Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs (2-Minute Method)
Here’s how to make the easiest 2-Minute Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs that peel easily and make great snacks. With this method, you don’t have to babysit the Instant Pot and the eggs turn out perfectly every single time!
Hard-boiled eggs are just about the perfect healthy snack (see my full list of healthy snacks). They have a nice balance of protein and fat, and they’re portable and taste great.
Eggs are naturally vegetarian, gluten-free, low-carb, and keto. Kids love hard-boiled eggs, and adults do too.
Benefits of 2-Minute Method
- There are several tried-and-true methods for cooking eggs in an electric pressure cooker. This 2-minute method deserves recognition as you don’t have to “babysit” the eggs. This is great for busy people who like to set the Instant Pot and then do other things around the house while it cooks the eggs.
- With this method, the egg yolk gets perfectly cooked without that ugly green ring.
- Make cooked eggs for snacks, deviled eggs, egg salad, or for Easter! You can make just a couple eggs or up to several dozen eggs at once.
Instant Pot Egg Methods
5-5-5 & 6-6-6
There are several legitimate methods to cooking hard boiled eggs in the Instant Pot.
The most popular method is known as 5-5-5. For this method, you cook the eggs for 5 minutes at high pressure, let them come down naturally for 5 minutes, do a quick release, and then give them an ice bath for 5 minutes.
Some people also do a 6-6-6 method in the same way. As mentioned above, the only problem with these methods is that you have to keep a close eye on your Instant Pot and you can’t leave the kitchen.
2-Minute Method
My personal preference for making Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs is to use the 2-minute method where you cook the eggs at high pressure for a cook time of 2 minutes, and then use a natural release for 15-20 minutes.
This allows you to set the pot, walk away, and come back in approximately 25-30 minutes.
Since I often like to set the Instant Pot and then go take a shower, fold laundry, or work on some social media stuff on my computer, this method is foolproof and works so well.
So, the next time you want to make hard cooked eggs for snacks or Easter eggs, try this method!
Key Ingredients
- For this simple egg recipe, you just need some large eggs. I recommend using chilled eggs from the refrigerator.
- Try to use eggs that are similar in size (not different sizes). You can use either fresh chilled eggs or older eggs that are close to their expiration date. Some people think that older eggs are easier to peel once they are cooked!
- If you use fresh eggs are at room temperature, they may get overcooked.
- You’ll also need water to help bring the Instant Pot up to pressure. If you are new to using the pressure cooker, don’t miss my guide on how to use the Instant Pot Duo.
Recipe Steps
Step One
Place the trivet on the bottom of your stainless steel pot and add 1 cup water.
Place the eggs on the trivet or an egg rack (anywhere from 1 to 24 eggs is possible).
Step Two
Lock on the lid, set the valve to sealing, and set the time to 2 minutes on high pressure.
Step Three
Once the cooking time is complete, let the pressure come down naturally for 15 minutes. Then, use the quick release to get rid of any remaining pressure.
Step Four
Transfer your eggs to an ice bath and then peel off the egg shells before consuming.
Cooked eggs are delicious with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add some smoked paprika for a nice flavor touch.
I hope you enjoy this cooking process for hard boil eggs as much as I do!
You should be perfect hard boiled eggs with less work than the stovetop method.
Recipe Tips
- Use large eggs that have been chilled in the refrigerator.
- Ideally, you would use a trivet or steamer basket inside the Instant Pot to keep the eggs out of the water at the bottom.
- You can use white or brown eggs for this recipe.
- Want a slow cooker version? Check out my recipe for Crockpot Hard Boiled Eggs.
Recipe FAQs
Hard-boiled eggs will keep up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge.
Yes! This method is the same across all brands of electric pressure cookers.
Yes, because the eggs get put in an ice bath before peeling. This helps prevent the green ring around the egg yolks.
While eggs have been vilified in the past due to their cholesterol content, eggs are actually very healthy and part of a balanced diet. One egg contains about 70 calories, 6 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fat and 0.4 grams of carbs. Eating a protein-rich snack is one of my tips for dealing with sugar cravings.
If you don’t have a trivet or steamer basket for your Instant Pot, you can use several pieces of aluminum foil to make a square rest to hold your eggs out of the water. You may need to scrunch up or fold several pieces to elevate the eggs out of the water (so they don’t get overcooked in the bottom of the Instant Pot).
More Interesting Ways to Cook Eggs
More Easy Instant Pot Recipe Recipes You Might Like
- Instant Pot Artichokes
- Instant Pot Carrots
- Instant Pot Whole Sweet Potatoes
- Instant Pot Cooked Cabbage
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Whole Red Potatoes
- How to Boil Potatoes in the Instant Pot
See all my healthy Instant Pot recipes.
Don’t Miss These Instant Pot Resources!
I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.
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Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs (2-Minute Method)
Here’s how to make the easiest 2-Minute Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs that peel easily and make great snacks. With this method, you don’t have to babysit the Instant Pot.
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 6 eggs (or up to 24 eggs if you are using a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Place the trivet in your Instant Pot pressure cooker.
- Add one cup of water to the pot.
- Place the eggs carefully on the trivet and lock on the lid.
- Press “pressure cook” and make sure the setting is for “high.”
- Use the arrows to adjust the time to 2 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is complete, let the pressure come down naturally for 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the lid. Use tongs to place the eggs in a bowl filled with ice water to cool the eggs.
- Then, pour off the water and refrigerate the eggs for up to a week.
- When you’re ready to eat the eggs, just gently peel off the shell before consuming.
Notes
- Cooked hard-boiled eggs can last up to a week in the refrigerator.
- The total cooking time for this recipe is 32 minutes which includes the time for the pot to come up to pressure and the natural release time.
- Use large eggs that have been chilled in the refrigerator.
- Ideally, you would use a trivet or steamer basket inside the Instant Pot to keep the eggs out of the water at the bottom.
- You can use white or brown eggs for this recipe.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 egg
- Calories: 72
- Sugar: 0.2 g
- Sodium: 71 mg
- Fat: 4.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 6.3 g
- Cholesterol: 186 mg
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest is the author of the best-selling Instant Pot-authorized cookbook, The Healthy Meal Prep Instant Pot Cookbook. She has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and receives over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
These are perfectly cooked eggs. I am somewhat new to Instant Pot cooking, so I am very thankful for the recipe. It made great deviled eggs for this Thanksgiving. Thanks!!
Great, so glad you like this method!
I will be using this method of preparing hard boiled eggs from now on. They turned out perfect!
Yay, I’m so glad Dawn! It’s my favorite method too.
I guess even Instant Pots can have different cooking times. I love making hard boiled eggs in mine, but I cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, natural release for 4, ice water bath for 5 and they are absolutely perfect. I started out at 5/5/5 per another recipe when I first started out but there would be a thin layer of green/grey around the yolk with those times so I kept tweaking until I found the sweet spot, 3/4/5.
It doesn’t matter how many eggs I cook, anywhere from 6 to 18 in my 6 qt. and I just use one steamer basket for all the eggs.
Hello I just want to be sure the 3 quart instant pot has enough room to boil 6 eggs.
Hi Carol, yes you will be able to cook 6 at a time in the 3-quart Instant Pot.
Is the picture where the 6 eggs are on the trivet the 3 quart? Are the eggs super small?
Yes I used the 3-quart but the instructions are the same for the 6-quart! 🙂
Carrie, I just want to be sure the 3 quart has enough room to boil 6 eggs. I don’t really need a 6 quart instant pot to make food for just me and my husband but I’d like to be able to boil 6 eggs at one time.
This is such a good idea. I hate waiting for my eggs to boil.
I have got to say that I do love a boiled egg or two! They are perfect for diets and can be eaten as a snack when you are on the run. Thank you for this blog post, I really enjoy reading about clean eating.
Can I put a second layer of eggs?
Do you mean add another trivet on top? Yes, that works!
This is the easiest way I’ve found to make hard-boiled eggs. So yum!
Thank you for the helpful tips!
More power to you!