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Egg recipes

Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs

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  • Author: Elizabeth Rider
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 1-12 eggs 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Pressure cook
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Once you try Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs, you’ll never want to prepare them any other way. This easy recipe yields perfectly cooked eggs every time for delicious snacks and on-the-go breakfasts. The time can vary depending on your altitude and climate, so read the details in this post and the note below until you get the hang of using your Instant Pot.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 112 eggs
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Instant Pot by placing 1 cup of COLD water in the inner pot. It doesn’t matter if you’re cooking eggs, chicken, or any other food, pressure cookers require at least 1 cup of liquid to come up to pressure.
  2. Place the wire rack that came with your Instant Pot in the bottom of the pot. (Or, you could use a silicone Instant Pot steamer basket if you have one on hand.) Then, place your eggs on top of it. Do NOT place the eggs directly on the bottom of the pot, as they will crack. Close the line and set the Instant Pot valve to the “sealing” position.
  3. Set the cooking time to 4 minutes and pressure cook the eggs on high pressure. (I’ve also done 5 minutes and both will work. But, why not save a minute?) Push the “pressure cook” button and adjust the timer (to 4 minutes) using the + or – buttons. The Instant Pot will say it is on, and you don’t have to press anything else. Something to note: Instant Pot comes out with new models each year, so you might want to check your manual to learn how to best use your model. If you have an “egg” setting, that will also work great (as I’m sure you can imagine). However, a lot of models aren’t equipped with that setting. Another thing to note: It will take about 5-10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. The exact time is going to depend on your altitude and the climate. It will start counting down the 4 minutes once it comes to pressure.
  4. After cooking for 4 minutes, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. The Instant Pot will start counting the minutes upward during this natural release period. While the eggs start on the natural release, you can start preparing an ice bath. To do so, simply put cold water and a few cups of ice into a bowl. For 12 eggs, I’d recommend using a large bowl. However, if you have 6 eggs or less, a medium bowl will work just fine. Once 5 minutes have passed, use a long spoon or spatula to release the manual release valve. (Some people like to put a towel over the valve to catch some of the steam, although this isn’t necessary.) Just be careful when manually releasing from an Instant Pot, and refer to your pressure cooker manually if needed.
  5. Once the pin has dropped, unplug the Instant Pot and open it up. Remove the eggs from the pressure cooker and place them in the pre-prepared ice bath. As you can imagine, the eggs will be hot! Therefore, I recommend using a potholder, silicone tongs, or a spoon to transfer the eggs. Let the eggs sit in the ice bath for about 5-15 minutes. Then, dry them off and enjoy your perfect, easy-to-peel Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs.

Notes

  • *Time Note: I simply remember 4-5-5; 4 minutes to cook, 5 minutes natural release, and a 5-minute ice bath. (Or 5-5-5, as I mentioned above, you can pressure cook for 5 minutes, too.) There will also be time for your pressure cooker to come up to pressure, so plan anywhere from 20- to 30-ish minutes to make these eggs.
  • If you’re using the XL 8-quart Instant Pot, use 1.5 cups water.