Air-Fryer Scotch Eggs

(6)

Give this classic pub snack a modern (and healthier!) upgrade.

Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
6

Created originally in England, a traditional Scott egg recipe is as simple as authentic—a hard-boiled egg, wrapped in seasoned sausage, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried in oil. Though delicious, we have to agree it can be more of a once-in-a-while treat rather than an every day snack. Luckily for you, we’ve found a way to make it healthier without sacrificing texture or flavor.

This Scotch egg recipe gives the classic pub or picnic snack a modern upgrade by coating it in panko breadcrumbs and cooking it in the air fryer. If you’re not familiar with panko breadcrumbs, its lightweight texture allows it to get a crispier consistency while absorbing less oil. In this case, you may also use cooking spray or spray oil before placing the Scotch eggs in the air-fryer—it will help to “fry” and crisp, minus the calories.

You’d love how easy and versatile it is—for example, try switching things up by using ground beef or lamb instead of pork sausage; spice the coating up with some cayenne pepper; and enjoy the eggs to your liking (soft or hard-boiled?). Finally, serve these Scotch eggs over a bed of arugula with a drizzle of some Sriracha mayo or fennel aioli.

Ingredients

  • cup finely chopped onion

  • 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon pepper

  • ½ teaspoon snipped fresh sage

  • 1 pound ground pork

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour

  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 tablespoon water

  • 1 ½ cup panko bread crumbs

  • 6 eggs, hard-cooked or soft-boiled, peeled*

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • 1 - 2 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

  • 2 teaspoon lemon juice

  • 6 cup arugula or fresh spinach

Directions

  1. Preheat airfryer to 350°F. In a medium bowl combine onion, chives, 1 clove garlic, thyme, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and sage. Add ground pork; mix well.

  2. In a shallow dish combine flour, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper, and paprika, if using. In another shallow dish beat together 2 eggs and water. In another shallow dish place panko.

  3. Dip each cooked egg in the flour mixture. Divide meat mixture into six portions. Flatten into thin patties and fold around hard cooked eggs, sealing and smoothing edges to completely enclose.

    meat covered eggs for air fryer scotch eggs

    BHG / Sonia Bozzo

  4. Working gently with 1 sausage-wrapped egg at a time, dip eggs again into flour, shaking off excess, then coat in lightly beaten eggs. Roll in panko to coat.

    dipping floured meat and egg in egg mixture for making scotch eggs

    BHG / Sonia Bozzo

  5. Place scotch eggs in airfryer basket (do not overcrowd). Cook eggs 15 minutes or until golden brown.

    prepared scotch eggs in air fryer basket

    BHG / Sonia Bozzo

  6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine mayonnaise, Sriracha, lemon juice, and remaining 1 clove garlic. Serve eggs warm over arugula and drizzle with spicy mayonnaise.

    air scotch fryer eggs on bed of arugula salad

    BHG / Sonia Bozzo

Tip

Test Kitchen Tip: To reheat Scotch eggs, simply coated them with abundant cooking oil and place them in the air-fryer basket once again (or in the oven, if that’s your preferred method) at 350 degrees, for about 10-12 minutes. Make sure the eggs have enough space between them, so it can evenly get that delicious crisp texture we’re looking for.

For Hard-Boiled Eggs

For easy-to-peel eggs, our Test Kitchen recommends steaming them. Place 1 inch of water in a 4-quart Dutch oven or deep skillet. Add a steamer basket. Bring water to boiling over high heat. Carefully add eggs. Cover; do not reduce heat. Steam for 16 minutes. Don't let your pan boil dry while the eggs are steaming. If you run out of water, add more boiling water to the pan.

For Soft-Boiled Eggs

Bring water to boiling. Using a slotted spoon, gently lower eggs into water. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil. Boil 6 minutes for soft boiled or 8 minutes for a jammy but not set yolk. Drain; place in ice water until cool enough to handle. Peel eggs. If using soft-boiled eggs, use a gentle hand when enclosing them in the meat mixture.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

426 Calories
32g Fat
10g Carbs
23g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 426
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 32g 41%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 277mg 92%
Sodium 725mg 32%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 23g 46%
Vitamin C 6.4mg 7%
Calcium 82mg 6%
Iron 2.1mg 12%
Potassium 376mg 8%
Folate, total 56.1mcg
Vitamin B-12 1.2mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.6mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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