A woman has shared her hack for cooking the ‘perfect’ poached egg in an air fryer and people are loving the quick and easy method that takes less than seven minutes
The perfect poached egg, with its runny yolk and firm whites, can be a tricky dish to master.
While many hacks suggest adding vinegar for the best results, one TikTok content creator has a different approach. ChihYu Smith (@iheartumami) shared her unique recipe on her page, captioning the video: “Air fryer poached eggs… no need to wait for the water to boil!”
“Have you tried it? Soft runny egg yolk and ready in about six minutes. Perfect topping to anything you like! This is a great back-pocket recipe to have.”
All you need is some water, a heatproof ramekin and eggs. Demonstrating the hack, ChihYu proudly displayed the results, exclaiming: “Look at that perfectly poached egg.” She began by spraying two round oven ramekins with cooking oil, then poured around two tablespoons of water into each one.
The TikTok star then cracked an egg into the ramekins and carefully transferred them to the air fryer basket. She set the fryer to 180C for just five minutes, then removed the ramekins and placed them on the counter, reports the Express.
After this, she ran a teaspoon around the rim of each ramekin to loosen the whites, then returned them to the fryer for just two more minutes. According to ChihYu, this step is crucial to “release” the egg and prevent it from sticking to the ramekins, which could ruin their perfectly rounded shape.
The findings are difficult to dispute, with a perfectly runny yolk and firm white, but there’s a scientific basis for utilising an air fryer. According to British Lion Eggs, air frying may be a viable alternative to the classic stovetop approach for poaching eggs.
They advise: “Consistency is key to achieving well-executed poached eggs. Air fryers circulate hot air uniformly within the chamber, ensuring even and controlled cooking.”