When I first heard about making hard-boiled eggs in the air fryer, I was a bit skeptical. Visions of raw eggs exploding all over had me a bit reluctant to even try this recipe. Especially considering my air fryer only has one universal setting of 425°F (218°C). But my curiosity defeated my skepticism, and I'm glad it did!
Turns out making a perfectly cooked egg in the air fryer is pretty easy, but it didn't come without a lot of trial and error. You really need a good understanding of your kitchen appliance to get this one right since cooking times vary drastically.
Moreover, the abundance of internet recipes is very inconsistent making it even more challenging to find just the right cooking time. Not to mention, none of the recipes provided any guidance for a one-temp-fits-all air fryer like mine.
Once you get your cooking times down, however, the process itself is effortless. Simply turn your appliance on and let the hot air do all the work. If you consume a lot of eggs during your weekly meal prep, this easy air fryer recipe is a great addition to your collection of egg recipes. No water needed- and best of all, no cleanup! Here's all you need.
Ingredients
- 2-3 large eggs
- Salt
- Pepper
- Everything Bagel Seasoning (optional)
- Ice water
Kitchen Tools Needed
- Air fryer
- Tongs
- Bowl
- Clean towel
- Knife
Instructions
Note: These instructions are based on using my Black and Decker Crisp 'N Bake Toaster Oven Air Fryer combo. Not all air fryers have exact wattages, so cooking time and temperatures can vary based on the size and wattage of your appliance, as well as the size of your eggs.
To make hard-boiled eggs in a Black and Decker Toaster oven, turn your air fryer on and let it preheat for a few minutes.
Place two to three fresh eggs directly from your refrigerator into your air fryer basket. A dish is not necessary.
To make hard-boiled eggs, turn your air fryer on and let it preheat for a few minutes. Then place two to three fresh eggs directly from your refrigerator into your air fryer basket. A dish is not necessary.
You can let your eggs sit directly in the basket or a wire rack if you have one, but be sure to leave plenty of space between them for proper airflow.
Once your eggs are in place, return the air fryer basket to the air fryer and set your cooking time based on your desired level of doneness.
Soft-Boiled Eggs
If you want soft-boiled eggs with a nice runny egg yolk, you only need to let your eggs cook for 8 minutes.
Medium-Boiled Eggs
If you prefer a medium-boiled egg with a firm egg white and jammy egg yolks, your cook time should be in the neighborhood of 9-10 minutes depending on how thick you like them.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
To achieve the perfect air fryer hard-boiled eggs, your eggs need to cook for a mere 11 minutes. If you leave them in for 12, they'll be a bit overcooked, but still quite edible.
Word of Caution: Certain areas of your shell will turn brown from the intense heat, so don't be alarmed. Once you crack your egg, you'll see a brown ring around the egg similar to the pattern on the shell. While it may look unappealing, it is still very edible and offers a fried egg taste.
While your eggs are boiling in the air fryer, prepare a bowl of ice-cold water to give your cooked eggs an ice bath when they are done. Once your cook time is complete, carefully remove your hard-boiled egg from the air fryer with a set of tongs. Do not attempt to pick your eggs up with your fingers. They will be extremely hot.
With your tongs, transfer your eggs from the air fryer to their ice bath and let them rest in there for at least ten minutes or until they are cool to the touch. When your hard-boiled eggs are cool enough to pick up with your hands, remove them from the ice bath and dry the egg shells with a clean towel.
When you remove your eggs from the ice, you may notice a sloshing sound coming from your egg that might lead you to believe your egg is not cooked enough. It is water that you hear and not raw egg. Somehow when you drop your eggs into the ice bath, the water can permeate the shell.
Gently crack your cooked eggs and roll them on the counter to help loosen their shells, and begin peeling. It's often easier to start peeling from the top of the egg since there is usually an air pocket there that allows you to break through the egg membrane relatively easily.
Once peeled, rinse any shell debris from the egg and pat it dry. Slice the egg in half then salt, pepper, and season to taste and enjoy!
If you have leftovers or just want to make some all at once to get you through the week, you can store your eggs in an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator.
If you don't like to eat cold eggs, you can pop them in the microwave for just a few seconds to take the chill off.
Variations
Because air fryer wattages vary significantly the cooking process may vary slightly depending on your make and model. Here are some cooking times and temperatures for some other air fryers on the market:
- Vortex Air Fryer: At 250°F (121°C), air fry soft-boiled eggs for 11–12 minutes, medium-boiled eggs for 13–14 minutes, and hard-boiled eggs for 16–18 minutes.
- Cosori Air Fryer: Without preheating, air fry at 270°F (132°C) using the same cook times as the Vortex.
- Air fryers that don't go below 300°F (149°C): Try air frying for 9 minutes for soft-boiled, 12 minutes for medium-boiled, and then 15 minutes for hard-boiled eggs.
- Toaster Oven Air Fryer with adjustable setting: Air fry eggs at 275° F ( 135° C) for 25 minutes.
- Air fryers with 1400-1700 watts: Set your temperature to 250°F (121°C) and cook your air-fried eggs for 16 minutes.
Top Tips for Success
- These times and temperatures should be used as a guideline only. Finding just the right temperature and just the right time to match your specific air fryer comes with nothing short of trial and error.
- Start with just one or two eggs until you find the right setting, but be aware that adding more eggs may increase cooking times.
- Though it's tempting to pack several eggs, remember air must be able to circulate freely throughout the chamber. So avoid overstuffing.
- Although an air fryer facilitates a set-it-and-forget-it mentality, it's still a good idea to keep a watchful eye on your kitchen appliances.
- Be sure to leave your eggs in their cold water bath until they are completely cooled. It makes them so much easier to peel. If you don't have the time to wait for your eggs to cool, let them run under cold water until they're easy enough to peel without burning your fingers.
- Larger eggs cook slower than smaller ones so prepare to adjust your times accordingly.
FAQs
Whether you're making air fryer hard-boiled eggs or other air fryer recipes like air fryer fried eggs or scrambled eggs, you'll find 13 essential vitamins and minerals in each egg. Although most of the egg's nutrition is in its yolk, eggs are rich in protein and Vitamins A, D, and B12, choline, phosphorus, riboflavin, and selenium.
Moreover, eggs are Paleo-, Whole30-, and Keto-friendly. Keep in mind an egg's nutritional profile is not exact since its size varies from egg to egg.
Placing your hard-boiled eggs in an ice water bath water brings the temperature down so they are easy enough to handle. It also stops the cooking process and makes your eggs easier to peel.
Hard-boiled eggs are not only a great addition to your breakfast cuisine, but they are a common staple in many other meals and side dishes. Here are just a few ways you can use your boiled eggs:
Deviled eggs
Egg salad
Pea salad
Cobb Salad
Potato Salad
Cornbread Dressing
Giblet Gravy
Any remaining eggs should be placed in an airtight container and placed in the refrigerator for up to three or four days. While some people suggest up to a week, the FDA recommends otherwise.
I don't recommend freezing boiled eggs because the egg whites turn tough as rubber, although you could freeze the yolks by themselves for up to three months.
Yes! You can also hard boil a duck, goose, turkey, or other edible egg in your air fryer just the same. Although, you may need to adjust the cooking times depending on the size of the egg.
Surprisingly, it is almost identical. Except for the brown parts where the shell became discolored, every other part of the egg was exactly the same as an egg boiled in water. The areas where the egg white turned brown had more of a fried egg taste and texture.
However, I did notice the longer the egg cooked, the more rubbery the white part became.
If cooking eggs is part of your routine meal prep, you can prepare them in the air fryer in pretty much all the same ways you prepare them on the stove.
More air fryer recipes include air fryer fried eggs or scrambled eggs, air fryer hard-boiled eggs benedict, air fryer eggs in a basket, air fryer poached eggs, air fryer frittatas, and air fryer omelets.
Honestly, it's just as easy to boil an egg on the stove and takes about the same amount of time. But there are times when the air fryer comes in handy.
The air fryer is a great option if you're creating a large recipe that calls for a dozen eggs or more because they can cook all of your eggs at the same time.
However, if you're just cooking one egg or two, it's really just a matter of preference. Both work about the same.
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Air Fryer Breakfast Egg Toast Recipe
Air Fryer Breakfast Tortilla Recipe
Air Fryer Breakfast Boiled Egg Toast Recipe
Recipe
How To Cook Eggs In Air Fryer
Equipment
- Tongs
- Bowl
- Clean Towel
Ingredients
- 2-3 Large Eggs
- Salt
- Pepper
- Everything Bagel Seasoning (optional)
- Ice water
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer. Once preheated, place two to three eggs directly from your refrigerator into the air fryer basket.
- Replace the air fryer basket and hard-boil eggs for 8-11 minutes.
- Carefully remove one egg at a time from your air fryer using tongs, and place them in an ice bath until they are completely cooled.
- Once cooled, carefully peel each egg and slice.
- Salt and pepper to taste. For an added kick, add some paprika or Everything Bagel Seasoning. Serve and enjoy your air fryer hard-boiled eggs.
- Store any remaining portions in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
Notes
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