How long to cook fried egg in an air fryer

At-a-glance cooking parameters

Temperature

370 °F

188 °C

Total time

5 min

per single layer

Flipping

Not needed

Internal temp

—

use visual cue

A fried egg cooks in the air fryer at 370 °F (188 °C) for about 5 minutes — no flipping — cracked whole into a greased oven-safe ramekin or silicone mould until the white sets fully and the yolk stays runny. Grease the vessel well (egg dropped onto a bare basket runs through the grate), crack the egg in, and pull it the moment the white turns opaque for a sunny-side egg, or cook 1–2 minutes longer for over-medium-to-hard. 4 variants: a sunny-side-up benchmark, an over-medium set yolk, a crispy lacy-edged version in a hotter oiled mould, and a soft basted-style. Distinct from Scrambled Eggs (whisked and stirred into loose curds), Omelette (beaten, filled and folded), Frittata (thick, fillings mixed throughout), and eggs and Hard-Boiled Eggs (cooked whole in the shell on the rack) — this is a single egg cracked whole and fried with the yolk intact.

Per serving

Approximate values for a single portion of fried egg (USDA baseline, cooked, includes light air-fryer oil spray).

Calories

90 kcal

Protein

6 g

Fat

7 g

Carbs

1 g

Fried Egg in popular air fryer brands

Adjusted for how each brand actually heats. Tap a brand name to see every food we calibrate for it.

How to tell it’s done

The white is fully opaque and set with no clear, translucent jiggle anywhere — that's the food-safety cue — while the yolk stays glossy and domed for a runny sunny-side egg. Tip the pan: a runny yolk wobbles like liquid, a jammy yolk barely moves, and a fully set yolk is matte and firm. Pull at the white-just-set point for runny, or give it another 1–2 minutes for over-medium-to-hard. Eggs go from runny to over-hard in well under a minute, so check from the early end of the window.

Step-by-step method

1. 1

   Prep

   Bring ingredients close to room temperature. Grease the ramekin or mould well with butter or oil spray, bottom and sides, so the set egg lifts out clean instead of welding on. A little extra oil pooled at the edge is what gives you a crispy, lacy fried-egg rim.

2. 2

   Season

   Season with Sunny-side-up (the benchmark): ~5 min at 370 °F until the white sets and the yolk stays liquid — just salt and pepper, finished with flaky salt., Over-medium / set yolk: cook 1–2 minutes longer so the yolk firms to creamy-jammy; good for sandwiches and rice bowls where a fully liquid yolk runs everywhere., Crispy-edge: a hotter, well-oiled mould (390–400 °F) so the white frizzles and browns lacy at the rim — finish with chili crisp, furikake or smoked paprika., Basted-style / soft: 350 °F for a gentle, tender set with a soft opaque film over the yolk — top with chives, hot sauce or za'atar..

3. 3

   Load

   Arrange 1–2 eggs cracked into a greased oven-safe ramekin, small metal dish or silicone egg mould that fits the basket — one egg per mould keeps the shape, or crack a couple side by side in one shallow dish. egg dropped onto a bare basket runs straight through the grate, so a vessel is non-negotiable. cook one batch at a time; there's no flip. for best convection airflow.

4. 4

   Cook

   Set the air fryer to 370 °F (188 °C) and cook for 5 minutes total.

5. 5

   Check & rest

   Check the visual doneness cue and serve immediately for best texture.

6. 6

   Store

   A runny fried egg is a cook-and-eat-now food — the yolk won't keep and reheating turns it rubbery. A fully set fried egg refrigerates up to 2 days; warm it gently at 300 °F for about a minute. Fried eggs don't freeze.

Watch out for

• !Use a greased oven-safe ramekin, dish or silicone mould. An egg cracked onto a bare basket runs through the grate and welds to it — this is the number-one air-fryer fried-egg mistake.
• !Cook the white fully — it should be opaque with no clear, translucent jiggle. A runny yolk is fine from fresh, well-stored eggs, but the white must be set for safety; use pasteurized eggs if a runny yolk worries you.
• !Preheat the empty greased mould for a minute or two so the white grips and sets fast instead of spreading thin and overcooking.
• !Check early and watch closely — the gap between a perfect runny yolk and an over-hard one is under a minute in a hot air fryer.

FAQ about fried egg in an air fryer

What temperature should I cook fried egg at in an air fryer?

Cook fried egg at 370 °F (188 °C). The convection air at this temperature cooks the food gently — higher temperatures dry it out or scorch the surface.

How long does fried egg take in an air fryer?

Fried egg takes 5 minutes at 370 °F (188 °C) with no flipping needed. Cook in a single layer for the air to circulate.

Do you need to flip fried egg in an air fryer?

No — fried egg cooks evenly without flipping. The convection air reaches all sides simultaneously. Flipping is only needed for dense or thick foods where one side sits against the basket grate; this food does not benefit from it.

Do you need to preheat the air fryer for fried egg?

Preheating is optional for fried egg — most modern air fryers reach temperature in under 2 minutes and the food's total cook time already accounts for the ramp-up. If you do preheat, reduce the total time by 1–2 minutes and check earlier than usual.