I made 5 popular breakfasts in the air fryer, and I may never use my stovetop again

• I tried making five breakfast recipes in the air fryer to see how they’d turn out. 
• The bacon and French toast came out perfectly crispy and absolutely delicious. 
• Using the air fryer for all of the recipes also made cleanup significantly easier. 

The hype around air fryers is real, and in my opinion, this appliance makes everything from cooking to cleanup more convenient. 

In hopes of making my mornings easier, I tried cooking five classic breakfast recipes in the air fryer and rated each dish based on difficulty, flavor, and whether I’d make it again. 

Here’s what I thought of each recipe — and which I plan to cook again.

I started out with bacon

This method for cooking bacon is so much easier than any other I’ve tried, and I can’t believe I had never thought of it.

I placed a sheet of tinfoil under the appliance’s grate to catch the grease for easy cleanup, laid out a single layer of bacon in both baskets, and air-fried the meat for 11 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, shaking it about halfway through. 

The bacon came out perfectly crispy

A breeze to make, this breakfast side had the perfect consistency. To be honest, I’ll probably never cook bacon any other way again.

Best of all, there was no grease splattering or residual smokiness, and the cleanup was as easy as removing the grease-filled tinfoil liner.

Difficulty: 1/10

Flavor: 10/10

Would I make it again?: Absolutely.

Next, I made breakfast potatoes

The recipe I found for breakfast potatoes was tasty and simple.

All I did was peel and chop a russet potato, coat it in olive oil, and sprinkle it with paprika, onion and garlic powder, and salt.

After evenly combining the mix, I put the cubes in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, shaking halfway through.

These home fries came out a little overcooked

Since I only chopped one potato, the dish cooked quicker than the 20 minutes the recipe called for.

Although the cubes were a bit overcooked and burned in some spots, their flavor was delicious, and most of the pieces were a nice mix of crispy and crunchy.

Plus, this method was still way easier than making home fries in a skillet. Next time, I may add some diced bell peppers and onion for extra flavor.

Difficulty: 1/10

Flavor: 6/10

Would I make it again?: Yes, but I’d add a few ingredients and cook it for a shorter amount of time.

For my 3rd recipe, I whipped up eggs in a basket

I’ve never been a huge fan of eggs in a basket — also known as egg in a hole — because it seems like an unnecessary combo, and I prefer a full-sized toast with my breakfast spread.

That said, this go at it was much easier than the times I’ve made it in a pan.

First, I used a cup to make a hole in the bread, then sprayed the interior of the air fryer with cooking spray.

Once I got my bread in the appliance, I cracked an egg inside the hole and cooked it at 330 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping it after a few minutes to let the other side bake and add some cheese on top.

I thought the egg would seep through the holes in the grate and ruin the meal, but surprisingly, it held together nicely. 

The egg wasn’t quite runny enough for my liking, but I still enjoyed it

The dish came out looking and tasting like it should, since only a little bit of the cooked egg had seeped through to the bottom of the air fryer basket.

Overall, it was delicious, but I wished the egg was a bit runnier. Next time, I’ll only cook it for about two minutes per side.

Difficulty: 3/10

Flavor: 7/10

Would I make it again?: Yes.

Next, I tried making an air fryer frittata

The frittata recipe I found was unbelievably easy to make.

For this dish, I simply combined eggs, sausage, bell pepper, onion, and cheese, then whisked the mixture together with seasonings like paprika and garlic powder.

The recipe said to cook the eggs in a cake pan, but instead, I took the grate out and poured the frittata mix straight into the sprayed air fryer basket.

I then let it cook for 25 minutes at 360 degrees Fahrenheit.

It tasted amazing, and I would’ve never guessed it was made in an air fryer

This frittata came out with the perfect consistency. It was cheesy, delicious, and so easy to make.

Plus, it’s a customizable dish you can add your favorite ingredients to. For next time, I’m already thinking of including bacon, mushrooms, spinach, and cheese.

Difficulty: 3/10

Flavor: 10/10

Would I make it again?: Yes, especially when cooking for guests.

For my final recipe, I attempted to make French toast

I’m a huge fan of French toast, but I hate when it gets too soggy or mushy inside, so I approached this method with caution.

To start, I whisked together melted butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl and made a mix of sugar and cinnamon in another.

Then, I cut the pieces of bread into three strips and quickly dipped each stick into the batter, liberally sprinkling both sides with the sweet crumble.

After I placed the sticks in the air fryer, careful not to crowd the basket, I let them cook for eight minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

I barely had to add syrup for this recipe to taste good

These French toast sticks came out so tasty, they barely needed syrup. In addition to having a delicious crispy exterior, they thankfully weren’t soggy or mushy in the center. 

Plus, the sugar and cinnamon mixture gave each strip a delicate, caramelized crumble.

Difficulty: 2/10

Flavor: 10/10

Would I make it again: Yes.

All in all, I absolutely loved making these breakfast recipes in the air fryer

Using the air fryer truly made each recipe shine. Also, cleanup was a breeze, which I consider a huge bonus.

Once the food was in the appliance, I didn’t have to worry about it or monitor it much at all.

I would 100% make these options again for any breakfast spread.

This story was originally published in February 2021 and most recently updated on February 28, 2025.