A perfectly cooked (and peeled!) soft- or hard-boiled egg is a work of simple beauty that can be difficult to get right. Instant Pot Boiled Eggs make it easy! The peels fall right off, and you can cook the yolk exactly how you like it.
Of all the fancy uses for an Instant Pot, the ones I value most are the basics, done better: Instant Pot Brown Rice, Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats, Instant Pot Lentil Curry, and today’s revelation: Instant Pot boiled eggs.
Tips abound for the best way to cook hard boiled eggs that: 1) avoid the green ring (green or gray means your hard boiled eggs are overcooked) AND 2) are easy to peel.
Start the eggs in cold water say some; add them to boiling water say others; use vinegar; old eggs are easier to peel, etc.
If you have an Instant Pot (or similar pressure cooker or multi-cooker), boiling easy-to-peel eggs with bright yellow yolks (and NO gray/green) no special tricks are needed.
You’ll win the egg game every time.
The Instant Pot is also especially useful for deviled eggs, where maintaining a smooth, even peel is important for the presentation—and your sanity. (For a unique twist, see Curry Deviled Eggs.)
With pressure cooker boiled eggs, it doesn’t matter if the eggs are fresh or old—the peels come off easily every time.
How to Make Instant Pot Boiled Eggs
Whether you want jammy soft-boiled eggs for a Niçoise Salad, firm yolks to make hard-boiled eggs for a healthy snack, or an extra runny egg to dip with toast, you can make boiled eggs in the pressure cooker.
Below, you’ll find my tried-and-true method to cook boiled eggs in the Instant Pot (or similar pressure-cooker or multi-cooker) three ways:
- Hard-boiled
- Soft-boiled with jammy yolks (think of these as Instant Pot medium boiled eggs)
- Soft-boiled with extra runny yolks (Instant Pot 2-minute eggs).
OPTION 1: Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs {5-5-5 Method}
For hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot, I recommend the 5-5-5-method, which means:
- 5 minutes pressure cook time
- 5 minutes natural release
- 5 minutes sitting in an ice bath
5-5-5 is easy to remember.
It results in fully set yolks that are not chalky and DO NOT have the telltale green ring.
OPTION 2: Instant-Pot Soft Boiled Eggs {Jammy, 3-Minute Eggs}
OPTION 3: Instant-Pot Soft Boiled Eggs {Runny, 2-Minute Eggs}
For soft-boiled eggs, you have 2 choices: jammy yolks (3-minute eggs) and runny yolks (2-minute eggs).
Both cook times are followed by an immediate pressure release and 5 minutes in an ice bath.
Jammy yolks are 3-minute eggs:
- 3 minutes pressure cook time
- IMMEDIATE release (quick release)
- 5 minutes in ice bath
Runny yolks are 2-minute eggs:
- 2 minutes pressure cook time
- IMMEDIATE release (quick release)
- 5 minutes in ice bath
IMPORTANT NOTE
When making Instant Pot boiled eggs, be sure your eggs are at room temperature.
- Room temperature eggs are less prone to cracking and cook more evenly.
- When making soft boiled eggs, your eggs MUST be at room temperature. If they are not, the whites may still be undercooked when the yolks finish.
Forget to pull your eggs out of the refrigerator? No problem!
To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.
Here’s a look at eggs and brief recipe overview.
Feel free to jump down to the recipe card for the step-by-step specifics.
The Ingredients
- Eggs. Packed with an exceptionally large numbers of nutrients (vitamins, protein, folate, selenium, and more), eggs are a wonderful food to add to your diet. With these easy Instant Pot eggs, the possibilities are endless!
- Water. Using the correct amount of water is critical for preparing the perfect eggs.
The Directions
- Pour the water into an Instant Pot. Add the trivet and eggs.
- Prepare an ice bath.
- For soft boiled eggs: Cook on HIGH for 3 minutes for jammy yolks and cook for 2 minutes for runny yolks. Vent immediately.
- For hard boiled eggs: Cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, then vent to release any remaining pressure.
- Transfer the eggs to an ice bath for 5 minutes. Peel the eggs. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate unpeeled eggs in an airtight storage container for up to 7 days. Refrigerate peeled eggs in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
Meal Prep Tip
Prepare a batch of Instant Pot boiled eggs at the beginning of the week, leave the peels on, and use them for easy meal prep all week long.
How to Use Instant Pot Boiled Eggs
- Salad. Add the boiled eggs to any salad, or use them in a recipe that calls for them like Avocado Egg Salad, Healthy Egg Salad, 7 Layer Salad, Vegetarian Niçoise Salad, Harvest Salad, or Healthy Potato Salad.
- Sandwich. Add eggs to a Turkey Salad Sandwich or BLT.
- Pizza. Jammy, soft boiled eggs make a scrumptious topping for pizzas (like Carbonara Pizza or Naan Pizza) and flatbreads.
- Pasta. These eggs would be delicious in a carbonara pasta, BLT Pasta Salad, or Shrimp Pasta Salad.
- Breakfast. Serve these boiled eggs simply with seasonings, alongside some Baked Bacon in the Oven or Air Fryer Bacon, or paired with Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls for a tasty breakfast.
- Toast. Swap the egg in this Easy Kale Feta Egg Toast for a soft boiled egg, or keep things simple with a slice of Magic Multigrain Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread or English Muffin Bread and a runny, soft boiled egg.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Instant Pot. Use this for any of my Instant Pot recipes.
- Liquid Measuring Cup. I love that this one is dishwasher and microwave safe.
- Tongs. The easiest way to remove the eggs from the Instant Pot.
The Best Instant Pot
Whether you want to simplify making hard boiled eggs or another favorite recipe, the Instant Pot is the perfect way to do it.
Easy peeling. Perfect yolks.
No egg on our faces here!
Frequently Asked Questions
While there isn’t a lot of research or information discussing the difference between Instant Pot boiled eggs and regular boiled eggs, I did find that Instant Pot boiled eggs seem to have an edge. Low pressure cooking methods are used to boil eggs commercially, as it helps to inflate the air pocket inside the egg. As that air pocket inflates and separates from the egg white, it makes the egg easier to peel.
Yes, you can make Instant Pot eggs without a trivet. The trivet helps to keep the eggs nicely arranged so they don’t collide during cooking and risk cracking, but the eggs should cook just fine without it.
If you plan to enjoy your boiled egg as is, you may want to add some seasonings or sauces. Some popular options include: salt and pepper, everything bagel seasoning, paprika, curry powder, chili powder, garlic powder, mustard, OLD BAY, and hot sauce.
Instant Pot Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 to 12 large eggs at room temperature*
- 1 cup water increase to 1 1/2 cups if using an 8-quart Instant Pot**
Instructions
- Place the trivet that came with the Instant Pot inside of it, ensuring that it is positioned so that the rack where the eggs will be sitting isn't touching the bottom of the pot. (If you do not have a trivet, see the FAQs section above for suggestions.) Pour the water into the bottom of your Instant Pot: use 1 cup for a 6-quart Instant Pot or 1 1/2 cups for an 8-quart (see notes if using a 3-quart mini Instant Pot). Add the eggs in a single layer on top. You can cook between 1 and 12 eggs in a 6-quart.
- Prepare an ice bath large enough to hold the eggs you are cooking comfortably. Cover and seal the Instant Pot
FOR SOFT BOILED EGGS:
- Set to manual pressure and cook on HIGH for 3 minutes for soft, jammy yolks (reduce to 2 minutes if you'd like your yolks extra runny. Be sure your eggs are room temperature. If cooking for two minutes, note that they may fall apart a little when peeling because the inside will be so tender.) The pressure will take about 5 minutes to build, then the time will start. As soon as the time has elapsed, vent to release any remaining pressure.
- Use tongs to lift the eggs into the ice bath and let sit 5 minutes.
- To peel, roll gently on the counter to crack. Peel and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or leave the peels on and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
FOR HARD BOILED EGGS:
- Set to manual pressure and cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. The pressure will take about 5 minutes to build, then the time will start. As soon as the time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then vent to release any remaining pressure.
- Use tongs to lift the eggs into the ice bath and let sit 5 minutes. To peel, roll gently on the counter to crack. Peel and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or leave the peels on and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Every pressure cooker is different! If this is your first time using your Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker for hard boiled eggs, I suggest starting with 1 egg so you can test things out.
- ALTITUDE NOTE: If you are making these eggs at a higher altitude, they will need to cook longer. The exact time will vary based on your particular elevation and your pressure cooker model, so it may take some trial and error. The general guideline for high altitude Instant Pot cooking is to add 5% to the cook time for every 1,000 ft. you live above a 2,000 ft. elevation. You can experiment with letting the eggs naturally release for longer or increasing the cook time.
- *While you can cook eggs directly from the fridge, cold eggs are more likely to crack during cooking and may need an additional minute of cook time for the whites to fully cook through, especially if you are making soft boiled eggs. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl and cover with warm water. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes, then drain. If you are using extra large eggs, increase the cook times in this recipe by 1 minute.
- **Be sure to use an actual measuring cup to measure the liquid, not the markings on the inside of the Instant Pot. If using a 3-quart Instant Pot, the cooking method will be different—resources I found online suggested 1 cup of water and 5 minutes of cook time on LOW pressure, followed by an immediate release. If you try this with a 3-quart Instant Pot, I’d love to hear how it goes!
- TO STORE: Refrigerate unpeeled eggs in an airtight storage container for up to 7 days. Refrigerate peeled eggs in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
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This works perfectly, cured my brain’s images of exploded eggs all over the inside of the IP. I have had eggs show that they had been (non-visibly) cracked, but just a line of egg white came through. Five minutes with 12 eggs in a 6 qt. IP will leave a perfect small amount of set jam in center.
Hi Lynn! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I have struggled with making eggs in my Fagor pressure cooker. I am going to try again using your hints. Room temperature might do the trick. Thank you.
Hope you enjoy it Barb!
5-5-5 produces way over cooked eggs. I’ve found the best cook time to be 4-1-5. 4 minutes on high followed by a 1 minute natural pressure release, than the ice bath.
Hope you enjoy this method Bob!
In love this method. In your Directions you say the proper amount of water is critical. I’ve read the recipe multiple times and see where is says to use a measuring cup… but I can’t seem to find the exact nature of water you use. Please advise.
Hi Rebecca! Those are the overview directions in the blog post. Make sure you are looking in the recipe card for all of the amounts for the ingredients and instructions. There is a “jump to recipe” button at the top of the screen to get you there quickly. ENJOY!
Thanks for your detailed instructions and variations. Here is what I did for my 3-quart IP Mini.
3 large eggs, cold from the fridge
1 cup water, eggs on trivet
5 minutes HIGH pressure
3 minutes natural, then manually release remaining pressure
Ice bath for 3-5 minutes, don’t think it really matters as long as you stop the cooking.
Might be beginner’s luck, but they came out EXACTLY how I like them–just about halfway between what you show in your pictures for jammy and hard boiled. I buy organic brown eggs and they’re still not a breeze to peel, but better in the IP than the stovetop method.
Glad it worked out for you Colleen!