Instant Pot Hard Cooked Eggs (4-3-4 Method)
Hard boiled eggs are a staple for various reasons: meal-prep, egg salad, potato salad, stuffed eggs, as a topper for a salad, inside of a delicious and ultra-fattening Scotch Egg, or on their own as a quick snack. According to The Incredible Egg, one egg is:
70 calories, 5 grams fat, 0 grams carbs, 6 grams protein, among other nutrients.
That’s pretty good.
Eggs cooked in the shell are good for up to one week, according to TheKitchn. I usually make mine on Sundays for the boys’ breakfasts during the week and for my post-workout snacks. My Instant Pot comes in as the nearly-foolproof way to make a bunch of them.
When I first got my Instant Pot, there were so many naysayers about how amazing it is. But hard cooked eggs is a reason why the Instant Pot is so amazing.
Jump to the Equipment List. Jump to the Ingredient List. Jump to the Recipe Instructions.
What’s so Special about IP Eggs?
There are so many reasons why hard cooking eggs in the Instant Pot is awesome. The shells come off easily, you can cook one or one dozen, there’s very little babysitting involved, and there are so many uses for this powerhouse food.
The Shells Peel off Incredibly Easy
Nine times out of 10, the shells slip off, leaving you with a perfectly smooth white interior. This method (that I call “4-3-4”) does not overcook the yolk – something that my little guy hates and will refuse to eat it if the yolk is grey.
You Can Cook as Many Eggs as Will Fit
You can literally cook as many eggs as you want as long as they fit in the Instant Pot you are using. You can make one or one-dozen. Need six eggs for the week? Order up!
You Don’t Have to Worry Much
This recipe does need a little bit of babysitting, but not much. You’re really watching the clock. You don’t have to worry about water boiling over on the stove. No need to add baking soda or salt salt, or starting with cold or hot water. No guess work. No fuss. I find that this is really the best way to make hard cooked eggs!
Too Many Eggs? Not a problem

One time, I made too many eggs and they were going to go bad. I had some mayo, some yellow mustard, garlic powder, salt, and soon, I had a delicious egg salad sandwich to munch on while thinking about how I was going to type up this post!
Read on for the recipe.
Equipment List:
- Instant Pot
- Steamer basket. Personally, I use either my stainless steel wire mesh basket in my 3-quart or my silicone steamer basket in my 6-quart* (See Tip below)
- Bowl large enough for all of your eggs after they’re cooked (or a clean sink)
*Tip: Don’t use the trivet. A sturdy steamer basket that doesn’t flop around when you move it will serve you best. Time is usually of the essence at the end of this recipe. The best thing about the steamer basket is that you can just pull it out of the pot and drop it straight into an ice bath.
Ingredient List:
- As many eggs as you want
- 1 cup of water for the inner liner
- Ice for the bowl for after the eggs are cooked
- Water for the bowl for after the eggs are cooked.
Recipe Instructions:
- Pour one cup of water into the inner liner of your instant pot.
- Set your basket in the pot.
- Gently place your eggs in the pot.
- Place the lid on and lock it in with a quarter turn clockwise.
- Set your sealing knob to sealing (turn it back).
- Press the manual or pressure cook button (depending on your model) and use the +/- buttons to set it to 4 minutes.
- After the cooking cycle is complete, set out your bowl and fill it halfway with ice. Pour water into it and keep it handy.
- Once the screen says: L 00:03, carefully turn the knob to venting.
- Once all the pressure has been released and the pin has dropped, carefully open the lid away from your face.
- Pull the eggs out and place them into the ice bath.
- Let cool for at least four minutes.
- Peel and enjoy, or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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Let me know how you use up your hard boiled eggs in the comments below. Share with your friends, and don’t forget to subscribe. That way, you won’t miss a single food post.
Buen provecho! – Sami B.
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