This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy
Watch the recipe
Do you love boiled eggs but hate guessing when they’re ready and hate peeling them? Yeah, I do too. But look no further - this Step by Step Guide to Boiled Eggs is here to the rescue!
Boiled eggs can be a bit tedious to do, but if you’ve got an Instant Pot handy then there’s no more guesswork - and they won’t be a pain in the butt to make! Believe me, I had so much trial and error developing this guide, but I did it so you’re set up for success! This Step by Step Guide to Boiling Eggs in the Instant Pot will also debunk a popular Instant Pot pressure cooking method for boiled eggs - the 5-5-5 method. I’ll touch on this soon here, so don’t miss out!
This guide will show how to make boiled eggs depending on your preference. I’ll break down the exact times you need from soft boiled eggs to hard boiled eggs so you’ve got the precise information you need. I’m doing the testing for ya! Let me know in the comments how you prefer your eggs! I generally like mine a little bit on the runny side but not too runny. Don’t have an Instant Pot? Then you can still nail the best boiled eggs over the stuff with my guide here!
Boiled eggs are so versatile and once you’ve got the confidence to make them, it’ll open the door to so many new recipes! Check out the bottom of this post for some serving suggestions. I expand more on the concept of a blank canvas in my 5 Tips To Make Cooking Fun! free guide! Perhaps try out one (or all!) of the serving suggestions as part of my Live to Cook one month challenge These two freebies will be sent right to your inbox if you sign up for the newsletter! Tag me on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations!
Also check out the video at the bottom of this post to watch me make the eggs in real time! To make things more tangible for you to grasp the concepts and to see what to look for in YOUR perfect boiled egg, I find the video is super helpful! If you haven’t already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit the bell button so you receive the notifications for when the recipe videos go live! Let’s get cooking!
Why Pressure Cook Your Eggs?
Using the Instant Pot to pressure cook the eggs will save you lots of time. Because the eggs are pressure cooking, the cooking process actually starts and ends much faster than boiling a pot of water. So you end up saving a lot of time and you can make much more eggs within that time as well.
Be it a dinner party where you need a dozen or so eggs, or meal prepping. This is the way to keep your stovetop busy with other dishes and prepare boiled eggs in a quick, consistent and the best way possible.
Questions You May Have for Boiling Eggs in the Instant Pot!
How Many Eggs Can You Cook In The Instant Pot?▼
It really depends on the size of your Instant Pot. In my 6 Quart Instant Pot, I can fit up to a dozen eggs at a time. The rule of thumb to follow, make sure the eggs are not tightly squeezed and are resting in a single layer over a trivet in your Instant Pot.
Do I Use the Instant Pot Egg Setting?▼
I did, but, mostly to show you what the Instant Pot Egg mode actually is. The Instant Pot egg button is just a fancy shortcut to a Manual Pressure Cook mode where the heat is set to Normal and pressure cook is set to High.
How do I prevent eggs from cracking in the Instant Pot?▼
Just make sure the eggs are stable and fit well over the trivet and are not tightly squeezed in together with the other eggs.
How do I Release the Pressure of the Instant Pot?▼
After you have waited the desired amount of time to let the pressure release , carefully manually turn the valve of the Instant Pot to release any remaining pressure.
Why put the eggs in water?▼
The most important reason is to flash the hot pressure cooked eggs in ice cold water to instantly stop the cooking process inside the egg. This way your eggs will not continue cook once taken out of the oven. Not following this step will also result in a green ring on the outside of your egg yolk.
How to Peel hard boiled eggs▼
Also, peeling the eggs under the water is actually easier and helps get the shell of with minimal effort.
I’ve Seen the 5-5-5 or 6-6-6 Pressure Cook Methods Elsewhere. Why are you not using it?▼
The truth is I did use it and it did not work!
The house smelled horrendous. At first I thought it was just the smell of boiled eggs, but the root cause was the eggs had been over cooked so much that the smell of eggs was magnified 10x. I think the issue with these methods is you are really cooking it for longer than you need to.
My stovetop method to boil eggs is to place eggs in a pot of cold water and bring that to a boil. Then, immediately turn off the heat and for hard boiled doneness, let the egg rest in the warm water, covered for 10 minutes.
In comparison, the 5-5-5 method is pressure cooking the eggs for 5 minutes and then letting the egg cook in the pressure as it releases for another 5 minutes. Pressure cooking in itself is a much stronger method of cooking especially compared to simply bring some eggs to a boil over the stovetop.
With steps as simple as 5-5-5, I do not believe I did anything to mess it up, and for those who swear by it, I would love to hear how you do it.
How to Boil Eggs in the Instant Pot
Place a trivet in the Instant Pot. Carefully arrange the eggs over the trivet, making sure not to overcrowd the pot.
Add 1 Cup of water. If you are making multiple batches of eggs, make sure after each batch, you have at least 1 cup of water remaining in the Instant Pot.
Close the lid, turn the valve to Sealing mode and press on the Egg setting. If your Instant Pot does not have an Egg setting, select Pressure Cook or Manual mode and set the heat to Normal and pressure to High. Set the cook time to 2 minutes.
Once the timer has gone off, for soft boiled eggs, let pressure release naturally for 2 minutes, for hard boiled eggs, let it release for 8 minutes. For medium boiled, anything between 4-6 could be a good fit for you.
In the meanwhile prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl.
Then manually release any remaining pressure and transfer the eggs to the ice water bath. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.
Crack the shell and peel the shell from the egg. Peeling the egg while submerged or under running water helps the egg to come off easier.
Slice open and enjoy!
BOILED EGG DONENESS
Refer to this chart to see how to make the perfect boiled eggs YOUR WAY! Whatever your preference - soft- or hard-boiled - I’ve got you covered! No more guessing and ruining your eggs, I did all the testing for you, and you can refer to this chart whenever you need it!
Instant Pot Boiled Eggs
Cook Time · Pressure Release · Doneness
| Cook Time | Natural Pressure Release | Cold Water Bathmin. time | Doneness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 minutes | 0 minutes | 5 minutes | Raw |
| 2 minutes | 1 minute | 5 minutes | Soft Boiled |
| 2 minutes | 2 minutes | 5 minutes | Medium Boiled |
| 2 minutes | 5 minutes | 5 minutes | Between Medium and Hard Boiled |
| 2 minutes | 8 minutes | 5 minutes | Hard Boiled |
| 5 minutes (5-5-5 method) | 5 minutes | 5 minutes | Overcooked-dry |
Tips for Boiling Eggs in the Instant Pot
- The longer the eggs have been refrigerated for, the easier they will be to peel.
- Avoid overstuffing the eggs in the Instant Pot to ensure even cooking and prevent cracking. The eggs should be in a single layer.
- Transfer the eggs to an ice water bath after cooking to stop the cooking process and prevent a green ring from forming outside the yolk
- Let the eggs cool down before starting to peel. It will be much easier!
- Submerging the eggs in water or running cold water will help ensure the egg whites are smooth outside once you peel the eggs
Storing Boiled Eggs
Your Boiled Eggs can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 7 days. You can store your eggs sliced, whole, or separate the yolks from the whites - all depends on how you want to enjoy them!
Serving Suggestions for Boiled Eggs
Boiled eggs are truly a blank canvas! You can do so much with them! Here are some creative ways to enjoy your boiled eggs!
- Fresh and Tangy Egg Toast
- Restaurant-Style Egg Curry
- Chicken Nargisi Kofta Curry
- Super Easy Potato Salad
- In biryani
- Devilled eggs
- Alone as a delicious high-protein snack!
Comments
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts!
Leave a comment