Air-Fryer Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce
Eggs baked in a quick spiced tomato sauce — paprika, garlic, red pepper, onion — with toasted sourdough for dipping. The shakshuka template, scaled down for two ramekins, executed in the air fryer in twenty minutes flat.
Baked eggs in tomato sauce is the dish that goes by many names — shakshuka in Israel, huevos rancheros in Mexico, uova in purgatorio in Italy. They all share the structural idea: a flavourful tomato base, eggs cracked in and gently cooked until the whites set and the yolks stay runny. Served with bread for mopping. The differences are in the spice profile.
This version leans Mediterranean: paprika, cumin, garlic, red pepper, fresh parsley. The air fryer does the egg-cooking step perfectly — direct heat from above sets the whites quickly while the yolks stay liquid (about 6 minutes at 350°F for an egg in hot sauce).
The technique is in stages. First, make the sauce on the stovetop — soften onion and pepper, bloom paprika and cumin, add tomatoes, simmer 8 minutes until thickened. Then divide between two small oven-safe dishes (or one larger). Make wells in the sauce, crack in the eggs. Air-fry until the whites are just set.
The photo shows two ceramic dishes: rich red tomato sauce bubbling at the edges, one perfect egg in the centre with bright yellow yolk visible, parsley scattered on top, a slab of toasted sourdough resting against the edge of each dish. Breakfast at its most satisfying form.
Method
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01
Make the sauce
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and red
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02
Divide
Spoon the sauce evenly into two oven-safe dishes (8-oz ramekins
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03
Add the eggs
With the back of a spoon, make 2 wells in the sauce of each dish.
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04
Air fry
Heat the air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Cook the dishes for 6–8
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05
Toast the bread
While the eggs finish, toast the sourdough until deeply golden
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06
Serve
Scatter parsley and coriander over the eggs. Serve with the