Quick Air Fryer Hot Dogs

These Air Fryer Hot Dogs are crispy on the outside and tender & juicy on the inside. Making hot dogs in the air fryer is a quick dinner idea, and an easy way to make a classic hot dog that’s ready in just minutes. 

Be sure and serve the hot dogs with some great side dishes like Creamy Macaroni Salad, Easy BBQ Baked Beans, or this family favorite & kid-friendly Pear Jello Recipe. 

If you’re wanting more air fryer dinner recipes then try my Air Fryer Chicken Thighs or Air Fryer Baked Potatoes. 

The Easy Way To Make Hot Dogs – In The Air Fryer!

Hot dogs are a staple food at my house! Cookouts, barbecues, hanging out in the summertime, or for an easy and super quick dinner idea.

I love making hot dogs in the air fryer because the exterior gets a roasted type texture to it, and cutting the slits in the top gives it a nice crisp. Pair it with a warm and soft hot dog bun and you won’t believe how good the classic dog can be. 

Top it with your fave toppings like ketchup, yellow mustard, relish, finely diced onion, or even some leftover Chili from another night. I also love to make my Fritos Corn Salad when I make hot dogs because believe it or not, it makes an excellent hot dog topping!

Ingredients Needed

I don’t know if I dare even call this a ‘recipe’ because you only need 2 ingredients to make hot dogs. Of course you need the hot dogs and then hot dog buns. That’s it! Nothing crazy or special, just the classics. 

• Hot Dogs – Use your favorite hot dogs! Turkey dogs, all-beef dogs, or a mix of pork, beef, and chicken works also. Honestly, you can use literally any hot dog you want. I personally think it’s best to use the all-beef hot dogs for the best juicy flavor that won’t completely dry out in the air fryer. 
• Hot Dog Buns

Step-by-Step Instructions for How To Make Hot Dogs in The Air Fryer

There really is not much at all to making hot dogs in the air fryer. Be sure and read to the bottom of this page where there is a detailed recipe card with all my tips, a printable option, along with a pin it button so you can save it for later. 

• Prep Hot Dogs : Place the hot dogs on a cutting board and cut slits into each one. About 4-5 slits on the top of each hot dog. Don’t cut all the way down but rather very slightly break the surface with the knife. 
• Air Fryer : Cook the hot dogs in the air fryer for 6 minutes at 400 degrees.
• Buns : Remove the hot dogs from the air fryer and place one per bun. Put the hot dogs back into the air fryer and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. 
• Serve : Top with your favorite condiments and enjoy!

Air Fryer Hot Dogs FAQ’s

• How Many Hot Dogs Can I Cook in the Air Fryer?

  • The recipe calls for 4 hot dogs inside the air fryer but you can use as many as your air fryer will fit. It’s important to make sure that the hot dogs are in a single layer and they are not overlapping at all. They need plenty of room on all sides so they can cook and get that nice charred exterior all around. 
  • If you are feeding a family of 6 (like me!) then 6 hot dogs will usually fit just fine in the air fryer basket. 
  • I believe most air fryers will hold up to 6-8 hot dogs. Once you get the hot dogs inside the bun, more than likely you will have to cook those in batches, as you can probably only fit 4 hot dogs in the air fryer basket. 

• Hot Dog Topping Ideas

  • Ketchup
  • Mustard – Yellow mustard, honey mustard, spicy mustard, dijon mustard
  • Sweet pickle relish or dill pickle relish
  • Chili Cheese Dogs – Use up leftover chili, use canned chili, or make this homemade Chili Dog Sauce. Top each one with diced white onion and shredded cheddar cheese. 

• Variations & Substitution Ideas

  • Hot Dogs : Use any hot dog that you love! All beef, turkey, cheese dogs, bun length hot dogs, smoked hot dogs, smoked sausages, beef brats, etc. If using brats or smoked sausage then you may need to increase the cook time in order for them to get warmed through out. 
  • Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs : Try wrapping each hot dog in a strip of bacon. The cook time might have to be increased slightly depending on how crispy you want the bacon. 
  • Chili Dogs : When you put the hot dogs into the buns, top it with some chili (homemade, leftover, or canned) and some cheese. Place them back into the air fryer so the cheese can melt and get gooey!

Recipe Tips

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

• Melted Butter on Hot Dogs Buns & Hot Dogs : Brushing melted butter on the hot dog buns makes such a big difference. I have made these hot dogs without brushing butter on the buns (and they turn out great still) but brushing it on the hot dog buns really adds a nice buttery flavor and help to keep the buns softer. You can just spray the hot dogs with cooking spray, but for the best taste and results, use melted butter. 
• Hot Dog Buns : Not all of my kids love the crispier/soft hot dog bun so most of the time I will just cook the hot dogs in the air fryer, and then warm up the buns in the microwave, and then put together the hot dogs. So I skip the step entirely of putting the hot dogs inside the air fryer to cook for a few minutes. When you add the buns into the air fryer, they will get a slightly crispy to them, so if you prefer softer hot dog buns then steam them in the microwave. To do this, I open the bag slightly and cook them for about 50-60 seconds. This gets the buns super soft and warm. 
• Slits : This is totally optional but it does give the hot dogs a nice crisp crunch on the outside. You can kind of see in the pictures that it allows the hot dogs to get a char to them that gives a really nice texture. Kind of the same effect as cooking them over the campfire or something. 

More Quick & Kid-Friendly Dinner Ideas

• Slow Cooker Chili Coney Dogs – The slow cooker makes these coney dogs so soft and packed with flavor. An easy homemade chili sauce cooks with the hot dogs in the slow cooker. 
• Chili Mac Recipe – Velveeta cheese, macaroni pasta, and chili beans make this a cinch to prepare for dinner. 
• Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta – My kids call this ‘white pasta’ and I literally make it weekly. Similar to Alfredo Sauce but without any heavy cream.
• Pepperoni Calzones – Who doesn’t love cheesy pepperoni calzones?! Easy to make with prepared pizza dough. 
• Ravioli Bake – An easy 4 ingredient dinner, yes please!
• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese – So easy to make in the instant pot. This is must try.
• Cheeseburger Sloppy Joes – Kind of like a ground beef cheeseburger that is much easier to eat for kids.