Air Fryer Soft Boiled Eggs are the breakfast game changer without babysitting the stove – fast, easy, water-free, and mess-free! No more checking boiling water or worrying about over-boiling them. Soft-boiled eggs in the air fryer are cooked to perfection every time. However, timing is the key! Once you try it for yourself, you’ll never return to the traditional boiling method on the stove.
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I never thought I’d become one of those people who obsess over cooking one food item in a specific way…until I discovered making soft-boiled eggs in the air fryer. It’s a game-changer! The whites are perfectly set while the yolks remain rich, velvety, and just a touch runny. It’s the ideal texture for topping toast or adding to salads. It’s so easy! I place the eggs in the air fryer straight from the refrigerator for nine minutes and voila – breakfast or a snack is served. Call me crazy, but I could eat these eggs every day and never tire of their perfection. My other egg favorites are Air fryer Poached Eggs, Air fryer Omelette, and Air fryer Egg in a Toast.
How to Make Soft-Boiled Eggs in an Air Fryer
Follow these simple steps to achieve the perfect egg every time.
Gather Your Ingredients and Tools
You’ll need:
- Fresh eggs
- An air fryer. The machine that I use is the Cuisinart Air Fryer Oven.
- A bowl of cold water or ice water
- A slotted spoon
You can use either refrigerated eggs or room temperature, however, room temperature eggs may cook slightly faster, please see the result of my experiment below.
Should I Preheat the Air Fryer when cooking Eggs?
Set your air fryer to 300°F (150°C). The best part? You don’t even need to preheat the air fryer! If your fryer preheats automatically, then place your eggs in it after its preheating cycle is complete.
Cooking Time and Temperature
Set your air fryer to 300°F (150°C). Place the eggs in the air fryer basket (or tray), ensuring they don’t touch each other. Set the timer for 9 minutes for soft-boiled eggs with runny yolks and firm whites. If you prefer slightly firmer yolks, increase the cooking time to 10 minutes.
Cool and Peel Your Eggs
Once the timer goes off, immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl with cold water for 1-2 minutes, but no more than 3 minutes. This stops the cooking process and makes peeling easier. You can add a few pieces of ice cubes to the water.
The Ice Bath Technique
Allow the eggs to sit in the ice water for 2-3 minutes. This cooling step is crucial for achieving a perfect texture and making the peeling process hassle-free. The cold water helps separate the egg membrane from the shell, resulting in a smooth peel. Just remember not to leave them in the ice bath for more than 3 minutes, if you don’t want them to become too cold.
Peeling Tips
Gently tap the egg on a hard surface to create small cracks all around the shell. Start peeling from the wider end, where there is usually an air pocket. The shell should come off easily, leaving you with a perfectly smooth egg. You can also roll them in your hands while gently pressing down. The shell should then slip off in large pieces.
Serving Suggestions
Soft-boiled eggs are delicious on their own, but you can pair them with:
- Toast: Spread some avocado on toast and top with a soft-boiled egg for a nutritious and satisfying breakfast.
- In Salads: Add sliced soft-boiled eggs to your salads for an extra protein boost.
- With Ramen: Soft-boiled eggs are a classic topping for ramen, adding richness and flavor to the broth.
- Seasoning: Sprinkle your soft-boiled eggs with a pinch of salt, pepper, or smoked paprika. For a gourmet touch, add a dash of truffle oil, soy sauce, or a sprinkle of fresh herbs like chives or dill.
Troubleshoot Air Fryer Eggs Issues
Even with the best instructions, things can sometimes go wrong. Here are some common issues and how to fix them.
- Undercooked Yolks: If your yolks are too runny for your liking, increase the cooking time by 1-2 minutes. Remember, every air fryer is different, so you may need to adjust the time slightly.
- Overcooked Whites: If the whites are too firm or rubbery, reduce the cooking time by 1 minute. Experimenting with your specific air fryer will help you find the perfect balance.
- Difficult to Peel: If your eggs are hard to peel, make sure you’re using the ice bath technique, as I describe above. Fresh eggs can also be more challenging to peel, so using eggs that are a week old can make the process easier.
Frequently Asked Air Fryer Egg Questions
To wrap up, please allow me to answer some common questions about making soft-boiled eggs in an air fryer.
How many Eggs can I cook in the Air Fryer at Once?
You can cook multiple eggs at once without increasing time and temperature, but make sure they don’t touch each other in the basket. Overcrowding can result in uneven cooking.
Should I Use Refrigerated Eggs or Room Temperature?
Great question! Because egg temperature matters. I did an experiment and air-fried two eggs side by side. One was at room temperature and another one was straight from the refrigerator. I cooked both for 9 minutes at 300°F (150°C) in the air fryer. As you can see from the picture below, the egg on the left (from the refrigerator) cooked for a perfect dippy egg texture, while the egg on the right (room temp) cooked to “Jammy”. The egg yolk is slightly soft but hasn’t turned hard and chalky.
Therefore now you know that the egg at room temperature may require a minute less cooking (try 8 minutes). Always practice and experiment with one or two eggs at a time until you find your perfect egg softness done to your liking in your air fryer.
Do I need to add water to my Air Fryer?
No, you don’t need to add water. Simply place the eggs in the air fryer basket (or tray) and set the temperature and time according to this recipe and instructions (printable recipe card is below). The circulating hot air in the air fryer will cook the eggs perfectly, without the need for any water or moisture.
Can I Store Soft-Boiled Eggs?
Yes, you can store soft-boiled eggs in the refrigerator for up to two days. Keep them in their shells to maintain freshness. When you’re ready to eat them, you can warm them up by placing them in hot water for a few minutes.
Are Soft Boiled Eggs and Dippy Eggs the Same Thing?
Dippy Eggs and Soldiers is what they call it in the UK. They are soft-boiled eggs (the yolk is runny) that are served with ‘soldiers’ – which are thin strips of buttered toast that can be dipped into the creamy yolk. To prepare dippy eggs in air fryer, follow the instructions with the same time and temperature, until the whites are set but the yolk is still loose and runny. Instead of peeling the entire egg, crack open the top of the egg and dip in your favorite toast or bread.
How Long to Air Fry Eggs?
Depending on how you like your eggs, and how runny you want the yolk to be, it only takes around ten minutes to make an air-fried egg. Start with 9 minutes for soft-boiled to Jammy eggs, 10-12 minutes for jammy to medium-boiled, and 15 minutes for hard-boiled. See the complete guide on How to make perfect Air Fryer Eggs.
More Air Fryer Egg Recipes You’ll Love
- Air Fryer Omelette
- Air-fried Scotch Eggs
- Air Fryer Poached Eggs
- Dippy Eggs YouTube Video. As you can see, Jo-Ann cooks her dippy eggs for 10 minutes, using Fabuletta Air Fryer. They come out soft with a gorgeous runny yolk.
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Air Fryer Soft Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs large or extra large
Optional
- 1 Slice Bread Toasted, optional
Instructions
- Set the Air fryer 300°F (150°C). No need to preheat.Place the eggs straight from the refrigerator directly to the air fryer basket (or tray). For the room temp eggs, see the recipe notes below.
- Cook on the air-fry setting for 9 minutes. No need to add water.
- Once the timer goes off, immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl with cold water for 2-3 minutes, but no more than 3 minutes. This stops the cooking process and makes peeling easier. You can add a few pieces of ice cubes to the water. Peel: Allow the eggs to sit in the ice water for 2-3 minutes. This cooling step is crucial for achieving a perfect texture and making the peeling process hassle-free. The cold water helps separate the egg membrane from the shell, resulting in a smooth peel. Just remember not to leave them in the ice bath for more than 3 minutes, if you don't want them to become too cold.
- For dippy eggs: Slice about ½ inch of the egg white from the top of the egg until you get the yolk exposed. Gently use the toast soldier to dip into the egg and enjoy this warm deliciousness. Yum!
Prepare a toast.
- Once the eggs are cooling in the ice bath, make a toast, if desired.
- Butter a piece of favorite bread on both sides.
- Cut the buttered bread into 4 even slices.
- Sprinkle on a pinch of garlic seasoning and dry oregano or parsley.
- Air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 1-2 minutes per side until the desired crispiness.
Notes
Should I Preheat the Air Fryer when cooking Eggs?
Set your air fryer to 300°F (150°C). The best part? You don’t even need to preheat the air fryer! If your fryer automatically preheats, then place your eggs in it after its preheating cycle is complete.Cooking Time and Temperature
Place the eggs in the air fryer basket, ensuring they don’t touch each other. Set the timer for 9 minutes for soft-boiled eggs with runny yolks and firm whites. If you prefer slightly firmer yolks, increase the cooking time to 10 minutes. Cool and Peel Your Eggs Once the timer goes off, immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl with cold water for 1-2 minutes, but no more than 3 minutes. This stops the cooking process and makes peeling easier. You can add a few pieces of ice cubes to the water. The Ice Bath Technique Allow the eggs to sit in the ice water for 2-3 minutes. This cooling step is crucial for achieving a perfect texture and making the peeling process hassle-free. The cold water helps separate the egg membrane from the shell, resulting in a smooth peel. Just remember not to leave them in the ice bath for more than 3 minutes, if you don’t want them to become too cold.Peeling Tips
Allow the eggs to sit in the ice water for 2-3 minutes. This cooling step is crucial for achieving a perfect texture and making the peeling process hassle-free. The cold water helps separate the egg membrane from the shell, resulting in a smooth peel. Just remember not to leave them in the ice bath for more than 3 minutes, if you don’t want them to become too cold.Serving Suggestions
Soft-boiled eggs are delicious on their own, but you can pair them with:- Toast: Spread some avocado on toast and top with a soft-boiled egg for a nutritious and satisfying breakfast.
- In Salads: Add sliced soft-boiled eggs to your salads for an extra protein boost.
- With Ramen: Soft-boiled eggs are a classic topping for ramen, adding richness and flavor to the broth.
- Seasoning: Sprinkle your soft-boiled eggs with a pinch of salt, pepper, or smoked paprika. For a gourmet touch, add a dash of truffle oil, soy sauce or a sprinkle of fresh herbs like chives or dill.
Most publications in book form seem to concentrate on ‘Recipes’. What I need is a comprehensive guide for individual products. Your chart could be useful but surely the weight of a food item should be taken into account.
Air fryer is the only way I cook hard boiled eggs, perfect every time, easy peeling
How long do you cook the eggs? Also how many at a time?
I cook for about 9 minutes for “soft-boiled”. You can cook as many as you want. Time and temp should remain the same. But start with a small batch
And for hard boiled eggs?
For hard boiled I cook 15 mins, then run under cold water for 2 minutes
thank you
Unfortunfortunately this didn’t work for me – room temp eggs 8 mins and the white was still really slimy ☹️☹️
Sorry it didn’t work. All air fryers may cook differently. Try 9 or 10 minutes until it reaches your desires doneness