Air Fryer Soft Boiled Eggs

Don’t let the title mislead you. What I’m calling Air Fryer Soft Boiled Eggs aren’t boiled at all. They’re cooked in the air fryer, and they couldn’t be easier to make, or more perfect! Look…

If you’re a fan of a soft runny yolk surrounded with a perfectly cooked white frame, then cooking soft boiled eggs in an air fryer is an easy method you simply must try!!

The ingredient list:

• 2 eggs (per serving)
• salt and pepper
• bread or toast

Kitchen tools and equipment needed:

• air-fryer (I used a Bella brand)
• egg cups
• egg cracker topper (optional)
• mini egg spoons (optional)
• tongs
• medium bowl
• teaspoon
• toaster

Why this dish is also known as “eggs and soldiers?”

It’s a British thing, and I love it!

I’ve read some say that the name goes back to the children’s rhyme Humpty Dumpty.

Remember it? It goes like this;

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses, and all the king’s men (the “soldiers,” a.k.a “men” are toast or bread strips), couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Sad, for Humpty. But tasty none the less.

Or, this more straightforward explanation…Maybe not as fun, but it is still just as scrummy;

Dippy-eggs wait patiently in their stand-up-straight egg cups for thin strips of toast or bread (the “soldiers”) to eagerly dive in and be devoured.

For more about British foods, American’s love, check out this article from The Daily Meal.

Savor the flavor of air fryer soft-boiled eggs:

Soft-cooked eggs are meant to be eaten slowly, with every dip and every bite being deliberately savored and enjoyed.

Like you never want the experience to end!

So, slow down and take your time! Your day will still be waiting for you when you’re finished, but at least you’ll have had a few moments of pure bliss to look back on the rest of the day!

For the love of a runny yolk:

You either love a runny yolk, or you’re simply not a fan.

Personally, it took a long time for me to truly appreciate the silky rich goodness that only a runny yolk can provide.

Today, I can proudly boast that I fully understand, appreciate, and enjoy just how delicious the golden gravy of the gods truly is!

And now, with this quick and easy method for making soft boiled eggs in the air fryer, you can bet I’ll be indulging in my new found love for the dippy yolk a tremendous amount going forward, and hopefully, you will too.

How to lop off the top of a soft boiled egg?

You can either use a spoon to gently tap around the top portion of the shell to crack and gently remove the “lid” from the soft boiled egg.

Or, you can use and egg cracker topper (as I did, and you’ll see in the photos and video).

By using the egg cracker topper you’ll get a clean-cut rim which makes removing the “lid” easy and effortless.

Tips for making the BEST air fryer soft boiled eggs:

• Bring eggs to room temperature before air-frying. 30 minutes on the counter before cooking should be sufficient.
• After cooking, use tongs (caution eggs will be hot), to place the eggs into a bowl of cold water for 1 – 2 minutes.
• Dry the eggs with paper towels before placing them into the egg cups.
• If you like your yolks cooked slightly harder than shown, cook them for an additional 60-90 seconds.
• Extra-large eggs will require a slightly longer cooking time.
• Since all air fryers can vary slightly (just as regular ovens), you may need to experiment with your brand of air fryer and cooking times to come up with the perfect soft boiled egg consistency to suit your preferences.