Air Fryer Recipe
Air Fryer Falafel Scotch Eggs
A delightful and innovative twist on the classic scotch eggs, these falafel scotch eggs are made using a flavourful falafel mixture instead of traditional meat, offering a tasty and unique option perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 6 medium eggs
- 400g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Breadcrumbs for coating
- Olive oil spray
Method
- Boil the eggs: Place the eggs in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool. Once cooled, carefully peel the eggs.
- Prepare the falafel mixture: In a food processor, combine chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Pulse until you have a coarse mixture.
- Wrap the eggs: Divide the falafel mixture into 6 equal portions. Flatten each portion into a disc and carefully wrap it around a peeled egg, ensuring the egg is completely covered.
- Coat & prepare for air frying: Roll each egg ball in breadcrumbs, ensuring an even coating. Preheat your air fryer to 180°C (360°F). Spray the falafel-coated eggs with olive oil spray.
- Air fry: Place the coated eggs in the air fryer basket. Cook at 180°C for 12-15 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and crisp on the outside.
Why this works in an air fryer
The air fryer’s fast convection dries and browns the breadcrumbed falafel shell before the already-boiled egg overcooks. Drained canned chickpeas give a softer, starchier paste than dried falafel; a coarse texture and light oil spray help the crumb crisp rather than steam.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket holding 6 eggs with space between them; in a small single-drawer cook in batches for best browning, while dual-zone models may need 1–2 minutes extra because each drawer has less airflow and lower thermal mass.
Common pitfalls
- Mixture smearing or sliding off the eggs? The chickpeas/onion are too wet; pat the chickpeas dry, squeeze excess moisture from the onion, and chill the mixture for 20 minutes before wrapping.
- Cracks opening during air frying with egg showing through? The falafel layer is too thin or uneven; patch with extra mixture and aim for an even 8–10 mm coating, especially around the pointed ends.
- Breadcrumbs pale and dusty at minute 12? There is not enough surface oil or airflow; spray again lightly, turn carefully, and extend 2–4 minutes rather than raising the temperature sharply.
- Egg yolks turning chalky or grey-green? The eggs were boiled too long or reheated too aggressively; keep the initial simmer to 6 minutes and cool rapidly in ice water before peeling.
Variations & substitutions
- Use panko instead of fine breadcrumbs for a rougher, crunchier crust; it browns well but needs a slightly more even oil spray to avoid dry white patches.
- Add 1–2 tbsp gram flour to a loose falafel mixture; it binds moisture and firms the shell, but can make the coating denser if overused.
- Swap parsley for coriander and add lemon zest for a brighter falafel profile; the cooking time stays the same, but the herbs darken quickly so avoid excessive browning.
- Use quail eggs for party-sized versions; boil them for about 2 minutes, wrap with a thinner falafel layer, and start checking the air fryer after 8 minutes.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled falafel Scotch eggs refrigerated for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 6–8 minutes until hot through and re-crisped.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
