Have you ever wondered, “Do I need an egg rack for an instant pot?”. The answer is yes and no. Here is how to make hard boiled eggs in a pressure cooker without a basket.
It is recommended to have a rack to help eggs cook evenly but I honestly don’t own one.
The only drawback to not having a rack is that you will need to do this in smaller batches to ensure that the eggs cook all the way through.
Since it only takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes to cook each batch, it really isn’t a big deal. You will want to cook roughly 6-8 eggs at a time when hard-boiling in a pressure cooker without a rack.
How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs in a Pressure Cooker without a Basket
If you own a pressure cooker that has an egg setting, this is very easy. If not, you might need to use the 5-5-5 method for hard boiled eggs.
Need recipe ideas for hard boiled eggs? Try this Egg Salad with Bacon or Cucumber Egg Salad from Stylish Cravings.
What is the 5-5-5 Method for Cooking Hard Boiled Eggs?
It is super simple:
- 5 minutes to come to pressure
- 5 minutes of cook time
- 5 minutes of natural release
Add about 6 eggs to your pressure cooker and pour over 2 cups of cold water. Replace your pressure cooker lid and ensure that the valve is set correctly.
Set your cook time to 5 minutes on high pressure. After the cooking time, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes.
Once 5 minutes has elapsed, release any remaining pressure by carefully moving the vent knob to the venting position.
Careful not burn yourself from the steam by using caution to use an oven mitt or towel.
Carefully remove the eggs from the pressure cooker and place them in an ice bath for about 5 minutes. Once removed, the eggshells should peal with ease.
Egg Setting on Instant Pot
If you have an egg setting on your pressure cooker, you’re in luck. This method makes everything so much simpler.
Add 6-8 eggs to your pressure cooker and pour over 2 cups of water. Replace the pressure cooker lid and ensure that the vent is correctly set.
Select the egg setting on the menu and simply let the pressure cooker do its thing.
Once it is done cooking and the timer as gone off, let the pressure cooker sit for about 5 minutes before manually venting the rest of the pressure.
I usually let my pressure cooker sit for another 5 minutes after this.
Remove the eggs carefully from the pressure cooker and into an ice bath for about 5 minutes. The eggshells should remove easily from the eggs.
Always Use an Ice Bath
No matter what way you hard boil your eggs in a pressure cooker, be sure to always move them into an ice bath after cooking for at least 5 minutes.
If you don’t have an ice maker, fill your sink with enough cold water to cover the eggs. This is a method I use since we don’t own an ice maker.
This will let the eggs cool properly and make the shells nearly fall off from the eggs.
Your eggs should cook all the way through using these methods without an egg rack. I’ve had success every time with no issues. An egg rack is on my list of things to purchase so I can boil more at a time but for now, this works.
