Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

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We cook air fryer hard boiled eggs in our Ninja almost every day. The easy process will work in your model too! We'll give you the timing for perfect yolks and all our tips, including how to easily peel them!

Once you see how simple it is to "boil" eggs in an air fryer, you won't wait for special occasions to make things like deviled eggs and egg salad. They're perfect for meal prep and snacking too.

There's literally no mess or clean-up involved because you won't really boil anything! Just place eggs in the basket, turn it on, submerge them in ice cold water when they're done cooking, and peel (which is easy to do!)

Since I have one with breakfast on most days, I can confidently say the process has been thoroughly vetted!

Jump to:

• What you Need
• Disclaimer
• Directions with Pictures
• Timing
• How to Peel
• Storage
• FAQ
• Recipes with Hard Boiled Eggs
• 📋 Recipe

What you Need

You need just 2 things:

• Air fryer - We tested this recipe in a 4 quart Ninja, 5.8 quart Cosori, and the compact Dash air fryers. I've never heard of a model that it doesn't work with. However, always check the manual for your appliance and see the disclaimer below.
• Eggs - We cook them cold and straight out of the refrigerator. We've tested with regular, large and extra large chicken eggs.

We affectionately refer to ours as Dark Vader! It's one of the best investments I've ever made.

Directions with Pictures

Similar to a convection oven, an air fryer circulates intensely hot air around the eggs to cook them. Here's the method:

1. Place cold eggs in the air fryer basket. We use the trivet that comes with the Ninja model so they don't roll around as much. You don't have to elevate them beyond setting them in a basket that does not touch the bottom of the air fryer.
2. Set the air fryer for 250 °F for 15-17 minutes (more on the timing below.) I cook mine for 16 minutes for a firm center yolk. I go a minute longer for extra large eggs.
   • Note: Preheating the air fryer is not necessary. If you do, then cut down on the cook time. If you preheated for 2 minutes, then cook for 15 minutes instead of 17.
3. Using silicone tongs, immediately move the cooked eggs to a bowl filled with ice water. The ice bath stops the cooking process. Allow the eggs to cool for 5 minutes, which is the ideal time for easy peeling. (See tips for peeling below.)
4. You can peel and eat them immediately or store them in or out of the egg shells, (See storage recommendations below.)

How to Peel

I've done much pondering as I peel my air fried hard boiled egg each morning, and a little research too!

• Fresher eggs are harder to peel because they have a relatively low albumen pH which causes the membrane to cling more tightly to the shell according to the experts in this Wired article. I think of this every time my egg slips right out of the shell!
• Cooled eggs peel more easily than warm eggs. Cooling the egg causes the insides to firm up and contract from the shell. I find that a minimum of 5 minutes is needed. The egg should be cool to touch. Sometimes I'm impatient and start too soon and I can confirm that the result is not good!
• Gently tap the ends first which will open up a little gap. Gently tap or roll the sides. Most of the time, it will slide right out. Check out the video to see the process in action.

Storage

Eggs should be eaten or moved to the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking to prevent the growth of bacteria.

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to a week if unpeeled and up to 5 days if peeled.

Freezer: Only the yolks can be frozen. (The whites will become rubbery.) Store up to 2 months in an airtight container.

Recipes with Hard Boiled Eggs

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