How To Make Hard Boiled Eggs In An Instant Pot
*This is the steam rack that came with my Instant Pot. If you dont have one, click here to find an inexpensive version on Amazon.
I had the most success peeling right away rather than waiting. All the eggshells came off so easily with this Instant Pot method that Ill never go back to boiling eggs.
Use them on toast, or make our Very Pickle-y Egg Salad for sandwiches that make my four kids cheer!
Or serve your perfectly peeled hard boiled eggs straight up. Weve had these adorable egg molds for years but its so hard to use them when the egg shells dont come off easily. Now were back in business!
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Whats Up With All Those Knobs And Buttons
I know, there are so many. Good news! You can ignore most of them. I use my Instant Pot nearly every day, and Ive never touched the Rice, Porridge, or Soup buttons. I do, however, make rice, porridge and soup in my IP all the time, just by programming it manuallywhich you need to know in any case.
For now, were focusing on the buttons you need for most pressure cooking recipes. If it helps, just get masking tape and cover up those other buttons so that you only focus on the buttons needed for our test drive:
- Instant Pot Duo models: arrow buttons, +/-, Pressure Cook, Start, and Cancel
- Instant Pot Pro and Ultra models: Cancel and Start buttons, Pressure Cook, central knob
Alison Conklin
Why Make Hard Boiled Eggs In A Pressure Cooker
- Instant Pot hard boiled eggs peel so easily.
- This recipe is easy and mostly hands-off. You dont have to watch a pot on the stove.
- Once you know the cook time to make your perfect hard boiled eggs, cooking them in your Instant Pot is foolproof. Theyll turn out just the way you like them, every time.
If you are new to using an Instant Pot, read my quick start guide on how to use an Instant Pot before you get started.
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The : : 5 Method For Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
I first learned of the 5:5:5 method from , 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 dont overcook, and the pressure steaming makes them easy to peel.
The method were 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.
Ways To Use This Recipe
- Egg salad one of my favorite ways to use hard boiled eggs is to whip up an egg salad. We love my Tarragon Shallot Egg Salad, and I have a classic recipe to share with you soon!
- In saladsCobb salad anyone? Try my Keto version with a low carb homemade ranch dressing.
- Sliced sometimes the easiest and most simple method is the way to go. Peel em, slice em, and eat em!
- Seasoned I love using everything bagel seasoning on my hard boiled eggs, but smoked paprika, seasoned salt, or plain salt and pepper are great too.
- Sauces a dash of hot sauce, sriracha, drizzle of garlic olive oil, or even a bit of cocktail sauce are all great options!
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What Foods Are Best For A Pressure Cooker
Pressure cooking uses wet heat. You gotta have liquid in the cookerthe steam creates the pressure. No liquid, no steam, no pressure.
Pressure cooking is for boiling, steaming, and braising. For example, you couldnt cook French fries from start to finish by pressure cooking.
But anything boiled or steamed or simmered is ace in a pressure cooker.
Coco Morante
What Ingredients Do I Need
The ingredient list is pretty simple when it comes to hard boiling eggs:
Pro Tip: To avoid cracked eggs, always start with room temperature eggs. It reduces the shock to the egg and your chance of having a crack after cooking. So set them out on the counter for about 30 minutes before you start your cooking.
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Do The Eggs Break Or Crack In The Instant Pot
While I havent had an egg break or crack in the instant pot, it is still a possible thing to happen, just like it can happen when you boil the eggs in water on stove top.
This can happen due to many reasons.
Some eggs may have a hairline crack even before you start cooking them.
So naturally, when you boil that egg, the crack will increase further which is very normal.
If any of the eggs that you place for cooking in the instant pot has a hairline crack, it will have a tendency to break its shell and leak some of the white and yellow parts of the eggs.
However, even if the eggs break while you boil them, they are usually perfectly edible though, since they are completely cooked.
Another reason for a cracked egg is that the egg might have moved around and collided with other eggs while you boiled them.
When you use a rack or trivet, the chances of this happening is very less.
However, when you boil the eggs directly in the pot, I guess there is more chance to that possibility just like it can happen when you boil the eggs in water on stove top.
Keep in mind that it is perfectly normal that sometimes eggs do crack while we make boiled eggs, but the good news is that they are perfectly edible!
One tip to reduce the chances of eggs breaking or cracking in the instant pot is to place them around the edges of the pot, like in a circle so they wont move much while boiling.
If you keep them towards the center, there is more chance of the eggs moving around.
How To Cooks Eggs In The Instant Pot
I based my eggs on the popular “5-5-5” method for hard-cooked eggs in the Instant Pot. The idea is to put your eggs into a steamer basket and seal them inside your pressure cooker along with a cup or so of water. It takes about five minutes for the cooker to come up to high pressure, five minutes to cook the eggs, and then five minutes of natural pressure release before removing the eggs from the cookerhence the “5-5-5” method.
I found that this basic formula worked just fine, though it typically takes my pressure cooker closer to 10 minutes before fully pressurizing.
I also decided that I like the texture of 4-minute eggs better than 5-minute eggs. At four minutes, the whites are firm but soft and the yolk is cooked through but still creamy at five minutes, I felt like the whites started to become rubbery and the yolk was a little chalky. Give it a try both ways and see which you prefer.
- New to the Instant Pot? Check out our post How To Use an Instant Pot: A First-Timers Guide.
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Safety Tips For Cooking Eggs In Instant Pot:
Poached Instant Pot Eggs
A great alternative is to crack the eggs into small silicone cups or oven safe dishes and put them on the rack with 1 cup of water in the bottom of the pot.Cook for the 2 minutes and do a quick release. You should have nicely soft cooked eggs !
The bottoms of these cups are rounded, so I use mason jar lid rings to keep them from tipping over.
And if you havent had enough egg talk, heres another way to make Instant Pot Boiled Eggs
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Tips For The Best Instant Pot Eggs:
- Timings below are for large eggs. For medium eggs, reduce cook time by 1 minute and increase by 1 minute for extra large eggs.
- Start with refrigerated eggs.
- Its ok to stack eggs on the rack, but eggs should not touch the water or walls of the instant pot.
- Transfer cooked eggs to a bowl of ice water right away to prevent overcooking.
- We use a 6 Qt 7-in-1 Instant Pot Duo. You may need to experiment timings using a smaller or larger pressure cooker.
I Have An Instant Pot Now What
Congratulations! Buying an Instant Pot is a big deal. Its a large purchase and one I hope you find useful.
However even if you never make a meal, you have to try hard boiled eggs at least once.
Maybe youve purchased it but havent used it yet. When I got mine I was definitely intimidated by it. What do I make, how do I make it and will it taste weird?
If you havent used yours yet, out of fear, then try this recipe first. Its basic, quick and you really cant mess up. Eggs, water and a pair of tongs are all you need for great eggs.
The only part you could mess up is over cooking or under cooking your eggs.
However that is an easy fix. The key to perfect eggs is to immediately remove them from your Insta Pot and place them in ice water. If you dont remove them they will continue to cook. And thats not what you want to happen.
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Lets Try The Quick Release
Back to our pot of water: Activate the steam release valve to the venting position. Keep your face and fingers away from the top of the knob where the steam vents.
The steam will come shooting up and be a little noisy.
Releasing all of the steam can take a minute or more. The more liquid in the cooker, the longer the release will take.
Coco Morante
What The Heck Is 5
The first number is how long the eggs actually pressure cook. The second number is how long to leave the eggs in the Instant Pot AFTER theyve cooked, otherwise known as NPR or natural pressure release. And, the final number is how long to put the eggs in a cold water/ice bath.
So, the 5-5-5 method is 5 minutes of cooking, 5 minutes sitting in the IP still under pressure, and 5 minutes in cold water. Same with 6-6-6.
Furthermore, MANY folks swear by these methods. Im not saying they dont work because they obviously do, or people wouldnt keep using and recommending them.
However
#1 Theyre unnecessary.
Even if you get great results using these methods, there is a better, faster way! And, Im allllllll about better and faster! Anywhere that I can save time and still get good results, Im in!
#2 They dont always work for farm-fresh eggs.
Ever experienced the massive frustration that is peeling a fresh egg? Its maddening !
The 5-5-5 and 6-6-6 methods dont reliably work on super fresh, from-the-farm eggs. My no-fail method does!
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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Cook the chicken as the recipe directs.
- Once cook time has elapsed and pressure has been released, remove the chicken breast from the instant pot and place it into a large mixing bowl along with ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
- Shred the chicken, using two forks, a handheld mixer at medium speed, or a stand mixer at low speed. Alternatively, you can shred the chicken right in the inner pot of your instant pot using 2 forks or a handheld mixer.
How To Boil Eggs In Instant Pot Without Rack Or Trivet
If you wonder if you can still make perfect hard boiled eggs or soft boiled eggs in the instant pot pressure cooker without using a rack or trivet for placing the eggs, then yes, it is possible!
While using a trivet or rack helps to arrange the eggs perfectly in the instant pot, reducing any chances to collide each other while boiling, you can also cook the eggs in the instant pot without a rack as it is really not necessary to make the eggs.
You can directly boil the eggs by placing the eggs in the inner pot of the instant pot along with water, just like you do for boiling eggs on stove top.
Boiled eggs on stove top can be done perfectly using a pot or pan.
Thats what I always did before I started making boiled eggs in the instant pot and they always turned out perfect too.
However, boiling eggs in the instant pot pressure cooker is much easier than boiling the eggs on stove top using a pot or pan.
While boiling eggs in a pan on stove top requires placing the eggs in a pan with water enough to immerse the eggs, the instant pot requires only minimal amount of water to cook the eggs and the eggs need not be completely immersed in water.
Instant pot method is much faster, doesnt need monitoring and the eggs are perfect and delicious!
You can decide the texture or consistency of the eggs by adjusting the timer so easily.
The whole process takes quite a few minutes only, which is much faster than stove top method!
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Whats The Big Deal With Instant Pots Anyway
Instant Pots are multifunction, programmable electric pressure cookers. Think of them as little cooking robots.
If youre not familiar with pressure cooking, the entire point of an Instant Pot can be confusing.
The big sell here is pressure cooking is up to 70 percent faster than other ways of cooking. Pressure cookers reach higher temperatures because their lids lock into place without steam escaping, which creates a pressurized environment inside the pot. In this environment, the cooker reaches 250°F .
With pressure cooking on a stove, you have to keep a close eye on the cooker because you regulate the heat source. But with an electric Instant Pot, the cooker regulates its own heat via sensors. Thats the other win. Program the Instant Pot and once its going, youre free to go for a walk, vacuum the living roomyou get the idea.
Instant Pots can do other things besides pressure cook, too. With the lid off, you can sauté ingredients before pressure cooking. You can also use it as a slow cooker or for making yogurt. Were not going to worry about doing those things here, though. This guide is all about pressure cooking.
Coco Morante
Best Cooking Time For Instant Pot Rice
The amount of water will remain the same. Different kinds of rice, however, take different amounts of time to cook under pressure. Wild rice and brown rice will require more time than white rice, for instance. Any variety can be cooked at either high or low pressure it comes out a little fluffier at low pressure, and a little chewier at high pressure.
Although you can cook any variety of rice on the automatic rice setting, brown rice works better on either a manual setting, or a setting thats specifically designed for whole grains, such as the Multigrain setting on the Instant Pot.
Here are my preferred cooking times for rice in the pressure cooker:
- Brown rice: 20 minutes on high pressure for firm rice, or 22 minutes for softer grains
- White rice: 15 minutes on low pressure for firm rice, or 17 minutes for softer grains
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Why Do You Put Boiled Eggs In Ice Water
The idea of placing the eggs in ice cold water helps the eggs to peel easily, but it also prevents the discolored yolk. The strange color that sometimes forms around hard boiled yolks is a reaction of the sulfur in the egg white and the iron in the yolk . By placing the warm eggs in ice water, it stops the cooking process and helps to stop the discoloration.
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Covering Egg Bites Before Cooking
For cute and un-soggy egg bites, cover the mold with a parchment round or aluminum foil before cooking so condensation on the lid doesn’t drip down on the egg mixture. If your egg molds came with a plastic lid, they are for storage and cant be used for cooking. If the egg mold lid is silicone, you should be able to use it when cooking, but check the manufacturer’s instructions first.
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