Air Fryer Egg Toast

Air Fryer Egg Toast is one of those breakfasts that proves you do not need a long ingredient list or complicated steps to make something satisfying. It is also known as Egg in a Hole or Egg in a Basket, and the basic idea is wonderfully simple: a piece of bread with an egg cooked right in the middle.

The air fryer makes this breakfast especially easy. The bread becomes crisp around the edges while the egg cooks in the center. With the right cooking time, the whites can be completely set while the yolk stays beautifully runny. It takes only a few minutes to prepare and cooks in about eight minutes, making it a practical option for a busy morning.

There is also very little cleanup involved. Instead of getting out a skillet, spatula, and several other kitchen tools, you can prepare the toast directly in the air fryer basket and remove it when it is done.

What You Need

The ingredient list is short, which is part of what makes this recipe so convenient.

Eggs

• Use large eggs for the recipe. The egg is cracked directly into the opening in the bread, so choosing large eggs gives you a good amount of egg without making the toast difficult to handle.

Bread

• A bread with larger slices works especially well. Larger slices give you enough room to make an indentation in the middle while leaving a good amount of bread around the outside.
• Brownberry or Dave’s Killer Bread are examples of the type of bread that works well here. The most important thing is having a slice that is large enough to hold the egg comfortably.

Salt and Pepper

• A little salt and pepper are all that is needed to season the egg. Sprinkle them over the egg after cracking it into the center of the bread so the seasoning stays mostly on the egg.

Cheese

• Cheese is optional. If you want to turn the toast into a cheesy version, add a small sprinkle during the final minute of cooking. Adding it near the end gives the cheese time to melt without requiring you to cook the toast for much longer.

Getting the Bread Ready

• Start by spraying the air fryer basket with cooking spray. This helps prevent the bread from sticking and makes it easier to remove the finished toast.
• Place the bread directly into the basket. The bread should lie flat so that the egg stays in the center while it cooks.
• Next, use a glass to make an indentation in the middle of the bread. You are not necessarily trying to cut a hole completely through the slice. Instead, press the center down enough to create a space for the egg.
• Once you have made the indentation with the glass, use your fingers to gently press down the center a little more. This gives the egg a place to sit and helps keep it from spreading too far across the bread.
• It is perfectly fine if the indentation is not perfectly round or if some of the egg white eventually reaches beyond it. This is a simple breakfast, so there is no need to worry about making the center look perfectly shaped.

Adding the Egg

• Once the bread is ready, crack an egg into the indentation.
• Try to crack the egg as close to the center as possible, but do not worry if some of the egg white goes beyond the indentation. The white may spread slightly over the bread as it cooks, and that is completely fine.
• Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper. At this point, the toast is ready to go into the air fryer.
• The simplicity is one of the best things about this recipe. There is no need to scramble the egg separately or cook anything in advance. The bread and egg cook together in the basket.

Cooking Air Fryer Egg Toast

• Place the basket into the air fryer and cook the egg toast at 340°F for 8 minutes.
• Eight minutes is a good starting point if you like a runny yolk with fully cooked egg whites. The bread should become crisp and nicely toasted while the egg cooks in the center.
• Air fryers can vary, so the exact result can depend on the particular air fryer you are using. If this is your first time making the recipe, keep an eye on the toast as you get familiar with how your air fryer cooks.
• The cooking time is also easy to adjust depending on how you like your egg.

Adjusting the Egg Yolk

• One of the nicest things about making Egg Toast in the air fryer is that you can control the egg by changing the cooking time.
• For a runny yolk and slightly runny whites, cook the toast for about 7 minutes.
• For a firmer yolk with set whites, cook it for 9 minutes.
• For a well-cooked yolk and firm egg whites, cook it for 10 minutes.
• If you cook the toast beyond eight minutes, keep in mind that the bread will become darker. If you prefer a firmer egg but do not want the toast to brown quite as quickly, reduce the air fryer temperature to 330°F when cooking for a longer time.
• The goal is to find the timing that gives you the egg texture you enjoy most.

Adding Cheese

• If you want cheese on your Air Fryer Egg Toast, you do not need to add it at the beginning.
• Instead, cook the toast as directed and add a small sprinkle of cheese during the last minute of cooking..
• This gives the cheese enough time to melt over the egg without making the bread unnecessarily dark. You can keep the toast simple with just salt and pepper or add the optional cheese when you want something a little richer.

Removing the Toast

• When the egg is cooked to your liking, carefully remove the toast from the air fryer basket with a spatula.
• The bread will be hot and crisp, so a spatula makes it easier to lift the toast without breaking it apart.
• If you cooked the egg for eight minutes, the result should be crisp toast surrounding a cooked egg with a soft, runny center. When you cut into the yolk, it can spread over the toast, making each bite rich and flavorful.
• Serve the egg toast immediately while the bread is still crisp and the egg is warm.

Why This Breakfast Works So Well

• There is something especially convenient about cooking the egg and toast together. You do not have to toast the bread separately and then cook the egg in another pan. Everything happens in the same place.
• That also means less cleanup. Once you have removed the toast, there is usually very little left to deal with besides the air fryer basket.
• The recipe is also easy to adjust. The cooking time can be changed depending on whether you prefer a runny, medium, or well-cooked yolk. This makes it possible to prepare the same basic breakfast differently depending on what you are in the mood for.
• Another advantage is that the recipe is quick enough for a weekday morning. The preparation takes only a couple of minutes, and the air fryer handles the cooking.

A Few Tips for the Best Results

Use a Large Slice of Bread

• A larger slice gives you enough room to create an indentation without leaving the egg too close to the edge. It also provides more toast around the egg.

Press the Center Down

• Do not stop after making the indentation with the glass. Gently press the center down with your fingers so the egg has a slightly deeper place to sit.

Do Not Worry About the Egg White

• Some of the egg white may spread beyond the indentation. That does not mean anything has gone wrong. The egg will still cook with the bread.

Start With Eight Minutes

• If you prefer a runny yolk, eight minutes is a good starting point. From there, you can adjust the cooking time based on the results from your air fryer and your preferred egg texture.

Lower the Temperature for Longer Cooking

• If you want to cook the egg longer for a firmer yolk, remember that the bread will continue to brown. Cooking at 330°F can help when you want a firmer egg without making the toast quite as dark.

Serving Air Fryer Egg Toast

• Air Fryer Egg Toast is best served as soon as it comes out of the air fryer. The contrast between the crisp toast and soft egg yolk is what makes this breakfast so good.
• For a simple version, just season the egg with salt and pepper. If you want a cheesy version, add the optional cheese during the final minute of cooking.
• Because the recipe is already filling on its own, it works well as a quick breakfast without requiring additional preparation.

The Easy Breakfast to Keep in Your Routine

• This is the kind of recipe that is easy to remember after making it once. Put the bread in the basket, press down the center, add the egg, season it, and let the air fryer do the rest.
• The basic eight-minute cooking time gives you a crisp piece of toast and a soft yolk, while the shorter and longer cooking options make it easy to change the egg to your preferred texture.
• With only a few ingredients and minimal cleanup, Air Fryer Egg Toast is a straightforward breakfast to keep in your regular morning rotation. It is simple enough for a quick weekday meal but still feels like something a little more special than ordinary toast and eggs.