We've been thinking about eggs these past few days; particularly chocolate eggs but you can't air fry those unless you especially want to make a mess, and we really want to use our air fryer. A quick search online has identified that air fryer scotch eggs are a 'thing' (mind blown) so we thought that it would be rather apt to give the recipe a go.
Air fryer scotch eggs can be an easy meal or tasty snack depending on where you are in the day. By air frying these sausage meat-wrapped hard-boiled eggs, you achieve a crispy crust without the use of oil, making them a healthier alternative to those scotch eggs that you shop-buy and, indeed, the scotch eggs that you may well have been deep-fat frying before now.
Read on to find out how we got on making them in our best air fryer, so you can give making them a go this holiday.
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Air fryer scotch eggs recipe
We followed the air fryer scotch eggs recipe by @airfryingfoodie who have an Instagram following of 4,987 users. Although this particular recipe has only attracted 30 'likes' on the platform, it received 2.4K shares on Pinterest - and we feel that it deserves more attention.
Air fryer scotch eggs ingredients
- 4 medium eggs
- 1lb / 450g sausage meat
- 1 medium egg, whisked
- 1 cup of breadcrumbs
Air fryer scotch eggs method
To make air fryer scotch eggs I used the Swan Duo Digital Digital Air Fryer, and followed our recently published air fryer eggs recipe to make hard-boiled eggs.
We got the air fryer scotch eggs recipe right the first time round, but what can make a difference is the size of your air fryer and the size of your eggs. The Swan Duo is a dual drawer basket air fryer so we could only comfortably fit two scotch eggs into each basket; if you have a single-drawer air fryer basket you could expect to fit six scotch eggs into the drawer. And larger eggs will need to be cooked for a couple of minutes longer in the air fryer.
As a result, the timings and temperatures listed below should be used as a guide only. It will likely take some trial and error to get your scotch eggs how you like them, although, hopefully, you'll have beginners luck on your side as we did.
Step 1: Put the required number of eggs in the air fryer basket.
Step 2: Set the air fryer to 390°F (200°C) and set the time based the size of your eggs:
- Medium hard-boiled eggs: Eight minutes
- Large, hard-boiled eggs: 10 minutes
Step 3: Put the cooked eggs into a bowl of cold water. This stops the cooking process and also makes the eggs easier to peel.
Step 4: Peel. We found that the best way to remove the shell was to gently tap it on a plate all the way around the egg and then carefully remove the shell piece by piece.
Now you're ready to make more than just air fryer hard-boiled eggs.
Step 5: Divide the raw sausage meat into six evenly sized patties. Shape each portion flat, and place the egg in the centre.
Wrap the sausage around the egg, ensuring that the egg is well covered.
Step 6: Dip the egg and sausage ball into the whisked egg to completely cover.
Step 7: Roll the ball in the breadcrumbs.
Step 8: Place in the air fryer basket. Evenly space out the balls and lightly spray with cooking oil to make them extra crispy, if you wish.
Step 9: air fry at 400F / 200C for 18 minutes, or until the sausage meat is cooked and the breadcrumb outer layer is golden.
Remove from the air fryer carefully - the scotch eggs will be hot. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce.
Any leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container and kept in the fridge for 3 - 4 days.
Air fryer scotch eggs recipe verdict
We had never considered cooking air fryer scotch eggs until now. They're a favorite of ours which we especially like to tuck into for an afternoon snack. They can, of course, be enjoyed as a breakfast or lunch, too. The most difficult thing to get right was making the air fryer hard-boiled egg but, luckily, we had our recipe to follow which was pretty fool-proof.
We cooked medium eggs when we set the temperature to 390°F (200°C) for 8 minutes. If you're cooking large eggs you'll need to set the temperature to 390°F (200°C) for 10 minutes.
Our air fryer has a maximum temperature of 390°F (200°C) and is the temperature setting that we use the most when cooking foods such as fresh and frozen fries. This is the temperature that @airfryingfoodie opted for in the recipe we followed.
It's important to not only be confident that the egg is cooked-though but also check that the sausage meat is thoroughly cooked too. Raw pork is pink in color so if you set a lower cooking duration in the air fryer, or wrap the egg in a lot of meat which will require a longer cooking time, and notice that it's not cooked through, then pop the scotch eggs back into the air fryer until it is thoroughly cooked.
It was a lot easier than first thought to cook air fryer scotch eggs - we hadn't even attempted to cook them in the oven before. It's been incredibly satisfying to make our favourite snack and, oh my, the taste beats the shop-bought scotch eggs any day. We loved how crispy the breadcrumb coating was, how flavorsome the meat was and how perfect the hard-boiled egg turned out. There's also no fat added, aside from the fat in the meat, which makes this popular snack a much healthier option than alternative cooking methods.
The air fryer we used has a non-stick tray in the baskets which removed the need for any parament paper, and these trays are also dishwasher safe which removed the need to wash-up too. The appliance, as with other air fryers, circulates hot air so it removed the need to rotate the scotch eggs during cooking too.
If you're still sitting on the fence and wondering whether to buy an air fryer, you may want to read our article to decide whether air fryers are worth it?
