How to Make Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs (Easy Peel Every Time)

Here's how to make easy Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs with step by step directions. The best, fail-proof way to make hard boiled (hard cooked) eggs that easily peel every single time.

Until I discovered how to "boil" eggs in the Instant Pot, I always dreaded cooking them on the stovetop. So many factors weighed in on whether or not they would peel easily, be over/under cooked, or have a green ring around the yolk.

Now, when I make them in the Instant Pot multi-function pressure cooker using the 5-5-5 Method, I never have to wonder if they will turn out the way I want them. They are perfect, no-fail hard boiled eggs. Every. Single. Time! It's that easy!

What is the 5-5-5 Method for Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs?

• 5 minutes cooking time on Pressure Cook
• 5 minutes Natural Release (NR)
• 5 minutes in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and cool down

This is probably the most common method. I often drop down to 4 minutes cooking time (4-5-5 method). The yolks are still hard-cooked but the whites are not quite as hard/firm-which is how I like them. I often leave the eggs in the ice water for 6 or 7 minutes to make sure they are completely cooled down on the inside.

I've seen recipes that cook the eggs in the Instant Pot for 6 minutes, but at that point, I think you risk getting the green or grey ring around the yolk and drying out the yolk.

Ingredients and Equipment

• Eggs (1 to 1 dozen)
• 1 cup water
• Insert rack that comes with the Instant Pot
• Any model Instant Pot

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1. Place a metal or silicone trivet (rack) in the Instant Pot insert pot.
2. Eggs can be place in a single layer or even stacked on top of each other. Add 1 cup of water.
3. Then, set the pressure valve to "sealing", not venting. Set to Pressure Cook for 5 minutes.

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4. After 5 minutes of Natural Release (means do nothing after 5 minutes of cooking), push the pressure release valve to Venting for a Quick Release.
5. Next, transfer the hot eggs into a bowl of ice water.
6. Let stand in ice water at least 5 minutes. This cools down the eggs but also aids in the easy-peel process.

For the last step, tap the eggs on the edge of a bowl or on the counter, then roll it around on the counter with the palm of your hand to crack the shell.

The shell will almost fall off before you can even "peel" it off. It's like magic!

How to store hard cooked eggs

Store hard cooked (boiled or steamed) eggs peeled or unpeeled in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week.

Hard cooked eggs do not freeze well.

Will fresh eggs peel well when cooked in the Instant Pot?

Yes! I've cooked both fresh farm eggs and older eggs from the grocery store in the Instant Pot using this 5-5-5 method and both peel like a dream. It's a game changer!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Easy to peel every single time. No more stressing over ragged outsides of eggs. Perfectly smooth Deviled Eggs.
• You can set it and walk away!
• Works perfectly even if the eggs are fresh from the hen. (Fresh eggs are notorious for not peeling well with stovetop method.
• The eggs are basically steamed and do not move around and crack during cooking.
• The yolks are a beautiful yellow color with no green or grey discoloration.

Cons

• It doesn't actually save time since it takes about 10 minutes to "come up to pressure", 5 minutes to cook, 5 minutes to Natural Release, then 5 minutes in an ice bath. BUT! I still consider it a time saver because I can set it and walk away and I save time not having to wrestle with peeling the eggs.
• The cost of an Instant Pot if you don't already have one.

Which Instant Pot model should I buy?

No worries. Here are the 3 models I own plus Duo in teal. I highly recommend all of them.

Which Instant Pot should I buy?

Instant Pot multi-function cookers have almost as many new versions as iPhones. Fortunately, you can't really go wrong with most any of them.

The only version I would avoid is one of the very first models-the Instant Pot Luxe version. It lacks a couple of the basic features I love like the handy slots in the handles to place the hot lid that drains the collected steam back into the pot.

See what I'm talking about in this article by The Kitchn about this cool trick. It's tempting to buy this model because it is often on sale in the big box stores and online.

For a detailed overview of the various Instant Pot models, prices, and features, check out the post from Healthy Kitchen 101.

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Other Instant Pot recipes you will love

• Naturally Dyed Deviled Eggs and Easter Eggs
• Instant Pot Bone-In Pepper Jelly Ham
• Instant Pot Fresh Green Beans with Bacon
• Instant Pot White Bean Chicken Chili
• Instant Pot Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cheesecake
• Instant Pot Boiled Peanuts
• Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Alfredo

Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.

Updated December 27, 2021