Scotch eggs are wrapped in spicy sausage, breaded, and deep-fried to golden perfection. Delicious as an appetizer or portable snack on-to-go!
How was your Easter? I hope you had a blessed and meaningful celebration with family and friends.
If you’re like me, you probably had more than your fill of honey-baked ham and more than your fair share of Grandma’s carrot cake. If you’re like me, you probably also have a dozen hard-boiled eggs in the fridge, waiting for a delicious recipe.
Folks, forget deviled eggs! Make scotch eggs instead! These picnic eggs are yummy bites of heaven with crispy bread coating, spicy sausage, and soft yolk centers.
Ingredient notes
- Fresh eggs are harder to peel. Use ones that are at least a week to 10 days old for easy peeling.
- The eggs are traditionally wrapped in pork sausage meat. Feel free to experiment with ground chicken or beef for flavor variety.
- The recipe calls for regular breadcrumbs, but you can easily substitute Panko breadcrumbs for more crunch. For a low-carb option, use crushed pork rinds instead of breadcrumbs.
- Skip the red pepper flakes if you want to scale down the heat and make these eggs more kid-friendly.
- Use oil with a neutral taste and high smoke points for deep-frying, such as grapeseed, avocado, safflower, or canola oil.
How to cook eggs
- In a saucepan, place the eggs and enough cold water to bring water to cover by one inch.
- Bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat.
- When water has reached a boil, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the eggs sit for 4 minutes for runny yolks, 6 minutes for soft custardy yolks, or 8 minutes for firm yolks.
- With a slotted spoon, remove eggs and transfer to a bowl of iced water.
- Gently tap the egg on the counter to crack and roll it with your hands to loosen the shell. Start peeling at the largest end of the end, making sure to peel away the thin membrane surrounding the egg white.
Cooking tips
- Do not overcook the eggs to prevent an unappetizing green discoloration around the yolks. Once removed from the hot water, drain the eggs under cold running water or submerge them in an ice bath to halt further cooking.
- Allow the eggs to cool sufficiently so they’ll contract slightly in the shell, making them easier to peel.
- Another option for easily peeling hardboiled eggs is steaming them instead.
- Lightly dredge the eggs in flour before wrapping them in the sausage to help the meat cling better. Ensure no gap in the meat coating keeps the oil from seeping into eggs.
Three cooking methods
- Stovetop– I find this method brings the best crispiness. Heat about 3 inches deep oil in a deep pan to an optimal temperature of 350 F to 375 F. Carefully add the prepared eggs and deep-fry for about 5 to 6 minutes or until golden and crispy, and a thermometer inserted in the center reads 145 F. Do not overcrowd the pan and cook in batches as needed to prevent the temperature from plummeting. Clean the oil and skim off any stray breading or pieces before adding the next batch to keep it from burning.
- Oven– If you’re making a huge batch or want to cut some of the fat, bake them instead. Arrange the prepared eggs in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a 350 F oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and crispy and a thermometer inserted in the center reads 145 F.
- Air Fryer– the easiest method! Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the prepared eggs in a single layer in the basket and air fry at 400 F for about 15 to 18 minutes or until golden and crispy and a thermometer inserted in the center reads 145 F.
Fun variation
Want a genuinely bite-size appetizer? Substitute quail eggs! They require a bit more work, but they’re super fun to serve at parties with different dipping sauces.
Serving suggestions
- Incredibly tasty and conveniently portable, this traditional British pub food is also widely enjoyed at Renaissance fairs or family/community picnics and for a quick breakfast or high-protein on-the-go snacking.
- Serve the crispy, savory eggs with mustard, Ranch dressing, hot sauce, ice, or even gravy for finger food that’s hard to resist.
Storage and reheating instructions
- These savory eggs are easy to make with simple ingredients and keep well in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Store in an airtight container or resealable bag.
- To reheat, arrange in a single layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and warm in a 350 F oven for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165 F. Do not microwave as they will become soggy.
More appetizer recipes
Ingredients
- 10 eggs
- 2 pounds bulk pork sausage
- 1 tablespoon brown mustard
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup flour
- canola oil
Instructions
- In a saucepan, place 8 of the eggs and enough cold water to bring water to cover by one inch. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat. When water has reached a boil, remove the pan from heat, cover, and let the eggs sit for 4 minutes for runny yolks, 6 minutes for soft custardy yolks, or 8 minutes for firm yolks.
- With a slotted spoon, remove the eggs and transfer to a bowl of iced water. Allow to cool completely and peel.
- In a bowl, combine pork sausage, brown mustard, and red pepper flakes.
- In a small bowl, beat the remaining 2 eggs until frothy. On a wide plate, place bread crumbs. On another plate, place flour.
- Divide sausage into 8 balls. Lightly roll egg in flour. In the palm of one hand, flatten one pork sausage ball and place an egg in the center. Gently press the meat around the egg to completely encase. Gently smooth the meat and mold into shape.
- Gently roll the sausage-wrapped egg in flour, shaking any excess flour. Dip in beaten eggs and then roll in bread crumbs to fully coat. Dip again in the beaten eggs and roll in bread crumbs. Repeat with remaining boiled eggs.
- In a pan over medium heat, heat about 3 inches deep of oil to 350 F degrees. Gently lower breaded eggs in batches of two into the pan and cook, turning on sides as needed, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
- With a slotted spoon, remove scotch eggs and drain on a rack set over a baking sheet. Serve with mustard.
Notes
- Do not overcook the eggs to prevent an unappetizing green discoloration around the yolks. Once removed from the hot water, drain the eggs under cold running water or submerge them in an ice bath to halt further cooking.
- Allow the eggs to cool sufficiently so they’ll contract slightly in the shell, making them easier to peel.
- Another option for easily peeling hardboiled eggs is steaming them instead.
- Lightly dredge the eggs in flour before wrapping them in the sausage to help the meat cling better. Ensure no gap in the meat coating keeps the oil from seeping into eggs.
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Natalie says
I would have loved this back when I still ate eggs. I have actually never heard of scotch eggs before.
Lalaine says
Thanks, Natalie!
Uma Srinivas says
I don’t eat egg. But i am sure this will be good snack for picnic or any party. Spicy sauce makes me interesting!
Lalaine says
Thanks a lot, Uma!
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says
These Scotch eggs look like such a fun idea. They’d be a great snack or even good as an appetizer.
Lalaine says
Thanks a lot, Stephanie! Either way, they are amazing!
Kathy McDaniel says
What a beautiful and perfect egg!b Love the addition of sausage. Definitely will have to try these soon as they sound delicious!!!!
Lalaine says
Thanks, Kathy! I hope you like them!
Michelle Waller says
I have never heard of this before. I am going to have to give it a try. It looks pretty delicious.
Lalaine says
Thanks, Michelle! You will love this!
swathi says
I agree with this is perfect appetizer, never tried scotch eggs, I will give next time. anything breaded goes well with my kids.
Lalaine says
The kids love these, they make eggs fun to eat!
Traditionallymodernfood says
We do something called bonds this looks similar. I was finding way to give eggs to my son I think he will enjoy this method
Lalaine says
That’s interesting. I hope your son likes this!
Kelly @ trial and eater says
Great tutorial for how to make these. You’ve got me thinking about what I could use instead to make these vegetarian 🙂
Lalaine says
Thanks, Kelly! You got me thinking of devising a vegetarian method.
Julia says
It’s very easy to make this vegetarian, since there’s some excellent vegetarian sausages. Field Roast makes a good breakfast sausage called Apple Sage, as well as Italian and a spicy Mexican Chipotle. Beyond Meat makes nice veggie bratwurst or Spicy Italian too. Morning Star Farms Original Sausage Patties are tasty too and could be put in a food processor with the mustard and pepper flakes to make it easier to mold.
Bel says
Ah scotch eggs. It’s been so long. Such a popular snack in Nigeria. I used to hate it as a kid but now I love it so much
Lalaine says
Hi, Bel! Try this recipe and you will love it!
Veena Azmanov says
I’ve never made Scotch eggs cause I always assumed it was harder!! But you make it look so easy. Defintely going to try.!!
Lalaine says
Thanks, Veena! Give it a go 😉
tara pittman says
My Easter egg stash is almost all gone. I need to make more hard boiled eggs
Lalaine says
Hi, Tara! I hope you love this.
Jennifer Quisenberry says
When I lived in the UK, scotch eggs were everywhere. I have never tried to make them myself, particularly since others always warned me that they were a bit difficult to make. I may have to try it and serve it here in the states to see how the dish is received.
Lalaine says
Thanks, Jennifer! Let me know how they find it 🙂
Adriana Lopez Martn says
Making scotch eggs is not easy love the fact that you have mastered the technique and that you are giving us all the tips to make them successfully =)
Lalaine says
I guess you can say I’ve had a lot of practice. I love scotch eggs and I make them way too often 🙂
Pam says
I always thought that scotch eggs would be harder to make. I don’t know why! I need to try these out.
Lalaine says
I hope you give them a try, they’re really very easy and fun to make. Well, maybe except the deep-frying part. 🙂
LaToyia Dennis says
I love eggs! These look tasty especially with the sausage. You have a lot of great recipes.
Lalaine says
Thank you so much, LaToyia. I hope you find a few you’d like for dinner tonight. 🙂