Instant Pot Boiled Eggs {Hard, Soft, or Jammy}

Name: Instant Pot Boiled Eggs
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
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**)

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.

a plate with instant pot boiled eggs: 5-5-5 hard boiled, jammy eggs, and instant pot 2 minute eggs

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Why You’ll Love This Easy Boiled Eggs Recipe

Simple Way to Make Boiled Eggs. Cooking eggs in the Instant Pot is uncomplicated and requires less attention than stove top methods. With pressure cooker boiled eggs, it doesn’t matter if the eggs are fresh or old—the peels come off easily every time. If you have an Instant Pot (or similar pressure cooker or multi-cooker), you can boil easy-to-peel eggs with bright yellow yolks (and NO gray/green). No special tricks (like vinegar) are needed.
It’s Ideal for Meal Prep. Whether you choose to make a few boiled eggs or a dozen, you’ll love having them on hand throughout the week. They’re delicious added to pasta, salad, sandwiches, and more (like Miso Ramen)! Like my other Instant Pot staples (think Instant Pot Brown Rice or Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats), you’ll love having these pressure cooker eggs ready to eat in your refrigerator.
YOU Choose How Your Eggs Turn Out. Prefer a less runny yolk? This recipe can make perfect hard-boiled eggs. Love a runny yolk? You can do that too! 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. With more or less high pressure cooking (followed by a quick dunk in cold water), you are in control of how your boiled eggs turn out.

instant pot hard boiled eggs with the 5-5-5 method

How to Make Instant Pot Boiled Eggs

a visual guide of how hard boiled, soft boiled, and runny instant pot eggs should look by cook time

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}

instant pot hard boiled eggs using the 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}

2 minute instant pot soft boiled eggs on a plate

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.

Soft boiled and hard boiled eggs on a plate with seasonings

The Ingredients

Eggs. Packed with an exceptionally large number 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

Add Water to an Instant Pot. Place eggs and the trivet inside.
Prepare an Ice Bath. Make sure it’s large enough for all the eggs.
Cook Soft Boiled Eggs. Cook on HIGH for 3 minutes for jammy yolks and cook for 2 minutes for runny yolks. Perform a quick pressure release.
Cook Hard Boiled Eggs. Cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. Perform a natural pressure release, then vent to release any remaining pressure.

Add the Eggs to a Bowl of Ice Water. Peel them. 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. No Instant Pot – no problem! Use my Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs recipe.

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 or Shrimp Pasta Salad.
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.
Deviled Eggs. For a fun and delightful twist on the classic appetizer, try my Curried Deviled Eggs or Avocado Deviled Eggs.

What to Serve With Instant Pot Boiled Eggs

Bacon. Serve these boiled eggs simply with seasonings, alongside some Baked Bacon in the Oven or Air Fryer Bacon.
Cinnamon Rolls. Pair eggs with Puff Patry Cinnamon Rolls or Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls, and you’ve got a hearty, delicious breakfast!
Veggies. Sauteed Spinach, Roasted Broccoli, and Sweet Potato Hash Browns would all be scrumptious.
Salad. Enjoy a side of eggs with Salmon Salad, Avocado Salad, or BLT Pasta Salad for added protein.

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.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Temperature Matters. It’s important that you start with room temperature eggs, as they’re less likely to crack during cooking.
Start Small. Every pressure cooker is different, and yours may run hotter or cooler than mine. I recommend starting with just one egg to see if the Instant Pot boiled eggs time I suggest works well for your specific device.
Keep the Peel for Longer Storage. If you’re planning to enjoy some of your eggs later in the week, go ahead and leave the peels on for now. Peeled eggs need to be consumed faster than unpeeled eggs.

a visual guide for how to cook instant pot boiled eggs and instant pot boiled eggs time for a pressure cooker

Review Save Recipe Print

Instant Pot Boiled Eggs

4.67 from 12 votes

How to make hard or soft Instant Pot Boiled Eggs. Easy to peel and yolks are cooked to your liking! 5-5-5 method, 3-minute and 2-minute eggs.

Prep: 2

Cook: 5

Total: 20

Servings: (to 12) eggs

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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

Serving: 1eggCalories: 63kcalCarbohydrates: 0.3gProtein: 6gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 164mgPotassium: 61mgSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 238IUCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are Instant Pot Boiled Eggs Easier to Peel?

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.

Can I Make Instant Pot Eggs without a Trivet?

Yes, you can make soft boiled or hard boiled eggs in a pressure cooker without a basket or 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.

Note that not using a trivet *could* be why your eggs explode in the Instant Pot. This isn’t common, but it’s worth noting in case you experience this issue.

What are the Best Seasonings for Boiled Eggs?

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.

What Happens if You Overcook Eggs?

Overcooked boiled eggs may develop a blue and green tint around the edges of the yolk (due to the release of iron sulfide). As long as the eggs are fresh and have no brown spots, they should still taste fine and be safe to eat.

How Do You Use the Egg Button on an Instant Pot?

I have not tested this recipe using the egg button on an Instant Pot, so I can’t offer any advice. I recommend following the instructions listed in this recipe, as I have tested them and know the eggs turn out perfectly.

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