You won’t believe how simple it is to make Instant Pot Boiled Eggs. They turn out perfectly every time, and you can cook a large number of eggs in a small amount of time, leaving your stovetop available for other things.
This method is perfect for meal prepping, or just making eggs to use in a recipe. I love to add hard boiled eggs to salads during the week, and it’s a great help to have them already cooked and ready to go in the fridge. Hard boiled eggs travel well too, so they’re great for adding to school or work lunches.
I also love using the instant pot to make eggs for Easter, since I usually make quite a few, and I can cook a lot of eggs in my pressure cooker for coloring or to make Deviled Eggs while my stove is busy with side dishes and sauces.
If you like having eggs prepared for the week, try my Sheet Pan Eggs recipe. It’s also great for meal prep, or for making breakfast sandwiches.
Why You’ll Love Cooking Eggs in the Instant Pot
The best part about making eggs in an Instant Pot is that they come out perfectly, every time. Using the instant pot takes the guesswork out of the hard-boiled egg game, leaving you with simply the best hard-boiled eggs. You will have soft yet firm, golden centers and perfectly cooked egg whites.
So to cook hard-boiled eggs, I always use one of these 2 methods, the Instant Pot method or the Steamed eggs method.
The Instant Pot eggs are basically steamed eggs, so they will be super simple to peel, thanks to the ice water bath we will give them after they cook. No more sticky peels or eggs with chunks missing.
Instant Pot Eggs are done quickly. It takes 15 minutes to cook them, not including the amount of time that the instant pot takes to come up to pressure. I find that it’s about the same amount of time that it takes on the stovetop, and it’s just as simple.
Instant Pot boiled eggs are so versatile and useful to have on hand. Add them to green salads, pasta, or potato salad, make egg salad sandwiches, deviled eggs, or just eat an egg when you need a quick protein boost.
What You Need to Make Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
I can’t even write an ingredients section here, because there is only 1 simple ingredient, and I bet you already have it in your fridge.
You need eggs. Large eggs work best with this method. You can use white or brown, grocery store or farm eggs. Any kind of eggs that you prefer can be cooked this way. Generally, eggs that are slightly less than fresh work best for boiling, but I find with this method that it doesn’t really matter how fresh or not fresh the eggs are. They still come out great.
You can cook as many eggs as you can fit in your instant pot. I like to do a whole dozen at a time.
You don’t need any fancy instant pot insert or gadget, just the rack that your pot came with. You only need the instant pot and a large bowl for cooling the eggs.
How to Make Pressure Cooker Hard Boiled Eggs
This egg cooking method is called the 5-5-5 method. This means that we will cook the eggs as so:
5 minutes cook time, 5 minutes natural release, and 5 minutes in an ice bath.
If you can remember the number 5, you will be making perfect eggs for years to come.
- Pressure Cook Eggs: Gently add raw eggs to the Instant Pot, on top of the steamer rack. Add 1 cup of cold water, or as much water as your pressure cooker needs. An 8 quart Instant Pot needs 1.5 cups. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Natural Release: Unplug the Instant Pot and allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 5 minutes. After the five minutes are up, manually release the rest of the pressure before opening the lid.
- Cool: Carefully remove the eggs from the instant pot and place them in a large bowl of ice water. Leave them there for 5 more minutes before removing them.
Other Ways to Use Hard Boiled Eggs
Boiled eggs are delicious diced up and added to potato salad. You can add some to this recipe for Red Potato Salad, or check out this recipe, where I cook both the potatoes and the eggs together in the Instant Pot to make Instant Pot Potato Salad.
Mix diced eggs with guacamole to create a healthy and flavorful egg salad spread.
Add sliced hard boiled eggs to cold salads like Nicoise Salad, Caesar Salad, Seven Layer Salad, or this Kid Friendly Pasta Salad for some extra protein.
FAQs About Instant Pot Eggs
Yes! To make soft boiled eggs (whites are set, yolks are runny), there is just a simple adjustment to the method. Rather than 5-5-5, do 3-3-3, where you cook for three minutes, natural release for three minutes, then ice bath for three minutes.
For an egg with texture in between those two, where the yolk is slightly set, do 4-4-4.
This depends on how long you intend to store them. Peeled hard boiled eggs will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for about 3 days, while unpeeled eggs, having some extra protection, will keep for up to a week.
The eggs will be easier to peel if you do so while they are still a bit warm, but whether you peel them now or later is totally up to you.
If peeling them, store the eggs in an airtight container. If you leave them unpeeled, you can store them in the box that the eggs came in as long as it’s clean. I like to label the container with a “H” in Sharpie if I do this, just so nobody gets a raw egg when they actually want a boiled one.
After removing your eggs from the ice bath, peel them one at a time by rolling them on the counter to break up the shells. The peel should just fall right off the egg. If needed, rinse the egg to get rid of any small bits of shell that might be sticking.
Remember, five, five, five! Enjoy your instant pot hard boiled eggs. Don’t forget to Pin this recipe so more people can enjoy it!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-20 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup water if using a 6 quart, and 1 ½ cups of water if using an 8 quart
Instructions
- Gently add raw eggs to the instant pot, on top of the steamer rack.
- Add 1 cup of cold water, or as much water as your pressure cooker needs. An 8 quart Instant Pot needs 1.5 cups.
- Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes for hard boiled eggs. 3 minutes for softer eggs, and 4 minutes for jammy yolk eggs.
- Unplug the Instant Pot and allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 5 minutes. After the five minutes are up, manually release the rest of the pressure before opening the lid.
- Carefully remove the eggs from the instant pot and place them in a large bowl of ice water. Leave them there for 5 more minutes before removing them. Peel and serve.
Notes:
- To make soft boiled eggs (whites are set, yolks are runny), there is just a simple adjustment to the method. Rather than 5-5-5, do 3-3-3, where you cook for three minutes, natural release for three minutes, then ice bath for three minutes. For an egg with texture in between those two, where the yolk is slightly set, do 4-4-4.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Lynne says
Easiest way ever!
Cori P says
I will never boil on the stove again!! This is by far the easiest way to make them!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m so glad to hear you found this method easy, Cori! Thanks for the kind review
Abby says
The eggs turned out perfect! Loved how easy this was. Going to make them this way from now on.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you, Abby! I’m glad they turned out perfect for you
Sharina says
Love using Instant Pot hard boiled eggs for our favorite instant noodles! So easy and quick to prepare!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m so happy to hear that, Sharina! Thanks for the great review