Chicken Scotch Eggs: a Popular Recipe Around the World

Scotch eggs are an extremely popular food all around the world. It’s nutritious and makes a great meal to eat on the go. It also makes for great appetizers. The traditional scotch egg gets its name from the process that goes into making the meat that surrounds the egg—which is called scotching. These Chicken Scotch Eggs are a twist to the Classic Scotch Eggs. Instead of beef, chicken mince is used for a slightly lighter option. The texture is crispy on the outside, with a soft-boiled egg on the inside. It tastes delicious served on its own with your favorite dipping sauce, or next to a light side salad.

Tips

These Chicken Scotch Eggs are a healthy high-protein lunch option! Serve with a dipping sauce or a simple side salad. They’re great on their own too!

Make it spicier, by adding cayenne pepper and chopped chili to the ground chicken mixture.

When making a Chicken Scotch Egg, you want the eggs to be boiled to a medium-soft stage. For perfectly boiled eggs, make sure to follow these tips:

• Place eggs in cold water and allow to water to come up to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, you can start the timer. Add a teaspoon of vinegar and a pinch of salt to the boiling water to prevent cracking.
• Once the timer has gone off (see time settings below), remove the eggs from the boiling water and place them in cold water to stop cooking.
• For soft-boiled eggs, cook 3 minutes, 6 minutes for medium, and 12 minutes for hard-cooked.

For an oven-baked, keto-friendly version, simply omit the flour. Place on a baking tray and bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes until golden.

You can also bake the Chicken Scotch Eggs in the Airfryer. Reheat the Airfryer to 390°F, place the eggs in the basket (don’t overcrowd!), and cook for 12 minutes, turning halfway.

Variations: use cooked lentils or finely chopped mushrooms for the pattie filling. Or, for a vegetarian version, try our Falafel Scotch eggs!

How to store Chicken Scotch Eggs

Store the Chicken Scotch Eggs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Instructions

Make soft boiled eggs by putting them into simmering water and cooking for 4 minutes. Remove and put into ice-cold water immediately. Peel.

Combine chicken, ginger, chili flakes, scallions, sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder; salt and pepper.

Divide minced chicken into 4 balls, place each between two greased sheets of parchment and press with a glass to make a thin patty.

Remove paper and wrap chicken around the egg to cover completely.

Make sure to remove excess mince around eggs to form a uniform and moderately thin layer that will cook evenly.

Heat oil to 180C (350F). Dredge scotch eggs in flour, deep into beaten eggs and pass in breadcrumbs. Repeat egg and breadcrumbs layer if you prefer thicker crust.

Fry each ball for 4 minutes (do not overcrowd the pan!) and transfer onto paper towels. Serve hot with your favorite sauce.

Notes

Instead of ground chicken, you can also use ground turkey, beef, or lamb.