Perfect Air Fryer Scotch Eggs

Crisp, savory Scotch eggs are quintessential British pub faire; delicious for brunching, snacking, and picnicking. Now you make perfect hard or soft-boiled Air Fryer Scotch Eggs at home!

Jump to:

• What is a Scotch Egg?
• Scotch Egg Ingredients
• How to Make Scotch Eggs in an Air Fryer
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top Tip
• More Egg Recipes
• How to Serve Scotch Eggs
• Perfect Air Fryer Scotch Eggs (Hard or Soft Boiled)

What is a Scotch Egg?

In its most basic form, a Scotch egg is a soft or hard-boiled egg wrapped in ground sausage and coated with bread crumbs, and then fried. Scotch eggs have a long history in London and beyond as a tidy, handheld snack item; perfect for pocketing and picnicking.

The origin of Scotch Eggs is as foggy as a cold morning on Loch Ness, but that’s about as close to Scotland as they come. While it is generally agreed that they originated in London, theories (dating back as early as mid-18th century) abound as to the actual genesis of these savory, protein-rich balls-o-breakfast.

Claims have been linked to everything from Indian koftas to Scots Guards stationed at London's Wellington Barracks. One particularly distressing account, from the Culinary Delights of Yorkshire, alleges they are a Yorkshire creation and were originally wrapped in fish paste rather than sausage meat. (Fish paste. That's a hard No for me.) 

Today in the UK, you can buy Scotch eggs everywhere from pubs to grocery stores to gas stations. In the US, Scotch eggs are known more as a Sunday brunch item and Renaissance faire staple. They can be found on British-style pub menus as well, usually offered with dipping sauces on the side. 

Until recently, for those who eschew deep-frying at home, Scotch eggs have been reserved for pub crawls and trans-Atlantic travel. However, with the dawn of air-frying, making them at home has never been easier!

Scotch Egg Ingredients

Air-frying time and temperature for this Scotch egg recipe are based on the use of the following specific ingredients:

• Eggs: This recipe is based on using USDA large eggs (EU size M). If you use different size eggs, the boiling and cooking times may need to be adjusted. 
• Sausage: The cooking times are based on using one pound of Jimmy Dean regular pork sausage. If you use more or less, or use a sausage with a different fat content, cooking times and/or temperatures may vary. 
• Wondra: We recommend using Wondra instead of all-purpose flour when making Scotch eggs. Wondra is finely ground flour that has been pre-cooked and dried. Ultra-light, it is lower in protein and gluten than all-purpose flour, which all translates into a light and crispy crust for fried and air-fried foods. 
• Panko crumbs: The texture of Panko makes it especially suited for fried food because it absorbs less oil than regular breadcrumbs, keeping food more crisp and crunchy. Panko crumbs brown up evenly and consistently, even in an air-fryer! 
• Brown sugar: We recommend using light brown sugar.
• Chili powder: We use a standard, mild ground chili powder. Use your favorite chili powder.
• Garlic powder

How to Make Scotch Eggs in an Air Fryer

How to Make Perfectly Boiled Eggs

Personal preference dictates how long to boil your eggs. Mr B and I typically eat Scotch eggs for breakfast (or brunch) with a knife and fork, and prefer our eggs creamy and runny: a 6-minute egg is usually perfect for us. Simply increase your boiling time if you prefer a more solid center. 

1. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. (Do not remove your eggs from the refrigerator until your water has boiled.)
2. Remove eggs from refrigerator and use a slotted spoon to carefully place them into boiling water. Do not crowd eggs in pan.
3. Reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer for EXACTLY 6 minutes (or up to 9 minutes for firmer eggs). While eggs are cooking, prepare an ice bath for the eggs in a large bowl. 
4. After the allotted time, use the slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the boiling water and immediately submerge them in the prepared ice bath for 10 minutes to halt the cooking process. 

(I'm still team Water-Boiled Eggs, but if you prefer, you can also air-fry the eggs.)

Now you're ready to cover the your eggs with sausage!

Cover Boiled Eggs with Sausage

Be sure to watch the demonstration in our Scotch Egg Video for a simple technique for doing this step!

Tip: If you are using soft-boiled eggs (i.e., 6-minute eggs), remember that they require a delicate hand. Unlike hard-boiled eggs, the yolk inside is too soft to offer any resistance against the white while being peeled, so they will break if you are too rough taking off the shell or applying the sausage casing. 

Covering soft, a wobbly boiled egg with sausage can be challenging, but it's easier if you know a few simple tricks. 

First, divide the sausage into 6 equal portions, each weighing 2⅓ ounces (65 grams).

I encourage you to use a kitchen scale for this step: the cooking times for this recipe are calculated based on using a specific type and amount of sausage. If you use too much or too little, or use a sausage with a different fat content, your cooking times may be different.

Roll each portion into a ball, and place in refrigerator.

TIP: Slightly wetting your hands before forming the balls will keep the sausage from sticking as much. You want damp hands, but not so wet that they are dripping. 

GENTLY peel the boiled eggs.

Once the eggs are peeled, rinse each one and use a paper towel to carefully pat it dry. (Sausage sticks much more easily to a dry egg than it does a slippery, wet one.) When eggs are dried, set aside. 

The eggs I used here were fresher than I had hoped: older eggs are easier to peel. When I make deviled eggs, gnarly eggs are a real concern; however, I don't really worry about how the eggs look when making Scotch Eggs, because any rough spots will be covered up with sausage. 

To cover an egg with sausage, start with one prepared egg and one cold sausage ball. (Watch the video!)

1. Place meatball in the center of a parchment square. Gently pat the meatball down until you have an oval that is about a ¼-inch thick, and roughly 3 eggs long and 2 eggs wide. 
2. Place the parchment square in your palm. Gently lay a cold, dry, soft-boiled egg on top of the sausage oval, with the ends of the egg perpendicular to the long sides of the oval.
3. Carefully pull the sausage away from the parchment as you wrap it around the egg. Continue until the sausage has completely released from the parchment and the egg is covered with sausage. I do this by folding the two sides into the middle, and them pressing the meat out to the sides. Don't be too concerned about the oval being perfect; it's just a starting point.
4. Pinch off the thick sausage points that will form at each end as the oval is sealed. Check the egg carefully for areas where the sausage may be too thin or too thick. Even them out using the sausage you pinched from the ends.
5. When the sausage appears to be distributed uniformly around the egg, gently pass the egg carefully from one hand to the other a couple of times, allowing the warmth of your palms to smooth the outside surface a bit and the gentle pressure to even out any bumps or rough spots on the surface. 
6. Repeat until all the eggs are covered with sausage.

Bread Sausage-covered Eggs

You will need three small bowls.

• Bowl 1: Wondra & garlic powder. (Stir to combine.)
• Bowl 2: Beaten egg.
• Bowl 3: Panko crumbs, brown sugar, and chili powder.

Roll each sausage-covered egg in flour mixture (Bowl 1) and shake off excess, then dip in the beaten egg (Bowl 2), and finally roll in the Panko crumbs (Bowl 3).

When I finish rolling the eggs in the last bowl, I like to pass it carefully from one hand to the other a couple of times, to help form and structure the outside crust a bit; much like you would form a meatball, but exerting far less external pressure.

Place breaded eggs on a plate until you have enough done for one batch. (2-6 depending on the size of your air-fryer.).

Air Fry Breaded Eggs

Preheat air fryer at 380°F (193°C) for 5 minutes.

Liberally spray the breaded eggs with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil mist, and set them in the air-fryer basket. Be sure to leave generous space around each one for air to circulate.

Air-fry eggs for 12 minutes, turning halfway through for more even browning.

Hint: See our Top Tip below for how to prep this Scotch eggs recipe in advance.

• No Advance Prep: Eggs are boiled, wrapped, and breaded as outlined in the recipe.
• Partial Advance Prep: Eggs are boiled and refrigerated in their shells, then peeled, wrapped, and breaded immediately before air-frying.
• Full Advance Prep: Eggs are boiled and wrapped in advance, then breaded and air-fried when desired.

Substitutions

• Flour/Wondra: You can use all-purpose flour in place of the Wondra in this recipe, but your results may not be as crispy. (We have not yet tested this recipe using alternative flours.)

Variations

The Scotch egg process lends itself to a myriad of possibilities. For example:

• Scotch Egg Onion Bhaji
• Cheesy Potato & Bacon Scotch Eggs
• Smoked Salmon Scotch Eggs

This recipe, however, was developed to take the guesswork out of air fried Scotch eggs, and allows you to make them with centers as soft or firm as you like.

Because the eggs continue to cook while being air-fried, it's easy to overcook the center, particularly when you are trying to make soft-boiled centers. As such, we don't recommend making ingredient changes to this Scotch eggs recipe because each one affects the final outcome.

There is, however, one important variable that you can easily adjust to meet your own tastes: the "egginess" of the center. Results of the eggy centers differ, depending upon how long you boil the eggs.

• Soft Boiled: A 6-minute Scotch egg is perfect for eating on a plate with a knife and fork.
• Hard-boiled: If you plan to pack your Scotch Egg for picnicking and eat it by hand (also perfectly acceptable!) you may want to increase the boiling time to somewhere between seven and nine minutes to avoid unwanted drips. Boil these eggs for up to 10 minutes before wrapping and breading.

Equipment

Some years ago, my mom gave us a simple, bucket-style air-fryer for Christmas. It has no bells or whistles: it just air-fries. Honestly, we put off using it for the longest time, but once we started, we learned that not only is air-frying is a great alternative to traditional frying, but turns out there are a dozen other uses for it!

We found ourselves using our little air-fryer for so many cooking tasks that we upgraded to a more versatile, large-capacity model with eight different cooking modes. It folds up to save counter space, and we use it almost every day! (The little air-fryer has become a standard part of our travel-kitchen.)

Tip: Looking for more delicious air fryer recipes? Try our Crispy Sauerkraut Fritters! They're amazing! 

Storage

Scotch eggs can be stored in air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.

To reheat refrigerated Scotch eggs, set the air fryer temperature to 340°F (172°C) and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Top Tip

How to Prep Scotch Eggs in Advance

Once eggs are boiled and have had their 10-minute ice bath, there are a couple of options, depending on how much advance prep you want to do. (In all cases, allow Scotch Eggs to stand at least 3-5 minutes before serving.)

No Advance Prep (Recipe Default)

• Method: Boil, wrap, and bread eggs immediately before air-frying as outlined in the recipe.
• Cook: Preheat air fryer at 380°F (193°C) for 5 minutes. Cook 12 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.

Partial Advance Prep

• Method: Boil the eggs and then refrigerate them in their shells, then peel, wrap, and bread them immediately before air-frying. (Soft-boiled eggs should be refrigerated for no more than 3 days.)
• Cook: Preheat air fryer at 380°F (193°C) for 5 minutes. Cook 13 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.

Full Advance Prep

Note: When Scotch eggs are fully prepped ahead of time and then refrigerated for more than a few hours, the egg white may take on a slightly gray color. This change in appearance has no affect on flavor or texture.

• Method: Boiled and wrapped the eggs in advance, then bread and air-fry when desired. (Sausage-wrapped eggs should be refrigerated for no more than 24 hours in advance.)
• Cook: Preheat air fryer at 380°F (193°C) for 5 minutes. Cook 13 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.

To refrigerate air fried Scotch eggs, first allow them to cool completely, wrap tightly wrap in plastic film, and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

These cooking times are all based on using the egg size specified in the recipe, as well as the type and amount of pork sausage. If you change any of these factors, you may need to adjust your cooking times.

More Egg Recipes

How to Serve Scotch Eggs

Dipping Sauces

Serve Scotch Eggs as is, or with your favorite dipping sauce. Whole Grain Mustard, Sriracha-Mayo, or Honey-Mustard Sauce are all delicious accompaniments.

• Easy Honey Mustard Sauce: Whisk together ½ cup mayo, ¼ cup whole grain mustard, and 2 tablespoons of honey. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to a week.

Breakfast & Brunch

When serving Scotch eggs for breakfast or brunch, potatoes always make a tasty pairing. Smashed potatoes, hash browns, and potatoes pancakes, are all good choices. At the end of the summer, Scotch eggs and fried green tomatoes make an excellent combination. Add a fruit salad on the side for complete meal.

Picnic Pairing

Scotch eggs make a delicious addition to a picnic. They can easily be made ahead of time and eaten hot, warm, or chilled. When preparing for a picnic, boil the eggs for 2-4 minutes longer. (Runny yolks are delicious when warm for breakfast, but we prefer a harder yolk for picnicking.)

Serve them with baked beans, chilled sandwiches, wraps, salads, or anything else you want to pack in your picnic basket.

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