Air Fryer Omelette
An air fryer omelette made with 3 eggs sets in 8–10 minutes at 350°F (175°C) in a greased oven-safe pan or silicone dish that fits the basket with air moving around it. You do not flip it. It is done when the center no longer jiggles. This is the one breakfast recipe on the site. The breakfast hub explains the pan and the temperature. It is not a roundup of breakfast sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs (about 150 g without shell)
- 3 tbsp (45 g) whole milk
- ¼ cup (28 g) shredded cheddar
- 2 tbsp (30 g) diced bell pepper or onion
- A pinch of fine salt, about ⅛ tsp
- Black pepper
- Oil or butter for the pan
Estimated nutrition
Per serving, estimated: 360 kcal, 27 g protein, 6 g carbs,25 g fat, 1 g fiber, 770 mg sodium.
Estimated per serving from typical USDA FoodData Central values for the amounts listed, then rounded. Not a laboratory analysis. Three large eggs, 3 tbsp whole milk, 28 g cheddar, and 30 g pepper, for 1 serving, plus about ⅛ tsp salt. Grease for the pan is not included and is usually under a teaspoon.
Instructions
- Grease a pan, ramekin, or silicone dish that leaves at least a half inch of air gap around it in the basket. A pan that seals the basket blocks the fan and the eggs cook only from the top.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, pinch of salt, and pepper until the whites and yolks are one color. Stir in the cheese and the diced pepper or onion. Pour into the dish. The depth should be under about 1 inch. A deeper dish needs more time and sets a rubbery rim first.
- Air fry at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes. Do not preheat for a long time with the dish empty if the dish is silicone. Check at 8 minutes. The center should be just set, not browned hard. A minute too long is the difference between custardy and dry.
- Loosen the edge with a spatula and slide the omelette out. Fold it or serve it open-faced. The air fryer version is closer to a baked omelette than a rolled French one, and that is fine.
Basket size and model notes
Temperature is lower than the savory mains on this site on purpose. Eggs at 400°F inflate, then collapse and weep. If your dial runs hot, trust an oven thermometer you have used before, or pull the dish at 7 minutes the first time.
Basket shape decides the vessel. Round 5–6 qt baskets take a 6-inch cake pan. Narrow drawers may only take a ramekin, which means a thicker egg layer and the full 10 minutes, sometimes 12. Check the center, not the clock.
Do not cook the eggs loose in the basket. They will run through the holes and burn on the element. A vessel is not optional.
Tips
- Milk makes a softer set. Skip it for a tighter, richer omelette if you are out, and start checking a minute earlier.
- Cheese on top from the start can brown before the egg sets. Stirring it in is safer than a thick cap. Add a delicate herb after cooking.
- If the rim is done and the center is liquid at 10 minutes, the dish is too deep or too wide for the fan. Give it 1–2 minutes more and make the next one in a wider, shallower pan.
Substitutions
- Cheddar. Any melting cheese you actually have, in the same 28 g amount. Feta will not melt smooth. Fresh goat cheese can go in cold at the end so it does not disappear.
- Bell pepper or onion. A handful of leftover cooked vegetable, spinach squeezed dry, or nothing. Raw watery vegetables (tomato, raw mushroom) make the egg soggy. Cook those first or skip them.
- Whole milk. Any milk, or 2 tbsp water. Cream makes it richer and slightly slower to set. Unsweetened soy or oat milk works for a dairy-free version if you also skip the cheese.
Storage and reheating
This is a single serving meant to be eaten hot. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge up to 2 days and the texture firms up. Do not freeze a cooked omelette if you can help it. It weeps when thawed. Whisked raw egg should be cooked the day you mix it, not stored in the pan.
Reheat gently at 300°F (150°C) for 2–3 minutes, or eat it cold. A 350°F reheat overcooks an omelette that was already set. It will not be fluffy the second time. Chop leftovers into fried rice rather than expecting the original texture.
Questions
How long do you cook an omelette in the air fryer?
8–10 minutes at 350°F (175°C) for 3 eggs in a shallow greased pan that fits inside the basket. The center should be just set. There is no flip.
What pan do you use for an air fryer omelette?
Any oven-safe pan, ramekin, or silicone dish that leaves airflow around it. Do not pour eggs into the bare basket. If the pan fills the basket wall to wall, the fan cannot circulate and the bottom stays raw.
Can you air fry eggs without milk?
Yes. Skip the 3 tbsp milk and check a minute earlier. The omelette will be tighter. It is still the same 350°F, not the 400°F used for meat and vegetables.
More in this collection
- Vegetarian Air Fryer Recipes — Meat-free recipes already on the site: tofu, cauliflower, omelette, and both styles of fries.
- Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners — The shorter, more forgiving recipes: frozen fries, salmon, a plain breast, wings, chops, fish, and an omelette.
- Healthy Air Fryer Recipes — The lighter recipes: salmon, white fish, chicken breast, pork chops, tofu, cauliflower, and the omelette.
- Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes — Breakfast on this site is the omelette: 350°F, a real pan, no flip. Eggs are not cooked loose in the basket.
- Air fryer cooking times chart for foods that do not have a full recipe yet.