Scotch Eggs

Read 7 Reviews
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 5 minutes
Servings 6

These are the best homemade Scotch Eggs! Tender hard boiled eggs encased in sausage and coated in a crispy breadcrumb shell. Perfect lunchbox, picnic, or protein rich on-the-go snack.

More breakfast recipes using sausage we love include our hash brown egg casserole and breakfast burritos!

scotch egg sliced in half

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Homemade Scotch Egg Recipe

I found yet another new home for my perfect hard boiled eggs. Have you ever made a Scotch Egg? They’re hard boiled eggs, wrapped in sausage meat, then coated in breadcrumbs, and deep fried. I’m smitten.

Contrary to popular belief, Scotch Eggs actually have little (if anything) to do with Scotland. The Scotch Egg is said to have been originally created by the British department store Fortnum & Mason in 1738, from kitchen assistant Lucy-Ruth Hathaway, who was from London, England. The eggs soon became a British picnic staple. The name “Scotch” comes from the term “scotched,” referring to the preparation method of coating something with breadcrumbs and frying it, not in reference to Scotland at all.

They have since become a popular menu item in pubs and restaurants worldwide.

TIP! Don’t Skip the Breading Process

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Scotch Eggs

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
These are the best homemade Scotch Eggs! Tender hard boiled eggs encased in sausage and coated in a crispy breadcrumb shell. Perfect lunchbox, picnic, or protein rich on-the-go snack. 

Ingredients 

  • 6 Hard Boiled Eggs, (see note)
  • 1 pound sausage, (sweet breakfast or mild Italian)
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper
  • vegetable oil, , for frying
  • mustard or hot sauce, , for serving

Instructions 

  • Shape sausage meat into a flat round and then wrap around each egg until completely enclosed and sealed.
  • Place the flour in one shallow bowl, beat the egg and milk together in another shallow bowl, then stir together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and a touch of salt and pepper in a third shallow bowl.
  • In a medium pan, heat about 2 cups of oil. While it heats up, dredge each sausage-coated egg in the flour, shaking off any excess, then roll in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumbs, making sure it is completely covered with each step.
  • Drop a few breadcrumbs in the oil; if it sizzles right away, the oil is ready.
  • Using a small stainless steel slotted spoon or Asian Spider Strainer, gently place the eggs in the hot oil once at a time, maintaining an oil temperature of about 350 degrees F, so the breadcrumbs don’t burn. Gently turn the egg with the strainer on all sides, doing this frequently, until the sausage is cooked through and the breading is golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes.
  • Transfer eggs to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off grease.
  • Serve warm or cold with some grainy mustard or hot sauce!

Video

Notes

The egg. You can use a hard boiled egg or soft boiled for Scotch Eggs, just keep in mind that the eggs will continue to cook as they’re being fried. So, I recommend boiling your eggs just a touch shorter than you normally would. For example, I usually cook my eggs for 12 minutes, but for these Scotch Eggs I cooked them for 10 instead. Just depends how you like your yolk. If you like a runny yolk, consider only boiling them for 8 minutes.
Don’t overcrowd the pan. You don’t want to overcrowd your pan, causing the oil temperature to drop, so cook the eggs in batches if necessary.
Air Fryer Scotch Eggs. To cut calories, Air Fry at 400°F for 15 minutes, turning once at about 7 minutes, until golden brown.
Baked Scotch Eggs. Bake at 400°F for about 30 min.
I made these once with mild Italian sausage and once with sweet breakfast sausage. I preferred the sweet sausage a little more, but both were great. Spicy sausage is awesome too, for added heat and flavor.
The Breading – I definitely recommend using Japanese Panko breadcrumbs, as opposed to Italian breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs are light and flakey and give these a way better crispy crust. The added Parmesan gave them that something extra. I might try white cheddar Cheez-It cracker crumbs some day!

Nutrition

Calories: 470kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 278mg | Sodium: 668mg | Potassium: 294mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2.6mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

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hard boiled egg cut in half topped with mustard seeds

What to Serve with Scotch Eggs

Scotch Eggs are great for breakfast or with a salad for a light lunch or dinner, served with a little grainy mustard or hot sauce. They can be eaten warm or cold, which makes them a perfect portable snack for a picnic or lunch box. Finger food-e-licious!

Recipe Variations

  • Air Fryer Scotch Eggs. To cut calories, Air Fry at 400°F for 15 minutes, turning once at about 7 minutes, until golden brown.
  • Baked Scotch Eggs. Bake at 400°F for about 30 min.

More Recipes with Hard Boiled Eggs:

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTokFacebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!

whole scotch egg sitting on a bed of lettuce

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About Amy Flanigan

Well, hey there! Amy here, founder and COO at BellyFull. If you’re looking for tried and true, fuss-free, budget-friendly, delicious, every day recipes, you’ve come to the right place.

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7 Comments

  1. Angelica Cabansag says:

    5 stars
    Phenomenal! The recipe was easy with great tips !

  2. Debra L. Caraballo says:

    5 stars
    Hi Amy! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe…I just love scotch eggs! I used to get them at the annual British Festival in Houton, Tx….
    Yummy stuff!

  3. Linde says:

    5 stars
    I love these. I’ve made them in the air fryer, too. My guests love these!

    1. Debra L. Caraballo says:

      5 stars
      Me too! So good! We love this recipe.

      1. Linda Hinton says:

        5 stars
        I’ve been making them for Christmas Breakfast for yrs. We use Jimmy Deans Pork Sausage, and Chicken flavored Stove top stuffing rolled out very fine for the breading. My sons started putting maple syrup on them. They are very good that way.

        1. sandye j says:

          5 stars
          I have made these and my boys love them , too. sandye j

    2. Mateo Pedersen says:

      5 stars
      Love these!