Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs 5-5-5 Method

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This post shows how to make Instant Pot hard boiled eggs by using the 5-5-5 method. Make a great, high protein breakfast/snack - and they're easy to peel!

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Introduction

There are so many basic recipes I make in the Instant Pot all the time - I thought I'd share another one with you guys today.

The Instant Pot makes cooking hard boiled eggs so easy! Once you make Instant Pot hard boiled eggs, you'll never go back. This method is 10 times easier than trying to make them on the stove. As long as you follow this method, you'll perfectly hard boil your eggs and make them easy to peel each and every time. These are great to make in a big batch every few days for a quick, high-protein snack or breakfast.

silicone trivet for instant pot hard boiled eggs.

Supplies Needed

The only real accessory (besides an Instant Pot, obviously; mine is a 6 quart Instant Pot) that you might not have for this tutorial is a silicone trivet. This is not a super expensive accessory, but is really great to have to boil eggs in an Instant Pot. You can use the metal rack that comes with most models, but it usually results in more burned edges and cracks in shells. The silicone is a little softer on the shells and allow better distribution of heat. (This is a similar model, for some reason I can't find the exact one I have; but this is almost identical.) If you have a silicone steamer basket, that works as well!

How to Make Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

Step 1: Prep Instant Pot

Fill the bottom of your pressure cooker's inner pot with one cup water. Over the cup of water, place the silicone trivet. Gently place fresh eggs in the holes of the trivet. You can cook anywhere from 2 to a dozen eggs - just carefully stack if needed. Size of eggs doesn't matter; these are large eggs, but anywhere from medium eggs to extra-large eggs work.

eggs on top of a silicone trivet in an Instant Pot.

Step 2: The 5-5-5 Method

The method I use to make Instant Pot hard boiled eggs is the 5-5-5 method. This is an clever name to remember the method's steps - 5 minutes of pressure cooking, 5 minutes of natural pressure release, and 5 minutes of soaking in ice water.

setting an instant pot on the manual setting.

setting the instant pot for the 5 minutes.

Once your water, trivet, and eggs (anywhere from 6-12) are in the Instant Pot, lock on the lid to sealing and set your cooking time by pressing the manual button (aka high pressure) and setting for 5 minutes.

instant pot with a natural pressure release for 5 minutes.

Allow that cook cycle to run, letting the pressure natural release for 5 minutes before a quick release of the remaining pressure (simply turn the valve to venting to quick release).

removing hard boiled eggs from an instant pot.

Step 3: Cooling Your Boiled Eggs

Once the timer is over and pressure is released, carefully (tongs recommended) remove eggs from the trivet. Place eggs in a bowl of ice water for at least 5 minutes. The cold water will stop the cooking and loosen up the shells.

putting hard boiled eggs in ice water with tongs.

If the shells break in transit from the cooker to the ice bath, not a big deal. The egg should be cooked enough to stay intact. That being said, be gentle when transferring!

Step 4: Peeling

After soaking for at least 5 minutes in an ice water bath, gently roll the egg on a hard surface to break the shell slightly.

The trick to getting these eggs to peel easily is to get underneath a membrane that holds the shell onto the egg. The ice bath helps this membrane separate from the cooked egg white. Once you break the egg, use your finger to pry under this membrane. If you can do this, the shell should come off very easily (usually in one or two pieces, even with all of those breaks). You'll have peeled eggs in no time!

peeled hard boiled eggs in a glass bowl.

The 5-5-5 method is such an easy way to make boiled eggs in an Instant Pot. If you're looking to keep a low-sodium, high-protein snack in the fridge, this is such an easy way. These are also great for egg salad, deviled eggs, or easy meal prep for the week.

And for those who are concerned about the dreaded green yolk, this method is a great way to prevent that! Yolks almost always come out perfectly cooked (just make sure you don't go over the time; overcooking them can make them a little discolored).

Video

5-5-5 Method FAQs

This is a fool-proof method of cooking hard boiled eggs. Simply set your Instant Pot for 5 minutes (manual high pressure), allow pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes, then cool cooked eggs in an ice bath for 5 minutes.

Simply use the 5-5-5 method; set your Instant Pot for 5 minutes (manual high pressure), allow pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes, then cool cooked eggs in an ice bath for 5 minutes.

In theory, you can cook as many as you can fit. I normally stick to around 12 eggs to ensure that they have enough room. Layer a silicone trivet and 1 cup of water at the bottom of the Instant Pot and carefully place eggs on top.

long graphic - instant pot hard boiled eggs

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Hope you guys enjoy your Instant Pot hard boiled eggs! See some of my other popular Instant Pot posts below:

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs 5-5-5 Method

Introduction

Supplies Needed