Whether you like them soft-boiled or hard, the best and fastest way to achieve healthy, nutritious, perfectly boiled eggs is in your pressure cooker! Got 3-5 minutes? These Instant Pot Perfect Boiled Eggs are so easy – from the cooking to the peeling!
I’m officially on the bandwagon, y’all.
I’m an Instant Pot-head.
Even though I still own and semi-regularly use my Nana’s stovetop pressure cooker…I just can’t get over the convenience of our electrical countertop magician. I’ve made everything from mac & cheese to beef brisket to short ribs in it since buying my 6-quart 2 years ago, and I’m just now really learning to appreciate what it can do.
But would you believe me if I told you what I use it for the most is making boiled eggs?
This page includes step by step instructions, as well as tips and notes. If you’d like to skip all that, feel free to scroll down to the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
We eat a LOT of eggs in our house. A batch of a dozen boiled eggs will easily disappear within 3 or 4 days, between grab-and-go breakfasts and pre-workout protein boosts. And my stray cravings for Deviled Eggs, of course.
Yep, that’s roughly about 3 or 4 eggs a day, when we actually have them ready to go. And that’s on top of the scrambled, fried, and/or poached eggs we eat once or twice a week…depending on what we feel like. Of course, I often see Abe eat the white and toss the yolk, or feed it to Vader. As someone with Stage 1 Hypertension, he knows his limitations.
Are hard boiled eggs healthy?
With one large egg coming in at 78 calories, 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of total fat – every doctor and nutritionist will say yes! Eggs are also a source of vitamins A and D, many of the B vitamins, choline, phosphorus, zinc, and meets more than 20 percent of the daily value for selenium.
As far as eating it as part of a healthier lifestyle/weight-loss plan, protein is known to be more satiating than carbs or fat. Feel satiated = not feeling hungry for the junk you’re used to. If you can’t wait to eat the chicken later (or you’re vegetarian,) eat the egg now and stay away from the chocolate cake!
Boiled eggs are high in cholesterol, however, but it’s all in the yolk. Cholesterol in food doesn’t have as much of an impact on the cholesterol levels in your body as previously thought, according to the Harvard School of Public Health (source.). You can always be like Abe and get rid of the yolk if you have a history of high cholesterol, heart disease or diabetes. But rest easy knowing 3 eggs a day won’t hurt, and might actually help (source)!
The bottom line is that eggs have more pros than cons. So boil away!
How do I boil an egg in the Instant Pot?
It’s so easy, a kid could do it. Get your supplies – there are only three.
- Eggs (your favorite type, and as many as you like to fill the steamer/pot rack)
- 1 cup water
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (affiliate link)
Pour the water into your pressure cooker, then place the eggs in a steamer basket or an egg rack.
Close the lid. Set the timer. BOOM. You’re ready to roll.
How long does it take to boil an egg in a pressure cooker?
Basically – this.
Depending on the size of your eggs (and not counting 5 or so minutes the Instant Pot takes to pressurize,) 2-3 minutes will get you some sort of soft-boiled beauty. 4 minutes is a velvety mix of soft and hard, and anything above 5 minutes will get you the hard-boiled egg of your dreams.
We won’t argue about what stores call “large” eggs these days.
How do you boil eggs so the shell comes off easily?
First of all, don’t use fresh eggs.*
I mean it. They should be at least 4 or 5 days old if you got them from a farm before you boil them. You don’t have to worry about this with most store-bought eggs.
Secondly – use your Instant Pot or standard pressure cooker. Peeling eggs is such a quick, painless process when they’re cooked perfectly.
After immediately running the boiled eggs under a cold water bath, take one out and smack the bottom of it on your countertop (being slightly more careful if it’s a soft-boiled egg.) Then, lay it on its side and, while applying gentle pressure, roll it around to crack the rest of the shell. Hold the cracked egg under the cold water and, starting at the bottom, pinch the shell and clear membrane and peel. It should come off in lovely large strips and pieces.
*Of course, if farm-fresh eggs are all you have and you’re dying for one, follow the same cracking process, but return the eggs to cold water for about 30 minutes. You should be in business!
Do you have any egg boiling tips you want to share? Leave them in the comments!
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Instant Pot Perfect Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup water
Instructions
For Hard-Boiled Eggs:
- Add the water to your pressure cooker. Place the eggs in a steamer basket or an egg rack.
- Close the lid and make sure it’s set to ‘sealing’. Set a manual timer for 5 (medium-sized eggs) or 6 (large and extra large sized eggs) minutes at high pressure. (It will take a total of 10-12 minutes between the steam build up time and actual cooking time.)
- When the timer beeps, allow the cooker to natural release for 2-3 minutes, then vent the lid for a quick pressure release, being sure to use a wooden spoon and not your hand to do so. Steam burns hurt!
- Place the hot eggs under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Peel immediately and use as desired, or refrigerate unpeeled for up to 4 days.
For Soft-Boiled Eggs:
- Add the water to your pressure cooker. Place the eggs in a steamer basket or and egg rack.
- Close the lid and make sure it’s set to ‘sealing’. Set a manual timer for 2 (for dipping, a la Eggs & Soldiers) or 3 minutes (peelable – perfect for Ramen) at high pressure. (It will take a total of 7-8 minutes between the steam build up time and actual cooking time.)
- When the timer beeps, vent the lid for a quick pressure release, being sure to use a wooden spoon and not your hand to do so. Steam burns hurt!
- Place the hot eggs under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Peel immediately and use as desired. You can refrigerate these for up to 2 days, but they’re so easy to make, you can have fresh ones every day!
Nutrition
Crystal says
Do you have to peel the eggs right away or are you able to refrigerate them and peel as needed?
Erica says
Peel and eat as needed! It’s a bad food safety habit to refrigerate peeled eggs, but they should still be easy to peel after they’ve been chilled in the fridge, as well.
Crystal says
Thank you! These eggs turn out so well!
Erica says
I’m so happy to hear that it works for you, too, Crystal! Cheers!
Maggie says
Is the steamer basket/egg rack required or can they be cooked without? My pressure cooker didn’t come with one and I would love to make these this weekend!
Erica says
You can do it without, but the eggs will have a higher chance of cracking during cooking because they’re sitting on a single hot spot. If you have a few mason jar lids, you could twist-tie them together and wrap them in foil to create a base, maybe? They just need to be elevated off the bottom of the pot a bit.
Aika says
Great article! I don’t know how to cook, except for cooking instant foods like noodles and hard-boiled eggs. And I usually put the hard-boiled eggs in a pot of water before peeling.
Kim says
How many eggs would you say I could expect to cook at one time with this method? Easter and all 😁