Hard boiled eggs in instant pot with silicone egg rack

How To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs In the Instant Pot

You'll never forget the 5:5:5 method!

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Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Brett Regot

There’s a reason why eggs are one of the very first things we recommend cooking in your Instant Pot. Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs require less water than stovetop-boiled eggs, cook in less time, and are incredibly easy to peel. (By simply adjusting the cooking time and pressure, you can easily make soft- or medium-boiled eggs, too.) Our go-to technique, called the 5-5-5 method, is easy to memorize, too, and yields perfect, foolproof eggs every time.

The 5:5:5 Method for Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

I first learned of the 5:5:5 method from Instant Pot’s Facebook Community, where there are literally hundreds of posts on the method! The basic idea is this: Cook your eggs under pressure for 5 minutes, naturally release the pressure for 5 minutes, then cool the eggs in an ice bath for 5 minutes. The short time under pressure ensures they don’t overcook, and the pressure steaming makes them easy to peel.

The method we’re sharing here is specifically for making hard boiled eggs. If you want creamy or soft yolks, check out our guide to cooking eggs in an electric pressure cooker.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Brett Regot

4 Tips for Better Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

• Egg size, temperature, and quality matter. While this method will technically work with any size eggs, large eggs work best. Having tried this method with both local farm eggs and cheaper grocery store eggs, I learned that lower-quality eggs tend to overcook or spit. This doesn’t mean you have to splurge, but it might be worth trying a small batch with the eggs you have and adjusting the cooking time as needed before making a big batch.
• Use cool water and refresh between batches. Cool or room temperature water makes this method more reliable. If you make back-to-back batches, refresh the water in between.
• Use a trivet or egg holder for cooking. It’s important to elevate the eggs so they’re not sitting on the bottom of the Instant Pot. This is our favorite trivet.
• Adjust the cooking time for your specific Instant Pot model. Our team of recipe testers tried this method in various Instant Pot models at different elevations and we found that some new models require a shorter 4:5:5 cooking method. For example, you’ll want to use the 5:5:5 method if you have an 8-quart Instant Pot Duo, but we had more success with the 4:5:5 method with the smaller 6-quart Duo and the Instant Pot Max. We recommend making a small batch first to determine the best cook time for you.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Brett Regot

How to Peel and Store Hard Boiled Eggs

One of the biggest benefits of Instant Pot hard boiled is how easy they are to peel. Only peel eggs that you intend to eat right away. Otherwise, store the eggs in their shell in an airtight container in the fridge, where they will keep well for up to a week.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Brett Regot

You'll never forget the 5:5:5 method!

Equipment

• 6-quart or larger electric pressure cooker

• Measuring cup

• Steamer basket or silicone pressure cooker egg rack

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