The classic finger food, Pigs in a Blanket, are faster than ever to make thanks to the air fryer – they disappear quickly too!
If ever there was an iconic game day appetizer, its pigs in a blanket. Thanks to a few modern day shortcuts, like refrigerator crescent roll dough and an air fryer, we were ready to devour these cuties faster than you can say first-and-ten.
For those who have never tried them, pigs in a blanket are like eating the best hot dog of your life with the most delicious, buttery bun wrapped around and around for the perfect dog-to-bun ratio. They’re the first to be eaten during our game day gatherings, and they go fast. With this 2-ingredient recipe, I’m able to easily keep up with the demand for more.
Before you get started though, open the package of cocktail franks and pat them dry with paper towels. This will make it easier to roll them in the crescent dough later.
Crescent Roll Dough Vs. Crescent Sheet Dough
It’s important to use the crescent roll dough with the perforated triangles, and not the full sheet of crescent dough, so you have a guide for cutting the dough into smaller triangles. Check the packages carefully before buying because they look almost identical.
Pop open the tube and unroll the dough. Break apart the triangles, and then cut each triangle into three smaller triangles, following the same shape. This will yield 24 triangles from the tube of rolls.
Roll From The Bottom Up
Once all of the triangles are cut, place one of them in front of you, with the base of the triangle closest to you and the tip of the triangle facing away from you. lay one of the cocktail franks horizontally on the base of the triangle, and roll up toward the tip of the triangle, keeping the dough tight against the cocktail frank.
Repeat until all 24 pieces of dough have been rolled with the cocktail frank.
Freeze For Later
At this point, you can transfer all of the rolled but uncooked pigs in a blanket to a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze them. As soon as they are fully frozen, transfer the uncooked pigs in a blanket to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to three months. The best part is that they can go right from the freezer into a preheated air fryer, following the same instructions in the recipe. Roll a bunch, freeze a bunch, and you’ll have a plenty for game day any time.
Small But Quick Batches In The Air Fryer
Although you’ll only be able to fit about 12 pigs in a blanket in the air fryer basket at a time, they cook in three minutes, so you can quickly batch cook your way to enough to feed a crowd one of the best snacks ever invented.
On rare occasions, if I haven’t put parchment on the inside of the fryer basket, the dough will expand and bake into the fryer basket holes, causing some sticking. This can be prevented, in most cases, by preheating the air fryer. Parchment acts as an insurance policy though.
How Can I Flavor My Pigs In A Blanket?
Dipping sauces aside, you can also add more flavors to the dough before rolling the pigs in a blanket. A little goes a long way, so use sparingly by spreading a thin layer across the dough triangle before rolling with the cocktail frank. You can also sprinkle toppings on the dough before baking. Below are some of my favorites.
Spread onto the dough triangle before rolling:
- Grainy mustard
- Pimento cheese
- Beer cheese
- Jalapeno jelly
- Raspberry or apricot jam
- Cranberry sauce
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Well-drained sauerkraut
- Sweet chili sauce
- Ketchup
Sprinkle onto the dough after rolling but before baking:
- Everything bagel seasoning
- Sesame seeds
- Poppy seeds
- Grated cheese (like cheddar or parmesan)
- Fresh herbs
Podcast Episode: Air Frying Pigs in a Blanket
Listen to learn how to make this recipe, along with some great tips from Christine:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket Recipe
Everyone’s favorite pigs in a blanket appetizer just got a whole lot easier and faster, thanks to air fryer magic, for an almost-instant snack.*
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 16 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 (8-oz./8-count) can refrigerator crescent roll dough
- 24 cocktail franks or mini hot dogs
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 375°F.
- Remove crescent dough from can; unroll and separate dough along the perforations (you should have 8 triangles). Cut each triangle into thirds, lengthwise, to create 3, long, skinny triangles per piece of dough, yielding 24 pieces.
- Make the pigs in a blanket. With the tip of the triangle facing away from you, place a single cocktail frank on the base of the triangle; roll cocktail frank and dough toward the tip of the triangle so that the dough encases the cocktail frank; set aside. Repeat with remaining triangles and cocktail franks.
- Using tongs, transfer 12 pigs in a blanket to air fryer basket. Insert basket, set timer for 3 minutes.
- Transfer cooked pigs in a blanket to a plate or cooling rack. Repeat with remaining pigs in a blanket.
Notes
- Because every air fryer is a little different, the cook time might need adjusting. If after 3 minutes the dough appears too light, reinsert the air fryer basket and cook 1 additional minute. *This recipe was tested in both Corosi and Secura air fryers.
- Most air fryer baskets have a non-stick surface, however if your air fryer has metal grates without the nonstick coating, use parchment or a pan to prevent the pigs in a blanket from sticking.
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