Air Fryer Recipe
Air Fryer Mini Quiches
These air fryer mini quiches are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a light snack, offering a quick and delicious option.
Ingredients
- 125g plain flour
- 60g butter, cold and diced
- A pinch of salt
- 2-3 tablespoons cold water
- 3 large eggs
- 150ml double cream
- 100g grated cheddar cheese
- 75g diced ham or cooked bacon bits
- 1 stalk of spring onion, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Rub in butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add cold water gradually until dough forms. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll dough to 3mm thick on a floured surface. Cut circles slightly larger than mini quiche pans.
- Whisk eggs and cream in a bowl. Stir in cheese, ham, and spring onions. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place pastry circles in greased quiche pans. Divide filling among pastry cases, avoiding overfilling.
- Preheat air fryer to 180°C. Place filled pans in air fryer basket. Cook for 10-15 minutes until filling is set and tops are golden brown.
Why this works in an air fryer
The air fryer’s fast convection dries and browns the exposed pastry edges while the metal mini tins conduct heat into the base. Cold butter creates small steam pockets for a short, crumbly crust; chilling limits gluten development so the cases stay tender rather than elastic as the egg-and-cream custard sets.
Equipment notes
Assumes 4–6 individual tins about 8–10cm wide in a 4–5 litre basket with space around each for airflow; in a single-drawer air fryer cook in batches if crowded, while dual-zone models usually need the tins split evenly and checked 2–3 minutes early as smaller loads brown faster.
Common pitfalls
- Soggy or pale bases after 15 minutes? The tins are insulating the pastry from airflow; preheat the empty tins for 2 minutes, keep the pastry at 3mm, and place tins directly on the basket rather than on parchment.
- Custard puffing high then collapsing with a wet centre? The heat is too fierce for the depth of filling; drop to 170°C and cook 3–5 minutes longer until the centre has only a slight wobble.
- Pastry shrinking down the sides? The dough was warm or stretched into the tins; chill the lined tins for 10 minutes and press the pastry in without pulling it.
- Cheese browning before the egg is set? The tops are too close to the element or overfilled; fill only to just below the rim and cover loosely with foil for the final few minutes if needed.
Variations & substitutions
- Swap cheddar for Gruyère or mature Red Leicester; both melt well, but stronger cheeses brown faster so check from 10 minutes.
- Use wilted spinach instead of ham, squeezing it very dry first; excess water will loosen the custard and lengthen setting time.
- Add finely diced cooked peppers or mushrooms; cook them first to drive off moisture or the pastry base will soften.
- For a lighter filling, replace half the double cream with whole milk; the custard sets a little softer and may need an extra 1–2 minutes.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled mini quiches in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 4–6 minutes until the pastry is crisp and the centre is hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
