The Best Way to Cook Eggs in an Air Fryer
When you have an air fryer on hand, your at-home chef skills become unstoppable. This small kitchen appliance allows you to make just about anything, like fried chicken, pizza, steak, crispy vegetables, french fries, bacon, fried fish, chicken wings, grilled cheese, and even eggs. Yes, that's right, if you learn how to do it properly, you can make delicious air fryer eggs in a matter of minutes, which will save you both time and energy on busy mornings.
But first, what is all the hype surrounding the air fryer? This tool uses hot air and a fan to blow the air around and cook the food inside, which adds a natural crisp on the outside of the food it's cooking while maintaining tenderness on the inside, so you can "fry" your favorite foods without using tons of oil. In fact, it's not much different than a convection oven, except air fryers are smaller which not only means that they fit on your countertop easily, but they heat up food faster since there's a smaller space for the heat to fill. Because of the ease, quickness, and delicious crispiness the air fryer gives your food, this gadget has quickly become a beloved household item.
Even though the list of foods you can cook in the air fryer seems close to endless, there are a few things you shouldn't try cooking in this countertop fryer. Foods like shredded cheese, flaky fish, leafy greens, and meat with wet batter are all better off with another method of cooking because the hot air and fan method from the air fryer will make things too messy and won't be able to cook these foods in the way you'd like. Fortunately, when it comes to eggs, this poultry protein makes the list of foods you can always cook up in the air fryer—as long as you know what to do.
To learn more about how to cook the absolute best eggs using the air fryer, we talked with Chef Chris Nirschel, owner of New York Catering Service. Read on, and for more helpful cooking tips, make sure to check out the 16 Crispiest Comfort Food Recipes to Make in the Air Fryer Tonight.
How to make the perfect air fryer eggs
According to Chef Nirschel, there are a few important things to know about cooking eggs in the air fryer. For starters, you'll want to preheat your air fryer by setting it to 330 degrees. "Always pre-heat your air fryer or the timing will be off," says Nirschel.
Then, you'll want to decide how many eggs you're going to make.
"If you are cooking one egg, make sure you use a ramekin to hold the egg in the air fryer," says Nirschel, "and if you are making more than one egg, I would recommend using a soufflé cup." If you were to try cooking eggs without a dish to hold them in, they would spill over and not cook properly.
Next, you can make the decision about how you want your eggs cooked. Nirschel suggests the following cooking times with your fryer set to 330 degrees:
- Over-easy eggs: ~ 4-6 minutes
- Fully cooked eggs: ~ 6-8 minutes.
He also adds that you can make an omelet in the air fryer as well, "but you will want to whisk your ingredients ahead of time in a separate bowl."
Can you make hard-boiled eggs in the air fryer as well?
If you like to snack on a hard-boiled egg for a protein boost or enjoy adding them to the occasional cob salad, you'll be happy to know that you can in fact make hard-boiled eggs in the air fryer.
The best way to do this is to preheat your air fryer to 270 degrees, place the whole eggs inside, and cook them for about 15-17 minutes.
Whether you want to make eggs for breakfast, to go on some toast, or to have as a hard-boiled snack later, air fryer eggs are the way to go for those wanting a quick and easy method that still tastes amazing. "Cooking eggs in the air fryer is definitely a learning experience, but if it is done properly, you will get the perfect eggs every time," says Nirschel.
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