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Home Recipe Index Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

5 /5
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By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 8/14/24Updated: 8/14/24

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

If you’re looking for a foolproof way to make perfect hard-boiled eggs every time, look no further than your Instant Pot. Whether you’re meal prepping for the week, making deviled eggs for a gathering, or just need a healthy snack on hand, Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs come out consistently perfect—no cracked shells, no overcooking, just reliable results every time.

Hard-boiled eggs sliced in half lined up on a wooden tray with an Instant Pot and a bowl of unpeeled eggs in the background. this …


 
Table of Contents
  • Why You’ll Love this Recipe
  • How to Make Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Here are five great uses for hard-boiled eggs:
  • Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart
  • Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart
  • FAQs
  • More Instant Pot Recipes
  • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Want More Easy Recipes for the Instant Pot?

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

This recipe is MAGIC.

In all of my years of trying every hard-boiled egg trick in the book, I’ve never come out with ones that were cooked this perfectly (think moist yellow yokes with no green ring) and that peeled this easily.

The shells practically fall off once you start peeling. This recipe alone might make investing in an Instant Pot (here’s the one Polly and I both own*) worth it.

How to Make Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

Step 1: Prep the Instant Pot

First, pour 1 cup of water in the steel pot of a 6-quart Instant Pot (use 2 cups for an 8-quart), place the wire rack/trivet in the bottom, and line up your eggs.

You can really squeeze them in there. Our readers tell us you can even stack them in two layers!

Brown eggs on a rack inside an Instant Pot.

Step 2: Pressure Cook the Eggs

Push the “Manual” button and adjust the time to 4 minutes. Make sure the Pressure is on “High.”

Step 3: Prepare the Ice Bath

While the Instant Pot comes up to pressure (it will take about 5 minutes), add some ice and water in a bowl nearby as an ice bath. You’ll use this to “shock” the eggs when they are done, bringing their temp down quickly so the cooking process is stopped.

Bowl of ice water in preparation for peeling hard-boiled eggs.

Step 4: Let the Instant Pot Naturally Release Pressure

After the 4-minute cooking time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 3-4 minutes (meaning, don’t touch it). I think 3 minutes is PERFECT personally. Watch it closely, so they don’t sit longer than this. 

After that, turn the knob on top to release the rest of the pressure.

Step 5: Shock the Eggs in an Ice Bath

Using tongs, transfer your eggs to the ice bath immediately.

Hard-boiled eggs submerged in bowl of ice water.

Step 6: Peel and Enjoy!

Then, get peeling. The shells will come right off! I sometimes run them under water to get the little shell pieces off.

Hard-boiled eggs sliced in half and lined up on a wooden serving tray.

Warning: Do not put shells down your garbage disposal in your sink. I did this years ago and ruined ours!

Now say hello to perfectly cooked, easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs from the Instant Pot!

Here are five great uses for hard-boiled eggs:

  1. Salad Topping: Add a hard boiled egg to your salad for some extra protein. This would go great with our Cobb Salad.
  2. Deviled Eggs: Scoop out the yolks, mix them with mayonnaise, mustard, and spices, then pipe the mixture back into the egg whites for a classic appetizer.
  3. Protein-Packed Snack: Keep hard-boiled eggs on hand for a quick and healthy snack. Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, or your favorite seasoning.
  4. Easter Eggs: I use this method every year to prep our eggs for dyeing.

Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart

If you have an Instant Pot, be sure to download and print off our Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart that we spent two years developing for our cookbook.

This guide will help you pressure cook both fresh and frozen meals perfectly! It’s our gift to you!

Instant Pot cooking times chart printable laid out.
You’ll be so Glad You Have This!

Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart

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FAQs

How many eggs can I cook at once in the Instant Pot?

You can cook as many eggs as will fit in a single layer on the trivet or egg rack. Typically, 6–12 eggs fit comfortably. However, we’ve had readers tell us it works fine to stack the eggs.

Do I need to adjust the cooking time for more eggs?

No, the cooking time remains the same regardless of the number of eggs. The pressure-building time might increase slightly with more eggs, but the cook time does not need to be adjusted.

Why do my eggs crack during cooking?

Eggs can crack due to sudden temperature changes or being stacked too tightly. To avoid this, use room temperature eggs, place them gently in the pot, and avoid overcrowding.

How do I make hard boiled eggs on the stovetop?

To hard boil an egg on the stove, place the eggs in a single layer in a pot and cover them with cold water by about an inch. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then remove the pot from heat, cover it with a lid, and let the eggs sit for 9-12 minutes, depending on your desired firmness. Afterward, transfer the eggs to an ice bath to stop the cooking process and make them easier to peel.

More Instant Pot Recipes

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Instant Pot Brown Rice

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Instant Pot Chili

Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings with chopped parsley sprinkled on top ready to be served.

20+ Instant Pot Chicken Recipes

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Brown eggs on a rack inside an Instant Pot.
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

Once you make these easy-to-peel Instant Pot hard boiled eggs, you’ll never go back to the stovetop. It is the only way I make hard boiled eggs now! With 3 simple steps, you can do it too.

Yield: 8–12 eggs 1x
Prep: 8 minutesCook: 4 minutesTotal: 12 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 8–12 eggs
  • 1–2 cups water

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

  1. Pour 1 cup of water in the steel pot of a 6 quart Instant Pot (use 2 cups for an 8 quart), place the wire rack/trivet in the bottom, and line up your eggs. You can really squeeze them in there. Our readers tell us you can even stack them in two layers!
  2. Push the “Manual” button and adjust the time to 4 minutes. Make sure the Pressure is on “High.”
  3. While the Instant Pot comes up to pressure (it will take about 5 minutes), add some ice and water in a bowl nearby as an ice bath. You’ll use this to “shock” the eggs when they are done, bringing their temp down quickly so the cooking process is stopped.
  4. After the 4 minute cooking time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 3-4 minutes (meaning, don’t touch it). I think 3 minutes is PERFECT personally. Watch it closely, so they don’t sit longer than this. After that, turn the knob on top to release the rest of the pressure.
  5. Using tongs to transfer your eggs to the ice bath immediately.
  6. Then, get peeling. The shells will come right off! I sometimes run them under water to get the little shell pieces off. (Warning: Don’t put your shells down the garbage disposal!)


Notes/Tips

  • Warning: Do not put shells down your garbage disposal in your sink. I did this years ago and ruined ours!
  • The cooking time remains the same regardless of the number of eggs.
  • If your eggs are cracking, consider letting them come to room temperature before pressure cooking. 
© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Cuisine: American Method: Instant Pot

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Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. Grace Shulla says

    Posted on 8/5/23 at 9:50 am

    I’ve tried lots of methods in my 56 years and this is the first that seems foolproof! Thank you, ladies!!!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 8/7/23 at 8:58 am

      You are so welcome Grace! Thanks for leaving a review.

      Reply
  2. Janet says

    Posted on 3/29/23 at 12:15 pm

    This is the only way I make hard boiled eggs now! Perfect every time!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 3/30/23 at 2:35 pm

      So glad to hear it Janet! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.

      Reply
  3. Alicia says

    Posted on 9/21/22 at 1:39 pm

    When I first got my instant pot I decided I was going to use it everyday to help me get the hang of it and this was the first thing I made. I still make eggs like this. Easy and cooks them just right.

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 9/21/22 at 2:34 pm

      The hard-boiled eggs alone make it worth the investment to me. 🙂 I’m glad our recipe works for you.

      Reply
  4. Beth says

    Posted on 7/9/21 at 12:30 pm

    They were easy to peel, but mine had a green ring around the yolk.

    Reply
    • Rachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 7/12/21 at 10:01 am

      Hi Beth. I’ve been meaning to update this recipe. I’ve tested it a lot since first writing it and have found that 4 minutes cook time and 4 minutes of natural release time prevents that. I’ll update the recipe. Thank you for leaving this comment as a reminder to me!

      Reply
  5. Valerie says

    Posted on 2/10/19 at 9:46 pm

    I love making hard boiled eggs this way! But one or two eggs usually crack when I cook them this way. Any idea why? I use 7 eggs and they don’t touch, 6 qt IP, 5-5-5 method.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      Posted on 2/11/19 at 4:50 pm

      Hmm, I don’t know. I sometimes have one crack a little. I haven’t noticed it affecting the cooked egg negatively, though.

      Reply
  6. Mandy says

    Posted on 1/20/18 at 9:23 am

    It works! Finally is can make nice looking deviled eggs. Thank you so much.

    Reply

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