These amazing air-fried Scotch Eggs are lower in fat and calories than deep-fried. Best of all, these delicious sausage-wrapped boiled eggs are easy to make and cook in minutes!
If you don't have an air fryer, we have included other cooking methods below.
Boiled eggs wrapped in sausage meat, breaded, and fried or baked are trendy pub food, game-day party appetizers, and favorite on-the-go bite. You can also buy them ready to eat from the supermarkets in the UK, but nothing beats homemade food.
Topped with caviar, cream, or mustard sauce, added to amazing Shepherd's corn pie, or chopped up in a salad - hardly any other food is as versatile as hard-boiled eggs.
Air fryer Scotch eggs make a perfect snack or a full meal with a side of fresh salad greens or French fries (salad is optional, but beer is a must!).
📃 Why it Works
- Making this yummy dish in an air-fryer is an easier, quicker (under 30 minutes), and healthier option, plus it makes the cleanup a breeze.
- Air-fried food won't fill your house with that burnt oil smell that lingers for days.
- You can easily double or triple the recipe.
- These Scotch "meatballs" are the perfect way to use up the leftover Easter eggs!
- They are tasty hot or cold.
- They're perfect party food, ideal for lunchboxes and picnic baskets, as a snack between meals, breakfast with pancakes, or as a starter.
There are several different theories about the origin of this dish. Some say they were invented in London by the department store Fortnum & Mason in the 18th century.
Others believe that their source is in Yorkshire. So, perhaps these little "bird's nests" are not Scottish, but they are incredibly delicious!
🛒 Ingredients and Notes
- Sausage: We recommend breakfast pork sausage because it's already seasoned, but you can substitute it with beef, turkey, or a combination. Depending on your location and availability, you could also use Italian or any other flavored sausage. We use sausage in bulk and not links, although you could use links if you must and remove them from the casings. Is no sausage available? Substitute with ground pork and season the meat with a mix of herbs like chives, thyme, sage, ground nutmeg (or swap with mace), and parsley. You could also add some mustard, onion powder, and don't forget salt and pepper to taste.
- Eggs: I used medium-size. Large would work too; however, the larger the eggs, the thinner the meat layer. I think using quail eggs would be extra cute, but remember, you'll need more than six and have to adjust the cooking time.
- Breadcrumbs: We love panko for its coarse texture, plus it absorbs less oil than regular breadcrumbs, keeping food more crisp and crunchy, and it browns up evenly and consistently, even in an air-fryer! If you prefer to use regular breadcrumbs, plain, seasoned, or homemade are all excellent options.
🔪 Instructions
I like options and have tried all three cooking methods, which I'm sharing with you below. Pick your favorite!
Air-Fried
Step 1
- Cook the eggs to your preferred doneness (check our cooking time recommendations below).
- Transfer them into a large bowl of ice water for at least 10 minutes.
- Peel them.
Step 2
- Divide the meat into six equal pieces. Flatten meat between your hands (you can wear food prep gloves) or flatten it between two pieces of cling wrap using your hands or a rolling pin. You'll need to end up with a shape large enough to cover the egg.
- Arrange three shallow bowls in an assembly line: flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Roll the boiled and peeled egg in flour, then place it in the center of the flattened sausage ball. Lift to roll the meat layer around the egg evenly, closing up the gaps with your fingers. Dip the coated egg in flour, then into the beaten eggs, then into the panko.
- Cook at 400°F for 13-15 minutes, turning once halfway through until golden brown.
👉 Variations
Oven-Baked
- Assemble the Scotch eggs as per recipe instructions.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until sausage is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink.
You could also shallow-fry the breaded "meatballs" on high heat first and then continue cooking them in the oven. This technique yields crispier on the outside results.
Deep-Fried
- Assemble the Scotch eggs as per recipe instructions.
- Fill a deep skillet ⅓ full of vegetable oil, or at least 2 inches deep, and heat to 325 F (170 C). Alternatively, use your deep fryer and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
- Drop a small piece of bread in the oil. If it sizzles and turns golden but does not burn, it is hot enough. If it's not hot enough, it won't seal the outer surface, making them absorb more oil, and you'll end up with a greasy and unhealthy dish. If the bread burns, turn the heat down and test again.
- Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower each egg into the oil. Fry in batches, if necessary, for 7-10 minutes or until crisp and golden; drain on kitchen paper towels.
- To check the freshness of the eggs: put them, uncooked, in a dish of water. If the egg stays on the bottom of the dish, it's fresh, and if it floats on top, it's too old.
- Older eggs are easier to peel, but don't worry about how they look when making this dish because sausage will cover any rough spots.
- I always boil extra 1-2 eggs just in case one cracks open during cooking time. Also, if they're smaller, I have enough to use up all the sausage. Or I use the leftover sausage for breakfast the following day. Whatever strikes your fancy.
- If you want an extra crispy outer layer, coat them twice, skipping the flour the second time, and only dipping them into the egg and then breadcrumbs.
- You can add 1-2 tablespoon sesame seeds to the breading for the extra crunch and flavor!
- To keep the sausage from sticking to your hands, slightly wet them (damp, not dripping) before forming the balls. Also, you might need to work the sausage with your hands to make it more pliable. This is especially advisable if the sausage is coarsely ground.
🥚Soft or Hard-Boiled Eggs?
Typically, Scotch eggs are made with hard-boiled eggs, and that's how I prefer them too (nothing more off-putting for me than runny egg yolks).
However, you want to prevent the eggs from overcooking, as they will continue to cook in the air fryer and end up with that ugly green hue around the yolk.
Below is my method for soft and hard-boiled eggs, in which I add them to cold water. Another option is boiling the water first. You can read more about that in this article.
Soft-Boiled/Runny Yolk
- If you love your yolk soft or runny, it's best to undercook the egg. Place in a pot with cold water with one teaspoon of salt (it prevents the egg from seeping out if there's a crack in the shell), and cook them on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes after coming to a boil. Transfer them to a bowl with ice water, rest until completely cooled (this helps them peel easier), or run them under cold water for 5 minutes.
- You could also soft "boil" them in your air fryer for 10 minutes instead.
- Soft-boiled eggs are easier to handle if they've been refrigerated first.
Hard-Boiled
- Place the eggs in a pot with cold water with one teaspoon of salt and cook them on medium heat for 6-7 minutes after coming to a boil.
- Transfer them to a bowl with ice water and allow them to cool completely in the ice water, or run them under cold water for 5 minutes.
- Remember, the egg will continue cooking in the air fryer!
🍽 How To Serve It
We love them with tangy, slightly spicy mustard sauce like Dijon, honey mustard, or Ranch salad dressing. You can also try them with:
- Ajvar (hot or mild relish of red peppers, eggplant, and garlic from the Balkans)
- Horseradish
- Curry sauce
- Hot sauce
- Chutney
- Pepper jam
- Dill pickles
- Fresh salad
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Occasionally it can happen to the best of us that Scotch eggs fall apart. Ensure to have enough sausage around the egg (at least ¼ inch thick) because sausage can shrink during cooking, causing the egg to show. Also, roll them between your palms, squeezing out the air between the egg and meat and sealing the edges. But don't throw those "ugly" ones away - use them to make fantastic sandwiches!
Yes, you can assemble them a day ahead. Note that prepping ahead of time will slightly change the egg white's color to a bit of gray, but the flavor or texture won't change.
Absolutely! Coat them in GF or almond flour, which also makes them Whole30 and Paleo-friendly. For a keto diet, coat them in grated parmesan cheese or crushed pork rinds. Yum!
They will keep fresh in a refrigerator stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You could also freeze them and defrost them overnight, but they may lose some shape and texture.
Place them in an oven at medium heat (about 200 F) for 10-15 minutes, making sure they're hot throughout.
You will love these delicious recipes using boiled eggs:
- Meatloaf with Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Puff Pastry Eggs with Ham and Cheese
- Polish White Borscht
- Venetian Crab Sandwiches
- Cheesy Spaghetti Nests
Liked this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!
Quick and Easy Air Fryer Scotch Eggs
EQUIPMENT
Ingredients
- 1 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage
- 6 medium-size eggs, boiled
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Put six eggs into a saucepan, cover with cold water (an inch above the eggs) and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. As soon as it boils, turn heat to medium-low and simmer for four minutes.
- Transfer them into a large bowl of ice water for at least 10 minutes. Peel and pat dry with kitchen paper towels.
- Meanwhile, divide the sausage into six equal pieces; flatten meat between your hands or between two pieces of cling wrap. You'll need to end up with a shape large enough to cover the egg.
- Roll the boiled and peeled egg in flour, then place it in the center of the flattened sausage ball. Lift to roll the meat layer around the egg evenly, closing up the gaps with your fingers. Dip the coated egg in flour, then into the beaten eggs, then into the panko.
- Place the eggs in your air fryer basket and cook at 400°F for 13-15 minutes, turning once halfway through until golden brown. Depending on the size of your fryer, you may need to cook in batches. Do not overcrowd!
- Carefully remove the Scotch eggs with tongs and allow them to stand for 3-5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Instead of breakfast sausage, which is already seasoned, use ground pork and add seasonings and herbs to taste. Check out our substitutions and suggestions in the Ingredients section of the post above.
- Instead of your hands, you can also use a rolling pin to roll out the meat between two pieces of cling wrap until it's large enough to encase an egg.
- If you want an extra crispy outer layer, coat them twice, skipping the flour the second time, and only dipping them into the egg and then breadcrumbs.
- To keep the sausage from sticking to your hands, slightly wet them (damp, not dripping) before forming the balls.
- You can assemble them a day ahead and cook before serving.
- Serve them, sliced in half or into wedges if they are too large, with your favorite dipping sauce (suggestions in the post above).
- Put them (uncooked) in a dish of water. If the egg stays on the bottom of the dish, it's fresh, and if it floats on top, it's too old.
- You can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Reheat them, defrosted if frozen, in an oven at medium heat (about 200 F) for 10-15 minutes, making sure they're hot throughout.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in March 2013 and updated in April of 2021 with new photos and recipe tips.
Harry Bowes says
Scotch eggs were invented by Fortnum & Mason in London and were sold to travellers on coaches from Piccadilly to eat on their long journeys. Scotching was the process of making a scotch egg. If you don't eat meat you could use mashed potato with chopped chives to wrap the egg in and serve with a cream of mushroom sauce. That's what we used to do when I was a chef in the UK many years ago. Yorkshire produces the best black pudding in the UK and that can also be used to wrap the egg but isn't suitable for vegetarians.
Jas says
Interesting. Thanks for sharing!