Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs - the easiest and best way to cook a dozen eggs in a pressure cooker with the 6-minute method! Always come out perfectly hard-boiled and peel easy!
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Why This Method Works
My Instant Pot is definitely my most used countertop appliance in my kitchen. One of the first things I mastered cooking in the pressure cooker were hard-boiled eggs. It's like magic! It works every single time! The eggs are perfectly cooked and peel like a breeze.
I tested cooking eggs at different times and the 6-minute method works the best for me. It takes 6 minutes for the Instant Pot to cook the eggs, then 6 minutes to release the pressure naturally, and finally, 6 minutes to keep them in the cold water bath. Noticing the pattern? Every step takes 6 minutes. It works!
Before finding success in this method, I tried all the fail-proof tips for cooking eggs on the stovetop. They did not work at all or worked once and not the next time. The pressure cooker method is the only one that works for me every single time. And I've cooked a lot of eggs since I got my Instant Pot.
Ingredients and tools:
- eggs: up to a dozen of large eggs
- water: necessary for pressure cooking
- ice: to stop the eggs from overcooking
- kitchen tools: large mixing bowl and kitchen tongs
How to make hard-boiled eggs in the Instant Pot?
- Start by pouring a cup of water into the Instant Pot stainless steel insert. Place a steam basket or the trivet that came with it and lay up to 12 eggs on it.
- Close the lid and set the valve to sealing position. Press "manual" setting and adjust the timer to 6 minutes. The pressure cooker will start coming to pressure. That usually takes about 6 minutes for me.
- Once the timer is done, press "off/cancel" and do not release the pressure. Set your kitchen timer (not the IP timer) to 6 minutes. After the time is up, release any remaining pressure by switching the valve to "venting" position. Carefully open the lid away from your face.
- Next, fill a large bowl with cold tap water. Place all eggs ( I use rubber tip tongs to take them out of the pressure cooker) in the water and let them sit for 6 minutes.
Cooking time:
- For soft-boiled eggs, set timer to 3 minutes.
- For medium eggs, set timer to 4 minutes.
- For hard-boiled eggs, set timer to 6 minutes.
Dishes with hard-boiled eggs:
You can use them to make a platter of deviled eggs, add them to lunch, or soup ( like chicken pho), or use them to make my Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad and the Chicken Cobb Salad.
My Extra Tip for Easy Peel!
After the eggs cool in the cold water, take each egg and gently roll it against the inside wall of your bowl. Place back in the water and repeat with the remaining eggs. Then one by one, peel the eggs. The shell should pretty much come off in one piece. Magic! You can roll them on your cutting board and peel them once out of the water but I find rolling against the bowl time and space-saving. It also helps to submerge the peeled eggs to make sure every last bit of the shell is removed and you have clean peeled and perfectly hard-boiled eggs ready to be used.
Recipe FAQs:
First, peel cooked eggs before storing them. Place in an air-tight container with a lid and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. It is not recommended to freeze hard-boiled eggs, as they will become rubbery.
Note that sometimes, you will get one or two eggs that will crack during cooking. I am not sure what the reason is but I've heard from others that it can be depended on the age of the egg. Older eggs might crack and fresh ones won't. They will still be perfectly cooked and the shell will peel off easily.
The gray ring around egg yolks appears when the eggs are overcooked. It doesn't matter if you cook them in a pot on the stove or in the pressure cooker. My 6-minute method never overcooked my eggs, that's why I always use it.
I tested this recipe with 12 eggs, a dozen. They fit perfectly in my 6-quart Instant Pot, on the trivet. If you need to cook more eggs, do it in batches or use a double-stacked trivet.
More Instant Pot recipes:
For more recipes using the digital pressure cooker, feel free to browse our Instant Pot Category.
Also, check out my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners, filled with all the info you need to get started with your new appliance! Seeing BURN message on your IP? Read my Instant Pot Burn Message post to learn why and how to save your dish.
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Pour one cup of water into the stainless steel insert.
- Place a steam basket or the trivet that came with it and place 6 to 12 eggs on it.
- Close the lid and set the valve to sealing position.
- Press "manual" setting and adjust the timer to 6 minutes. The pressure cooker will start coming to pressure. That usually takes about 6 minutes for me.
- Once the time is up and the Instant Pot beeps, press "off/cancel" and do not release the pressure. Set your kitchen timer (not the IP timer) to 6 minutes.
- After the time is up, release any remaining pressure by switching the valve to "venting" position. Carefully open the lid away from your face.
- Fill a large bowl with cold tap water.
- Remove eggs carefully ( I use rubber tip thongs) and place in water bath. Set kitchen timer to 6 minutes.
- Once the time is up, gently roll each egg against the inside wall of the bowl with water. Repeat with remaining eggs. Next, peel the shell from each egg. It should pretty much come off in one piece. Dip the eggs in water to make sure every little bit of shell is off.
- Your eggs are ready to use or can be refrigerated for later use.
Notes
- The eggs are perfectly cooked and peel like a breeze. You can use them to make a platter of deviled eggs, add them to lunch, or soup ( like chicken pho) or use to make my Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad. So delicious!
- Note that sometimes, you will get one or two eggs that will crack during cooking. I am not sure what the reason is but I've heard from others that it can be depended on the age of the egg. Older eggs might crack and fresh ones won't. They will still be perfectly cooked and the shell will peel off easily.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate.
- For soft boiled eggs, set timer to 3 minutes.
- For medium eggs, set timer to 4 minutes.
- For hard-boiled eggs, set timer to 6 minutes.
Jean says
This really does work. I was boiling them and putting them in cold water to draw out the green colored sulfer part but I was told to poke a hole in the large end with before putting them in the water. It definitely got rid of the green color but only half would peel nicely and the other half were unpresentable. I did this exactly as you instructed and it worked perfectly for peeling. As you stated, not really any faster, but a whole lot more fun. LOL! Thank you for this and your other recipes. I love my instant pot too.
Deborah says
Followed directions exactly as this is my first time hard-boiling eggs in the Instant Pot and they came out perfectly! So easy to peel too! Will never go back to doing it the old traditional way which was always a gamble as to how the eggs would turn out. Thank you for a perfectly simple recipe!
Martin says
I just got my Instant Pot as a gift and was about to go right into making something complicated, when I stumbled on your site and saw that you recommended taking baby steps.
So I took your advice, did the water test and then hard boiled eggs to your exact directions.
They came out PERFECT!! I had to eat one afterwards just to see the inside, the best looking hard boiled egg I've ever seen!
Thanks so much!
Anna says
Hi Martin! Welcome to my site! I am so glad I was able to help. The hard-boiled eggs were a game-changer for me too! I hope you enjoy your new appliance and will get a chance to try more of my recipe. If you have any questions, I am always happy to help!
eliza says
Amazing, love this. And it is easy to made this and my son and daughter love to eat hard boiled eggs and want more and more.
Valerie says
Hard boiled eggs made in an electric pressure cooker are the best! They don't pit when you peel them and they peel so easily!
Trang says
I am amazed everyday at what the Instant Pot can do. I seriously did not know that it can boil eggs!! Stupid question, why is it best to peel the eggs first when you store them in the fridge? I've actually kept them in the fridge with the shells on so know I'm realizing I've been doing it wrong all along! TIA!
Sarah Skaggs says
When I tried this I couldn't believe how well it worked! Amazing
Natasha says
Great way to make a mass amount of boiled eggs! Genius!!
Jennifer says
Comes out perfect every single time! Thank you for this!
Trisha says
Thank so much, I’ve been struggling with eggs that just didn’t peel and trying different tips for 13 years. With your Instapot tips and tricks I’m now cooking and peeling eggs without any struggles. It’s fun again! 🙂
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Hi Trisha! YAY! That's awesome! I am so happy to know my post helped. Thank you!!
Abeer says
Seems so easy to boil eggs in the Instant Pot!
Catalina says
Wow! These eggs are really perfect!
Amanda says
I can't wait to use my IP to make these eggs for Easter!
Sabrina says
This is going to be a lifesaver during the summer when I need to make deviled eggs for all of the picnics and BBQs!
Jen says
My boys eat a ton of eggs and are always asking for avocado egg salad. This would make having hard boiled eggs on hand so easy.