At first, I had my doubts about whether you could truly make hard boiled eggs in the air fryer. After several tests, I must admit that it’s not a straightforward process.
But the good news is I was able to crack the code! Pun intented 🙂
I discovered the sweet spot for boiling eggs in the air fryer, regardless of whether you prefer them soft, medium, or hard.
However, here are a few things that you should know.
You might not get this perfectly the first time. You need to find the ideal cooking temperature for making boiled eggs. For my 6-quart Instant Pot Vortex Plus, the ideal temperature is 300°F (149°C). While my 4-quart Ninja Foodi Air fryer it’s about 280°F (138°C).
Compact air fryers tend to be hotter because of the heating element’s proximity to the food.
Table of Contents
There may be yellow spots in your eggs when you peel it due to the higher cooking temperature. Keep in mind that while eggs are typically boiled at the boiling point of 212°F (100°C), air frying them involves temperatures of 300°F (149°C), which is 50% higher than the boiling point.
Moreover, the thermal conductivity of water vs. air also comes into play.
The last item you cooked may leave a residue or flavor in your eggs. For the best results, ensure that your air fryer is thoroughly cleaned and free from any lingering odors or flavors.
Achieving the perfect soft-boiled eggs can be challenging. We attempted to cook them at both 200°F (93°C) and 300°F (149°C), but in each instance, certain parts of the egg whites remained runny.
Avoid overcrowding your air fryer basket for faster and more even cooking. For a 4-quart air fryer, the optimal number of boiled eggs is around 4-6 eggs, while for a 6-quart air fryer, it’s 6-10 eggs.
If you want to peel your boiled eggs easily, have an ice bath ready, 5 minutes before the eggs finish cooking. I’ll tell you the exact technique down in the instructions.
Now that I’ve laid out all the do’s and don’ts, let’s make some hard boiled eggs.
What You Need
✦ You can find the exact measurements of the recipe ingredients and customize the serving size in the recipe card after the detailed step-by-step instructions section.
- 6 eggs
- salt (optional)
- pepper (optional)
Recipe Video
How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs in the Air Fryer?
Follow these simple steps to air fry hard boiled eggs.
Step 1: Add your eggs to the air fryer basket
Carefully place the eggs in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not touching one another.
🚨 Important: Avoid preheating your air fryer. It is recommended to start at a low temperature to minimize the risk of eggs cracking.
Some air fryers, like my Instant Pot air fryer, don’t start the cooking timer until after they have preheated. If you’re using such a model, it’s important to use a separate timer to ensure the hard-boiled or soft-boiled eggs are timed properly.
Step 2: Air fry hard boiled eggs for 16-18 minutes.
If you’re using a 4-quart air fryer or smaller, the ideal cooking temperature is 275°F to 280°F. For 6-quart air fryers and larger, cook your boiled eggs at 300°F (149°C).
In a nutshell, here are the recommended cooking times:
Soft-Boiled Eggs: 10-12 minutes (not recommended) some part of the egg white is still runny
Medium-Boiled Eggs: 13-15 minutes
Hard-Boiled Eggs: 16-18 minutes
No matter, you many times I tried, some parts of the egg white remained uncooked.
Take a look at this mess:
If you are successful in making soft-boiled eggs, let me know in the comments.
Step 3: Prepare an ice bath.
The ice bath needs to be as cold as possible, so it’s best to prepare it a few minutes before your air fryer boiled eggs finish cooking.
Take a large mixing bowl and fill it one-third full with cold tap water. Then, add 1 to 2 blocks of ice cubes.
The purpose of the ice bath is to rapidly cool the hot eggs with cold water, facilitating the separation of the shell from the boiled egg.
Step 4: Peel your hard boiled eggs.
Immediately after cooking the hard-boiled eggs (following the recommended cooking times mentioned above), use a pair of tongs to transfer the eggs to the ice bath.
💡 Easy Peel Method: To make peeling easier, place the boiled eggs in the ice bath right away, ensuring they are fully submerged. After 30 seconds, give each egg an initial crack and return them to the ice bath.
Next, gently crack the entire egg by rolling it on a chopping board or using your hand.
Once all the eggshells are cracked, carefully peel them.
Step 5: Serve & enjoy your air fried hard boiled eggs.
There are numerous delicious ways to enjoy hard-boiled eggs.
You can eat them as is with a little salt and pepper. For an even more flavorful option, try sprinkling them with everything but the bagel seasoning.
Another delightful choice is to transform them into deviled eggs by mixing the yolks with mayonnaise, mustard, and seasonings before filling the egg whites.
Egg salad sandwiches are also a delicious option, where chopped hard-boiled eggs are combined with mayo, mustard, and additional ingredients like diced celery or onions.
Boiled eggs are also a great topping for soups and noodles.
Air Fryer Soft Boiled Eggs
As I mentioned earlier, making soft-boiled eggs in the air fryer can be quite challenging. It’s highly likely that you’ll end up with runny egg whites.
Here’s an example of how our air fryer soft-boiled eggs turned out.
I don’t really recommend attempting soft-boiled eggs in the air fryer unless you’re okay with runny egg whites.
While it could have been a convenient hack for achieving the perfect soft-boiled eggs for your ramen, unfortunately, the traditional method remains the best approach.
Suggested Cooking Time & Temperature
To achieve more accurate results and prevent the egg from cracking, please refrain from preheating your air fryer.
| Doneness | Cooking Time | Temperature (4-Quart Air Fryer or Larger) | Temperature (6-Quart Air Fryer or Larger) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Boiled Eggs | 10-12 minutes | 280°F (138°C) | 300°F (149°C) |
| Medium-Boiled Eggs | 13-15 minutes | 280°F (138°C) | 300°F (149°C) |
| Hard-Boiled Eggs | 16-18 minutes | 280°F (138°C) | 300°F (149°C) |
For reference, here’s a visual representation of this cooking chart:
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is possible to soft boil eggs in an air fryer. However, achieving the desired consistency can be a bit challenging as the air fryer’s high temperature may result in runny egg whites. It is recommended to use the traditional stovetop method for soft-boiled eggs to have more control over the cooking process and achieve the desired level of doneness.
Soft-boiled eggs will typically take around 10-12 minutes to cook in the air fryer at 275°F to 300°F. However, it’s important to note that air frying them may not always yield perfectly cooked results.
Achieving perfectly soft-boiled eggs in the air fryer can be quite challenging. However, if you still want to give it a try, cook them for 10-12 minutes at a temperature between 275°F to 300°F. It’s recommended to have an ice bath ready for easier peeling after cooking.
Yes, you can certainly hard-boil eggs in the air fryer. The cooking time is typically around 16-18 minutes. Make sure you have an ice bath ready at least 5 minutes before the eggs finish cooking.
To hard boil eggs in an air fryer, place them in the basket and cook at 275°F to 300°F for 15-18 minutes. After cooking, transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water or an ice bath to cool them down. Once cooled, peel the eggs, and they are ready to be enjoyed or used in various recipes.
Generally, air fryer hard boiled eggs take approximately 16-18 minutes to cook. However, the cooking time may vary depending on your specific air fryer model and the number of eggs you are cooking.
This ingredients checklist is interactive; you can use it as your grocery list.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1/16 teaspoon salt a pinch
- 1/16 teaspoon pepper a pinch
Instructions
- Carefully place the eggs in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not touching one another. Close the air fryer basket gently to prevent the eggs from cracking.
- Air fry hard-boiled eggs for 16-18 minutes, without preheating. If you have a 6-quart air fryer, the ideal cooking temperature is 300°F (149°C). For a 4-quart air fryer, lower the heat to 275°F to 280°F. Please refer to the notes section for recommended cooking times based on desired doneness.
- Prepare an ice bath. Take a large mixing bowl and fill it one-third full with cold tap water. Then, add 1 to 2 blocks of ice cubes or depending on the number of hard boiled eggs you are making.
- Peel the air fried hard-boiled eggs. Using a pair of tongs, transfer the cooked eggs into the ice bath immediately, ensuring they are fully submerged. After 30 seconds, gently tap each egg on the side of the mixing bowl to create a small crack. Place the eggs back into the ice bath. Next, fully crack the eggs by rolling them on a chopping board or applying gentle pressure with your hand. Finally, peel the egg shells off gently.
- Serve and enjoy your air fryer hard boiled eggs! You can enjoy them as is, make deviled eggs, add them to a salad, use them as a sandwich spread, and more.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Do not preheat your air fryer, we need to start cooking the egg from low heat to prevent them from cracking.
- The ideal cooking temperature will vary depending on your specific type of air fryer. As a general rule, use 300°F (149°C) for 6-quart air fryers and larger, and 280°F (138°C) for 4-quart air fryers and smaller.
- Soft-Boiled: 10-12 minutes (not guaranteed, runny egg whites)
- Medium-Boiled: 13-15 minutes
- Hard-Boiled: 16-18 minutes
- There may be yellow spots in your eggs when you peel it due to the high cooking temperature.
- The last item you cooked may leave a residue or flavor in your eggs. For the best results, ensure that your air fryer is thoroughly cleaned and free from any lingering odors or flavors.
- For faster and more even cooking, space your eggs evenly in the air fryer, making sure no eggs are touching each other.
- Easy Peeling Method: To make peeling easier, place the boiled eggs in the ice bath immediately, ensuring they are fully submerged. After 30 seconds, give each egg an initial crack and return them to the ice bath. Then, proceed with peeling the eggs as you normally would.
Nutrition
Share or save this recipe for later:
Have you tried making air fryer boiled eggs?
Leave us a note, and give this recipe a star rating. Good or bad, we appreciate your opinion. Let’s improve this air fryer recipe as a community!
Are you on Instagram? Share your photo and tag us at @fryitco. We can’t wait to see what you’ve made!
Or you can also subscribe to our Youtube Channel. We’re constantly uploading easy and tasty air fryer recipe videos, ASMR style.
You can also find us on Facebook & Tiktok 🙂. See you there!
Thank you for your support!
Web Story
