Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket

the inside of an air fryer with little smokies wrapped in pizza dough.

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 pizza crust, lil' smoked sausages, and garlic & herb seasoning.

Course Air Fryer, Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer pigs in a blanket, how to make pigs in a blanket without crescent rolls, pigs in a blanket

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Total Time 18

Servings

Calories 60kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Equipment

Ingredients

1 tube (8 oz) refrigerated thin crust pizza dough
1/2 teaspoon garlic & herb seasoning blend
24 beef smoked cocktail sausages (also called 'little smokies')

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 350° F.
* I wait to preheat mine until I've rolled up the pigs in a blanket. Mine only takes short time to preheat.
Unroll the pizza dough onto a large cutting board, or the clean countertop, and unroll the edges completely. You don't want to make the dough any thinner, rather you just want the edges completely straightened.
Sprinkle the garlic & herb seasoning over top the pizza dough.
Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 24 equal sized pieces.
Make three horizontal cuts, and then make a vertical cut down the middle of the dough sheet. Make two additional vertical cuts on both sides of the one in the middle to form 24 pieces of dough.
Lay a cocktail sausage on the bottom edge of a piece of dough. Gently roll the sausage in the dough, wrapping the dough around it, and securing the top edge of the pizza crust into the dough underneath the sausage.
The sausage should be wrapped up completely, with the ends sticking out, like a little pig in a cozy blanket!
Place the pigs in a blanket in an even layer inside the air fryer basket. Don't overlap or have them touching. You may need to do a few batches in order to cook them all.
Cook for 5-8 minutes or until they are an even golden brown color.
Serve warm with your choice of dipping sauces or eat them plain!

Notes

Recipe Tips -

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.
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.

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