Seriously, if you buy an Instant Pot for no other reason, Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs make it totally worth it.
In the Instant Pot, hard-boiled eggs come out cooked perfectly. Plus, when they’re cooked this way, they’re SO fast to make, and they’re almost always SUPER easy to peel.
I read somewhere that the hard-boiled eggs you find in the deli section are often cooked via pressure cooker. I guess they all knew something I didn’t – at least not until last December when I finally gave in to the, erm, pressure, and ordered my very own Instant Pot.
And now, I’ll give you one guess as to what I use my Instant Pot for most.
You guessed it, my friends! I make hard-boiled eggs in the Instant Pot every. single. week. I mean, I make these recipes all the time, too, don’t get me wrong. But eggs? Numero uno, hands down.
Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs are perfect for having in hand for snacking, and don’t even get me started on this classic deviled eggs recipe. YUM.
So, are you ready to learn how to make them yourself? It’s so, so easy. SO EASY.
Let’s do this.
Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs
First, fill your Instant Pot with 1 cup of water.
Place the steamer rack in the Instant Pot.
Add 6 large eggs to the rack like so. Point ’em up or point ’em down – I don’t notice a difference either way.
Replace the Instant Pot lid and set the release toggle to the SEALING position.
Press the “Manual” or, if you have a newer model, the “Pressure Cook” button. This will cook the eggs at high pressure. Set the cooking time for 5 minutes.
While the Instant Pot is doing its thing, fill a medium-size bowl with cold water and a couple of ice cubes.
As soon as the 5 minutes are up and the Instant Pot beeps at you, do a quick release by carefully moving the release toggle to the VENTING position. Let the steam escape completely then remove the Instant Pot lid.
Using tongs, carefully transfer each egg to the ice water bath and let them sit there for a few minutes until cool. This will help keep the eggs from overcooking.
That’s it! You have perfect hard-boiled eggs! Wasn’t that easy?!
I keep mine peel-on in the fridge for easy grab-and-go snacking.
(Now aren’t you glad you bought yourself an Instant Pot?!)
Now go forth and make yourself some Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs!
More Instant Pot recipes
- This Instant Pot Golden Lentil & Spinach Soup is one of the most popular on Kitchen Treaty – and in our house too!
- Banana-Walnut Omega-3 Oats cooks up fast and hearty. Perfect rib-sticking breakfast!
- One of my easiest chili recipes right here! Instant Pot Simple Black Bean Chili.
How to Make Hard-Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
Equipment
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (this is the one I have and I love it!)
Instructions
- Fill your Instant Pot with 1 cup of water and place the steamer rack inside.
- Add eggs to the rack, pointing up or down (it doesn’t seem to matter).
- Replace the Instant Pot lid and set the release toggle to SEALING.
- Press the “Manual” button or, if you have a newer model, the “Pressure Cook” button. This will cook the eggs at high pressure. Set the time for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, fill a medium-size bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes.
- When your Instant Pot has counted down to 0, do a quick release by moving the toggle from “SEALING” to “VENTING.” Watch out for steam burns! Let the steam escape completely. Remove the lid from the Instant Pot.
- Using tongs, carefully transfer each egg to the water bath and let them sit there for a few minutes until cool. This will help keep the eggs from overcooking.
- Eggs keep refrigerated for about 5 days. I store them peel-on so they don’t stink up the fridge; they’re super easy to peel either way. To aid in the peeling process, peel over the kitchen sink under a stream of cold running water.
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a vegetarian home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m married to an enthusiastic carnivore, and my mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen – one tasty recipe at a time. These days, with a name like mine, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
Thanks for this recipe. It never really occurred to me to use my Instant Pot to make hard boiled eggs. I’ll give it a try and see how it goes.
Best hard-boiled eggs ever! 😀 Hope you love the method as much as I do.
I just got my Instant Pot from Amazon and the hard-boiled eggs was the first thing I tried. They cook for five minutes, and then I try to open the seal. It didn’t open very easily and I was scared that I was going to get a steam blast. It did open after about 10 minutes, and I put the eggs in icewater. I tried one and they turned out beautifully . So my comment is, should I have tried to open the seal after five minutes.
The BEST boiled eggs ever! So simple, no mess, perfect centers and oh so easy to peel. Thank you. Glad I searched this out for my electric pressure cooker.
Merry Christmas!
Yay! I agree; I really don’t make them any other way anymore.
Do you think I could use this method with fewer eggs?
Yep, I have cooked less and it works just the same 🙂
Worked perfectly for me!
I’ve been using my IP for over a week now and I keep trying to perfect my hard boiled eggs and it’s not working for me. I did the 5 mins high pressure with quick release, as you did, followed by ice bath and they were very runny. I then tried the 5 mins high pressure, followed by 5 mins natural release and ice bath and still runny. I’ve increased the time with both quick release and natural release and I’ve yet to get a perfectly cooked egg yolk. I’m starting to wonder if my pot is not working correctly.
Hi Cara, that’s very strange! I have to wonder if there’s a problem too. Does it cook other foods okay for you?
Cara, did you start with hot or cold water? I was actually testing different times today, and found that when I pre-boiled the water in my electric tea kettle (yes, I’m very impatient), the eggs came out softer. Five-minute pressure cooker eggs came out about the equivalent of six-minute boiled eggs. I just now pulled another batch out after starting with cold water, and they were perfect – actually a little softer than shown in Kare’s photo above, but I love a silky yolk. I’m guessing a six-minute pressure cook wouldn’t hurt anything – or a few-minute “natural release”…
One other thing – I used the “medium-size bowl with cold water and a couple of ice cubes” method instead of the “run under a steady stream of cold water because, you know, I’m impatient” one, and that probably made a difference too.
I tried them and there was a two little soft spots on them. Not nicely hard boiled like yours in the pictures. I have the 8 quart pot, would that make a difference. Used the manual button and 5 minutes. So should I try 6 minutes next time?
I have the 8 QT Instant Pot also, but I do 6 minute cook time on high pressure (just how I learned it). They turn out perfect! I have never done a small batch. I always do 14 at a time since that’s what the racks hold. We have a large family and they love them any way we fix them, plain hard boiled, or egg salad, or deviled eggs. Always great!
Thanks Linda, that’s exactly what I was wondering how many more eggs I can cook ( 14 is what my rack holds too )
I keep having the same problem but not all the time. Sometimes they’re perfect, other times they’re runny. Yesterday they were runny so I put them in for another 6 minutes and still runny! It’s sealing, the timer is counting down, the pressure releases, I put in ice water. I have no idea what is going on. I don’t change a thing.
That is so strange! Have you had any problems cooking other items?
I haven’t. I’ve been trying to figure out if it’s the local “yard” eggs vs conventional store bought eggs but I’m not sure, we somehow got them all mixed up in the fridge.
Hi, I’m having the exact same problem. I’ve tried it twice now and the eggs turn out runny.
What is your altitude? If you live in Denver or similar altitude cooking times will need to be increased.
Same problem here. The eggs all cracked while under pressure & some of the egg landed on the bottom of the Instant Pot, and the remaining egg that was still in the shell wasn’t fully cooked – it was runny in places. I don’t recommend trying these instructions at all.
what would you do time wise for lets say a dozen at a time ?
We have the smallest Instant Pot. It has an ‘egg’ setting that I used. It warmed up and then went to a 5 minute cycle. The eggs came out a bit runny. Your thoughts?
Hmm, I wonder if the egg setting is high pressure. If that setting doesn’t work to your satisfaction, try using the “manual” or “pressure cook” button and set it to 5 minutes. If they’re still a bit runny, I’d suggest adding a minute at a time on “manual” or “pressure cook” until they’re how you like them.
Egg-xactly what daughter said! Thanks for the advice!
My Instant Pot was just delivered today and this is the first thing I’ve cooked in it. Eggs turned out perfectly!
Any changes for doing a dozen eggs at a time?
Yay! I hope you love your Instant Pot as much as we love ours! I’ve never cooked more than 6 eggs because my rack only holds that many, but I think a dozen should cook just fine at 5 minutes also, depending on the size.
My eggs turned brown on the inside and were gross
You just saved the world ga’ tons of water!!!! Thank you so much for sharing!
So true! Haven’t done much with my Insta Pot, but did try hard boiled eggs and I said the very same thing to my friend:
If nothing else, I love it for finally making perfect hard boiled eggs. I am on an eating plan that allows hard boiled eggs for a snack, but I was so sick of throwing half of the white away with the shell. Problem solved.
I was looking for directions for cooking boiled eggs in my instant Pot and your directions looked easy! Thanks
Thanks for sharing this, Kare. However, I sadly did not have the same success. This is literally the first thing I attempted to make with my brand new Instant Pot DUO60. I did it exactly as outlined here, but when I went to crack my first egg, it wasn’t fully done. 🙁
I found another blog post that said to cook eggs for 8 minutes on high pressure or 12 minutes on low pressure (specifically when cooking at sea level). I think 8 minutes probably would have been perfect, so I’ll try that next time. For this time I ended up repeating the 5 minute cook time and they turned out fine.
YEP perfect!!!
So! I’d just wasted 6 eggs in my air fryer when deciding to try my Instant Pot. This recipe was perfect! Soft, perfect center, so beautiful! Not overexaggerating when I say best boiled egg I’ve ever had.
Woo hoo! I haven’t jumped on the air fryer wagon yet … can’t decide! 🙂
Aren’t they crazy-good?! Thanks Janiece! 🙂
they are so simple to boil if you have a short time and have nothing else to eat.
Thank you for this information. I just ate my first hard boiled egg that I cooked in my new instant pot
I made hard boiled eggs in the instant pot. I added 1 cup of water and 30 eggs. When I peeled them they were brown in color. What did I do wrong?
Hi Angie, I’ve only cooked six at a time. I’m not sure 30 will work the same way!
This did not work for me. Previously I have always done 5 minutes at high pressure and a natural release for 5 minutes for great results. Thought I’d try your method but after a quick release and ice bath, the yolks were very runny and it was very difficult to peel. Too bad!!!🙃
I too have struggled to get consistent eggs. The first time I tried it, I did the 5 minute cook and IR, and perfectly hard boiled. This time I did 5 minutes and IR, and had to throw all the eggs out because they were runny. (I tried to peel them all using the “put in a container and shake it” method because I was making egg salad. If they’re not hard boiled, this makes a huge mess! I’ll be test peeling an egg before I try this in the future, LOL) Got six more eggs out, went with 6 minutes and a 5 minute NR before venting the steam, and they were hard boiled, but only just. I hate runny eggs, so I think going forward I will err on the side of overcooking. I’m just baffled as to why the inconsistency. It must be something to do with the eggs themselves, as my IP does everything else fine! I used large eggs from the supermarket both times, and cold water, so I should have gotten the same results, but nope.
The rack I have does not hold eggs well. Where do you get the rack you have?
It came with my Instant Pot, but I have heard of a few after-market options that work great.
I have cooked 20 at once. Cup and a half of water. Eggs. Position doesn’t matter. I attack eggs on top of eggs. Doesn’t seem to matter. Put lid on. Set manually for 5 minutes. Pressure builds. Counts down to zero. Then stats counting up to five. At five, I relay the rest of the pressure, moving the valve to the left or right. After stream is gone, I remove the lid. Put shelled eggs into an I’ve and water bath for 5 to ten minutes. Put in fridge. Have made several dozen and this works for 6 to 20. I will push the envelope someday to 24. Always a perfect egg. I have two each day with my bagel for breakfast. Never disappoints
Thanks so much for sharing, Don! What size Instant Pot are you using?
I just did 8 on 5 minutes pressure and 5 minutes natural release and they are brown in color. I was wondering if it was from the shell color. Anyone have this outcome?
My eggs we runny in the middle and they did not peel well after 5 minutes. Needed another 3 min at least.
6 quart
I followed the recipe exactly and my eggs came out VERY undercooked after 5 minutes on high pressure.
I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you! I am finding that this is not an exact science – outcome can vary depending on temperature of the eggs and the pressure cooker you have. That said, very undercooked doesn’t sound right! I had that happen recently when my IP didn’t seal properly, any chance that might have happened?
Same problem here. The eggs all cracked while in the IP and they weren’t cooked through.
Followed another set of directions; 1 cup water, vent set to Sealing, Pressure on High, 8 minutes >>> quick pressure release >> into cold water.
The eggs weren’t quite done…. yolk wasn’t quite firm. This was with 8 minutes under pressure.
Does egg size make a difference? (These were large) Does coming out of the refrigerator make a difference? (These were in over 2 days).
Can’t figure out how only 5 minutes pressure can work.
Any comment appreciated. Thanks.
LOVE how easy it is to hard boil eggs in the instant pot – i’ll never go back to stove top!
Same! 🙂
1st batch and they are perfect!
Woo hoo! I’m making some right now too. 🙂
Amazing! I’m a non legalistic vegan who started Weight Watchers so decided to add eggs back in. It would take me five minutes to peel each egg and even then I lost most of the white. Thank you so much!!!
Just add eggs to the pot, add enough water to just cover, and pressure cook for 5 mins. Don’t steam them, BOIL THEM! Perfectly cooked (if you prefer hard yolks). Make sure to quickly release the steam, and get them under cold tap water.
I’ve had trouble with boiled eggs in the IP, results seem rather unpredictable. Some things I know that affect the outcome:
temperature of the water at the start (hot water comes to pressure quicker, giving less cooking time overall);
the temperature of the eggs (do you keep them in a cupboard, or in the fridge?);
release method/time;
cooling method/time.
I’ve also heard it can be affected by weather conditions and altitude but I have no idea about this myself!
The first time I used my pressure cooker, I didn’t realize that the 5 minutes doesn’t count the time it takes to get to pressure! The first time I timed it for 5 minutes and took it off… very runny! The second time I waited to see what would happen and voila! The timer started when it got to pressure and I got perfect eggs! I actually prefer mine at 4 minutes -about medium.
I just bought an instant pot and tried this out. Mine were very undercooked also (like barely soft-boiled). I put them back in the pot and cooked for another 5 minutes, and then they were fine.
I noticed that the user manual says to always use at least 18oz of liquid when pressure cooking, or it might not work properly. So maybe this is what’s causing the problem?
I’ll try again in a couple days, after I eat today’s batch.
Thank you so much for showing the photos especially the 5 minutes. I tried cooking hard boiled eggs in my new instant pot and it pressurized for 20 minutes! After they kept cooking past five minutes at 12 minutes i hit cancel but they were way over cooked. Think I must have programmed 50 minutes not 5 minutes. Great article, very helpful, thanks!
Hi, I have visited all kinds of cooking web sites, bought cook books, Instant Pot books, and no body just explains step by step how to make recipes, this is the first one I have read, so A+ ON THE cooking eggs in the instant pot, can you email me some more recipes that are like the egg ones? please, that would be swell, Nawnie.
My son will go through phases where I swear he eats eggs faster than they can be layed 🐔! This method made perfect eggs!!! They were so light and fluffy (but cooked) in the centre and easy to peel. Now I can keep up with him without overheating the kitchen! Thank you for sharing it 😊
Wonderful! Thanks so much, Marilyn!
Oh man, I have the 6qt IP-LUX and these came out soft boiled. I wanted hard boiled. I’ll have to try again. I did put more than 6 eggs that were large. My family laughed because, I make a lot of things from scratch and I couldn’t get a hard boiled egg right. Lol!
This makes no sense to me. This is how I cook SOFT BOILED eggs in the Instant Pot. 5 minutes, Quick Release. Perfect SOFT BOILED eggs. It does not make them hard boiled.
Will the timing change if I use medium eggs. Im making deviled eggs and don’t want them large
Didn’t work for me, yolks were still runny.
Good job. My eggs were a little undone (still edible) so I will add another 2 minutes to cook time. This was our first try in our pot.
Mine were still raw unfortunately.
Did your Instant Pot seal?
Hard boiled eggs dont require your life story a$$hole. Thanks for the info tho, long as it took you to get around to it.
Maybe you’re on the wrong type of site if you feel comfortable insulting someone over eggs. Your insult was longer than the post you complained about! Be kind.
❤️
Thank you for this! I love boiled eggs and Instant Pot is the easiest way to do them now!
Thanks Terry!
I received the 6qt. instant pot for Chrstmas but my steamer rack will not hold my eggs up and down like you show. Will it be ok to lay them on their side?