Boiled Eggs in the Air Fryer
You can make boiled eggs in an air fryer without any water, which makes them technically baked rather than boiled, but the result is almost identical. The shells stay intact, the whites set evenly and there is no pan to heat or boiling water to splash. This page gives timings for soft, jammy and hard eggs, plus the ice bath that makes them easy to peel.
- Temperature
- 150°C
- Total time
- 22min
- Prep
- 2min
- Servings
- 2
- Per serving
- 155kcal
Why the air fryer works for boiled eggs
Boiled eggs in air fryer baskets are cooked by hot air instead of water, so the shell heats evenly and nothing needs to come to the boil. There is no pan to wash, you do not need to stand watching a timer over bubbling water, and the machine can cook up to six eggs in one go without extra effort. The whites set firmly but not rubbery, as long as the temperature stays moderate.
Most people searching for boiled eggs in air fryer baskets want a reliable time. At 150 °C the answer is 10 minutes for soft eggs and 15 for hard-boiled ones, with 12 for jammy eggs in between. Machines vary slightly, so cook the first batch with a timer and note the result. For other egg dishes, see scrambled eggs and the omelette page.
How to make boiled eggs in the air fryer
Tap a time to start a timer.
- Preheat Heat the air fryer to 150 °C for . Preheating matters, because the eggs then start cooking at once and the times below are reliable.
- Add the eggs Place the eggs carefully in the basket in a single layer, using a spoon or tongs. Leave a little space between them, and do not stack them. Cold eggs from the fridge are fine and are less likely to crack.
- Cook Cook for for soft eggs with a runny yolk, for jammy eggs and for hard eggs. Set a timer, because a minute makes a visible difference.
- Cool Lift the eggs out with tongs into the bowl of iced water and leave them for . This stops the cooking and loosens the shell.
- Peel and serve Tap each egg on the worktop, roll it gently and peel under a trickle of cold water. Serve soft eggs in egg cups.
Cooking times and temperatures
| Boiled Eggs | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Soft-boiled, runny yolk | 150 °C | 10 min |
| Jammy eggsSet white, soft yolk | 150 °C | 12 min |
| Hard-boiled eggsCool in iced water | 150 °C | 15 min |
| Hard-boiled at 160 °C | 160 °C | 13–14 min |
| Dippy eggsRunny yolk for toast soldiers | 150 °C | 9–10 min |
Times are a guide and depend on the size of the food and the power of your air fryer. See also cooking times and temperatures for all dishes.
Tips
- Use eggs of the same size. Large eggs from the same box cook evenly. Mixing small and extra-large eggs gives different results in one batch.
- Never skip the cooling. Standing eggs in iced water stops the yolk from overcooking and makes the shell come off cleanly.
- Cook a batch for the week. Hard-boiled eggs in their shells keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. Mark them so they are not mixed up with raw ones.
Serving
Soft eggs (a classic dippy egg) go in egg cups with buttered toast soldiers, or on top of asparagus in spring. Jammy eggs suit ramen, grain bowls and salads, and hard-boiled eggs make egg mayonnaise sandwiches, scotch eggs or a quick snack with salt and pepper. Boiled eggs in air fryer machines also work well alongside toast cooked in the same basket, one batch after the other. Poached eggs can also be made in the air fryer in greased ramekins, but that is a different method from the boiled eggs here. For a runny yolk without the shell, see poached eggs in the air fryer.
Storing and reheating
Keep peeled or unpeeled hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for up to 5 days. Do not reheat whole eggs in the air fryer or microwave, because they can burst. Slice or chop them and add them to a hot dish instead, until steaming hot all the way through. Soft-boiled eggs are best eaten straight away.
Variations
- Dippy egg and soldiers: Cook for 9 minutes at 150 °C for a very runny yolk, then slice the top off and serve with toast fingers. A soft boiled egg like this is the quickest breakfast in the book.
- Marinated eggs: Peel jammy eggs and leave them for 6 hours in 3 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp water and a teaspoon of sugar for ramen (not gluten-free).
- Egg salad: Chop hard-boiled eggs with mayonnaise, mustard and chives, and serve on rye bread or toast.
Troubleshooting
- The eggs crack in the basket
- Lower them in gently and use eggs straight from the fridge, not hot from the cupboard. A small crack is harmless, though a bad one lets the white escape.
- The shells are hard to peel
- The ice bath is the fix. Cool the eggs for 5 minutes, then crack them all over and peel from the wider end, where the air pocket is.
- The yolk has a grey-green ring
- The eggs were cooked too long. Take hard eggs out at 15 minutes and cool them straight away.
Frequently asked questions
How long do boiled eggs take in an air fryer?
At 150 °C, soft eggs take 10 minutes, jammy eggs 12 minutes and hard-boiled eggs 15 minutes. Larger eggs can need an extra minute.
What temperature do you use for boiled eggs in an air fryer?
150 °C works for most machines. At 160 °C subtract 1–2 minutes, and at 180 °C the whites can turn rubbery or the eggs may burst, so stay below that.
Can you put eggs in the air fryer from the fridge?
Yes. The timings above are for fridge-cold eggs. If they are at room temperature, take off about a minute.
Why do eggs sometimes explode in the air fryer?
It is rare, but steam builds up inside the shell when the heat is too high or the egg already has a tiny crack. Keep to 150 °C and avoid cracked eggs.
How long do you cook dippy eggs in an air fryer?
Dippy eggs, with a set white and a runny yolk for dunking toast soldiers, take 9–10 minutes at 150 °C. Use fridge-cold eggs and put them in iced water for a minute afterwards so they do not carry on cooking.
How long for a soft boiled egg in the air fryer?
A soft boiled egg takes 10 minutes at 150 °C for a set white and a runny yolk, and 12 minutes for a jammy yolk that is soft but no longer runs.
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