Air fryer hack becomes taste's 'most viral' recipe of 2024

2024: it was the year of eggs, air frying, and adding ice-cream to red wine.

When we compiled our list of taste’s most viral recipes of the year, we weren’t quite expecting so many of them to be made in an air fryer.

Four out of our top 10 were made using the cult appliance  – proving that it really was THE kitchen gadget of 2024.

The taste team has watched searches for air fryer steadily grow over the past four years – to the point where these mini cooking machines are so ubiquitous even Jamie Oliver has released his own cookbook dedicated to air frying.

The ultimate air fryer hack?

Here on taste, we’ve created more than 230 air fryer recipes, but this year one particular air fryer hack got the world’s attention more than any that came before it: air fryer poached eggs.

Coming in at #1 on our top 50 most viral recipes of 2024 list, this simple new way to cook eggs amassed more than 24 million views.

Taste Food Director Michelle Southan says the recipe came about when the team were testing ways to air-fry eggs.

“Poaching eggs is one of those skills that people get scared of messing up – they can be trickier than they look. With the enormous rise in air fryer use, we knew we had to see if it was possible to poach eggs in one, and we were surprised by the results,” she explains.

“You don’t need to worry about your eggs falling apart in the boiling water because they’re contained in little ramekins. The main callout is the ramekins will be really hot, so make sure you use an oven mitt to remove them after cooking.”

But that’s not all you can do with eggs and an air fryer. Michelle says they also tested out ‘boiling’ eggs in the appliance, which were also surprisingly easy.

How to boil eggs in an air fryer>

Taste’s most viral recipes of the year 2024: what else made the list?

We totalled up millions upon millions of social views across all our social channels to compile the list of the most viral taste recipes of the year.

While the air fryer poached eggs was the standout, a few other surprise entries made the top 50 list, including ‘creamy’ sangria, the fluffiest ever scone recipe, and – yes – another air fryer winner: how to make crispy rice paper rolls.

Taste’s top 50 most viral recipes of 2024: view the list>

Air fryer poached eggs

Originally published as Air fryer hack becomes taste's 'most viral' recipe of 2024