Air Fryer Boiled Eggs (Soft, Medium, + Hard Boiled)

Name: Air Fryer Boiled Eggs (Soft, Medium, + Hard Boiled)
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 medium eggs (or up to a dozen, depending on the size of your air fryer (don't crowd the basket))

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How to make soft, medium, and hard-boiled eggs in an air fryer for a water-free, hands-off method! Did I mention these air fryer boiled eggs are fuss-free and super easy to peel, too?!

I’ve already shared my method for stove-top boiled eggs to achieve the perfect results every single time. However, did you know that there’s an even simpler option in the form of air fryer boiled eggs?! There’s no having to wait for the water to boil, watching the pot for overflow, added humidity in the kitchen (perfect for warmer months and climates), etc. Plus, they take less time than baked hard-boiled eggs.

Instead, this method of making soft, medium, or hard-boiled eggs in the air fryer just has you place the eggs in the pre-heated basket and cook to your desired level! Honestly, it’s the easiest method I’ve found for “boiled” eggs so far, and it doesn’t even include any water!

Cooked egg cut in half on a flat surface

Once cooked, transfer the eggs to an ice bath and then either enjoy the air fryer soft-boiled eggs jammy for dipping or, as a further bonus, watch as the shells practically slip off if peeling! I don’t know how or why this works, but these really are super easy to peel!

Within this post, I’ll talk you through my top tips and notes along with times and temperatures for perfect air fryer eggs, perfect for brightening up any breakfast dish, as a snack, or part of a larger meal! Want to enjoy other simple but flavor-packed egg dishes? Check out Italian eggs in purgatory, French baked eggs, or Turkish Menemen (tomato scrambled eggs)!

What You’ll Need

There are only a handful of things you need to cook hard-boiled eggs in an air fryer, including:

Eggs: I used medium eggs (with no cracks) straight from the fridge and haven’t tried this method with room-temperature eggs (the cooking time will be lower).
Air Fryer: If you’d prefer the stovetop method, then check out my method here on How To Boil Eggs Perfectly (Soft, Medium, Hard).

You may also want to use an ice water bath (a bowl with ice water and ice)

How to Make Air Fryer Boiled Eggs?

First, preheat your air fryer to 265ºF/130ºC.

Once hot, place the eggs in a single layer in the air fryer basket and allow them to cook according to the level of done-ness you’d prefer:

Air Fryer soft-boiled eggs: 12-13 minutes depending on how runny you’d prefer it to be.
Custardy/”jammy” eggs: 14 minutes.
Medium: 15 minutes.
Just below hard-boiled: 16 minutes.
Air fryer hard-boiled eggs: 17 minutes – firm but not overcooked.

It may be beneficial to test this method using 1-2 eggs to begin with. Air Fryers vary, so you may find that the timing is slightly different for you. Test using the above times as a guideline and adjust if needed.

Once cooked, quickly remove the eggs from the air fryer with a slotted spoon or silicone tongs. Optionally, transfer them immediately to an ice bath for several minutes (around 8 minutes) to stop residual heat from further cooking the egg yolks (if you aren’t serving them immediately).

Storing Instructions

You can store the air fryer boiled eggs in a couple of ways:

In their shell: there’s no need to cover them or place them in an airtight container. I simply place them in an egg holder in the fridge (main fridge, not the door, to avoid temperature fluxes) for up to 7 days.

Peeled eggs: transfer the eggs to an airtight container or Ziplock bag and store them in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. It can also help to store them with damp paper towels (above and below the eggs) to stop them from drying out.

I don’t recommend pre-slicing the air fryer hard-boiled eggs (as they’ll dry out).

Can you freeze hard-boiled eggs? I don’t recommend freezing boiled eggs, as the whites usually become overly rubbery. However, you can freeze the yolks for up to 3 months.

When storing eggs, keep them away from foods with a strong odor as they can absorb them and affect the flavor (yuck!).

Serving Recommendations

To say that there is an almost endless way to use boiled eggs would still be an understatement. Some of my favorite options include:

Perfect for meal prep: for breakfast, a snack, or other meals!
As a snack: enjoy the eggs at any level (I prefer mine as “jammy” air fryer soft-boiled eggs) sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper, hot sauce, nori (furikake), herbs, chili oil, pesto, or Everything Bagel seasoning and voila!
Egg & Solider: also called “dippy eggs.” Use a soft or medium egg and serve with toast for dipping into the yolk.
Over toast: slice and serve over avocado toast, mushroom toast, etc. I love having a sliced hard-boiled egg over a bagel with some cream cheese and spinach.
For egg salad: or potato egg salad.
To make scotch eggs: usually using hard-boiled eggs, but use jammy eggs if preferred.
In Kedgeree
Add to sandwiches and wraps: either sliced or made into an egg salad sandwich (with mayo or salad cream).
For deviled eggs.
Add to bowl meals: a protein-rich boiled egg is a nutritious addition to salad bowls, buddha bowls, grain bowls, and meal-prep meals.
Add to salads: I love adding a hard-boiled egg to salads for additional protein and creamy consistency (thanks to the yolks).

Let me know in the comments what your favorite ways to enjoy these air fryer boiled eggs are!

FAQs

Do I have to preheat the air fryer?

This can vary between models. Some require preheating, and others do not. However, preheating will ensure the correct temperature is maintained through the cooking process. So, to cook eggs in the air fryer using this method, I recommend preheating the machine.

Why do boiled eggs get a gray/green ring?

This usually happens if the eggs are either cooked at too high of a temperature or cooked for too long. However, they’re still perfectly safe to eat.

How to peel boiled eggs?

These air fryer hard-boiled eggs are surprisingly super simple to peel every single time! The hot air must help pull the egg away from the membrane or something – honestly, I’m not entirely sure.
My preferred method to peel eggs is to tap the side of the egg (not top or bottom) against a surface until it begins to crack. I then gently roll the egg back and forth, which will cause fractures across the shell.
At that point, it’s then fairly easy to just peel away the loose shell. In my experience, it practically falls off.

What can I do with eggshells?

There are a surprising amount of uses for eggshells that don’t include simply discarding them. Some of my favorite recommendations include:
To deter pests: this works particularly well for snails/slugs, as they don’t like traversing through the sharp shell pieces.
Add to compost: the eggshell minerals are a great addition to homemade compost.
As a fertilizer: if you’re a gardener, you’ll probably know better than me what plants thrive best with the addition of eggshells.
Turn into eggshell powder: sterilize, dry, and crush the shells into a powder that can be used in several ways.
Check here for more ideas on how to use leftover eggshells.

Why do my eggs have brown spots?

If the air fryer basket isn’t 100% clean, you may find the shell gets some brown spots. This is fine – you’ll be peeling the eggs anyway.

Is it safe to boil eggs in air fryer?

Absolutely! Having heard the exploding microwave egg stories, I don’t blame you for worrying. However, this heat source is completely different, so you don’t have to worry about exploding eggs.

Tips For Perfect Air Fryer Soft or Hard-Boiled Eggs

The time may vary: just like ovens, air fryers can vary, so I recommend using the times mentioned here as a guide and adjusting them, if necessary, to your specific model. If it’s the first time making soft to hard-boiled eggs in the air fryer, only use ONE or TWO eggs. However, the time can also vary depending on the amount of space between the eggs, the egg size, and the batch size.
If you plan on making a large batch: remove one of the air fryer soft-boiled eggs from the basket at the minimum cooking time and cut open quickly to check the level. You can then decide how much longer they need.
Use the correct wattage: the air fryer I used is 1200 watts, so this method works best for 1200-1500 watt air fryers!
Don’t overcrowd the basket: like any air fryer recipe, overcrowding will affect how evenly the eggs cook through. You can cook up to a dozen eggs in a large air fryer.
Use an air fryer rack if you have one: the wire rack can help hold the eggs in place better and prevent the eggs from rolling around/cracking. However, it’s not 100% necessary.

More Simple Egg Recipes

If you try this easy method for air fryer boiled eggs, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!