Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket

Air Fryer Pigs In A Blanket are the best appetizer for a party or the Super Bowl! Easy to make with only 3 ingredients like a refrigerated thin crust pizza dough, lil’ smoked sausages, and garlic & herb seasoning.

For more party appetizers be sure and also try The Best Classic Cheeseball, Crockpot Jelly Meatballs, and my Queso Dip. 

Air Fryer Pigs In A Blanket Recipe

Pigs In A Blanket are a classic recipe that are loved by everyone! This version utilizes the air fryer to get them really crispy. Only 3 ingredients needed to make this recipe; thin crust pizza dough (the refrigerated kind in the tube), dried garlic & herb seasoning blend, and of course beef little smoke sausages. 

I love what the air fryer does to these. The outside dough wrapping gets crispy and browned and it’s perfect when paired with the smokey and soft sausage in the middle. 

Ingredients Needed

• Refrigerated Thin Crust Pizza Dough : This is the pizza crust that is found rolled up in a tube. Make sure you get the one labeled as ‘thin crust’ on the package. 
• Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend : This is a dried seasoning and there are lots of different options for this. A no-salt variety is preferred so that the pigs in a blanket don’t turn out too salty. But any blend, salted or no-salt, will work just great for this recipe. 
• Beef Smoked Cocktail Sausages : These are most commonly referred to as ‘lit’l smokies’ and they are just small beef sausages. You’ll find them by the hot dogs at the grocery store. 

How To Make Pigs In A Blanket In The Air Fryer

Learn how to make this deliciously easy appetizer recipe with the simple steps below. Be sure and read to the bottom of the page where there is a printable recipe card and a pin it button so you can save it for later. 

• Prep : Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F. Place an air fryer parchment liner inside, if wanted. 
• Pizza Dough : Unroll the piece of thin crust pizza dough and place it onto a large cutting board or the clean countertop. Once the dough has been unrolled, pull it slightly and unroll the edges completely so it’s a straight edged rectangle. Sprinkle the garlic & herb seasoning over top the dough. 
• Cut The Dough : Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 24 equal sized portions. Make 3 horizontal cut and then a vertical cut down the middle. Make 2 vertical cuts on both sides of the middle cut for a total of 24 pieces. 
• Pigs In A Blanket : Lay a piece of sausage onto the bottom edge of one piece of pizza dough. Gently roll the sausage, wrapping the dough around it, and press the edge (the top edge of the pizza dough piece) into the pizza crust under the sausage. Repeat with the remaining pieces. The sausage should be wrapped up, with the two ends of it sticking out on either side, like a little lighter in a cozy blanket.
• Cook : Place the pigs in a blanket in an even layer inside the air fryer basket. Don’t overlap or have them touching. You will probably have to do a few batches to get them all cooked. Cook for 5-8. minutes or until they have an even golden brown color on top.  

Pigs In A Blanket FAQ’s

• What Are Pigs In A Blanket?

  • Pigs in a Blanket consist of little cocktail sized smoked sausages wrapped up in some sort of dough on the outside. You can make them as easy as using refrigerated pizza dough or crescent dough, or a homemade yeast dough. Most recipes just call for those two ingredients, but I love the addition of a little something sprinkled on the pizza dough before wrapping the smoked sausage in them. 
  • Traditionally, they’re baked in the oven but this recipe utilizes the convenient air fryer which makes them so crispy and browned on the exterior. 

• Serving Suggestions

  • Serve these pigs in a blanket with an assortment of dips like ketchup, mustard, spicy mustard, honey mustard, or try making my Homemade Ranch Dressing for dipping. My family loves the ranch with these!

• How To Store Leftovers

  • Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket are best eaten warm and fresh after baking. If you do end up with extras you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 
  • They can be reheated in the microwave, although, they will probably get slightly soggy when warmed up. Reheating them in the air fryer is probably the best option for leftovers. Reheat at 350 degrees F for 5-6 minutes inside the air fryer. 

• Variation & Substitution Ideas

  • There are several ways to change up this recipe if wanted. Here are some approved ideas. 
    • Little Smokies : This is the easiest way to change up this recipe. Use cheese cocktail sausages, turkey sausages, etc. Whatever variety your store has, try them! Make sure they are the small, cocktail sized little sausages. Name brand or generic store brand all work great!
    • Dried Seasonings : I love using the Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning because it’s no-salt and has tons of flavor without the added salt. I know Weber makes some, Kinder brand, and McCormick brand. Find one you like at the store. You will find it with the other dried seasonings. You can also use Italian seasoning in it’s place. Red cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for some spice. Or simply try using garlic powder or onion powder for the seasoning. 
    • Thin Crust Pizza : This is the preferred choice for the outside layer for pigs in a blanket. You could also try using crescent dough but watch the cook time because you may need to add a couple minutes to it. 
    • Add Cheese : For a cheesy version, try adding some shredded cheese onto the pizza crust portion before rolling the little sausage in it. You can also get a piece of sliced cheese and cut it into small rectangular shaped pieces. 

Recipe Tips

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can have success recreating this recipe in your own kitchen ♥

• Equal Sized Dough Pieces : The hardest part about this recipe is getting those 24 equal-sized pieces cut out of the pizza dough. You want to try to keep the pieces even, but it’s ok if they aren’t all exactly the same size. Here is what I do to ensure equal sized pieces. 
  • I make the horizontal cuts first. You need 3 horizontal cut; one in the middle of the pizza dough rectangle and another one above it and one below it. I then make a vertical cut at the halfway point, and then 3 more vertical cuts on both sides of my original vertical cut in the center. This way, you end up with 24 pieces that are very similar in size. 
• Use a Pizza Cutter : It’s best to use a pizza cutter to easily cut the pizza dough into pieces. I have linked to my favorite, sharp pizza cutter down in the recipe card below. 

More Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love

• Air Fryer Cheese Bombs
• Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
• Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
• Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
• Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts