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 keto deviled eggs. 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 with an almond flour chaffle, I can confidently say the process has been thoroughly vetted! Plus, making no-mayo egg salad or keto egg salad has never been easier!
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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.
Disclaimer
Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for your air fryer model. The results will vary depending on the wattage of your machine and how it works. Start by cooking only 1 or 2 eggs until you are familiar with the result in your machine. From there, you can adjust the cooking time to make larger quantities of perfectly hard-boiled eggs.
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:
- 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.
- Set the air fryer to 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, cut down on the cook time. If you preheated for 2 minutes cook for 15 minutes instead of 17.
- 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.)
- You can peel and eat them immediately or store them in or out of the egg shells, (See storage recommendations below.)
Timing
It may take some trial and error to achieve the perfect boiled egg based on the model air fryer you own, wattage, and how you like the yolk.
- Soft-boiled eggs - 11 to 12 minutes at 250°F.
- Medium-boiled eggs - 13 to 14 minutes at 250°F.
- Hard-boiled eggs - 15 to 17 minutes at 250°F.
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. 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 the 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.
FAQ
We had lots of questions when we began making these and I bet you do too! Here are some of them:
Depending upon the size of your air fryer, you can do more or must do fewer eggs. There should be room for the air to circulate around the eggs. The cooking time does not need to be adjusted.
They do not explode. However, on occasion, the outer shell may crack open during the cooking process. These are still edible.
Brown spots occur when you need to clean your air fryer!
If the edges of the yolk are green, the egg has been cooked a little too long. Bump down the time by a minute or two.
Hard-boiled eggs are low in carbs and high in protein, so they are perfect for low-carb diets. See the estimated nutritional information and ways to use them below.
Looking for more easy, low-carb recipes?
Check out all our Keto-Friendly South Beach Diet Recipes!
Recipes with Hard Boiled Eggs
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📋 Recipe
Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs, refrigerated or other size chicken egg.
Instructions
- Place eggs in the basket of the air fryer. A trivet may be used if available.
- Set air fryer to 250 °F and cook for length of time to achieve desired yolk:Soft boiled eggs - 11 to 12 minutes at 250°F.Medium boiled eggs - 13 to 14 minutes at 250°F.Hard boiled eggs - 15 to 17 minutes at 250°F.
- When finished cooking, immediately submerge in a bowl of ice water for at least 5 minutes or until cool to touch.
- Remove from water and pat dry. Peel or store in the refrigerator (peeled or unpeeled) within 2 hours of cooking.
Notes
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Nutrition
Bob Nazarian says
Marjory thanks SO much for your perfect information and recipes on eggs, my problem with peeling is solved thanks to you. I had been doing it all correctly except waiting till they were cooled prior to peeling.
Love your recipes, always complete and easy to follow!
Marjory Pilley says
I'm so happy you've worked through the process and thank you so much for your kind words. There's many varibles that impact peeling, including the freshness of the egg, but cooling is critical.
linda d says
A little disappointed.
Tried one egg. 17 min. 250. Whole egg was brown and rubbery. Tossed it.
Tried next egg 15 min. 250 Came out fine, but the big end was brown and inside of shell dark enough to consider burned. But I ate it.
Next I used 12 eggs. 15 min. 250
All had dark brown big ends and all are rubbery. Also, the entire egg except the small end has a brown tinge to it.
Not all that easy to peel. About the same as water boiled.
I saw the comment the fryer needs to be cleaned if you have brown spots.
Sorry. First time this Ninja was used.
Now I am going to order a wire rack. I am thinking the brown spots and burned eggs are maybe because they were lying directly on the crisper tray.
Marjory Pilley says
Hi! Thanks for circling back with the problems and I'm sorry you had trouble. A couple of trouble shooting thoughts. I do think a trivet will help. This is also the best method for small batches so the eggs are not over-crowded. I'm not sure what model you have, but that could be an issue. If you are able to drop it down to 225, it would be worth a try, along with shortening the cook time. It sounds like they got too hot! I use this process all the time and it varies a little, but usually it's related to the freshness of the eggs.
Steph says
This did not work. Cooked for 17 minutes and yolks were goopy and whites were not cooked all the way. Ninja Air Fryer. Fail!
Marjory Pilley says
Hi! I'm sorry they did not turned out as expected! This is absolutely the right process and timing guidelines and has been confirmed by many people. I always recommend using just an egg or two the first time until you get the exact timing right for your particular model and tastes before cooking an entire batch. Once you have it down, it is a fantastic way to cook the eggs. I personally have noted slight differences based upon the freshness of the eggs in case that helps!
cristina k says
I have to make eggs weekly for my husband to take to work. This will be so great thank you so much.
Marjory Pilley says
Your welcome! It’s great for making a couple at a time so they are always fresh!
Sara says
OMG can't believe how easily the shells came off. I'm in my 80's and have never had this much success. I used the roast setting on my Ninja fryer because I could lower the temperature to 270. The fryer setting only goes to 300. On the roast setting tried 2 eggs (I used large eggs) at 270 for 16 minutes but the yolks were just a little soft. I did the other 6 eggs at 17 min for 270. Perfect!!!!!!!! I can now make perfect deviled eggs. There's no going back to water again.
Thanks.
Marjory Pilley says
I’m so glad it was helpful! I haven’t cooked hard-boiled eggs, any other way in a long time.
Jen says
Sara,
Thank you so much for the tip on using the Roast setting to get the temperature lower on my air fryer. I admit I am an extremely light user of my Ninja, so I had no idea that to lower the temperature below 300 I had to push a different setting. Thank you so much! My eggs turned out great by the way! I did 2 eggs at 250° for 15 minutes in my Ninja and it worked out great. Thank you both!
Laura says
Using my dash compact air fryer at 250 for 17 minutes yielded a barely soft yolk. Lost an egg there. Put the rest in for 5 more minutes. Checked one it felt like it was done. Not done. Not even close.
Nini says
“Eggs”cellant !!!
Thank you !