Air Fryer Toad in the Hole–a cooked egg embedded in toast and topped with a bit of cheddar cheese. An easy and delicious breakfast with very little cleanup.

Air Fryer Toad in the Hole
Kids love this quick and fun breakfast with a quirky name! Heck, adults love it too! Eggs and toast are a classic breakfast combination that has been enjoyed by people all over the world for generations. This simple and fun way of preparing eggs and toast makes breakfast taste even better than normal! My son and I loved making and eating air fryer toad in the hole for dinner the other night. I showed him how to make it so he can do it on his own in the future for breakfast or for an after school snack.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Bread–I used whole wheat. You can use any type of bread you like!
- Butter–soft so you can spread it on bread
- Eggs
- Salt and pepper
- Shredded cheese–I used cheddar
Steps
Preheat air fryer to 350°F.
Using the bottom of a measuring cup press a 2 inch indent into the middle of each slice of bread.

Butter each bread.

Place the bread into the air fryer. Crack an egg into each indention. Lightly salt and pepper each egg.

Air fry for 6 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top and air fry for 2 more minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

What is toad in the hole in the U.S.?
In the United States, “Toad in the hole” usually refers to a different dish than the British version. In the US, “Toad in the hole” typically refers to an egg dish where an egg is cooked inside a hole made in a slice of bread that has been toasted in a frying pan. The bread is typically buttered and the egg is cracked into a hole in the center of the bread slice. The bread and egg are then cooked until the bread is toasted and the egg is set to the desired level of doneness. This dish is also known by several other names, including “Egg in a Basket”, “Egg in a Hole”, or “Bird’s Nest”.
What is toad in the hole in Britain?
Toad in the hole is a traditional English dish that consists of sausages baked in a batter made of eggs, flour, and milk. The sausages are placed in a baking dish or cast iron skillet, and then the batter is poured over them before the dish is baked in the oven. The dish gets its unusual name from the fact that the sausages, when cooked in the batter, look like toads peeking out of a hole. It is typically served with gravy and vegetables such as peas, carrots, and green beans. Toad in the hole is a popular comfort food and is often served as a hearty dinner or as a pub food in the UK.
Notes/Tips
- You can easily make more than 2 servings. My air fryer would only comfortably cook 3 servings at one time. However you can work in batches.
- Serve with fresh fruit and sausage patties for a delicious breakfast.
- Try slicing up some avocado and serving on top of the toast.
- For a kick, try a few drops of tabasco on top of the egg.
- This recipe can be gluten-free if you use gluten-free bread.
- This recipe can be dairy-free if you forego using the shredded cheese.
- I used my Instant Vortex* air fryer.
- Make only as many as you’ll need. These don’t store well as leftovers.
- If you don’t have an air fryer you can easily make toad in the hole in a pan on the stove. Cut a 3 inch hole in the middle of the bread and discard. In a small skillet, melt the butter; place the bread in the skillet. Place egg in the hole. Cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat until the bread is lightly browned. Turn and cook the other side until egg yolk is almost set. Season with salt and pepper.
More Air Fryer Recipes…
Air Fryer Poor Man’s Steak
A hearty stuffed hamburger patty with cheese, bacon and pickled jalapenos cooked in your air fryer for ultimate convenience!
Air Fryer Almost Chick Fil-A Chicken
Homemade chicken nuggets made in your air fryer. They are juicy and tender and really simple to make! They taste just as good as the restaurant.
Air Fryer Weeknight Meatballs
Use your air fryer or Instant Pot air fryer lid to make these super fast and easy meatballs!
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.


Air Fryer Toad in the Hole
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
A cooked egg embedded in toast and topped with a bit of cheddar cheese. An easy and delicious breakfast with very little cleanup.
Ingredients
- 2 slices of bread (I used whole wheat)
- 2 teaspoons of butter
- 2 eggs
- Salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F.
- Using the bottom of a measuring cup press a 2 inch indent into the middle of each slice of bread.
- Butter each bread.
- Place the bread into the air fryer. Crack an egg into each indention. Lightly salt and pepper each egg.
- Air fry for 6 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top and air fry for 2 more minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Air Fryer
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
PSA. I dropped in a air fryer liner to place my toast on. It flipped around in the air and made a mess of my air fryer. They were delicious, but I had a little cleanup to do. Rule for the next time, no liner.
Good to know! Thanks Don!
My Mom made these for me & my siblings (50s & 60s) & she called them Egyptian One-Eyes. So many different names!
Oh ha ha! I like that name!
When I was a child, we called this dish “Gashouse Eggs”. I have no idea where this name came from! Nor do I know exactly what a gashouse is…
Lol! That’s great Dot!
Not toad in the hole .Egg on toast. Toad in the hole is sausages in Yorkshire pudding.
From my article above:
What Is Toad In The Hole In The U.S.?
In the United States, “Toad in the hole” usually refers to a different dish than the British version. In the US, “Toad in the hole” typically refers to an egg dish where an egg is cooked inside a hole made in a slice of bread that has been toasted in a frying pan. The bread is typically buttered and the egg is cracked into a hole in the center of the bread slice. The bread and egg are then cooked until the bread is toasted and the egg is set to the desired level of doneness. This dish is also known by several other names, including “Egg in a Basket”, “Egg in a Hole”, or “Bird’s Nest”.
Do you have a suggestion how this can be prepared by the few of us who don’t have an air fryer?
If you don’t have an air fryer you can easily make toad in the hole in a pan on the stove. Cut a 3 inch hole in the middle of the bread and discard. In a small skillet, melt the butter; place the bread in the skillet. Place egg in the hole. Cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat until the bread is lightly browned. Turn and cook the other side until egg yolk is almost set. Season with salt and pepper.
Oops. I just read the answer to my question in Karen’s “Notes/Tips” in the text above the recipe. I will try this in a frying pan except instead of discarding cutout piece of bread I will toast it and eat it.
Yes, by all means eat the cutout. It’s best if you butter the bread before you make the cutout and cook it all in butter.
My father got the recipe for this when he was stationed in Britain for WW2 where they called it a Hole in the Rug.
I have eaten it all my life and I like it best when the bread is toasted from the fry pan and the egg is almost set. The cutout takes on a great flavour.
I question 8 minutes in the air fryer. I think that shoe leather would be more appetizing
good idea!
We ate these for days after making tea sandwiches for my first piano recital; after cutting out all of those circles my mom wasn’t wasting the ‘hole-y’ bread 🙂 The best ones were the ones that made it to over easy instead of a busted yolk.
Smart Mama!