By Emily Dawson, Food Blogger, Recipe Developer, PhotographerPublished on 5 June 2026

200+ recipes developed and tested in her home kitchen before publishing on British Kitchen Hub.

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Air Fryer Yorkshire Pudding Recipe

Jump to recipe10 mins prep15 mins cookMakes 12 puddings

Air Fryer Yorkshire Pudding Recipe This air fryer yorkshire pudding recipe is just like the classic oven-baked version but quicker and without heating your whole kitchen! The batter is just a 1:1:1 ratio of eggs, milk and flour in equal measure rested for at least 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax so that rise is maximised. The non-negotiable secret is smoking hot fat: this is where the air fryer comes into its own because it can blast concentrated heat straight to a pudding tin, with the fat spitting and sizzling as soon as the batter meets it. Best served immediately with a Sunday roast, stuffed with sausages and onion gravy for a toad-in-the-hole style dish or used as individual serving dishes for beef stew.

Prep

10 mins

Cook

15 mins

Servings

Makes 12 puddings

Difficulty

Easy

Air Fryer Yorkshire Pudding Recipe

These air fryer Yorkshire puddings are pretty amazing — tall, golden and airy inside with crispy lacy edges that shatter as you bite into it. No oven required. No guesswork. Literally the best pudding in less than 25 mins.

Traditional recipes recommend an extremely hot oven 220 °C (430 °F) to shock the cold batter into a high rise. This is something the air fryer has done better than most home ovens, since a heating element sitting just above the food pounds super dense heat right down into it. It produces a more rapid, even spring and a gorgeous crispy crust.

The batter itself is the classic equal-parts recipe that have been used for centuries, one part eggs, one part milk, one part plain flour by volume. All you need is salt and a high smoke point, nearly tasteless fat — traditionally beef dripping but I do mine with vegetable oil for an everyday alternative. It is also not optional to leave the batter for an hour and at least 30 minutes room temperature or overnight in the fridge gives flour time to fully hydrate and gluten to relax which is what creates Yorkshire pudding's characteristic open crumb.

Variations

Giant Yorkshire Pudding: Use a 6-inch round cake tin or baking dish which is safe for an air fryer instead of the muffin tray. Decant the batter all in one tin spooning 2 tbsp of hot dripping Cook for 22 to 25 minutes at a temperature of 200°C. The resulting dramatic centrepiece pudding for the table to share.
Dairy-Free Yorkshire Puddings: Substitute the whole milk with a 1 : 1 ratio of oat milk or unsweetened almond cashew dairy milks. The climb is a little less epic but the taste remains exceptional. You can replace beef dripping by using vegetable oil.
Herby Yorkshire Puddings: add 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme, rosemary or chives into the rested batter just before cooking. The herbs go crispy around the edges, and bring an aromatic sophistication that goes wonderfully with lamb or beef.
Mini Yorkshire Puddings (Canapé Size): 24 cups silicone mini muffin tray. Pour 1 tsp hot oil into each cup, and top with 1 tbsp of batter. 200 °C, 10 mins to 12 mins cooking As party canapés, serve filled with smoked salmon and crème fraîche or rare roast beef and horseradish.

How to Make Air Fryer Yorkshire Pudding Recipe (Step-by-Step)

Make and rest the batter

The equal-parts method is foolproof: contents equal volume (use the same measuring jug) for eggs, milk, and flour. Whisk until fully smooth—lumps of flour will lead to parts that do not rise. Resting—at least 30 minutes is a must, as this helps the gluten to relax and also for the starch granules to hydrate, all essential for that big hollow rise.

Preheat tin with fat until smoking

This is the most important step. The fat in each muffin cup should be well past hot — it needs to actively smoke the instant that the batter hits it. This is accomplished by preheating the air fryer and tin for a full 5 minutes but adding your fat and leaving it to melt in there only for an extra couple of minutes if not grabbed. Beef dripping has the best flavor and highest smoke point; vegetable oil does an equally excellent job of making them rise.

Pour batter quickly and confidently

Speed matters here. If you remove the smoking tin from the air fryer, then you have 20 seconds to pour batter into all of them. The speedier your work, the hotter this fat stays, and that primary emergency state is what lifts the puddings straight up. Fill each cup halfway; overfilling creates a rounded muffin with an existing dome rather than the traditional hollow well.

Cook without opening — then serve immediately

Set the timer and walk away. When you open the drawer of an air fryer, this heat escapes and causes these loose walls to collapse inwards; those puddings will never recover. Cook for the entire 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden and firm. Take them out as soon as they are ready and serve immediately. Yorkshire puddings have to be eaten within 5 minutes of leaving the fryer.

5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Yorkshire Pudding Recipe

This air fryer yorkshire pudding recipe is just like the classic oven-baked version but quicker and without heating your whole kitchen! The batter is just a 1:1:1 ratio of eggs, milk and flour in equal measure rested for at least 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax so that rise is maximised. The non-negotiable secret is smoking hot fat: this is where the air fryer comes into its own because it can blast concentrated heat straight to a pudding tin, with the fat spitting and sizzling as soon as the batter meets it. Best served immediately with a Sunday roast, stuffed with sausages and onion gravy for a toad-in-the-hole style dish or used as individual serving dishes for beef stew.

Equipment

Air fryer (5-litre or larger recommended)
Air fryer-safe 12-cup silicone muffin tray or metal Yorkshire pudding tin
Large mixing bowl or jug
Whisk or hand blender
Measuring jug (for equal-parts batter method)
Small ladle or pouring jug
Kitchen brush or small spoon (for greasing cups)
Oven mitts or silicone gloves
Wire cooling rack

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Ingredients

✓3 large eggs
✓150 ml (2/3 cup) whole milk
✓150 ml (2/3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour — measured by volume using the same jug as milk
✓1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
✓3 tablespoons beef dripping or vegetable oil (for the tin — approximately 1/4 teaspoon per cup)

Instructions

Prepare the batter 30 minutes before cooking. Lightly whisk the eggs in a large jug or mixing bowl. Add in the milk and whisk until fully combined. Sift over the flour and salt, then whisk for 1 to 2 minutes until the batter is completely smooth—you want it thin enough that, when lifted with a spoon or spatula, it flows back into its own beating in one motion like single cream. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate overnight to rise even more.
When you are ready to, preheat your air fryer for 5 minutes at 200°C (390°F). If you are using a muffin tin or Yorkshire pudding tins, make sure that the empty baking vessel only goes into your air fryer as it preheats and place it at internal temperatures heated to see this happen.
In the hot tin, add roughly 1/4 teaspoon of beef dripping or vegetable oil into each cup as quickly as you can. Place the tin back in the air fryer for 2 to 3 minutes until hot, smoking, and sizzling.
Take the tin out of your air fryer using oven mitts and place it on a heatproof surface. Fill each cup about halfway with the rested batter. You want to hear the batter sizzle and bubble upon hitting the hot fat—so much, in fact, that
Put my air fryer tray back in the air fryer. If you cook at 200°C (390°F), bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Never open the air fryer drawer while cooking — if you do so when it’s hot, a mass rush of cold air will cause your puddings to collapse. Are ready when deeply golden brown, risen high above the rim of the tin, and firm to the touch.
Take the tin out from the air fryer and quickly lift out the puddings. Tip them out and serve immediately—Yorkshire puddings deflate slightly as they cool, so get to the table quickly. Serve with roast beef and gravy & fill with sausages and onion gravy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my air fryer Yorkshire puddings not rise?

The main reason is not enough hot fat. The oil or drippings should be visibly smoking before you add the batter—if they are merely warm, the batter will sit in the fat instead of puffing up right away. Other potential reasons: opening the air fryer while cooking, batter that was not allowed to rest long enough, or a tin that was too cold at the point where oil was somewhat mixed in. For the last 2 to 3 minutes before you pour in your batter, preheat the tin (with oil) inside the air fryer.

What tin can I use in an air fryer for Yorkshire puddings?

A 12-cup silicone muffin tray, a metal Yorkshire pudding tin (4-hole or 6-hole), or even individual metal ramekins will work perfectly fine. Ensure that the tin (not baking paper) is less than 1 cm in diameter, then place it inside your air fryer basket. Stay away from really deep cups—Yorkshire pudding should be wide and shallow so that the batter climbs up on the sides of a cup instead, which results in it puffing straight upwards into a dome.

Can I make Yorkshire puddings in the air fryer without a tin?

Not effectively. The little pot cups or holes in the tin are there structurally — they hold the batter still while fat heats past its smoking point & puffs up to fill those walls. Otherwise, the batter would just run out all flat on the basket floor. In the absence of a muffin tin, you can alternatively use individual oven-safe ramekins or silicone cupcake moulds.

Can I reheat Yorkshire puddings in the air fryer?

It sure is; the air fryer makes them even better reheated. They can be placed directly into the air fryer basket (no tin required) and heated at 180°C/355°F for ~3-4 min from room temp or 5-6 min from frozen. They will re-crisp nicely and recover most of their texture—much better than the microwave, which leaves them limp and chewy.

How do I stop Yorkshire puddings from deflating after cooking?

The release of steam means a certain amount of deflation is inevitable, and some things sink—even Yorkshire puddings at restaurants. To avoid it, only take them out when the puddings are completely cooked (the walls should feel a bit firm and crisp to the touch—not soft), and this is why you must serve within 5 minutes of cooking. Underdone puddings collapse completely. You can also leave them in the air fryer with the drawer slightly open for 1 minute after cooking to fully set their structure.

Can I make the batter the night before?

Yes, it is actively recommended. Yorkshire puddings rested in the fridge overnight rise higher and develop a deeper flavor than those rested for half an hour. Tightly cover the bowl or jug with cling film – place in a fridge for no longer than 24 hours. Quickly whisk the batter before pouring – it may have thickened a little in the fridge, so add 1 or 2 tbsp more milk if necessary to return it to single-cream consistency.

Notes

The equal-parts ratio rule

The classic Yorkshire pudding ratio is 1 part eggs : 1 part milk : 1 part flour measured by volume (not weight). Crack your eggs into a jug first, note the volume, then fill to the same level with milk, then flour. This ratio scales perfectly whether you are making 4 large puddings or 12 small ones, and it is far more reliable than cup measurements that vary with how tightly flour is packed.

Beef dripping vs vegetable oil

Beef dripping produces the most authentic, deeply savoury Yorkshire pudding with a richer flavour and marginally better rise. Vegetable oil, sunflower oil, and lard are all excellent substitutes with similar smoke points. Avoid olive oil (too low a smoke point), butter (burns), and coconut oil (flavour does not suit). The fat must reach its smoke point in the tin before the batter hits it — that is what triggers the rise.

Serving ideas

Serve immediately alongside roast beef, roast chicken, or lamb with a generous ladle of onion gravy poured inside. For a full meal, fill with pork sausages and caramelised onion gravy for a deconstructed toad-in-the-hole. Mini versions make excellent canapé shells — fill with rare roast beef and horseradish cream, or smoked salmon and cream cheese. For a retro British starter, serve a large sharing pudding filled with mushrooms in a creamy tarragon sauce.