Pigs In A Blanket (Air Fryer Or Oven!)

Fluffy dough wrapped around mini smoked sausages and then cooked until golden brown, air fryer pigs in a blanket cook up fast and delicious! This recipe is a quick and easy hot appetizer that is always a crowd-pleaser and a super kid-friendly recipe.

 

Why We Love Pigs In A Blanket

• Easy appetizer that’s warm– This super simple recipe is easy to put together, and is a classic appetizer for when you want to add a hot appetizer to the table.
• Crowd Pleaser– Kids and adults both go for this delicious recipe. Pigs in a blanket are great for casual parties like game day, tailgating for football games, hanging by the pool or for a board game night. This is also an easy finger food for a birthday party or just during the holiday season.
• Make them fast– You only need a few simple ingredients and won’t spend a ton of time at all making this recipe in the kitchen. I love that this recipe can easily be made fast in the air fryer or oven for perfect little smoke pigs.

Ingredients For Pigs In A Blanket

• 14 ounces mini smoked sausages like little smokies, these are precooked smoked cocktail sausages. Sometimes they are also called cocktail franks, lil smokies, or even lil smokies pigs!
• 16 ounces crescent dough two packages of 8 buttery crescent rolls. You can also use puff pastry, pizza dough, biscuit dough/ or my homemade pizza dough. You will need two batches of my homemade pizza dough to make this recipe.
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning – optional, can also use coarse salt, poppy seeds or sesame seeds

Why Do They Call Them Pigs In a Blanket?

Pigs in a blanket date way back some think as far back to the 1600’s. Similar dishes have been documented in Germany, Czechoslovakia and Britain. The first time Pigs In A Blanket appeared in the US was in a Betty Crocker “Cooking for Kids” cookbook in 1957.

Pigs in a blanket also is different in the US compared to the UK. In the UK pigs in a blanket is usually a sausage wrapped in bacon.

In the US it’s some form of smoked cocktail sausages or hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls or another type of dough like pizza dough or even puff pastry. Sometimes in the US they are also called “Franks in a blanket.”

How To Make Pigs In A Blanket In The Air Fryer (or Oven)

1. Separate the eight triangles of dough in each package. Slice each piece of dough into three equal pieces longways to make thin triangles. It can be helpful to use a pizza cutter to slice the dough.

2. Rinse the smoked sausages then dry them well with paper towels.
3. Starting at the widest part of the dough, roll one of the sausages in the dough until you reach the end of the dough. Repeat for all sausages on an ungreased cookie sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place seam side down

4. In a small bowl add the egg and a little water, then beat with a fork until the yolk breaks and mixes well to make an egg wash. With a silicone brush, brush the egg mixture on the tops of the sausages wrapped in dough. Sprinkle each sausage with a little bit of Everything But The Bagel seasoning.

To Make In The Air Fryer

Air fryer appetizers cook so fast! I used the Power Air Fryer XL for this recipe, but I’ve also made it with a Ninja Foodi 11-1 and my Ninja Countertop Oven with the Air Fryer basket, which is my favorite for multiple uses in the kitchen.

1. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees. Place the sausage rolls evenly spaced in the air fryer so they are not touching in a single layer. Cook sausages for 4 minutes.
2. Turn sausage rolls and cook for another 3-4 minutes until they are evenly browned. Work in batches depending on the size of the air fryer until all sausages are cooked, then enjoy!

To Make In The Oven

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oiled aluminum foil.
2. Line sausages up on the baking sheet in a single layer, leaving at least an inch between. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown then enjoy.

What Do I Do If I Can’t Find Cocktail Sausages/ Lil’ Smokies?

Good news, you can still make the perfect appetizer even if you can’t find mini sausages.

Use your favorite brand of hot dog (should be cooked), smoked sausage or even smoked chicken sausage. In fact using an alternative is a great way to put a twist on a classic recipe! Just make the sausage you pick is precooked and/or smoked.

Slice each sausage into pieces, four to five per link usually works well for most sausages.

Smoked kielbasa is also another great option but will need to be sliced into more pieces before wrapping in dough.

Don’t Forget Dipping Sauces!

Don’t forget sauces with this Pigs In A Blanket recipe! Honey mustard sauce, ketchup, BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, buffalo sauce, sweet chili sauce, or even cheese sauce.

You can go as simple or as crazy as you like or just use your favorite dipping sauce. I think the dipping sauces are the best part for every delicious bite. Growing up my mom used to make BBQ little smokies as an appetizer which also use these sausages and has the best sauce. Or sometimes we would make beanie weenies for dinner, which is similar but mixed with a homemade baked bean, and is a great meal to stretch your budget.

How Do I Store Leftover Pigs In A Blanket?

Pigs in a blanket are best served hot. Once cool they can be stored in an airtight container for about three to four days in the refrigerator. Honestly, I rarely have leftovers though!