs that peel like a dream, I have added another step:
- 5 minutes in a water bath.
So really, the PERFECT method for hard-boiled eggs is 5-5-5-5 method!
This means in 20 minutes, you will have hard-boiled eggs that peel perfectly and are perfectly set and bright yellow (no green rings here!!)
How to Cook Hard Boiled Eggs in Instant Pot
- Place 1 cup of COLD water in the inner pot of pressure cooker (liquid is ALWAYS needed for the pressure cooker to be able to reach pressure.)
- Place eggs in egg rack or carefully on top of the rack that the Instant Pot came with.
- Seal pressure cooker.
- Set cook time to 5 minutes (5 minutes on high pressure--push the manual button and adjust the timer to 5 minutes)
- After cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes (I suggest setting a timer that will beep at 5 minutes so you don't lose track of time. )
- Once 5 minutes has elapsed, release any remaining pressure in Instant Pot by using a wooden spoon or kitchen towel to knock vent knob to vent position.
- Carefully, remove eggs from the pressure cooker and place it in an ice bath. Eggs are VERY hot, so use potholder if your fingers aren't made of steel!
- After eggs have been in an ice bath for 5 minutes, remove eggs from the ice bath.
- Peel and enjoy your PERFECT hard-boiled eggs.
How to Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs are the easiest eggs to peel EVER!
- Once eggs have cooked and cooled in the ice bath, crack them open by rolling them on a kitchen counter.
- The peel will come right off--and will NOT take any egg white with it!
Storing Hard Boiled Eggs
- I find it is best to PEEL eggs before storing them in the refrigerator.
- Once eggs are peeled, place in a sealed container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. If unpeeled, they can be stored for 7 days.
How Long are Hard Boiled Eggs Good For?
- Hard boiled eggs will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator when peeled, 7 days if unpeeled.
- Hard boiled eggs will last for up to 2 hours at room temperature. So be sure that Easter Bunny doesn't leave the eggs hidden too long!
- Hard boiled eggs do not freeze well! Cooked egg whites will become rubbery.
- You can freeze the cooked egg yolks if desired by placing cooked yolks freezer bag and freezing for up to 3 months.
Are Fresh or Old Eggs Best for Hard Boiled Eggs?
Isn't this an age-old question?! While everyone has their theory, I can tell you I have tested older eggs and farm fresh eggs in my pressure cooker and both came out perfectly and peeled with the same ease.
Instant Pot Basic Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (Fresh or Frozen)
- Instant Pot Yogurt
- Instant Pot Quinoa
- Instant Pot Beans
Instant Pot Hard Boiled Egg Recipe
I would love to know how you enjoy this recipe! Be sure to leave a comment and let me know. Or snap a picture and tag @amindfullmom on Instagram and hashtag it #amindfullmom
Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- water for cooking
Instructions
- Place 1 cup of COLD water in the inner pot of Instant Pot for a 6 quart instant pot and 1.5 cups COLD water for an 8-quart Instant pot.
- Add in egg or steam rack and carefully set as many eggs as desired on or in the rack.
- Place lid on the pressure cooker and set for cook time for 5 minutes on high pressure.
- Once cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release for 5 minutes. Then do a quick release and carefully remove eggs from Instant Pot and place in ice water bath.
- Let eggs sit in water bath for 5 minutes.
- Remove eggs from the water bath.
- Store in the fridge for up to 7 days unpeeled or peel and use within 3 days.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- You can use as few as 1 egg and up to 16 eggs in a 6-quart pressure cooker.
- I find it is best to peel eggs right from the water bath, the shell comes off beautifully every single time.
- To help prevent your eggs from cracking during cooking, let your eggs come to room temperature before pressure cooking.
- Be sure to use cold water, warm water or hot water will change the cooking time.
- If you live at high altitude, be sure to use Instant Pot Altitude Adjustments.
Tony
First time using my Instant Pot.....and first time...EVER...I was able to hard boil eggs that peel and come out perfect! Love it. Can't wait for the next recipe. Thank you
Kristen Chidsey
Yay!!! I agree, eggs are SO SO much easier to handle in instant pot.
Stefan
I find it easiest to set a 10 minute timer when I start the instant pot so I don't have anything to do until the eggs are done. Cheers.
Kristen Chidsey
Great tip
Kathy Luksich
Wouldn’t you have to set for 10 minutes after you see it’s started to count down?
Christine M Bale
Hi there. Has anyone had their eggs crack? I followed the recipe and half of my eggs were cracked when it was done. A few minutes after it reached high pressure it displayed a warning message C6L but then it started working again so maybe my pot is defective. 🙁
Kristen Chidsey
Hey there Christina! I am sorry about your eggs. But a c6 error is an internal pressure issue. You need to call Instant Pot immediately, and they will handle it for you... their customer service is amazing and they can handle it. Here is the number 1-800-828-7280. I am sorry for your hassle.
Laurie
I have done eggs in a stove top pressure cooker for years. (It was suggested in one of Julia Child’s cookbooks.) They often cracked. Warming them up under warm water first helped a lot.
Carlita
What size eggs work best? I’ve only tried this using large in the come out perfect but wondering if you could use extra large and with the cook time be the same ?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Carlita. For Extra large eggs, 5 minutes high pressure with 5 minutes NPR will work, but may be a slightly softer center. I would actually do 5 minutes high pressure and 7 minutes NPR. That turns out perfect for me in the past 🙂
Regina
Just got an Instant Pot. Can you fill the pot where eggs are stacked or touching or do you have to keep them spread out as in your picture and do multiple batches?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Regina!! Congrats on your pressure cooker. As for hard boiled eggs, as long as you use the trivet and 1 cup of water you can stack your eggs...you risk cracking just a bit more but that is the nature of eggs.
Enjoy!!! And hope you check out more of my Instant Pot Recipes
Pam
We just tried eggs for the first time and it was perfect the only thing we noticed the shell was brown on some insides is that normal?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Pam! I have never seen brown on the shell...HMMM, did you just place eggs directly in inner pot or did you place on rack? If you had them right on the bottom of the inner pot, that may have caused the browning. It may also be the type of eggs.
Melanie Holdaway
Tonight I borrowed my friend’s IP and made boiled eggs in it! I’ve never used the IP before but I wanted to try it out before thanksgiving since I’m in charge of deviled eggs. LOVED IT!! Thank you so much. It went perfectly.
Kristen Chidsey
WAHOO!!!! Melanie, you need to get an Instant Pot now 😉 Regardless enjoy your Thanksgiving and Deviled Eggs.
Melanie Holdaway
Right? I’m hoping Santa will bring me one. 😉😉
Kristen Chidsey
Fingers crossed for you!
Renee Goerger
I have always struggled with hard boiled eggs and may times cook them too long and get that ugly green ring around the yolk. No longer. Thanks for sharing this recipe for the Instant Pot. Now I'm a hard boiled egg master!
Kristen Chidsey
YAY!!! I am so glad this technique works for you as well as it works for me!
Janet Coe
I did it! Always love hard-boiled eggs but hated the overdry yolks. This was perfect! And peeling was a dream!!!
Abeer
This would come in so handy during Easter time when it's boiled egg overload! lol
Kristen Chidsey
Abeer, it is the ONLY way I will hard boil my eggs now!
Marilyn Marrs
You mention the addition of a five-minute warm bath, but nowhere do I see the point at which you do so. I assume you're not counting the natural release five minutes as it, as you said your new "recipe" is 5-5-5-5.
Kristen Chidsey
There is a 5 minute cold bath after cooking. 5 minutes to pressure, 5 minutes to cook, 5 minute release, 5 minute cold bath. Hope that helps 🙂
Glenn
I'm still confused. You talk about after cooking. Is the warm bath at the 5 minute to pressure?
I'm a guy, so------
Kristen Chidsey
No worries Glen. After the cook time, you want to leave your eggs in the pressure cooker with the lid on for 5 minutes exactly. Then you want to release pressure and place the cooked eggs into a bowl with ice water (NOT warm water)--this is to stop the cooking process so your yolks do not get overcooked. Leave them in the ice water for 5 minutes. Then your eggs are ready to enjoy. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Aditi
Its interesting to know how to boil eggs, but what if we will boil the eggs in salt water?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Aditi! Putting salt in boiling water is said to help raise temperature of the water. However the Instant Pot holds the perfect temperature to hard boil eggs, so you can skip adding the salt.