Using this Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs recipe, you can finally make easy-to-peel eggs. This 2-minute Instant Pot eggs recipe requires no ice bath and it’s the hands-off way to cook hard boiled eggs quickly and easily. Make a dozen eggs or one egg with the same recipe!
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Until I started making electric pressure cooker hard boiled eggs, I had the hardest time getting perfect eggs that are easy to peel.
Egg white would come off in bits and pieces when I peeled the eggs. I tried all kinds of tips and tricks, including adding baking soda or vinegar to the water, putting cold eggs in boiling water, and sticking them in an ice bath after boiling them.
Once I tried to make hard boiled eggs in my Instant Pot, I was finally able to make perfect hard boiled eggs every time!
It’s an easy and uncomplicated recipe. And here’s the best part. The eggs peel with little effort! This method is great for making deviled eggs, easter eggs, or meal prep. I like to add boiled eggs to my salad, and I make a half dozen eggs for the week.
Many recipes show you how to steam eggs in the Instant Pot and I’ve tried them, particularly the 555 or 5-5-5 method, where you cook the eggs for 5 minutes, let the pressure release after 5 minutes, and place the eggs in an ice bath for 5 minutes.
Although it works pretty well, it’s pretty hands-on – you need to stick around while the eggs cook and cool down.
Why go through all that when you can do it completely hands-off? This 2-minute Instant Pot boiled eggs method requires no formula, timer, or ice bath. It’s so easy!
Boil eggs in the Instant Pot and use them in Wasabi deviled eggs or Instant Pot Kerala Egg Curry.
Tips for the Best Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
How Many Eggs Can You Cook at One Time?
I’ve cooked up to 12 eggs and have had no problems. I’ve had readers cook up to two dozen large eggs stacked on each other with no issues. I’ve also made just one or two eggs and that’s worked out great too. Use the same pressure cook timings.
I frequently make hard-boiled eggs at the beginning of the week and store them in a container in the fridge. We use the eggs throughout the week and find they are as easy to peel as when they’re first cooked.
Accessories
You should already have a trivet or steam rack that ships with the Instant Pot. You can place the eggs directly on the trivet.
Some Instant Pot models don’t include the trivet so you can either purchase a trivet or get a tall basket whose bottom sits above the water level.
I like to use the trivet and a collapsible steamer basket on it. However, if I were purchasing one today, I’d get a steamer basket that sits higher so I don’t need to use a trivet.
I also love this deep basket that comes as an accessory to the Mealthy CrispLid. I place it on the trivet and it perfectly fits a dozen eggs. It’s also easy to remove because of the convenient handles.
[Read More: How to Convert your Instant Pot into an Air Fryer with the Mealthy CrispLid]
How to Avoid Cracked Eggs
Although I rarely have cracked eggs, here are some tips if you’re getting cracked eggs:
- Bring the eggs out of the fridge and let them warm up before cooking.
- Avoid eggs that have hairline cracks. I notice that white eggs have these more often.
- Try using low pressure and do a full NPR (Natural Pressure Release). You may need to increase the cooking time to about 5 minutes.
- Try a different brand of eggs.
- Although many folks have no trouble pressure cooking farm fresh eggs, if you’re having trouble with peeling the eggs using this method, try using store-bought eggs.
- Use cold water, not warm or room temperature water in the inner pot.
Make Instant Pot Eggs Without a Steamer Rack
My method of cooking eggs is actually steaming the eggs because you’re putting the eggs on a rack, trivet, or basket. I have tried pressure cooking eggs without a rack by placing the eggs in enough water to cover the eggs (about 1 ½ to 2 cups of water) and the results were good. I prefer to pressure cook the hard-boiled eggs with a rack.
Instant Pot hard boiled eggs 8 qt: The 8 quart Instant Pot will be able to accommodate more eggs. You may also need to add a bit more water to the pot to ensure it comes to pressure: about 2 cups. No other changes are needed.
Boil Eggs in the Instant Pot Using the Egg Setting
The Egg button on the Instant Pot defaults to 5 minutes. I select the Egg function but modify the time to 2 minutes. * Many models remember the last setting and this allows you to use the Egg button even if you don’t want to pressure cook for the default 5 minutes.
* The Instant Pot Duo model does not have an Egg button. You need to use the Pressure Cook or Manual button.
How to Make Soft Boiled Eggs in the Pressure Cooker
To make perfectly cooked soft boiled eggs, pressure cook the eggs as directed and do a 1-minute Natural Release (wait 1 minute and do a quick pressure release of pressure) and place the eggs into an ice bath for 3 to 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
Different Instant Pot Models
I usually use a 6 quart Instant Pot but you can use this recipe to make eggs in any model or size of Instant Pot. In the Instant Pot Mini (3 quart) model, you’ll be able to accommodate fewer eggs.
Instant Pot hard boiled eggs 8 qt: The 8 quart Instant Pot will be able to accommodate more eggs. You may also need to add more water to the pot to ensure it comes to pressure: about 2 cups. No other changes are needed.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- General Instant Pot Instructions for Beginners
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs Ingredients
- Eggs
How to Boil Eggs in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Add water and place eggs on a trivet or basket
- Pressure cook
- Natural release
- Cool and peel eggs
Add Water and Place Eggs on Trivet
- Add water to the bottom of your Instant Pot.
- Place steamer rack/trivet or steamer basket in the Instant Pot.
- Carefully place eggs on the rack or steamer basket.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 2 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press Manual or Pressure Cook and + or – until the display reads 2 (2 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 2 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 2 minutes (00:02).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display L0:00 or 00 00 and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Naturally Release Pressure (NPR) on the DUO and ULTRA
- Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR). The float valve will be in the down position. This may take 15 to 30 minutes. [Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
Cool Eggs and Peel
- Your Instant Pot eggs should be perfectly cooked.
- Carefully remove eggs from Instant Pot. Allow the eggs to cool naturally. Optionally, transfer eggs to a bowl of water to cool down faster.
- Once they are cool enough to handle, peel hard boiled eggs.
The inspiration for this recipe is This Old Gal’s Instant Pot hard boiled egg recipe. The original recipe had a 10 or 15-minute natural release and I modified it to be a full natural release.
Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- 10 eggs or any quantity *
- water 1 ½ cups
Instructions
- Add water to the inner pot and place trivet in the Instant Pot.
- Place eggs directly on the trivet or in a steamer basket on the trivet. If the steamer basket has tall legs, you won't need a trivet.
- Close the lid and pressure cook the eggs on High Pressure for 2 minutes.
- Do a Natural Release of Pressure and open the lid. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Open the Instant Pot and carefully remove the eggs. Cool the eggs naturally. Optionally, place them in a bowl of ice water to cool faster.
- Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, peel them.
Notes
- * Although you should be able to pressure cook more than a dozen eggs at a time, the first time you use this recipe, try out no more than 6 eggs to make sure you are satisfied with the results.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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More Instant Pot Recipes
Catherine Stapleton says
I just got the Lux Mini. I’ve been scared of pressure cookers all my life because in my childhood 2 family friends were badly hurt when they exploded.
Today, I live in expensive California, which means I wound up temporarily living in a tiny cottage with a mini fridge, no freezer, and no stove. I got mad at buying already boiled eggs at the grocery store and out my IP came, despite my fears.
Thank you for this recipe!! I now have the courage to be a little more adventurous next time!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Catherine, I had a similar experience with my mom’s stovetop pc when I was a child, so I understand your feelings. But you can rest assured that the IP is perfectly safe. The Instant Pot will be a godsend for your situation. I hope you get to try out some of my other recipes. All the best!
Rob says
I cooked exactly as instructed and after cooking put the eggs in a bowl of ice water. The egg yolks had a grey/green ring around them. I understand this to mean the eggs have been overcooked. Any suggestions?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Rob, it sounds like they overcooked a tad. Try to do shorter natural release next time, maybe? It could be the size of the eggs….
Barb says
I am disappointed. The insides of my eggs turned out perfectly, but when I peeled the eggs I had some pieces of the white coming off in small chunks. I followed the recipe using my Instant Pot Duo Plus. The only thing that I was unsure about was what to do when the 2 minutes of cooking time was up. I wasn’t sure if the Keep Warm was working, so I pressed the Keep Warm button and then waited until it counted up to 15. Does the Keep Warm cycle come on by itself when the cooking is done? I want to try this recipe again because it does seem like a very easy way to make hard-cooked eggs. Any suggestions?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Ohh, I’m so sorry to hear that! This is truly one of my favorite things to make in the Instant Pot and I’m not kidding when I say I’ve always had bad luck with peeling. I’ve never had a bad experience making eggs in the IP. It should automatically be in Keep Warm, so that should not have been an issue. Here are some variables that could cause your issues: temperature – leave them out for a bit; size – get large rather than jumbo; store bought vs farm. You can also try to stick them in an ice bath for a couple of minutes after taking them out. If none of that works, try cooking using the 5-5-5 method: 5 min at high pressure, 5 minute natural release, and 5 minutes in an ice bath. I sure hope you have better luck next time. Thanks for commenting, Barb!
Pam says
I have tried hard boiled eggs in my IP several ways with varying results. This morning I tried your method and they came out just perfect. Thank you so much. I get brown pastured eggs that are usually large to extra large, so to be on the safe side, I increased the time to 3 minutes. No green ring, the whites were not tough and the egg peeled easily after rinsing in cold water for a minute or so. I will try the 2 minute method next time and note the difference, if any.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Excellent, Pam! I love this method and I’m glad you didn’t have any trouble. Do let me know what happens with 2 minutes.
John says
Just got the Instant Pot yesterday and this was the first thing I made after the test. I was curious to see if this would work well with fresh eggs as they are much harder to peel than older eggs. So happy to report that the eggs were a breeze to peel and these eggs were laid by our hens in the past few days. Perfectly cooked and delicious. So glad i found your website. I look forward to making one of the Thai recipes soon.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I know exactly how you feel, John! One of my favorite things about the IP is the easy-peel eggs! Thank you for visiting the website, and also for taking the time to comment.
Candace says
Hi there, do you have a suggestion as to how to change the display timer on the Ultra?
Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Candace – I’m not sure I understand your question. Do you mean the delay start time or the count-up timer after cooking is complete? The delay timer is one of the options you can set when you select the cook time. The count up time can’t be set, unfortunately. You just have to watch it and release pressure when it counts up to whatever you need. I hope that makes sense – so hard to describe these things in words!
Tom says
Ok, I’m actually new to this whole cooking thing. I’ve never used a crock pot. My wife has put me in charge of cooking and bought me an instant pot for my birthday.
So… I tried hard boiled eggs. Of the six three of them cracked. Weak eggs? Old eggs? New eggs? Too cold from the fridge?
Any thoughts?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Tom – how exciting that you’re trying something new. Re: cracking of the shells, this does happen. Did you have them in a steamer basket or on the rack? They may have thin shells, and hit up against the walls. Some eggs have tiny cracks to begin with too. You might also try to let them sit on the counter for a bit before pressure cooking. I’d give it another try.
Sue Donaldson says
hi, my ultra has an Eggs option – you didn’t mention that above? and can i do just one or two with this same recipe? thanks so much . first time user.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Sue! For instructional purposes, I tend to not use the preset buttons because different models have different buttons. The preset Eggs function on the Ultra defaults to 5 minutes. Some people like to do 5-5-5 for eggs (5 minutes pressure cook, 5 minutes natural release (NPR) and 5 minutes ice bath. I like my way better. What you can do to follow my recipe is to select the Egg function, change the time to 2 minutes, and press start. The Ultra is great in that it remembers the last setting you used and the next time you select Egg, it will be at 2 minutes and all you have to do is press Start. I hope that makes sense – good luck and enjoy your new Instant Pot! Oh, and yes you can do more or fewer eggs for the same times.
Sam says
We eat a lot of eggs so I make a dozen at a time using this recipe. The timings work perfectly each time and the eggs are so easy to peel. Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I know! I am always amazed at how easily I can peel eggs that I make in the Instant Pot. So glad I could be of help.
Jen says
I am just waiting on my eggs now. They are in warm up mode. Made water first! Lol
I used a trivet that came with my pot. My question is, my eggs are above the water. Should they be down in the water or close to it?? My eggs are definitely being steamed. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Jen, yes – the “boiled” eggs are actually steamed 🙂
Joseph V Sweredoski says
This might be a dumb question, but can you tell me if I need to add more water if I want to cook 12 eggs at once using this method?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
No such thing as a dumb question! You don’t need more water with more eggs. You might want to get a steamer basket if you don’t already have one. Easier to fit more eggs. Enjoy!
Riva says
Now I want an instant pot!I have a heck of a time with peeling eggs, especially fresh ones. What a great tip, thank you for sharing!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I feel your pain Riva! It’s especially frustrating if you want to make deviled eggs e.g.!
Jamie | A Sassy Spoon says
I’ve heard so much about the Instant Pot. I’m gonna have to get one of these for myself!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I grew up with a pressure cooker but it was scary and loud! This isn’t my mom’s pressure cooker plus it’s a slow cooker, and has so many features. Pretty cool!
Erica Schmidt says
Your detailed recipes are great! I don’t have an instant pot yet but definitely want one now! Pinning, thanks for sharing!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks Erica! I hope you get one….
Marie @ Yay! For Food says
The eggs turned out perfect! I have a hard time with peeling the eggs too sometimes. What a great method to make peeling so easy!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
So glad Marie. I feel silly that I have a hard time peeling eggs! Glad to know I’m not alone…
Elizabeth says
Peeling hard boiled eggs is really a big pain lol, so it’s always a good thing they can be easily peeled. And the eggs look beautiful in the pictures!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
The main benefit of cooking in the Instant Pot is the consistency, kinda nice to know it’s going to work the same way each time…
Romain says
Those eggs look absolutely perfect. I don’t have an instant pot. Does this technique come over to a modern pressure cooker?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’ve always owned a stove top, old fashioned pressure cooker so this is the first ‘modern’ one I’ve had. I think that any electric pressure cooker would produce the same results, but the times might have to possibly change a bit?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks Alyssa!
Alyssa @ A Bite of Inspiration says
This is a fabulous idea! Hard boiled eggs can be hard to perfect, but this method looks foolproof! Great job!
Mikaela says
Had no idea you could do this! I swear I cook hard boiled eggs the EXACT same way every time and it’s a total toss up as to whether they turn out the way I expect. 🙁 Thanks for sharing!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
You’re welcome! I know, I can never figure it out either.
Jan Oden says
Thank you for sharing! I have hard boiled egg lovers in my house…this is awesome! Now I just have to get myself an Instant Pot!! 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Yes, get one! It’s so convenient because it doesn’t require babysitting! And am I the only one who has a hard time peeling eggs?!