Instant Pot Easy Poached Egg

The Electric Pressure Cooker is taking the guesswork out of the prestigious poached egg.  Hands off and worry-free, this Instant Pot Poached Egg is the easiest way to poach an egg ever known!

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For a girl who could happily top any dish with a warm, runny egg, this Instant Pot EASY Poached Egg recipe is pretty revolutionary.

Prior to this pressure cooker method here, I really did not like poaching eggs for the following reasons:

• Half the time they fell apart in the poaching water (suddenly I have no credibility when I tell my kids not to swear)
• I had to keep a close eye on them and hope I took them out at the right time (10% success rate there, twin boys and all)
• I could only fit 3-4 in my skillet at a time so if I needed more than that, mine were cold by the time I sat down to eat (ridiculously unfair)

Since the Instant Pot solves most kitchen dilemmas I have, I turned to it for a solution.  After trying several different methods and cooking vessels, I finally figured it out!

I found my answer in these handy silicone baby food trays, otherwise known as Egg Bite Trays.  They have proven to be a good purchase time and again for recipes like Beebo Bites (AKA Oatmeal Muffins), Denver Style Egg Bites, and Honey Cornbread Muffins.

I highly recommend this particular Popfex brand.  I tried several others and settled on this tray because they are more sturdy and have deeper pockets.  You can stack 2 at a time in a 6 quart pot which comes in handy a lot!

No longer do I stress and over plan a poached egg meal like my life depends on it.  Relaxed and cool as a cucumber is how you'll find me on Eggs Benedict night now, I want this to be you too!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE EASY POACHED EGGS IN AN ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER

• You've heard all the poached egg tips: bring water to a gentle simmer, swirl a perfect vortex in the water, add vinegar, etc etc.  None of that here!  Just crack it, cook it, plate it, done – no fuss, no tears
• Hands off – prep the rest of your meal as the Instant Pot cooks your egg – efficient mom award right here!
• Cook one or cook seven – when was the last time you perfectly poached 7 eggs at a time on the stove top!?  NEVER!
• Buttery, golden yolk with flaky sea salt – you can't possibly not love that

HOW TO MAKE POACHED EGGS EASY IN THE INSTANT POT

1. Spray the tray with nonstick cooking spray and crack eggs into the holes
2. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until white is set
3. Use a spoon to scrape around the egg to make sure it's not stuck
4. Gently scoop it onto a spoon
5. Plate it, grab a fork, and ever so gently cut into the white
6. Bam!  Perfect runny yolk, sigh

Here's a video of the process to make your heart melt just like this golden yolk all over that crispy hash brown waffle.  For a visual on how to remove the egg, see the video for Instant Pot No Peel Hard Boiled Eggs.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT POACHED EGGS – TIPS AND TRICKS!

Use Fresh Eggs – Fresh Egg Test

This is a common tip for the traditional water/pan method, I found even with this Instant Pot method, the whites cooked up much more reliably with fresh eggs than with old eggs.  To test your eggs for freshness, place an egg in a bowl of water.  If the egg lays on its side, it is still fresh.  If it stands upright on its bottom, it's not as fresh and may not work well for poaching.  This has to do with how porous the eggshell is.  See this article “Are Your Eggs Fresh?” for more info.

Avoid Eggs Sticking in Silicone Mold

If your eggs stick, they are likely to break as you are getting them out of the tray.  Spray the holes you will be cracking eggs into with nonstick cooking spray.  My favorite is Vegalene Nonstick Cooking Spray. It works amazingly well, is made of non-GMO oils, and after using it for 5+ years, it hasn't left any residue on any of my bakeware like Pam does.  This 6-pack on Amazon is a great price, but I've also bought single cans at a local kitchen supply store for $1-2 more.

Poached Egg Cooking Time 

The exact time can vary depending on the brand of tray you are using, how many eggs you're poaching, brand of pressure cooker, and even altitude.  For the egg bite tray, I use the Popfex brand.  This brand is my favorite because it is more sturdy and the pockets are deeper.

For me, if I'm cooking 4 eggs, I cook them for 4 minutes.  More eggs will mean more surrounding heat which requires less cooking time.  I suggest starting with 4 minutes then assess your egg.  When the white is set, it's done!  If the white is partially clear and runny, cook it for another minute.  With a couple of trial runs, you'll soon know the exact cooking time for your pressure cooker and tray.

Cooking Poached Eggs for a Crowd

As I mentioned, the more eggs you are cooking the shorter the cook time.  I can fill my tray of 7 and cook them 3 minutes for 7 perfectly poached eggs.  I've had readers report back that with their less sturdy trays, 1 – 2 minutes was the perfect time for 7 eggs.  This is great when you need to cook for a crowd!

I have not tried stacking 2 trays and making 14 at a time, but I'm assuming this would decrease the cook time by another minute.  Let me know if you try this!

Quick Release the Pressure to Avoid Over Cooking

Right when your pot beeps that it's done cooking, release the pressure.  As long as there is pressure in the pot, the eggs will continue to cook, so don't walk away the last minute of cooking.

Prevent Condensation

I found that covering the eggs with foil messed with the consistency of the cook time so I stopped doing that.  When you remove the lid, quickly tilt it to prevent the condensation in the lid from dripping onto the eggs.  If there is water in your eggs, use the corner of a paper towel to easily soak it up.  Don't confuse droplets of water with the egg white!

Transfer the Poached Eggs Gently

It's quite simple to remove the eggs from the tray, but be GENTLE!  You don't want to break that beautiful yolk before it's plated.  I use a thin, small spoon to release the egg from the sides of the tray. Once it's not sticking anywhere, it will slide easily onto the spoon.

MAKE AHEAD POACHED EGGS

Poached eggs can be made ahead of time and gently reheated when you’re ready to serve them.  Store cooked eggs in a sealed container in the fridge. Add just enough cold water to the container that the eggs are barely covered.  When ready to serve, bring a pot of water just to a simmer and reheat the eggs for 1 minute.  

 

That pretty much covers it!  You are going to be a brunch making master with this trick!  A perfectly poached egg is the best way to take a meal from “meh” to “wowza!” and this Instant Pot trick makes it that much easier.

HOW TO SERVE POACHED EGGS – PUT AN EGG ON IT!

I firmly believe just about everything tastes better with a silky poached egg running over top of it.  Here are some of my favorite ways to incorporate them:

• Instant Pot Tamales – GLORIOUS!
• Instant Pot Sweet Potato topped with Poached Egg and hot sauce
• Roasted Vegetable Bowl with Green Tahini – Killer!
• Poached Egg on a Hash Brown Waffle
• If you have Master the Electric Pressure Cooker, make the Ham Wrapped Avocado Egg (page 15).  It's quite possibly my favorite recipe in the entire book!
• Avocado and Egg on Toast – as pictured here

I could go on for days, but that should get you started off nicely on your road to Poached Egg True Love Forever.

Have fun with this one!  I love simple recipes like this that can be mixed and matched with so many others.  What are your favorite foods to top with a poached egg?  Am I missing something amazing?

 

MORE INSTANT POT BREAKFAST AND EGG INSPIRATION:

• Instant Pot Breakfast Casserole
• Instant Pot Frittata 
• Mini Blueberry Breakfast Cakes
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Banana Oatmeal
• How To Make Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot 

 

OTHER RECIPES THAT ARE BETTER IN THE INSTANT POT:

• Instant Pot Yogurt
• Pressure Cooker Mashed Potatoes
• Instant Pot Black Beans
• Instant Pot Rice

 

Tools used to make Instant Pot Perfect Poached Egg

• Instant Pot
• Popfex Silicone Tray

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