These air fryer Scotch eggs are made with boiled eggs that are wrapped in sausage meat, then coated with egg and bread crumbs and air fried. They’re excellent any time of the day, and are portable, making them perfect for a picnic or lunch on the go.
Adapted from Jenny Tschiesche | Air-Fryer Cookbook | Ryland Peters & Small, 2022
A staple for any picnic, this portable dish is perfectly crispy on the outside with lip-smackingly tasty sausage, meat, and egg on the inside.–Jenny Tschiesche
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Scotch Eggs FAQs
Why is this called a “Scotch Egg”?
This snack is called a Scotch egg not because it originated in Scotland – but because the process of mincing meat and wrapping it around the egg is called “scotching”.
How long should I cook my boiled eggs?
Timing hard-boiled eggs can be a challenge, but we can help. We actually suggest steaming the eggs instead of boiling them, and we have a handy-dandy chart so you (and us!) will never need suffer the travesty of overcooked yolks again. Check out all of the tips right here in How to Steam Hard Boiled Eggs.
Should I eat Scotch eggs hot or cold?
The ingredients are fully cooked, so you can eat Scotch eggs at any temperature – and there is much debate about which is best. The snack is common fare at picnics and served as pub food, warm or cold. It’s really just up to your preferences, there’s no right or wrong here.
In this recipe
Air Fryer Scotch Eggs
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg beaten
- 3/4 cup dried bread crumbs
- 3 large eggs boiled to desired doneness
- 12 ounces seasoned sausage meat
- Store-bought or homemade chutney to serve
Directions
- Place the flour, egg, and bread crumbs in three separate small bowls.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Peel the eggs. Using wet hands, divvy the sausage meat into 3 equal portions. Flatten each into a thin layer, then lay the egg in the center and wrap the sausage meat around. Roll each round in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg, shaking off any excess as you go, then into the bread crumbs. Make sure each round is fully covered in the bread crumbs.
- Add the scotch eggs to the preheated air fryer in a single layer and air fry until the sausage is cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes (no need to turn during cooking).
- Enjoy hot or cold, with some chutney on the side.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I was quite skeptical of how good these would be cooked in the air fryer, but I was proven wrong and thoroughly enjoyed them. I cooked them for an extra minute because I thought my sausage was a little thick in some areas. Turned out great and so tasty. Nice crunch on the outside. I used a sage turkey sausage from our farmer’s market, which was really nice with the chutney. Perfect picnic food!
I made these a second time with jerk chicken sausage from the same stand at the farmers market and they were outstanding. There are so many interesting combinations to choose from to make this a dish with international flair! We loved our Jamaican-Scotch eggs!
I cook my eggs starting in cold water, bring to a boil, cover, and turn off the heat. Mine did get a little more done than I wanted, but still really nice
Where have these air fried Scotch eggs been all my life? I’d heard about scotch eggs for a while but I’m not a big fan of deep frying things. These air fryer scotch eggs have changed my mind. Simple and easy wins in my book, but these things are quick to do and delicious as well.
I used 3 just hard-boiled duck eggs and fresh Italian pork sausage. I blitzed some croutons with some plain breadsticks to make the bread crumbs. It worked out well, 3 eggs and 3 sausage patties and you’re good to go. I cooked these in the air fryer for 15 minutes. Yum!
The sausage was fully cooked and the coating was golden and crunchy. We had 2 for dinner and I took the last one for lunch. It was not as crunchy as the first 2 but delicious nonetheless. They are filling. We served these with a tossed salad and some riced cauliflower. For lunch, I only took a salad to go with.
I think a variety of fresh sausage and other eggs would make this a versatile dish. The possibilities seem endless.
Originally published April 11, 2022
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Ilda Costa-Sarnicki
Scotch eggs were on my list of things to try. When I saw this recipe using the air fryer to crisp up the coating, I was even more excited to experiment.
Since I had already pre-prepared breakfast sausage patties, I used these as the sausage for this recipe. Although it saved time with shaping the sausage for encasing the egg, I would only recommend this if you’re looking for a very mild sausage flavour. To offset this mild flavour, I replaced the recommended chutney for serving. Instead, I served these scotch eggs with zhoug, rose harissa, and Aji lemon drop hot sauce. The three of us enjoyed 1/2 egg in each different dipping sauce.
I also cooked the eggs for 5, 7, and 10 minutes. Our favourite was the 7-minute egg which was still creamy and slightly oozy without running directly into the serving sauce.
As my air fryer could fit another 3 eggs, I would definitely consider this recipe for buffet servings of 1/2 egg and dip. Really, once you have the process, the flavourings and yolk preferences are at your own mercy!