Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs (foolproof 5-5-5 method)

Love Hard Boiled Eggs? But struggle with getting them consistently perfect every time? Instant Pot is the answer!

Try this recipe for Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs for those perfect easy peel eggs every single time! Whether you want to make only few eggs or a dozen eggs at a time to meal prep for the week, Instant Pot has got you covered.

In the pre – Instant Pot era, I remember trying so many different things to get perfect hard boiled eggs on the stove top. From altering the temperature and level of water in the pot, to adding lemon, oil, salt in the boiling water, I tried everything anyone ever suggested. But most of it only worked half the time.

So when I finally tried making hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot, and they came out perfect the very first time, I thought it was some version of beginners luck, a one-off fluke.

It’s only when my Instant Pot kept giving me perfect hard boiled eggs every single time, that I was a convert! And beyond thrilled to never have to deal with boiling eggs on the stove top again.

The Egg Setting in the Instant Pot

A lot of Instant Pot models come with the egg setting. Some don’t. Either way, it doesn’t matter. I have a model that doesn’t have the egg setting, and I make hard boiled eggs in it all the time.

I am only mentioning this here, because when I first bought my Instant Pot, I had wrongly assumed that only the Instant Pot models with the egg setting could make eggs. Which sounds ridiculous now. And I’m more than a little embarrassed to admit it here. But I guess we don’t know what we don’t know.

Anyway, the point is, you can make hard boiled eggs in any instant pot. 🙂

How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

Making hard boiled eggs in your instant pot is ridiculously simple and hassle free, as you’ll see.

To begin with, you need to pour a cup of water in the inner pot of your Instant Pot.

Then place the trivet that comes with the Instant Pot inside the pot. You can also choose to use this egg rack. I just went with the trivet for this post, as everyone will have the trivet.

Once the trivet is in place, place the eggs on top of the trivet.

If you only need to boil a small number of eggs, then you can space out how you place the eggs. But if you have more eggs, then it’s okay to stack them on top of each other. Either way works. Just try to avoid touching the sides of the inner pot.

I usually boil anywhere from 4-12 eggs at a time. If there are more than 12 eggs, then I do a second round.

Once the eggs are placed, close the lid of your Instant Pot (after ensuring the sealing ring is in place). And then move the steam release valve to point to sealing.

Once done, press the pressure cook button and pressure cook the eggs on high pressure for 5 minutes.

The Instant Pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure. And then the pressure cooking countdown will start.

Once the pressure cooking cycle is complete, wait for 5 minutes, and then manually release all the pressure from the Pot.

Then transfer the eggs into an Ice Bath, and let the eggs sit in the ice bath for 5 minutes.

Once the 5 minutes are up, drain the water, and start peeling.

You should get perfect easy peel hard boiled eggs. Not soft boiled or over done with the nasty dark ring around the center, which happens sometimes while boiling eggs over the stove top.

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs – The 5-5-5 Method

If you have ever looked up boiling eggs in the Instant Pot, then you might have come across the 5-5-5 method. Or even the 6-6-6 method, or the 7-7-7 method. Basically some variation of a timed method.

This is nothing but a handy way to remember the time for hard boiling eggs in the Instant Pot.

Like I mentioned above – you need to pressure cook eggs for 5 minutes. Then once the cooking cycle is complete, wait for 5 more minutes before you manually release the pressure from the pot. And finally place the eggs in the ice bath for 5 minutes, before you start peeling them. That’s the 5-5-5 method. 🙂

Now many people have tweaked this method to 6-6-6 or 7-7-7 and even 6-5-5, based on their preference, or how they like their hard boiled eggs. So feel free to experiment to suit your preferences, using the 5-5-5 method as a baseline.

How Many Eggs At A Time?

How many eggs you can effectively boil at the same time in your Instant Pot, will depend on the size of your Instant Pot, and also on how well you can stack your eggs, without touching the sides of the inner pot.

Of-course you can always use this Instant Pot egg stacker, which will make stacking eggs totally hassle free, especially if you are working with more eggs.

I usually boil between 4-12 eggs at a time. And it takes the same amount of time to boil them.

How Much Water Do You Need to Put in the Instant Pot for Boiling Eggs?

A cup of water is more than sufficient to boil eggs. I have used only 1 cup of water, whether I have been boiling 4 or 12 eggs. And like I mentioned above, if I need to boil more than 12 eggs, then I usually start another batch.

How to Store Hard Boiled Eggs

You can store hard boiled eggs in the refrigerator for a week. They can be stored peeled or unpeeled. But it’s best to keep the peel on.

Avoid keeping hard boiled eggs at room temperature for too long before refrigerating them. In case you need to take them to a party or picnic, find a way to keep them cool.

Video Recipe

Other Pressure Cooker Recipes:

Pressure Cooker Soft Boiled Eggs
Mealthy Multipot Boiled Eggs
Instant Pot White Rice & Brown Rice
Instant Pot Chicken Biryani

New to Instant Pot? Check out these Instant Pot beginner posts!

Instant Pot Basics for Beginners | Instant Pot 101
How to do the Instant Pot Water Test (and Why You Must Do It)

As always, I hope you found this recipe useful. If you did, please let me know your rating ⭐️ and feedback 📲 in the comments below, or simply rate the recipe right on the recipe card. I’d really appreciate it. ❤️ 

If you’d like FREE recipes and meal prep ideas delivered directly to your email inbox every Friday in one short email, then subscribe to the Foodie Friday list HERE, and never run out of ideas on what to cook over the weekend or prep for the week ahead. 🙂