Have you done hard-boiled eggs in your Instant Pot? Are they easier to peel? What’s the normal process? Could a stove top pressure cooker be used?
email from Terry
I’m behind the trend on this one. Instant Pot hard-boiled eggs are all over the web - especially Facebook. People say they are quick, consistent, and easy to peel.
Now, I love eggs, but I have not tried pressure cooking. I overdosed on hard-boiled eggs during a low-carb diet a few years back, so I’ve been avoiding them. Also, I was playing with sous vide eggs, trying to get the perfect soft-boiled egg.
The other issue: hard-boiled eggs are easy to overcook, resulting in a green-ringed, rubbery yolk. I tried all sorts of stovetop methods, settling on one from Cooks Illustrated: start with cold water and eggs, bring to a boil, then finish off the heat with a 12-minute rest. It worked better than most, but it was still not consistent. Sometimes the eggs were not completely cooked. Years later, Kenji Alt explained why: the amount of water matters in this technique, because water acts as a thermal battery. A large pot of water cooks the eggs more than a small pot of water. I stuck with this method through my low-carb diet phase. (And I do mean stuck, the way the shells stuck to the eggs as I tried to peel them.)
Researching this recipe, I couldn’t find the articles from ten years ago explaining how to boil eggs. I missed the hard-boiled shift to steaming a few years back. Both Cooks Illustrated and Kenji now say that steaming eggs is the way to go. (That’s right, the best hard-boiled eggs are not boiled.) Why? Steam is gentle, consistent heat compared to boiling water. That was my “Aha!” moment - steam power makes a pressure cooker a good egg cooker. I use my pressure cooker as a pressure steamer all the time for Pressure Cooker Cheesecake. I’m in! Time for some internet research, let’s compare recipes and see how everyone pressure cooks their eggs.
Everyone uses the 5-5-5 method: 5 minutes pressure cooking, 5 minutes natural pressure release, 5 minutes in an ice water bath to chill. Done. That seems so easy, but I hear my mother saying “if everyone jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?”
I test 5-5-5, and it does work - hard boiled eggs, easy to peel, just the way I like them. I try some variations - shorter times under pressure or quick releasing the pressure immediately undercook the eggs; longer cooking times or a full natural pressure release overcook the eggs. I should have trusted the wisdom of the internet: everyone uses 5-5-5 because it works, and works well. (Sorry Mom, everyone was right.) 1
Everyone was right about the easy peeling, too. After chilling, the shells don’t stick to the pressure cooker hard-boiled eggs, like they used to with my stovetop eggs. I’m a pressure cooker egg convert, and I think I’m ready for some more hard-boiled eggs.
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Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs, or Is the 5-5-5 Method a Myth?
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 eggs 1x
Description
Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs, quick, consistent, and easy to peel, hard-boiled eggs are one of the killer uses for an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 12 large eggs
Instructions
- Put the eggs in a steaming basket in the pressure cooker: Pour 1 cup of water into the pressure cooker pot. Put a steaming basket in the pot, then set the eggs in the basket. Lock the lid.
- Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes with a 5-minute natural pressure release: Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes in an electric pressure cooker or stovetop pressure cooker. (“Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode in an Instant Pot.) Let the pressure come down naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Cool the eggs in an ice bath (or with cold running water) for at least 5 minutes: Remove the lid from the pressure cooker and transfer the eggs to a bowl full of ice water (or cold running water) for at least 5 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water bath and pat dry. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to a week.
Notes
- Size matters: use large eggs for this recipe. I haven’t had the time to test medium or XL eggs, but I estimate 3-5-5 for medium eggs, and 7-5-5 for XL eggs.
- Timing matters for the 5-minute pressure cook and 5-minute natural release: don’t wander off during the cooking time. Waiting longer, or for a full natural pressure release, results in overcooked eggs.
- Extra time is fine for the 5-minute cold water bath: Colder is better for peeling eggs, so the 5 minutes in the cold water bath is a minimum.
- The “Egg” button on the Instant Pot: Go ahead and use it if you want. It automatically sets the cooker for 5 minutes at high pressure. (Don’t forget the 5-minute natural pressure release).
- The egg’s air pocket will have a brown color to it sometimes with this method. It’s not important - the browning is on the shell, not the egg, and doesn’t change the taste.
- Want to cook fewer eggs? More eggs? Pile them in there - the cooking time stays the same.
Tools
- 6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker)
- Steaming Rack or Steaming Basket
- Bowl of ice water (or cold running water)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker, Hard-Boiled Eggs, Eggs
A grammar note: “hard-boiled” or “hard boiled” without the dash? Hard-boiled, with the dash, is the proper spelling, but both are common usage. I prefer the dash; I’ve always wanted to write a hard-boiled detective story, and a hard-boiled detective needs the dash.
What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts
Pressure Cooker New York Cheesecake
Pressure Cooker Penne with Sausage and Peppers
Pressure Cooker Chicken Soup with Rice (from Scratch)
My other Pressure Cooker Recipes
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- I can’t help myself with the “is 5-5-5 A Myth?” headline. It’s my chance to share Betteridge’s Law of Headlines: Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word “No.” ↩
Levin says
I have been using this method for a couple years and it is easy but I keep getting green rings! After reading your article I realize that I am putting more than a cup of water. Does adding more water tend to make the eggs overcooked you think?
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Mike Vrobel says
That’s my guess. Try cutting back to 1 cup of water. (Also, it might be worth trying 4-4-5, in case your pot is running hot.)
Rita says
I have an Instant Pot Duo EVO, I cooked 8 eggs with the 5-5-5 method. Two of the eggs blew out and all of them had green rings and somewhat dry yolks. --- Does the EVO model cook a bit faster than the other models?
Rand Feura says
6 large eggs. 4-5-5. Perfection.
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Tracey C says
Hi! Your recipe calls for a dozen eggs in your pot. My question is, did you stack the eggs? Is ok to stack them or must they remain in a single layer for best results? I’m inclined to think you stacked unless you have a huge insta-pot? Thx!
Mike Vrobel says
You can stack the eggs to make them fit if you need to.
John says
As the old saying goes, "To each their own" and I actually prefer the taste imparted by the so-called green ring when the eggs are "overcooked." Without it, the eggs seem to taste undercooked but perhaps living at a higher elevation (3200 ft.) has something to do with that. I've adopted a 7-7-7 cooking program for my hard-boiled eggs and am very happy, especially good for a platter of deviled eggs.
Xara says
A perfectly cooked, easily peeled hard-boiled egg is a lovely thing. 5-5-5 worked great for me. I am, however, intrigued by the eight minutes with low pressure with quick pressure release suggested by Andrea above. Research marches on! Thanks so much for writing this!
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Nashdlp says
Are the eggs still easy to peel if you don't peel them right away? I'm usually just cooking for myself, and I'd like to make a batch on the weekend and enjoy them through the week. Some online sources say that boiled eggs last a week in the fridge, peeled or unpeeled. Others say unpeeled eggs last a week, but peeled ones go bad more quickly (one site says eat within a day, another says 4-5 days). Not sure who's right. I guess it's safer not to peel them, but I also don't like dealing with hard-to-peel eggs. Your thoughts?
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Mike Vrobel says
That's how I usually use this recipe: I hard-boil a dozen eggs and leave them in the fridge, unpeeled. They peel just fine when I need them.
Julie Fannin says
Hi! Hard-boiled eggs with shells left on last up to one week while peeled eggs are good for only a few days. Stick to that rule. You can also write the date that you boiled/steamed them on the container that you're keeping them in in case you forget. As for peeling, once eggs are cooked the shells become more porous and absorb water. If you leave them in the cold water for a bit longer (such as an extra 15 minutes) they become much easier to peel. Hope this information helps!
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Mike Vrobel says
Thanks for the tips, Julie!
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