Eggs Benedict is the weekend’s royal breakfast — a poached egg on a slice of toasted bread, crowned with a silky hollandaise sauce. In my version, the dish gets a Danish twist with crispy Parma ham instead of the classic Canadian bacon, and the air fryer makes the whole thing much simpler. The bread turns golden and toasted in just a few minutes, and the Parma ham becomes crispy as a chip without drying out.
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You can make this version in about 15 minutes, and the result is a café-worthy breakfast straight from your own kitchen. The poached egg is still made the classic way in a saucepan, but the air fryer takes over most of the work with both the bread and the Parma ham at the same time.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents:
Why I love Eggs Benedict in the air fryer
There is something quite special about Eggs Benedict — the combination of the soft egg, the warm hollandaise and the crispy Parma ham creates a texture that is hard to beat. In the air fryer, you get the best results on the elements that can otherwise be tricky on a busy morning: the bread is perfectly toasted without dry edges, and the Parma ham turns completely crispy in under five minutes.
The difference between the air fryer and a traditional toaster
In an ordinary toaster you easily get uneven colour, and the Parma ham turns either too chewy or far too dry. The air fryer’s circulating heat toasts both evenly and quickly, so the timing with the egg becomes much easier to manage. If you have a two-zone air fryer, you can even do bread and meat at the same time without any flavour transfer.
My kitchen test of Eggs Benedict
I have tested the dish several times in my Cosori Dual Blaze to find the right ratio between bread and Parma ham. The bread gets 4 minutes at 180 °C — then it is golden without going bone-dry. The Parma ham goes on the rack for 3-4 minutes at 200 °C, until it turns dark and crisp. In my Philips XXL I have made four portions at once, and it works fine, as long as the Parma ham lies flat without overlapping. Compared to the oven, the air fryer saves me about 25 % on the cooking time.
Place the Parma ham on baking paper in the basket — it prevents the fat from burning at the bottom, and the intense salty flavour gathers on top of the paper instead of being lost.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake I see is that people make everything at the same time. The hollandaise sauce needs to be ready before the bread is toasted — it turns thick and dull if it waits too long, so keep a thermos or a bain-marie ready. The second classic is forgetting the Parma ham in the air fryer — it goes from perfect to burnt in 30 seconds, so keep an eye on it from minute 3 onwards. Finally, it happens that the egg cooks too long; for a perfectly soft egg, 3 minutes in gently simmering water with a splash of vinegar is the foolproof formula.
How to serve Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict stands beautifully on its own, but a few simple side dishes lift it from breakfast to weekend brunch:
- Sautéed mushrooms with lemon and parsley
- Fresh avocado in thin slices with sea salt and chilli
- A small handful of baby spinach sautéed in butter
- Homemade hash browns from the air fryer
Storage and reheating
Eggs Benedict is best fresh — the poached egg and the emulsified sauce do not tolerate waiting. If you have leftover Parma ham, it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days and warmed for 1 minute at 180 °C in the air fryer before serving. Hollandaise sauce can be kept in the fridge for 1 day, but must be warmed very gently over a water bath so it does not split.
Eggs Benedict in the air fryer is the simple route to café quality in your own kitchen. With the right proportions and a little preparation, you are ready to treat your guests to a breakfast they will remember long afterwards.
FAQ
It can be done with small silicone moulds, but the result is best in a saucepan with hot water and a little vinegar. The water gives the egg the soft, smooth consistency that the air fryer cannot match.
A sturdy sourdough or an English muffin holds its shape and gives bite. Ordinary toast bread often becomes too soft under the warm sauce.
Yes, classic Eggs Benedict uses Canadian bacon. Ordinary bacon also works fine — just give it an extra 1-2 minutes to become fully crispy.
Recipe
Air Fryer Eggs Benedict
Cooking Guide
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Cost of the dish
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Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 4 Silicone molds - For poaching the eggs
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 Varmebestandig skål
- 1 Pisker eller el-pisker
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
Shopping list
Ingredients
For the Eggs Benedict
- 4 pcs large eggs (Fresh and cold)
- 4 pcs slices of bread (Preferably sourdough or toast)
- 8 pcs slices of Parma ham
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (Chopped, for garnish)
How to make it
Preparing the hollandaise sauce
- Melt 150 g butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Let the butter cool for 1-2 minutes, so it is lukewarm but not boiling.
- Whisk 3 pcs egg yolks together with 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp Dijon mustard in a heatproof bowl until the mixture is smooth.
- Place the bowl over a water bath on low heat and whisk in the lukewarm butter a little at a time. Keep whisking until the hollandaise is thick and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Set the hollandaise sauce aside in a warm spot while you prepare the rest.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 180 °C convection.
- Place 8 pcs slices of Parma ham in a single layer in the basket and air fry at 180 °C for 4-5 minutes, until the ham is crispy and lightly curled. Set aside on a piece of kitchen paper.
- Place 4 pcs slices of bread in the basket and air fry at 180 °C for 3-4 minutes, until golden and toasted. Take them out.
- Pour 1 tbsp water into the bottom of 4 small silicone moulds. Crack 4 large eggs into the moulds, one egg in each. Place the moulds in the basket and air fry at 150 °C for 6-7 minutes, until the white is set and the yolk is still runny.
Plating
- Place a toasted slice of bread on each plate.
- Top with crispy Parma ham.
- Gently lift out the poached egg with a slotted spoon and place it on top of the Parma ham.
- Pour the warm hollandaise sauce generously over the eggs.
- Garnish with 2 tbsp fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Our notes for the recipe
Poaching in the air fryer works best in small silicone moulds with 1 tbsp water in the bottom — it creates steam, so the white sets softly while the yolk stays runny. Check the eggs at 6 minutes the first time — poaching time varies a little depending on the size and temperature of your eggs. Hollandaise rescue:
If the hollandaise splits, whisk it slowly together with 1 tsp warm water or an extra egg yolk — it usually brings it back together. Variation:
Swap the Parma ham for smoked salmon for a classic Eggs Royale, or use spinach sautéed in butter for a vegetarian Eggs Florentine. Serving:
Serve with a fresh salad or baked tomatoes for a complete brunch spread. A glass of bubbly or a mimosa complements the dish nicely.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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