These homemade Air fryer pigs in the blanket is an easy appetizer recipe anyone can make. With football and holiday season around the corner and with tailgating in the air, we need snacks that fit right into our budget and timing.
These are basically little smokies in crescent rolls that can be used with your favorite dipping sauce. We used Pillsbury crescent rolls feel free to use the biscuits instead. Are you excited for the big game? Let’s me show how to make this easy air fryer appetizer.
Air fryer pigs in a blanket recipe
Whether you call them pigs in a blanket or smokies in a blanket, these little bites are so good and tasty. If you love Auntie Anne’s collection of mini bites then you would love this homemade version.
The refrigerated crescent roll dough makes this recipe a breeze to make and it’s not limited to the Pillsbury brand. I’ve used Aldi’s Baker house and ShopRite’s Bowl in a basket and these little smokies cooked nicely in their cosy crescent roll blankets.
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What are Pigs in a blanket?
Pigs in a blankets are a variation of wrapped hot dogs in a miniature form. In the United States, they are usually made with mini hot dogs wrapped in Crescent dough, homemade biscuit or pizza dough. In the Uk, Pigs in a blanket are usually bacon wrapped sausages or hotdogs.
These little crowd pleasers serve as great appetizers or snacks for parties and family get togethers. They can be made with lil smokies or regular sized hot dogs and whichever you choose, they always turn out amazing.
Related: Air fryer Pasta chips, Bacon ritz crackers, Air fryer bacon wrapped potatoes, Million dollar bacon.
Why you’ll love these Little smokies in crescent rolls!
- Easy: Whether you make these with refrigerated Crescent dough or homemade dough, these are one of the easiest air fryer recipes to make. It’s kids and beginner friendly.
- Crowd-pleasing: Always a hit
- Quick recipe: This is a time saving recipe. Gets ready in less than 10 mins which allows for multiple batches.
- Versatile: These are versatile and easily adaptable with add ins and dietary variations (more on this in that section)
What you’ll need
- Refrigerated Crescent roll dough
- Mini hot dogs or smokies also called cocktail hot dogs
- Your favorite pigs in a blanket dipping sauce.
Substitutions
Hotdogs: Cut regular sized hot dogs into thirds if you can’t find mini hot dogs.
Breakfast sausage links: you can swap out the hot dogs or smokies with break sausage links as well.
Refrigerated biscuit dough: Can’t lay your hands on crescent rolls? Substitute with biscuit dough. Cut each biscuit into 4, roll out and wrap the mini hotdogs with it.
Recommend Tools: Kitchen tongs, Knife or Pizza wheel, Cutting board, Paper towel.
How to make Pigs in a blanket in the air fryer
This is an overview of the recipe with step by step photos. Scroll down to end of post for a printable recipe card with full recipe and instructions.
Pat smokies dry with paper towel. Unroll the crescent roll dough and cut each triangle into 3 with a knife or pizza cutter.
Wrap each strip of dough around each hotdog and set aside.
When all the smokies are wrapped. Place pigs in a blanket in the air fryer and bake at 330°F / 165°C for 8 to 10 mins or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Oven instructions
Don’t have an air fryer yet? You can make these in the oven too.
Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C / Gas mark 6 Place pigs in the blanket on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 mins or until golden brown.
Alternative doughs you can use to wrap little smokies
- Biscuit dough
- Pretzel dough
- Pizza dough
- Puff pastry
- Two ingredient dough
Variations
Spruce up this recipe with dietary variations to suit your needs or optional add ins to delight your palate! Below are some of the ones we’ve tried.
Low carb / keto diet: You can make these with the famous fathead dough to make it Keto or low carb.
Gluten free diet: You can use this gluten free crescent roll mix to make your dough or make it from scratch using fathead dough.
Vegan: You can swap out the lil smokies for carrot dogs like was done in this recipe or this one that uses a homemade mini hotdog substitute called seitan
Optional Add-ins:
- Everything bagel seasoning: Apply egg wash or butter and sprinkle some everything but the bagel seasoning on the top.
- Cheesy Pigs in a blanket: Add some cheese before wrapping the smokies to make pigs in a blanket with cheese.
Can I cook frozen pigs in a blanket in the air fryer?
Yes you can cook frozen pigs in a blanket in the air fryer. The air fryer is known to cook frozen foods to perfection and frozen pigs in the banker is no different.
All you need to do is pop them into the air fryer and cook at 360°F / 180°C for 6 to 8 mins
Pigs in a blanket dipping sauce
Pigs in a blanket can be served with a variety of dipping or dunking sauce. You can pick one of your favorite sauces and you are good to go. Below are some of our favorites.
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Comeback sauce
- BBQ sauce
Make ahead and storage tips
These can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept in the refrigerator till you are ready to bake them. Simply wrap the cocktail hot dogs and place in a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with cling film and keep in the refrigerator till you are ready to bake.
Storing
You can store baked pigs in a blanket in the freezer to be reheated later. Let them cool completely then place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Freeze on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 hours then transfer frozen pigs in a blanket into a ziplock back and freeze for up to a month.
Reheating
Reheat from frozen at 360°F / 180°C for 6 to 8 mins or until warmed through.
Tips for success
- Cut the refrigerated dough into strips to make it easier to wrap round the smokies
- If you don’t have smokies, you can cut regular sized hot dogs into 2 or 3 depending on the size you like.
- Hot dogs are usually wet from the packaging. You need to pat them dry before wrapping so they are not slippery.
Frequently asked questions
When is National pigs in a blanket?
National pigs in a blanket day is usually on April 24 of every year.
How many pigs in a blanket are eaten on Christmas Day?
Lots of pigs in a blanket are eaten around the world on Christmas Day. In fact millions of this quick snacks are eaten during the holidays all over the world.
What do you call sausages wrapped in bacon?
In the UK sausages wrapped in bacon are also called pigs in a blanket. The sausages used is usually Chipolatas
More air fryer appetizers
- Air fryer bacon crackers
- Bacon wrapped shrimp
- Air fryer bacon wrapped radishes
- Popcorn in the air fryer
- Air fryer pot stickers
Looking for Gourmia Air fryer recipes, try these
This recipe was made in a Gourmia Air fryer. If that’s the air fryer you have, below are a some more recipes to make in your brand of air fryer.
- Air fryer bacon wrapped shrimps
- Bacon egg toast in the air fryer
- Air fryer garlic Asiago chicken sausages
- Chicken leg quarters in the air fryer
Check out all our >>>Air fryer Recipes!
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Air fryer pigs in a blanket
Equipment
- Gourmia Air fryer
- Kitchen tongs
Ingredients
- 24 cocktail hot dogs
- 1 can refrigerated crescent dough
Instructions
- Pat the mini hot dogs dry with paper towel set aside.
- Open the can of crescent dough, unroll crescent dough. You will have 8 scored triangles, cut each triangle into 3.
- Place each cocktail hotdogs at the wider end of the triangle dough and roll towards the tip. Place tip side down on a tray.
- Repeat process till all the hot dogs are wrapped.
- Transfer from tray to air fryer basket and refrigerate the rest while the first batch cooks.
- Bake at 330°F / 165°C for 8 to 10 mins or until golden brown. Remember to flip half way through cooking time. When the first batch is don’t go ahead and cook subsequent batches.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- No need to preheat the air fryer. However subsequent batches will likely cook faster because the air fryer got preheated while cooking the first batch.
- Do not overcrowd the basket.
- Recipe can be doubled or tripled as needed.
Nutrition
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
Nutritional information is an estimate and may change based on products used. Please read full nutrition disclaimer here.
What size air fryer is shown? Wondering how many piggies mine will hold (5 quart).
Hi Sandy,
These were made in my Gourmia 6qt and 18 pieces fit in there (with room for a couple more if you look at the image in the how-to section of the recipe) My Cosori 5.8qt fits the same amount.
I would assume your 5 qt would fit 14 to 16 (if it’s a square basket) maybe 12 if it’s a round basket.
The important thing is not to overcrowd the basket so use your discretion as you place them in there. Hope that helps. Feel free to reach out if you have more questions. Enjoy!
Can you bake smokies in oven & how long?
Hi Annie,
You can cook smokies in a traditional oven at 400F for 10-12 mins. Cook it at 380F for 5-6 mins in the air fryer. Happy new year
These turned out perfect! If your air fryer has a bake option, use it for this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Hi Brad!
Happy you enjoyed it. Thanks for the tip about the bake function and for taking time to leave a helpful comment.