Seeing as it is the Victoria Day long weekend here in Canada, and the weather is finally getting warmer (woohoo!), I figured a lot of people would be spending time outdoors. In my opinion, Air fryer scotch eggs are the perfect picnic / outdoor snack.
Can you imagine being at the park with loved ones, enjoying some soft boiled eggs (or hard boiled eggs), encased in a delicious wrap of fried sausages, with a cool tall glass of guava white tea lemonade and a refreshing garden salad on the side?…. hehehehe well, I can imagine it and I plan on spending a lot of time outdoors this weekend.
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If you do not have an air fryer, you should certainly consider investing in an air fryer like the Ninja Foodi indoor Grill 5-in-1. You will love it! I love mine!
Ok, so back to the air fryer scotch eggs recipe…
How to Make Scotch Eggs
A scotch egg is a boiled egg that is wrapped in sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and then either baked or fried. There are several ways to make scotch eggs. You can either deep-fry the scotch eggs (which is the traditional way to make them), bake them or air fry them.
Air fried scotch eggs have the same flavors, texture and deliciousness of a deep fried scotch egg – without the extra calories. Definitely a win!
Air Fryer Scotch Eggs Ingredients
Eggs – This recipe calls for boiled eggs. You can choose to use hard boiled or soft boiled eggs. You will also need an extra egg to make the egg wash
Ground Sausage – In this recipe I season the ground sausage. However, you could skip the seasoning step completely by using your favorite breakfast sausage instead.
Flour – You will need about 1/2 a cup of flour for this recipe. It will be used to dust the sausage lightly before coating with the egg wash
Breadcrumbs – You will need some breadcrumbs to coat the outer part of the scotch eggs. Breadcrumbs will add a crispy exterior to the scotch eggs. For bread crumbs, you could use store-bought breadcrumbs, panko bread crumbs, crushed pork rinds or homemade breadcrumbs (like I did)
How to make Homemade Breadcrumbs
To make homemade breadcrumbs, preheat your oven to 200F, place the bread slices on a baking sheet, and put in the oven for about 20 mins to toast (timing could be a little longer depending on your oven). Bring the toasted bread slices out of the oven and let them come to room temperature. Then blend tear them into smaller pieces and blend them in your food processor until you reach your desired texture.
You could add your favorite seasoning to the homemade breadcrumbs or use as-is. Freshly made breadcrumbs can be stored in an airtight container for 2 weeks at room temperature. However, you could also refrigerate your homemade breadcrumbs for up to 2 months, or freeze them for up to six months.
* Never store or reuse leftover breadcrumbs that have been used in a scotch egg recipe. There may be remnants of fresh sausage meat in the breadcrumbs after using it.
Cooking spray (optional) – Using cooking spray is optional. I find that when it is sprayed on to the air fryer scotch eggs it helps them take on a deeper brown color. However, if you do not care for the extra oil or calories, you can skip the cooking spray. The scotch eggs may look a little pale, but will still taste amazing
Scotch eggs history/Scotch eggs origin
A quick blurb for those wondering… Scotch eggs did not originate from Scotland and are not named after the Scottish. The term scotch comes from the process of mincing the meat that is wrapped around the eggs.
Steps to Make Air Fryer Scotch Eggs
Preparing the ingredients for the Air Fryer Scotch Eggs
1. Four Boiled Eggs
- Put enough water that will cover the eggs in a pot.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Using a slotted spoon place each egg gently into the boiling water
- Leave the eggs to boil for approximately 5 minutes
- After 5 minutes, remove the eggs from the boiling water and promptly put in a bowl of ice-cold water to cool.
- After about 5 minutes, peel off the eggshells and set the eggs aside
2. 1lb Ground Sausage (You could use either breakfast sausages or plain ground sausages)
Breakfast sausages: Since breakfast sausages are already seasoned, all you have to is remove the outer casing of each sausage prior to use. You do not need to season unless you really want to do so
Plain ground sausages: You can season plain ground sausages per your taste or you could mix in the seasonings (salt, paprika, onions, ginger, thyme, basil, chili pepper) listed in the recipe card below. Then it is ready to use for the scotch eggs
3. Egg wash
Whisk one egg in a bowl and set aside
4. Half a cup of flour
Set aside half a cup of flour in a bowl. You could either use plain flour or season it with some salt. Your choice
Making the Air Fryer Scotch Eggs
Once you have all your ingredients ready, you will want to setup your workstation in the following order: Boiled Eggs -> Ground Sausage -> Flour -> Egg wash -> Bread crumbs -> Empty Plate
Step 1
Visually divide the ground sausage into four. You could use a scale to get exact measurements if you prefer but it is not necessary
Step 2
Flatten 1/4 of the ground sausage in the palm of your hands and then place one boiled egg in the center of the flattened ground sausage
Step 3
Wrap the sausage around the boiled egg
Step 4
Roll the sausage-wrapped egg in flour to lightly coat the surface of the sausage
Step 5
Roll the floured egg in the eggwash
Step 6
Roll the egg-washed egg in the bread crumbs to completely cover the surface of the scotch egg. Then set aside
Repeat the same step for all the other eggs
Step 7
Preheat your air fryer to 400F and set the timer for 20 minutes
Step 8
Once the air fryer is ready place each of the scotch eggs gently into the air fryer and spray lightly with the cooking spray (using cooking spray is optional)
Step 9
Halfway through (i.e. approx. 10mins), flip the scotch eggs over and let them continue to cook for 10 more minutes
Step 10
Once they are fully cooked, bring them out of the air fryer, let them cool and enjoy!
How to Enjoy Scotch Eggs (Hot or Cold)
You could enjoy scotch eggs straight from the air fryer, at room temperature or cold. It really depends on your personal preference.
Also, scotch egg can be enjoyed on its own or paired with a variety of sides and sauces including:
- Garden Salads
- Hot Sauces
- Mustard Sauce
- Chutney
- Yam or Potato Fries
- Chicken or Meat pies
The combo possibilities are endless”
Looking another delicious air fryer recipe? Try out this delicious fried plantain and gizzard recipe. You will love it!!
Air Fryer Scotch Eggs – Quick and Easy Recipe
Equipment
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried onions
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp chili pepper
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Boil the eggs for approximately 5 minutes
- Remove the eggs from the boiling water and promptly put them in a bowl of ice water
- After about 5 mins, peel the eggs and set them aside
- Next mix the ground sausage with all the seasonings and set aside. (You could use breakfast sausages if you prefer)
- Whisk the last egg in a bowl and set aside
- Set up your workstation as follows: Boiled Eggs -> Ground Sausage -> Flour -> Egg wash -> Bread crumbs -> Empty Plate
- Next flatten 1/4 of the sausage in the palm of your hands
- Place a boiled egg in the center of the flattened sausage
- Wrap the ground sausage around the egg completely
- Next, roll the sausage-wrapped egg in some flour
- Next, roll the sausage-wrapped egg in the eggwash
- Last step, roll the sausage wrapped egg in the bread crumbs until it is completely covered. Set aside and repeat the same step for all the other boiled eggs
Air Frying the Scotch Eggs
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F and set it to 20 minutes
- Once the air fryer is ready, gently place each scotch egg in the air fryer. You can spray some cooking spray on the eggs but this is optional
- Leave the scotch eggs to cook for 10mins. Then turn them over and let them cook for an extra 20 minutes
- Once completely cooked, bring the scotch eggs out of the air fryer and let them cool before serving
