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.
DJ
I’ve tried this recipe so many times and they end up just a hair over-cooked and often with the gray outline over the yolk until I did the quick release at 4 minutes instead of 5- then the ice bath. Total time from when pressing the start button to when it’s time to
Pull the release lever is 18 minutes. Also I’ve tried doing this with cold or room temp eggs and the cracking is the same either way.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi DJ! It may be that your pressure cooker runs a bit on the hotter side (Instant Pots can vary just like ovens). I would suggest cooking for 4 minutes, with 4 minute quick release to see if that helps.
Sv
Perfection. Thank you
Jona
Recipe worked well, however just a tiny bit of the yolk was not fully cooked so I’ll try 6-5-5 next time. Thanks!
Holly H
My daughter asked for hard-boiled eggs, and I’m always stumped how to make them, so I thought I would try a new recipe and this worked beautifully. My 12yo was able to get the peel off really easily, and she said the eggs are “really good.” We only had two eggs left in the carton, but I will use this recipe next time for more. Thank you!
Nate
Thanks very much! I was nervous to try making eggs in my pressure cooker, and thanks to your simple to follow steps they were perfect. I appreciate you very much!
Kristen Chidsey
So happy to help!
Sinead
Fabulous 👌. Came out perfect.
Joshua
Great recipe and I've used it many times for making egg salad and deviled eggs, but I feel it worth noting that I have noticed no difference in outcome between batches done with a five-minute natural release and batches done with a 30-second quick release. The ice bath, however, is a great addition and a must for shocking the shells away from the cooked eggs and facilitating easier peeling.
Kat Whitaker
I was such a skeptic. I kept reading all this stuff about doing hard boiled eggs in the instant pot. Stupid, I said. I use Julia Childs method and mine are perfect. Well, silly me, tried this today and am not going back to non Instant pot boiled eggs. Your recipe is perfect! Will send to all my friends!
Kat
Kristen Chidsey
It is hard to try something new when something else was working so well for you! I am glad you finally gave it a try though 🙂
Linda
I got a new instapot that is oblong. 1 cup of water was good but I think next time i will use a few extra tablespoons. Thanks for the recipe
Jared
I followed all the directions to the letter but my eggs turned out with water around the yolks. I use pasture raised brown eggs. Nothing out the normal. Have you heard of this before?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jared! It has happened to me on occasion to have a bit of water in between the shell and the white of the egg. Nothing to worry about!
Julie
I honestly missed the part about bringing eggs to room temp before cooking, but luckily that didn’t affect anything. Eggs turned out perfectly. And just a warning to others, you don’t need much pressure to crack the shells when rolling in a kitchen towel before peeling - I sort of smashed the first one, but somehow it still peeled well! Thanks!
Ashley
Hello, is the steam rack mandatory?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Ashley! I find it helps prevent cracking and the eggs from exploding from being too close to the heating element. That said, may have done it without the rack and had success. There is more of a chance your eggs will crack and break open.
TBH
I slightly wad up a piece of aluminum foil and make little indentions for the eggs. Works perfectly and I can do 8 or so at a time.
Tami
I forgot to add the stars!
Tami Wong
BIG thanks!! I’m so happy I found your recipe! Your method was perfect for the 16 eggs I needed!! The eggs came out beautifully, were easy to peel and no green rings! Thanks again!
Kristen Chidsey
Wonderful, thank you for sharing!
Mike
Start off with room temperature eggs. It seems to make a difference.
Kristen Chidsey
It truly does!
Possum Normand
I've had my instant pot over a year and it always did terrific boiled eggs. However, the last 5-6 times I've boiled eggs, over half if not more are very difficult to peel; this makes me crazy as this was the main reason I got my instant pot...the only thing that may be different is that I have a different fridge now and food feels much colder...could that make a difference? or do instant pots crap out after they get older? thank you as I cannot seem to find an answer to this....i'm really disappointed
Kristen Chidsey
Hey Possum! It MAY be the age of the instant pot or the type of eggs you are using (if that changed), but before you assume that, be sure to try a few other things. 1. Let your eggs come to room temperature BEFORE pressure cooking. 2. Be sure your instant pot is set to HIGH pressure (not normal or low) 3. Use cold tap water in bottom of inner pot.
I hope those tips solve your issue.