Easy air fryer pigs in a blanket come together in less than 30 minutes and you’ll only need crescent dough and little smokies. It’s the perfect appetizer when you want something quick, and even makes for a tasty snack the whole family will love throughout the week.
Pigs in a blanket are one of my favorite appetizers to serve up on game day and at parties. It’s much cheaper than store-bought and they are so simple. These are also great for making ahead of time and adding to kids’ lunches, because they taste great warm or cold. Next time, I think we are going to try adding some cheese!
Other air fryer appetizers we love to serve are air fryer jalapeno poppers and air fryer chicken bites. This handy appliance is also a secret hack to get really crispy air fryer bacon without worrying about grease splattering too!
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🌭 Ingredients:
- refrigerated crescent roll sheet – the dough sheets are easier to work with, but the triangles can be used as well.
- cocktail sausages – also known as little smokies.
- melted butter and flaked sea salt – adds flavor and contract to the sweet dough and also helps the pigs to brown.
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Optional Garnish:
Serve homemade pigs in a blanket with honey mustard, copycat hidden valley ranch dressing, bbq sauce, or your other favorite sauces.
Substitutions and Variations
- Frozen pigs in a blanket – Air fry at 350 degrees until warm.
- Hot dogs – score the hot dogs on each side. Cut the strips of dough so they can wrap around the dogs a couple of times, the ends will show. Air fry for 5-6 minutes at 350 degrees, checking half way through. You can also cut the dogs in smaller pieces and make mini hotdog blankets as you would with little smokies.
- Other meats – experiment with turkey sausage or pork sausage if desired. Hillshire Farms makes quite a variety of little smokies, including different meats and a turkey version.
- Cheesy pigs – add a small slice of your favorite cheese before rolling into narrow triangles or serve with a side of cheese sauce.
- Oven baked – follow my original lil smokies pigs in a blanket recipe if you need to make a large batch or just want to use the oven instead. A baking sheet can accommodate more, so it’s a great way to batch especially if you are hosting the football game.
- Dough – some like to use puff pastry or biscuit dough, the flavor changes a little bit and will increase the cooking time.
- Breakfast – put a twist on the classic appetizer and choose mini sausages then dip in warm maple syrup.
- Seasoning – Everything but the Bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds could be used instead of the salt – or do some of each!
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Summarize prep instructions here, if applicable.
Step 1: Unroll the crescent roll dough sheets. If you are using the crescent roll triangle dough, pinch the seams together so they form a single sheet.
Step 2: Slice the dough into four sections using a paring knife or pizza cutter. Then slice each section into 7 triangles.
Step 3: Add the lit’l smokies to the wide end of each triangle. Roll toward the shortest side of each triangle so the sausages are covered.
Step 4: Place the crescent dogs into the bottom of the air fryer basket in a single layer. Leave about 1 inch of space between each. (Cook in batches if needed.)
Pro Tip: If you are cooking in batches, chill the others. As the dough reaches room temperature it gets really soft and can be sticky to work with.
Step 5: Brush the crescent tops with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Step 6: Air fry pigs in a blanket for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Check for doneness, and cook for another 2-3 minutes so the dough is puffed and golden brown.
SERVE: Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Tips for Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket
- You can place paper liners in the bottom of air fryer baskets for easy cleanup. The hot air is still able to circulate so it doesn’t interfere with the cooking process. Specialty liners have holes punched into them to allow for air circulation.
- Leave enough space between the pigs in a blanket so while they cook they don’t get stuck together.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket; instead cook in batches.
- This easy recipe can also be made ahead of time. Assemble the pigs in a blanket, and refrigerate, covered lightly with plastic wrap. Then when you are ready to cook, place them in the air fryer.
- One can of dough is enough to cover a full 14 ounce pack of sausages. Double or triple as needed, this easy snack goes fast!
- Our air fryer pigs in blankets recipe doesn’t really need the salt, but it adds a nice contrast to the sweet dough. Everything but the Bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds could also be used on top.
- Egg wash can be used in place of the melted butter. This helps to get the golden brown color, adds flavor, and helps the salt to stick.
- To use the crescent triangles instead of a sheet, cut each triangle into 3 smaller ones.
Fun Fact
Little smokies gets their name because they are small in size and are smoked before packaged.
Recipe FAQs
Store leftovers covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Reheat in the oven, air fryer, or microwave.
Delicious Recipes To Serve as Appetizers
If you tried this Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket
Ingredients
- 8 oz. can refrigerated crescent roll sheet can use perforated crescent rolls if needed
- 14 oz. package of cocktail sausages
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt such as Madon’s, optional
Instructions
- Remove crescent roll sheet from packaging and gently unroll. If using perforated crescent rolls, press the seams together to make a single sheet of dough.
- Use a pizza wheel or small paring knife to slice the crescent sheet into four sections and then slice each section into 7 triangles. (The triangles don’t have to be perfect or sized exactly the same.)
- Place one cocktail sausage aligned with the wide end of each triangle. Roll up the sausage to form a small crescent roll surrounding the sausage.
- Place prepared “pigs in a blanket” into the basket of the air fryer. Leave about an inch of space between each piggy in a blanket. You may need to cook them in batches.
- Brush the tops of each roll with melted butter and top with a sprinkle of flaked/coarse salt, if desired.
- Air fry at 350°F for 5 minutes. Open the basket and check for doneness. Air fry an additional 2-3 minutes until the crescent dough is puffed evenly and golden brown across the top.
- Serve hot with ketchup, mustard, or any of your favorite dipping sauces.
Notes
Nutrition
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