Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

Skip the 5 5 5 or 2 minutes method and make PERFECT Instant Pot hard boiled eggs every time! Works for one egg or a dozen (12) with option for soft boiled.

Have you ever thought something should be simple – like hard boiled eggs – only to find out that when you actually do it yourself, it’s darn near impossible?

It seems like everyone has a trick to make “perfect hard boiled eggs,” with the primary reason being the Instant Pot.

Ok, I’ll bite. Is all the jazz about Instant Pot hard boiled eggs legit? Or is it all hype and I’m better off using the stove top?

I tested SIX different methods for making Instant Pot hard boiled eggs, and here’s what I found out.

Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs

First, in every method or recipe I tried, all of the peels came off pretty easily.

There will always be the one rogue egg that is a bit stubborn, but I find that if you can break that thin inner lining of the shell, you can pretty much get the entire shell off without much fuss.

I did learn, that letting the eggs cool completely made them much easier to peel. Peeling a warm hard boiled egg is not fun.

You can peel the egg in water – whether in a cold water bath or under running water – and that helps a little bit too, but not enough to include it in my own Instant Pot hard boiled egg method.

How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs in an Instant Pot

Last month, when I wanted to figure out how to cook hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot, I was fascinated with all the different methods…

• The 5 5 5 method
• The 6 6 6 method
• The “cook for one minute and walk away” method

I tried them all!

But they all failed.

And to be honest, the ones that required me to set the timer for natural pressure release AFTER the timer had gone off for the cooking are just a bit too much for me.

If I’m in the kitchen, I usually have about 17 different things going on at once and for me, the Instant Pot is supposed to make my life EASIER, not tie me to the kitchen to set timer after timer (after timer) for eggs.

FOR EGGS!

So for me, all of those methods were out.

I wanted just one timer – the one that cooks the eggs. The rest had to be hands-off and brain-dead easy.

Here’s what I came up with.

How Long to Cook Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

THIS is the question that pretty much divides the entire internet and nearly anyone who has struggled with making Instant Pot hard boiled eggs.

• The 5 5 5 method says to cook eggs for 5 minutes, time the natural release for 5 minutes and then put the eggs in a water bath for 5 minutes.
• The 6 6 6 method says the same thing as the 5 5 5 method, except you cook the eggs for 6 minutes, natural release for 6 minutes and water bath for 6 minutes.
• The “cook for one minute and walk away” method says to cook the eggs for one minute and let the natural pressure release on its own, roughly 12- to 15 minutes.

I tested all of these methods and while the eggs turned out fine with the 5 5 5 method, resetting the timer and then checking back was too cumbersome for something as simple as eggs.

The 6 6 6 method yielded eggs that were overcooked, as did the “cook for one minute and walk away” method.

What DID work though, is cooking the eggs on high pressure for six minutes on the dot!

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

Here’s exactly what I did to make perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs.

1. Pour one cup of water into the Instant Pot. Place eggs in a single layer on the trivet.Cook on “high” for 6 minutes. Turn the valve to “release” to release the pressure.
2. Transfer the eggs (careful – they’re hot!) to a water bath. This is simply a big bowl of cold water with ice cubes. I don’t have an automatic ice maker in my freezer, nor room for a bunch of ice cube trays, so I was stingy with ice. I used just one cube per egg and that was fine. Let the eggs sit for as long as you like, or at least until the ice melted (about 5 minutes or so).

And here’s why I like this method so much:

• You set the timer ONCE. When the timer goes off, the eggs are done.
• No additional “semi-cooking” is required as the pressure releases.
• Although recommended, the water bath is optional if I just don’t have the time (or don’t care if the yolks are slightly overcooked).
• I can easily do this while doing other things in the house (because the timer is loud!) or other things in the kitchen.
• Sure, you could do the 5 5 5 method or 6 6 6 method too, but for me having to set another timer is ONE MORE THING to worry about when I’m already trying to do all the things!

Can you make Instant Pot hard boiled eggs, one dozen at a time?

I have this 8 quart Instant Pot and I can easily fit a dozen large eggs in a single layer on my trivet.

However, if you have a 6 quart Instant Pot, I’ve heard you can use a steamer basket (this is the one I have) and pile it high with eggs and they’ll all come out cooked perfectly. I haven’t tried this myself, mostly because I have no need to cook that many eggs at one time when I’m the only one eating them! – If you’ve tried this method before and it worked, please let us know in the comments!

How to Make Soft Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

While testing all the various cook times, I found that you can make a pretty good Instant Pot soft boiled egg if you follow the same method in the recipe below but cook for just FOUR minutes instead of six.

In fact, here’s what I found when I experimented with different cook times:1

• 3 minutes on high pressure: Just barely cooked yolk and fully cooked white. This would be good if you wanted a runny boiled egg for yourself. I don’t recommend this if you’re feeding a crowd because two of the three eggs I boiled cracked in half while trying to peel.
• 4 minutes on high pressure: Perfect soft boiled egg. These looked really good and were easy to peel. I’d definitely use this method for serving guests.
• 5 minutes on high pressure: Slightly underdone hard boiled egg. This is not a bad option if you like your egg yolks to be slightly soft, but this wouldn’t work for deviled eggs or any other recipe that calls for hard boiled eggs.
• 6 minutes on high pressure: Perfectly cooked hard boiled egg! Firm white, just done yolks, with no green on the outer edge.
• 7 minutes on high pressure: Slightly overdone hard boiled egg. Slightly green on the outer edge, and I wouldn’t recommend this unless you personally prefer your yolks to be very firm.

Which Instant Pot makes hard boiled eggs?

They all do! It doesn’t matter if you have a 6-quart Instant Pot or an 8-quart Instant Pot or even a 3-quart Instant Pot. The only difference will be the number of eggs you can make.

Smaller Instant Pots will make less while larger Instant Pots will make more. As long as they don’t touch the bottom of the Instant Pot bowl, you’re good! The good news is that these cook quickly so you can easily make one batch after another!

Can you use farm fresh eggs?

Yes! I tested eggs from a friend who has backyard chickens and they came out perfect every time. Some eggs were medium, some were large and some would be considered jumbo eggs. If you’re not sure how your eggs will turn out, I suggest cooking just one as a test batch.

What to do with your Instant Pot hard boiled eggs?

A classic egg salad with homemade mayo is my go-to, but these recipes would GREAT with your eggs:

• Crunchy Vegetable Quinoa Salad
• Seasonal Waldorf Salad
• Sweet Kale Salad
• Wedge Salad
• Pasta Salad

Also, make sure you’re saving your eggshells to use as free fertilizer if you have a garden.

I love deviled eggs, but I know there are so many other ways to use Instant Pot hard boiled eggs. What are some of your favorite recipes? Share them in the comments section below!

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