Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

Today we are using the Instant Pot to make hard-boiled eggs. Thanks to the 5-5-5 method, they come out perfectly cooked and ready to use in all your favorite hard-boiled egg recipes.

But before we start, I want to mention some very important tips that make the difference between easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs and ones where you take off half the egg white. 

Use Week Old Eggs
The best eggs for boiling are at least a week to ten days old. I recommend purchasing an extra carton of eggs each week, use one for omelets and scrambled eggs, and reserve the while extra carton for hard-boiled eggs the next week. 

Ice Bath
Don’t skip this step. The ice-water will “shock” the membrane in between the egg-white and the eggshell, loosening the shell and allowing you to peel it off in nearly one piece.

Making Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

Cooking hard-boiled eggs in the Instant Pot consists of 4 easy steps. Watch how it’s done in this quick video, and then I’ll walk you through it step by step below.

https://youtu.be/ymZy6a0WnXQ

1. Prepare
Place the steamer basket in the bottom of your pressure cooker. Add 1 cup of water and set the eggs in an even layer on the steamer basket (no stacking). 

2. Bring to pressure
Close the lid of the pressure cooker and make sure the steam valve is sealed. Set the pressure to high and the timer for five minutes. 

3. Natural release
After the cooking is done, allow the eggs to sit for 5 minutes while the steam naturally releases. 

Once 5 minutes is up, using a wooden spoon flip the steam valve to vent any remaining steam and pressure. 

4. Ice Bath
In a large bowl, create an ice bath and transfer the eggs to the cold water. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes. 

Once the eggs are at room temperature, be sure to peel them before storing them in the fridge. Refrigerated hard-boiled eggs do not peel well, trust me. 

It’s simple and easy recipe tips like this one that help parents pull off mealtimes without a glitch. You’ll find them inside the MOMables Classic Meal Plan. Download a sample meal plan here.

Instant pot size and how much water to add 

The amount of water needed to make hard-boiled eggs in the Instant Pot depends on the size, check the size of your pressure cooked and refer to the chart below:

Instant Pot Size	Amount of water
6-quart	1 cup
8-quart	1 ½ cups

How to Tell if an Egg is Boiled without Breaking it?

Want to tell if an egg is fully cooked without cracking it open? Easy, carefully grab a
hard-boiled egg that’s just been cooked, place it on a flat surface and give it a spin. If it wobbles and keeps spinning, it’s still undercooked. If it spins, stays upright, and stops, it’s cooked!

How Long Does it Take to Hard Boil Eggs in an Instant Pot?

Between bringing to pressure and natural release, it takes about 10 minutes to hard-boil eggs in the Instant Pot. The timer and settings make it convenient to avoid overcooking the eggs. An overly cooked hard-boiled egg will have a green-grayish ring around the yolk instead of a soft, yellow center.

How Many Eggs Can You Boil in an Instant Pot

Depending on your pressure cooker’s size, you can fit anywhere from 6 to 12 eggs; be sure not to overcrowd the eggs or stack them one on top of the other.

Depending on which Instant Pot model you have, there may be an egg trivet included. In that case, you can use up to 6 eggs at once. Otherwise, use the standard wire rack that comes with most pressure cookers to keep the eggs elevated. This prevents the eggs from cracking and creating one big pressure-cooked mess.

5-5-5 Method for Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

The 5-5-5 method is the most recommended for hard-boiled eggs in the Instant Pot, and what I used for this recipe, plus it makes it easy to remember the proper timing for each step: 

• 5 minutes on High Pressure
• 5 minutes on Natural Release
• 5 minutes in an ice bath

Just like my stove-top method for hard-boiled eggs, the eggs came out with creamy yellow centers and perfect whites. 

Peeling Your Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

There are a few effective ways to peel hard-boiled eggs without taking off half the shell. From peeling under running water, shaking the eggs in an airtight container filled with water, or cracking and rolling, I’ve tried them all, and you can see which is the most successful in the video below: 

https://youtu.be/fM_jkR9TD_Y

But no matter the method you choose, the most important factor for easy to peel hard-boiled eggs is using week-old eggs. If an egg is fresh, the white’s pH is super low, which causes it to stick to the shell membrane. 

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