Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

4.99 from 3694 votes

Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs are a fast and hands-off approach for cooking eggs - no need for water! It's a quick and easy method, and the eggs peel so easily

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If you eat eggs often, this air fryer hard boiled eggs method is definitely one to try. There’s no need to wait for the water to boil and it’s completely hands-off. Just set the eggs in the air fryer basket, set the timer and wait until they’re cooked to your desired doneness. The air fried boiled eggs come out perfectly cooked and easy to peel!

Easy hard boiled eggs made in air fryer cut in half on a white plate

Once you try air fryer hard boiled eggs, you’ll realize it may just be the easiest method to “boiling” eggs. And it doesn’t require any water for cooking. You can eat the eggs alone or use them in recipes liked my Healthy Egg Salad, Avocado Egg Salad or Cauliflower Potato Salad.

Eggs are a great source of protein and are rich in vitamin D, A and antioxidants. Air frying them is a great method for cooking eggs as you are not adding any additional fat to them.

How to make air fryer hard boiled eggs

Making hard boiled eggs in the air fryer couldn’t be easier!

Preheat the air fryer to 250°F. But you can also skip this step and just tack on an extra couple minutes of cooking time. I always like to start by preheating though. Set the timer between 13 and 17 minutes, depending on your desired doneness; and that’s it!

The outer shell of the egg may have raised spots on them after they’re cooked. But that’s just from the hot air circulating rapidly and creating pressure on the egg shells. It’s completely normal if that happens, and the peeled eggs aren’t affected.

4 eggs in air fryer basket

As soon as they’re cooked, place the hard boiled eggs in an ice water bath, made with cold water and ice cubes. This helps to immediately stop the cooking and makes it easy to peel the eggs. You can alternatively just run them under cold running water for a minute.

Ice water bath for the cooked eggs

Then, just peel normally and enjoy. I found that the air fryer hard boiled eggs peel super easily and quickly every time!

Peeling the eggs after they're cooked

Tips for making air fryer hard boiled eggs

  1. Play around with the time for your ideal doneness. Since all air fryers makes and models vary in strength and watts, I recommend trying out the different times to find what’s perfect for you. And then you can keep using those settings. The air fryer I used is 1700 watts.
  2. Use an ice water bath to stop the eggs from overcooking. While it’s not necessary to cool the eggs, I always run them under cold water or an ice bath (preferred) because it immediately shocks the eggs’ temperature, and stops them from cooking.
  3. Use a grill rack or mesh rack if your air fryer doesn’t have a basket. That works perfectly fine to allow the air to circulate fast around the eggs even if you don’t have a basket.
  4. Cook up to 12 eggs at once. Air fryer hard boiled eggs are great for meal prepping since the eggs last up to one week in the fridge. Once you’ve tested the perfect time in your air fryer, you can cook them in bulk.

Frequently asked questions

What air fryer is the best?

There are so many great air fryers on the market. I have tested a few of them and my favorite one that I’ve been using for the past three years is this Instant Vortex air fryer.

How long can you keep hard boiled eggs?

Hard boiled eggs can be refrigerated for up to one week, whether they’re peeled or unpeeled.

How do you store hard boiled eggs?

For unpeeled hard boiled eggs, store them in any container, sealed or unsealed.
For peeled hard-boiled eggs, store them in a bowl of cold water to cover. Make sure to change the water daily. Or you can store them in a sealed container without water. Instead, cover the eggs with damp paper towels.

Can you freeze air fryer hard boiled eggs?

The answer is yes, but only for the yolks. I’ve never tried it myself, but I’ve read that the whites become tough and rubbery, or even leak and change color. However, if you remove the cooked egg yolks, and place them in a freezer safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag, they will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.

What if my air fryer only goes down to 300F? How long should I air fry them?

I have not tested this at the higher temperature, but I recommend trying 10-12 minutes.

Air Fryer hard boiled eggs sliced in half with salt and pepper

For more air fryer recipes:

More egg recipes:

For everyone who recently got an air fryer and looking for more ways to incorporate meals into it, try Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs. They cook quickly and easily without any water, there’s no clean up involved, and they come out consistently perfect every time!

If you’ve tried this healthy Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs are a fast and hands-off approach for cooking eggs – no need for water! It's a quick and easy method, and the eggs peel so easily
5 from 3694 votes
Servings 2 servings
Course Breakfast
Calories 126
Prep Time 0 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

  • 4 eggs

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 250°F.
  • Add the eggs to the fryer basket and cook according to your preference, between 13 minutes for soft-boiled eggs and 17 minutes for hard boiled eggs. Please note, time may vary between air fryers.
  • Remove the eggs from the air fryer basket, and plunge them into an ice bath. Peel when cool enough to handle and enjoy!

Notes

Storage: Hard boiled eggs can be refrigerated for up to one week whether they’re peeled or unpeeled.
  • For unpeeled hard boiled eggs, store them in any container, sealed or unsealed.
  • For peeled hard-boiled eggs, store them in a bowl of cold water to cover. Make sure to change the water daily. Or you can store them in a sealed container without water. Instead, cover the eggs with damp paper towels.
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze only the cooked egg yolks (not the whites). Remove the cooked yolks, and place them in a freezer safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. They will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 126kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 327mg, Sodium: 125mg, Potassium: 121mg, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 475IU, Calcium: 49mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Breakfast

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. I followed your instructions and my hard-boiled eggs came out perfectly. Thx, I have a Ninja XL 12-in-1 air fryer.

  2. Here’s an faster alternate cooking method using the Instant Vortex. Assumes a cold water bath right after.

    Set it to 285 degrees…
    9 minutes = cooked w a mostly runny yolk
    10 minutes = the perfect “jammy” egg!
    11 minutes = traditional hard boiled (with a yolk that’s not 100% totally hard)
    12 minutes = hardboiled egg w a hard yolk

      1. I just did 4 eggs preheated fryer for 15 minutes cooked for 17 minutes and they were very runny, tried another 3 minutes same thing. Covered with boiling water and never did get them hard. They did peel nice.

  3. This was an abysmal fail for me. I preheated the air fryer for several minutes. Do the eggs need to be room temperature first? Only about half the whites were cooked and the yolks were running.

    1. So sorry this didn’t work out as expected. How long did you cook the eggs for after you preheated the air fryer? I usually start with fridge cold eggs.

      1. I set oven for 18mins and put them in when it had 15 mins left so it preheated 3 mins. It’s a SurLaTable machine from Costco. Shows 1500 watts. I’m going to try again. 3500 reviews with nearly all 5 stars, I’m totally open minded to just needing to modify it on my end. Maybe 275 for 16 mins next time. I didn’t put a rating because I think there’s merit to this idea even if it didn’t work for me this time.

        1. Totally understand, thanks for the information. I know all machines are different, so it takes some tinkering to get the eggs just right. I think your plan sounds good, perhaps just try one or two eggs while testing to nail the timing before making a big batch. Good luck!

          1. Ok, round 1 yesterday was 14 eggs, 16 mins at 250. Today’s was 6 eggs, 18 mins at 275 (set for 21 mins so I got a 3 min preheat). I was able to successfully get 2 (mostly) eggs out of this and 2 that fell apart with whites not quite all the way cooked that I ate because I can’t throw them in with the pickling brine… I’m going back to boiling them the old school way.

  4. I don’t mind that there are brown spots on the outside of the egg but I do mind that one of the eggs exploded. No thanks!

  5. Recipe fail. LOL experimenting is messy. Used Breville the Smart Oven® Air Fryer Pro. Liquid eggs after 15min. HELP!

    1. NEVERMIND! New to this air fryer so made a technical error. Please remove the above comment if possible. So sorry.

  6. This didn’t work. I tried them as directed, center wasn’t cooked. Put them in for 10 more minutes and the same result. Boo.

  7. My AF doent go down to 250 Stops at 300 I preheated then cooked 6 eggs at 30 for 16 min. That was too long They are overcooked.
    Suggestions???

  8. This worked perfectly! I preheated the air fryer, left them in for 17 minutes- put them in an ice bath, and it was so easy. Thank you!

  9. 1st time brave enough to try this technique. What an abysmal FAIL. Have a Ninja Foodi Pro & have used it several times weekly for several years. Followed directions exactly using 17 minute time, after ice bath went to crack an egg, it wasn’t even soft cooked. Barely opaque & completely runny. Not sure if I’ll attempt again.

    1. Oh wow that’s really odd! I can’t image cooking an egg any way for 17 minutes and it remaining that runny. When I Google the recipe, I see the Food Network has it at 270 for 15 minutes, All Recipes has it at 250 for 15 minutes and Taste of Home has it at 275 for 15 minutes. My recipe directions are right in line with some of the top recipes online. So I’m not sure if your air fryer was properly preheated or what the issue may have been. This recipe works though perfectly and I make it all the time.

      1. Ann, what an odd experience. I use this method and get perfect results every single time. I heat the air fryer to 250, place the eggs in and 16 minutes later my eggs are hardboiled to perfection. My daughter uses this method too with excellent results. No offense but this sounds like user error. You might want to give it another try and see if that was the case with your first attempt.

  10. Anyone struggling with peeling the eggs: ice bath them for 10 minutes then put 2 in a mason jar with a small amount of water shake the jar for 2 seconds, the eggs literally will peel themselves!

  11. I made the mistake of not waiting for the air fryer to preheat and my eggs did not cook enough, so that part is a must! I will try again.

  12. Did you start with your eggs cold from the fridge or at room temperature? I’m testing this literally as I type in my 1700w GoWise and I’m so scared one is gonna crack from the temperature change and make a mess

      1. Good! I did a half dozen for 17 minutes after preheating for 5 and they turned out just a liiiiiiittle underdone, i would call it medium well lol. But the yolks were BEAUTIFUL!!!! perfectly yellow all around. I didn’t put them in RIGHT away when it was done preheating, I lagged for a minute after pulling the basket out because I was a bit scared but I will definitely be using this method from now on. Way more accessible for my ADHD. Thank you so much!!!!

  13. My ninja air fryer temp goes no lower than 300 degrees. Do you think I can hard boil eggs at that temp in less than your suggested time?

  14. While they cooked ok, peeling them is a huge mess. I’ll be going back to the tried and true method of booking them on the stove.

  15. I HAVEN’T “BOILED” AND EGG ON THE STOVE IN MONTHS. AND I NEVER WILL. PERFECT IN EVERY WAY AND FOR EVERY THING.

  16. I’ve had other methods that I thought were the “light and the way” only to have them fail me down the road. I used this method once and it was nothing short of miraculous. Bout to use again for tuna salad. I’m betting this way is my “forever” method but we shall see. Pickled eggs this weekend will be the ultimate test.

    1. LOL thank you so much, Christopher! You’ll have to let me know if they do hold up the the pickled eggs!

      1. They peeled like a dream. I’d add a pic but I see mo way. So grateful for the air fryer and stumbling upon your instruction.

  17. Fantastic. Usually have under cooked yokes or grey around the yoke when boiling in water. I did 6 eggs at preheated 250° for 16 min and they were PERFECT. Will be my preferred method from now on. Thanks

  18. Wow! They came out perfect and so easy to peel! Taste delicious 😋 Best hard boiled eggs I have ever made! Thank you 😊

  19. First time I preheated my 1400w air fryer at 250 degrees and cooked for 15 minutes. One of the eggs cracked during cooking. Next try, I started cold, cooked for 16 minutes and they were perfect. Except for the cracked one, they peeled easily after the cold-water bath. Also they didn’t have that ugly gray/green color water-cooked eggs sometimes have.

    1. So happy to hear they turned out well for you! Sometimes, it is trial and error due to the differences, even if minute in appliance brands.

  20. I made two rounds of eggs because my kid decided he wanted more. I found that adding the eggs to a silicon liner in the air fryer while it preheated and then a 10 minute timer once it came to temperature worked best. When I went to make more eggs and the air fryer was already hot a few eggs ended up cracking.

    1. I have yet to try this recipe with a silicone liner, but I might have to try that now! Thank you for sharing!

  21. After multiple tests for my air fryer it needed to be 24 minutes at 250 for the perfect fully cooked hard boiled egg. If it’s runny egg, add a few more min next time!

  22. After a few tries with my 1000 watt air fryer I finally succeeded in perfecting a perfect hard cooked egg. My egg preference is “jumbo” so I found that preheating air fryer to 250 degrees and cooking for 25 minutes totally works!

  23. Eggs runny and could not peel without half the egg white coming off with the shell. Put back in the airfryer to cook longer and still not cooked.

    1. I baked 2 eggs in my airfyer (1500w) for 16 minutes at 250. I plunged them in ice water and let them sit while I boiled my kettle for tea. The eggs peeled perfectly! Great colour & texture the yolks were just set. I’ll add a few more minutes to have harder yolks (my preference). I’ll definitely make them again.

    1. Hi!! Hoping people “in the know” might have suggestions or info for me re. this…! So I decided to try this method for hard boiling eggs because NO MATTER how I try boiling eggs, they don’t peel well at all! The egg, itself, is always done EXACTLY how I want; it just peels horrifically!! I google recipes, try all the tricks as far as time in the water …time in an ice bath or no ice bath…age of eggs before boiling…using right from fridge or room temp. Honestly; nothing ever really changes the outcome of the egg in how it’s boiled, unless I alter boiling time. But nothing ever made shells “just come right off” either!!
      So. I tried the air fryer method. It worked great and less mess with boiling water. I don’t use an ice water bath. It’s GREAT!
      Here is what I’m wondering….
      my husband always buys the organic/free-range,etc. eggs. Seems like those shells are very thick. So I decided to try the air fryer method using just the basic non-organic/non-free range eggs. THAT has produced SUPER EASY TO PEEL EGGS!!!!

      But I’d LIKE to be able to use the free-range eggs! Has anyone figured out a method that actually allows for an easy peel of these thick shells??
      My air fryer is the Ninja Foodie XL (double fryer). I set it to bake at 275 for 14mins (4 eggs).

      Sorry to not just ask my question straight out and be SO wordy. I wanted to provide all this extra detail in hopes any suggestions won’t be things I’ve already tried!! 😉
      Thank you!!

      1. I have only ever found 2 things that reliably produced easy peel eggs. 1 make them in a pressure cooker and 2 use older eggs. Fresh eggs are more difficult to peel. So when I buy them I leave them in the fridge for a few weeks, even a month, and it’s WAY better. If using a pressure cooker you can use fresh eggs and they will still peel easy!

  24. Not a good “recipe”. Did 250 for 17 mins, ice bath, eggs so “uncooked”, couldn’t peel. Ruined

  25. I make a lot of hardboiled eggs each week, some for deviled eggs, egg salad, and hardboiled eggs for salads, etc.. I tried the above recipe and here are my results for three tries. I put them into an ice bath for 15 minutes each time.
    I have a Ninja two drawer air fryer. Used the bake function set to 250 deg.
    1. Did not preheat for the full seven minutes. Cooked for 17 minutes. Two of the four eggs had the shell sticking to the eggs.
    2. Preheated for the full seven minutes. Cooked for the 17 minutes. One of the eggs had the shell sticking to the egg.
    3. Preheated for the full seven minutes. Cooked for 18 minutes. One of the eggs had part of the shell sticking to the egg.

    That took care of a dozen eggs. The next time I will try 19 minutes to see if the shells will come off clean.

    Should I use a higher temperature rather than increasing the time?

    Dan

    1. Let me know how it goes with the 19 minutes! It should work without increasing the temperature. The ice bath is a key part of not making the shell stick to the egg!

  26. I have the ninja air fryer that only goes down to 300, so I changed it to the bake option at 250 for 17 mins. Eggs came out perfect and was so easy to peel. I’ve always had a had time peeling eggs and this made it so easy.

    Thank you!

    1. This is the comment I came here for!! Lol I have the same air fryer and I never know which setting to put it at! I put mine in at 250° for 17 minutes, wish me luck. 🙂

  27. I’m not sure how you cooked them at 270° for 17 minutes and they were done. I also have a 1700w air fryer (but mine is more of the toaster-oven style) and I cooked a dozen eggs at 270° for 17 minutes, and the whites were runny. I then put them in for another 10 minutes and the whites were a little stiffer, but still runny, and the yolk was liquid. Perhaps I have a bit more trial and error to do with my AF.

    1. Since all air fryers makes and models vary in strength and watts, I recommend trying out the different times to find what’s perfect for you. And then you can keep using those settings!

    2. This method is very hit or miss. Way too much variance between air fryers. Ruined a ton of eggs before just deciding to do it the old fashioned way.

  28. eggs never peel without being in bits and teeny pieces. use old eggs, ice bath, various combo of temp and time–never have clean peel

  29. I’m using a 3 liters air fryer and I cooked them at 120°C/250°F for 17 minutes and I also preheated them before cooking, but it was not so hard boiled, it’s a bit medium boiled especially on the yolk. Still fine though. I suggest to cook them at 20 minutes for smaller air fryers like mine.

    1. That’s so helpful to know! Cooking time will definitely vary depending on the size and power of the air fryer.

  30. This so wicked and time saving.

    You do not state if the eggs need to be room temp or if straight out of the fridge.

    Cheers
    Gary

  31. Every time I cook hard-boiled eggs in the air fryer, the shells are so hard to get off and take half the white with it. Can you help?

    1. As soon as they’re cooked, place the hard boiled eggs in an ice water bath, made with cold water and ice cubes. This helps to immediately stop the cooking and makes it easy to peel the eggs.

  32. The yolks barely held together after 17 minutes, definitely not a hard boiled egg. Very disappointed after a 5 star rating!

    1. I’m sorry to hear that! Since all air fryers makes and models vary in strength and watts, I recommend trying out the different times to find what’s perfect for you. And then you can keep using those settings. The air fryer I used is 1700 watts.

  33. Hi Yumna, when using this method, are the eggs room temperature or directly from the refrigerator? Thank you!

    1. I used them from the refrigerator. Since all air fryers makes and models vary in strength and watts, I recommend trying out the different times to find what’s perfect for you. And then you can keep using those settings. The air fryer I used is 1700 watts.

  34. My air fryer is also a convection microwave has has no basket only a crisper tray. Tried to use grill rack and egg cracked and went all over the place. got a photo but wouldn’t allow me to attach. what do I do now?

  35. My air fryer only goes down to 300° on the air fry setting. How long should I put the eggs in to have them hard boiled. Thank you.

    1. I haven’t tried it at 300 yet, but another commenter said “I did them till one popped open and another cracked, that was for about 8 min.”

      1. Mine also, so I used the ROAST setting which allowed it to go to 260. I used same time still and worked well.

  36. Wow! Just got an Air Fryer for Christmas. These are THE BEST hard boiled eggs I have ever had. The yolk is cooked perfectly and they peeled with ease. I preheated at 250 and then cooked 8 large eggs for 17 min. Thank you for sharing!

  37. Totally not right. I did medium size eggs (2) for 17 minutes at 250 and they were not done and were hard to peel. Never again. A waste of time and good eggs.

  38. This will be my first and last time doing boiled eggs in air fryer. I am challenging myself to really try different things in my air fryer and felt this was a fail compared to doing eggs in my instantpot.
    They did not peel easily and were discolored, not overly appetizing. They tasted fine, but a lot of the egg was wasted. Clean up will actually be harder due to the mess of shells and eggs in my sink. Was hoping for a WIN.

    1. I’m so sorry to hear that. With such a recipe, it can take a lot of trial and error because there are many personal factors that affect the cooking time and method, but I will look into it.

  39. I have the air fryer xl vortex….did mine for 25 mins, let them sit for 5, then ice water + peel.
    I thank you so much for this because I was buying the pre-cooked eggs but I can’t afford them anymore 😂 These taste better anyway!

      1. My air fryer setting only goes to 300. I did them till one popped open and another cracked, that was for about 8 min. sooo!

  40. TIMES VARY IN COOKING:
    Number of eggs
    Air fryers
    Altitude
    Freshness of the eggs
    If eggs are cold or room temperature
    I made 12 eggs for 20 minutes checked one and added 2 minutes.
    So I did 12 eggs for 22 minutes in my air fryer, 3 times for a total of 36 eggs. This amount and time was best for my fryer.

    1. Yes, those factors could definitely change the time needed to and temperature at which you cook the eggs. Glad you found what works for you!

  41. Just got a air fryer and want to find recipes to try.
    Found this page and now I have all kinds of ideas.
    Thank You

  42. I’ve tried a couple recipes from this site and I’m impressed! Hard boiled eggs ~ 260 for 16 mins and plunge them into an ice bath and PRESTO !! Love it! I’d screwed up so many batches of hard boiled eggs. No more!

    Ok next ~ Avocado toast ~ I’m no fan of avocado but hubby is ~ with the hard boiled eggs and avocado … He’s in love with this recipe too.

    Thank you all for providing these great recipes.

  43. I have a 10 litre Chefman air fryer. I took 2 large eggs straight from refrigerator. 290F for 15 min.
    , then in ice water for 5 minutes. Not quite done, next time will try 18 min

  44. Did you use eggs straight from the fridge or room temperature eggs? (This may account for discrepancies is doneness). Love your recipes!

    1. As soon as they’re cooked, place the hard boiled eggs in an ice water bath, made with cold water and ice cubes. This helps to immediately stop the cooking and makes it easy to peel the eggs!

  45. 250 for 15 minutes was DEFINITELY not enough for 3 eggs. Going to try 20 minutes and see if they get hard. I’m glad my wife didn’t see me waste 3 eggs! Hahaha

  46. Hi! I just made with 12 eggs. You’re gonna need more time if you do more than 6, I suspect. I have a Power XL, preheated for 3 minutes and then cooked at 250 for 22 minutes. Ice bath after. Absolute perfection. I sacrificed one egg at 16 minutes by cutting it open and knew I’d need more the time. No need to waste an entire batch. 🙂 thanks!!

    1. Yes! The number of eggs you cook will alter the cooking time. It’s good to know what temperature and time is required for 12 eggs!

  47. I did two separate batches, preheat as instructed. First batch, soft boiled at the temp recommended for 16 minutes. Redid for another 17 minutes. Same results. Disappointing, especially since I can only eat cage free or organic. Too expensive to keep testing. Back to the traditional way for me.

    1. I’m so sorry to hear it turned out that way. The time may vary between air fryers – which one did you use?

  48. Air fryer newbie here. I was a little nervous so started off with the typical fries then saw this ‘boiled egg’ idea. Gave it a go. Loved it. Works amazingly. Kids inhaled the first batch so now currently cooking a double batch to store in the fridge for school lunchboxes tomorrow. Can’t wait to try your other recipes! 🙌🏼

    1. I’m so glad you decided to give it a try! That’s amazing! Hope you enjoy the other recipes too!!

  49. 1800w ninja air fryer. 17 minutes on 250 wasn’t long enough. They were pretty soft inside and out. 4 eggs.

  50. Best hard boiled eggs ever! We do hard boiled eggs weekly for a snack. Cooked them per the recipe. They came perfect, super tender and peeled so easily! Thanks for the recipe!

  51. Clever! I never dreamed of “frying” eggs. Worked exactly right.

    I bought an air fryer to cook with little or no oil (WW penalizes oils BIG TIME) and also to dehydrate for backpacking foods. Please keep the recipes coming! The air fryer recipe book that came with the fryer is great but surprisingly limited in number and so many things have too much fat (even using air fryer) and there are LOTS of meat recipes (I avoid all but chicken/fish pretty much).

  52. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before! Genius idea! Quick and simple, no mess and so delicious! Would highly recommend!!