Air Fryer Reference
Yorkshire Pudding
appetizer · fresh
- Temperature
- 400 °F
- 204 °C
- Total time
- 15 min
- Batter divided among the cups of a hot oiled metal muffin mould that fits your basket — one or two puddings per person as a side; do not overfill each cup past a third or the batter will not climb and hollow properly
- Flipping
- Not needed
- Internal temp
- —
- use visual cue
Doneness
Done when the puddings have dramatically puffed up and over the rim of the mould, the walls are deep golden and crisp, and the centres have hollowed out. Do not open the air fryer early — like a soufflé, a Yorkshire pudding can collapse if the hot air is disturbed before the structure sets, so resist peeking until near the end. They should look tall, lacquered, and crisp-walled with a sunken middle ready to hold gravy. Pale or squat puddings need a few more minutes; they are not done until the walls are firm.
Oil & seasoning
Essential, and the order matters: put a little oil or beef dripping in each cup of the mould and preheat it empty until the fat is smoking-hot, THEN pour in the cold batter. That violent sizzle of cold batter hitting screaming-hot fat is exactly what makes a Yorkshire pudding leap up and hollow out. Skip the preheated fat and you get a flat, dense disc.
Season with: Traditional: just salt in the batter — the pudding is a vehicle for roast gravy., A little cracked black pepper and a pinch of mustard powder in the batter., Fresh thyme or rosemary stirred in for a herby toad-in-the-hole base., Fill the baked hollow with gravy and roast drippings to serve..
Watch out for
- Get the fat smoking-hot in the mould BEFORE the batter goes in — cold fat means a flat, dense pudding instead of a tall, hollow one.
- Do not open the basket early; the rush of cool air can deflate a rising pudding like a soufflé.
- Rest the batter at least 30 minutes (an hour is better) so it relaxes and rises higher.
- Fill each cup no more than a third full — overfilled cups spill and never hollow out.
- Use a metal mould that clears the basket walls so the air can circulate and lift every side.