Bored of the same old breakfast routine? Looking for a quick and easy way to elevate your first meal of the day? Look no further than Air Fryer Baked Eggs with Cheese! This high protein recipe combines the convenience of the air fryer with the comforting goodness of baked eggs and grilled cheese!
Introduction
This Easy Air Fryer Baked Eggs with Cheese recipe came about as I’ve been listening to and learning more about what my body needs. Having discovered The Glucose Goddess recently I’ve been trying to have more savoury breakfasts to keep my energy levels stable and avoid the glucose spikes and dips.
So, one morning with the vague idea having seen Coddled Eggs and Delia Smith’s Alpine Eggs in my head I set about making air fryer eggs in ramekins topped with grated cheese.
Once I started, I couldn’t stop and I’ve been making them regularly ever since as they’re so quick, easy and delicious.
They take less than a minute to prepare and about 7 or 8 minutes to air fry!
I wasn’t sure whether to call them Air Fryer Poached Eggs (but I only use a little water), Air Fried Eggs or Ramekin Eggs, call them what you will!
Ingredients for Air Fryer Baked Eggs with Cheese
I made this recipe using one egg but you can easily scale it up and fit up to 4 ramekins in your air fryer.
- Large egg or medium sized will do (see notes under recipe for timings): just make sure it’s fresh!
- Cheddar cheese: forms a protective barrier on top to stop the yolk and egg white drying out and going leathery.
- Oil: a drop of any oil will do to grease the ramekin and make egg removal easier.
- Water: also prevents the heat from being too severe and avoids a leathery outer surface.
- Salt & pepper: salt flakes and freshly ground pepper are my preference.
Alternatives to Cheddar Cheese
You can switch things up by using different cheeses such as:
- Mozzarella
- Gouda
- Gruyere
- Red Leicester
- Emmenthal
- Feta
- Smoked cheeses eg Smoked Gouda, Smoked Gruyere, Smoked Cheddar etc.
Alternative Garnishes
Apart from chives the following also go really well:
- Sriracha
- Brown Sauce
- BBQ Sauce
- Tomato Ketchup
- Beetroot Ketchup
- Dried Chilli & Garlic (from a grinder)
- Cayenne Pepper
- Chopped parsley, dill, etc
Additional Toppings
Create your own unique toppings for these Cheesy Air Fryer Baked Eggs by adding things like:
- Cubed ham
- Cubed chorizo
- Baby spinach leaves
- Finely diced red pepper
- Sliced chillies
Serving Suggestions
You could serve Air Fryer Baked Eggs with Cheese on their own as a high-protein breakfast/snack or with:
- Buttered sourdough toast.
- Smashed avocado toast.
- A roll, muffin, bagel, crumpet (Marmite anyone) etc!
- An English Breakfast with sausages, bacon, black pudding, grilled tomatoes, baked beans etc.
Here are some recipes using poached eggs which you could substitute for these air fried eggs:
- Quick Poached Egg & Garlic Spinach Bagel
- Avocado Stuffed French Toast with Poached Egg
- Cheat’s Croque Madame
- Soft Poached Eggs, Sweetcorn Fritters & Crispy Bacon
The Benefits of Cooking Eggs in an Air Fryer
- Quick and convenient: no waiting for water to boil (as per poached eggs) you just pop the ramekin/s into the air fryer and wait for the beep.
- Healthier alternative: unlike traditional fried eggs, air fryer baked eggs use the tiniest amount
- Versatility: you can experiment with toppings to create your own unique baked eggs.
- Minimal washing up: you don’t even need to wash the air fryer basket, just the ramekin! Plus, there’s no spitting oil over your cooker and no frying pan to wash up.
Step by Step Guide to making Air Fryer Baked Eggs with Cheese (full recipe at bottom of page)
- Grease the ramekin and add water.
- Crack in the egg and season.
- Top with grated cheese and air fry for the chosen time.
- Once egg white is cooked through allow to rest for 1 minute.
- Serve in the ramekin or loosen with a palette knife and serve on toast etc.
Troubleshooting Common Issues when Making Air Fryer Baked Eggs
- Egg white looks runny: add another 30 seconds to 1 minute of cooking time (depending on the degree of runniness).
- The yolk is solid and you wanted it runny: cook for 1 minute less next time. When cooking 3 – 4 eggs at the same time the heat is amplified with the extra ramekins used so air fry for 6 – 7 minutes.
- The egg isn’t cheesy enough: add more grated cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
102 calories
9 – 10 cm ramekins work well (measured from top).
Yes, this will work too.
Yes, you can make baked eggs and then store in fridge and enjoy cold. Just put in a sealed container in fridge as soon as they’ve cooled down.
They will keep for 2 – 3 days.
No, they aren’t suitable for freezing as the egg structure gets damaged by the formation of ice crystals.
More Simple Ways to Cook Eggs
I’m sure you’ll love this recipe as much as I do as I haven’t stopped making these air fryer eggs ever since I developed the recipe. Healthy, delicious, quick and easy, what more could you ask for!
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Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.
Air Fryer Baked Eggs with Cheese
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Ramekin
- Pastry brush
- Cheese grater
- Palette knife
- Oven glove
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil for greasing
- ½ teaspoon water
- 1 large egg
- 1 heaped tablespoon 6 grams finely grated Cheddar cheese (enough to just cover egg)
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
Instructions
- Grease a ramekin with a drop of oil (or use a spray) and spread with a finger or pastry brush.
- Add ½ teaspoon of cold water.
- Gently crack egg into ramekin.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Top with grated cheese to cover surface.
- Place ramekin in air fryer (no need to preheat) at 180C for 7 – 8 minutes (or until egg white is cooked and yolk runny or to your preference). See notes for baking more than one egg.
- Lift the ramekin out of the air fryer and allow to rest for one minute (the egg will carry on cooking).
- Run a palette knife (or similar) around the outside of the egg and lift out of the ramekin (using oven gloves). Alternatively serve in the ramekin.
- Serve on its own or with buttered toast and garnish with chives or your favourite sauce etc.
Heidi
Perfect timing to help reduce a glut of eggs, thank you! This was my dinner tonight and it was delicious, a variation to my favourite poached egg. Will have to play with the baking time a bit, especially if I double the recipe, but for a first it was close to perfect.
Camilla
Awesome Heidi, so very glad you like the recipe. Yes you’ll get to know what timing works best but then eggs can also vary in size so just as you think you have the timing nailed you need to give a little adjustment. So always best to undercook to start and then add more time:-)