Poached Eggs in the Air Fryer

5 from 29 votes

Learn how to make absolutely perfect, soft, runny Poached Eggs in the Air Fryer in just two simple steps and about 10 minutes!

A runny poached egg on top of avocado toast with herbs.

Poached Eggs in the Air Fryer

Poaching eggs is a cooking technique that involves gently cooking an egg in simmering water. The eggs come out soft and moist with a silky, runny yolk.

The air fryer makes cooking all your favorite breakfast foods easy as can be, from soft and hard boiled eggs to French toast, to crispy hash browns, air fryer fingerling potatoes, and bacon! And air frying is soon to be your go-to method for poaching eggs, too!

These poached eggs are perfect on their own — to serve with toast, for making eggs benedict or for serving alongside blueberry biscuits or some apple muffins. It’s also so yummy with pancakes and bacon casserole.

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If you like poached eggs like this, you’ll love the way eggs cook on breakfast pizza! But did you know you can actually poach eggs in your air fryer? Yup, you can!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You’ll love this recipe, for a few reasons:

  • Air fried poached eggs always come out evenly cooked, completely set on the outside, and beautifully runny on the inside. It’s what egg lovers’ dreams are made of!
  • Once you master this method, there’s no guesswork. Simply follow the two simple steps to set up your ramekins, set the timer on your air fryer, and you’ll know exactly how they’ll turn out every time.
  • Say goodbye to babysitting a pot on the stove, hoping you’ll time the cooking just right. This method of poaching eggs lets you step away while your eggs cook!
Eggs, oil, water, and glass ramekins labeled on a white board.

Equipment

Of course, you’ll need an air fryer! Every one is different — check out our favorite air fryers for eating healthy at home if you’re looking for a new one.

You’ll also need oven-safe ramekins that are approximately 3.5-4 inches wide with a 6-8 oz. capacity. Before cooking, test to see how many ramekins fit in your air fryer basket.

Ingredients

Eggs are the main ingredient here! You’ll also need water and cooking spray. Using spray olive or avocado oil will save a little time in the prep stage.

No vinegar is necessary in this recipe. When cooking an egg in a pot of swirling water, vinegar helps to keep the egg together, but using ramekins in the air fryer means these eggs won’t spread!

How to Make Poached Eggs in the Air Fryer

Let’s take it step-by-step! Here’s how we make Poached Eggs in the Air Fryer, perfectly every single time.

Water being poured into glass ramekins inside an air fryer basket.

Step 1: Heat the water.

First, spray or drizzle the ramekins with a little oil, then fill each one with 3-4 Tablespoons of water. The oil will keep the eggs from sticking to the edges when cooking.

Turn the air fryer to 400°F (204°C), and close the air fryer. Set the timer for 5 minutes to heat the water and bring it to a low simmer. Carefully open the air fryer. If the water is not yet steaming, close and heat the water for another 2 minutes.

Uncooked eggs and water in three ramekins inside an air fryer basket.

Step 2: Cook the eggs.

Once the water is steaming, carefully crack an egg into each ramekin. Lower the temperature of the air fryer to 360°F (182°C), or 350°F, depending on your air fryer. Close the air fryer and cook for 6-7 minutes. The eggs are done cooking when the whites are set and the yolk is runny.

Use a slotted spoon or spatula to gently remove the eggs from the ramekins, letting the excess water drip off. You can dab the eggs on a paper towel to absorb a bit of the liquid if necessary.

Instant Pot Cooking Times

  • boneless pork chops (approximately 1 inch thick): 10 minutes at high pressure
  • bone-in pork chops (approximately 1 inch thick): 14 minutes at high pressure
  • thin cut boneless pork chops: 5 minutes at high pressure
  • frozen pork chops: Skip the browning step (it doesn’t work well with frozen chops) and add 3 minutes to the cooking time.

Once you know exactly how many minutes it takes in your air fryer, you can make this recipe over and over, and every time will be perfect!

Close up of a cooked poached egg being removed from a ramekin in an air fryer.

Tips for Success

Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:

  • The cook time will vary slightly based on your air fryer and how runny you prefer the yolks. You may need to add up to 3-4 minutes of cooking time. I recommend cooking just one egg the first time to figure out the exact cooking time needed, then you can air fry poached eggs in larger batches any time!
  • You get the best-tasting poached eggs when the water is heated before you crack the eggs into it. The water should be steaming and simmering, but NOT so hot that it’s rapidly boiling in the ramekins.
  • You can cook any number of eggs at the same time, depending on how many ramekins fit inside your air fryer. Test how many will fit while your air fryer basket is cool by setting the ramekins you plan to use inside the basket.

Storage Tips

To make in advance: As soon as the eggs are cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl of ice water for 1 minute. This will stop the cooking process.

Remove from the water and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Just before serving, transfer the cold eggs to a pot of simmering water for 1-2 minutes, just long enough to heat the eggs through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs and serve immediately.

Three poached eggs on a plate with a fork cutting into one.

FAQ

Can I poach multiple eggs at once?

Yes, you can poach as many eggs at once as you’d like, as long as there’s enough room in your air fryer. Set your ramekins inside the basket while the air fryer is cool to see how many will fit. You can poach one egg per ramekin in each batch.

Can I reheat poached eggs?

Poached eggs can be reheated, although they’re usually best served immediately. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cold eggs to a pot of simmering water for 1-2 minutes, long enough just to heat the eggs through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs and serve immediately.

Can I make poached eggs with a hard yolk?

To make poached eggs with a hard-cooked yolk, cook the eggs for an extra 2-3 minutes, and the yolk will be cooked through. For over-medium, cook them an extra 1-2 minutes. Every air fryer varies so you can always make one to test the timing, then adjust when you make more.

Do I need to use vinegar when air frying poached eggs?

No. Vinegar is used to help coagulate egg whites and keep them from spreading when you poach eggs in an entire pot of simmering water. But because air fried poached eggs are cooked in individual ramekins, vinegar is not necessary.

What to Serve with Poached Eggs

Poached eggs are traditionally served with eggs benedict, a classic breakfast dish of English muffins, poached eggs, Canadian bacon and hollandaise sauce.

Another delicious brunch dish you can use your air fryer poached eggs in is huevos rancheros. It’s a traditional Mexican breakfast recipe made with poached eggs (or sometimes fried eggs) served on top of tortillas, refried beans, Mexican rice and covered with salsa.

Of course, poached eggs are delicious on their own with a little salt and pepper on top. You can put them on top of avocado toast or enjoy them alongside sausage and bacon.

More Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes

I’d love to hear about your experience making this recipe!
Please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.

A runny, air fryer poached egg on top of plated avocado toast.

How to Make Air Fryer Poached Eggs

Learn how to make absolutely perfect, soft, runny poached eggs using the air fryer in just two simple steps and under 10 minutes!
5 from 29 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 11 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Author: Laura Miner

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs or more depending on how many ramekins fit in your air fryer
  • 1 teaspoon cooking spray or oil
  • 3/4 cup water

Instructions

  • Spray or drizzle the ramekins with a little oil, then fill each ramekin with 4 tablespoons of water. Set the ramekins in the air fryer basket.
  • Turn the air fryer to 400°F (204°C), and close the air fryer. Set the timer for 5 minutes to heat the water and bring it to a low simmer.
  • Carefully open the air fryer. If the water is not yet steaming, close and heat the water for another 2 minutes. 
  • Open the air fryer basket and carefully crack an egg into each ramekin.
  • Lower the temperature of the air fryer to 360°F (182°C).
  • Close the air fryer and cook for 6-7 minutes. The eggs are done cooking when the whites are set and the yolk is runny. 
  • Use a slotted spoon or spatula to gently remove the eggs from the ramekins, letting the excess water drip off.
  • Serve immediately with your favorite breakfast sides!

Notes

Equipment: Use oven-safe ramekins that are approximately 3.5-4 inches wide with a 6-8 oz. capacity. Before cooking, test to see how many ramekins fit in your air fryer basket.
Cooking time: The cook time will vary slightly based on your air fryer and how runny you prefer the yolks. You may need to add up to 3-4 minutes of cooking time. 
Store for later: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the poached eggs to an ice bath for 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Remove the eggs from the water and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, transfer the cold eggs to a pot of simmering water for 1-2 minutes to heat the eggs through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1egg | Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 69mg | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
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5 from 29 votes (29 ratings without comment)

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3 Comments

  1. It sounds soooo simple, however, I have tried.. and failed.. numerous times to make these. I have tried changing the cooking time, the temperature, pre-heating, not pre-heating, hot water from the kettle and still get them wrong. Some are so bad they have to get binned. My wife thought it was me so she tried and couldn’t get them right either. It’s a new air fryer too. Oh well, i’m afraid it’s back to the old method 🙂

    1. I wouldn’t recommend it. The ramekins go into the air fryer with water to bring the water to a steaming point. If you put them in empty, they will just heat up but the water will cool them down when you add it.