Like the Instant Pot, air fryers are one of the new cooking tools billed as the "easy button" of quick weeknight meals. While most people know chicken wings, fries and tater tots are some of the most popular things to cook in the air fryer, there’s a whole world of dishes that can be made in this countertop convection oven — including breakfast.
We tried making seven of Reddit’s popular air fryer breakfasts including stuffed French toast, a riff on the popular sous vide egg bites from Starbucks and a healthy kale breakfast bowl. Here's how it went — plus a few tips and tricks to make the results easier and tastier.
Egg bites
If you’re planning on making these egg bites to avoid a trip to Starbucks then you'll want to invest in a few silicone molds to help them keep their shape. You can put just about anything inside the egg bites, so we added cheese and bacon. The egg bites are a great make-ahead option that can be put in a plastic bag and stored in the fridge to grab and go for easier mornings.
Air fryer doughnuts
Doughnuts are a classic on-the-go breakfast food and a family favorite. These air fryer doughnuts are a fun at-home take on a classic fried donut with chocolate glaze and sprinkles. The donuts are super easy and use a can of biscuits, so there’s no need to mix up your own batter. You will need to make your own glaze, which is a quick mix of chocolate chips and heavy cream to make a thin ganache. Let everyone in the family decorate their own donut with colorful sprinkles for a memorable weekend breakfast.
Hong Kong French toast
Hong Kong French toast is another name for stuffed French toast. The bread is typically stuffed with various jellies, jams and spreads — we stuffed ours with Nutella. The technique is very similar to traditional French toast, but you’ll need to let the bread soak in the egg mixture for a few extra moments to allow it to suck up as much of the egg as possible. One tip to make this better is to rub a little butter on the tray of your air fryer rather than use oil so bread gets a little more caramelized.
Breakfast sandwich
Breakfast sandwiches are a staple for many people, and this air fryer version is delicious. Toasting the bread while the bacon cooks on top of the slice keeps as much of the bacon flavor in the sandwich as possible without the end product being greasy. The toast doesn’t get super dark, but the bread does provide a crispy crunch that contrasts the soft eggs and cheese. Depending on how you prefer your eggs, you can cook them with runny yolks in the air fryer or scramble them in a separate pan while the bacon is being cooked.
Kale breakfast bowl
Anything with bacon and potatoes is likely going to be good, and when it’s paired with kale, you're upping the health quotient a little bit (at least that's what I tell myself). The kale breakfast bowl is a fun and easy breakfast that requires just a little prep work — cutting the potatoes is the hardest part. Getting the potatoes super crispy is key, so be sure to toss them in a little bit of oil before throwing them in the air fryer. When it’s time to cook the kale, toss it in a little oil, too, to help weigh it down so it doesn't fly around inside your air fryer. Add an egg on top and you have the perfect breakfast to eat before or after your morning Peloton ride.
Air fryer breakfast bombs
These breakfast balls, made with pizza dough and eggs, is one of the most popular air fryer breakfast recipes on Reddit. After making the scrambled eggs and adding in any cheese and vegetables you might want, place a spoonful of the mixture into the middle of a piece of the portioned pizza dough. Bring the edges of the dough together into a dumpling shape and put a few them in the air fryer at a time. Eat them immediately after air-frying or let them cool completely before storing in the fridge to reheat later in the week. This recipe would also work well with pre-made biscuits from a tube if your grocery store is out of pizza dough.
Egg frittatas
These are the best version of eggs cooked in an air fryer that we tested. The half and half is what creates the creamy texture of the eggs without letting them get too rubbery while cooking. You can get as creative as you want with the frittatas by mixing in different types of cheese, herbs and veggies. We included cheddar cheese and poblano peppers, which added a little spicy kick to the final dish.
