Air Fryer Hot Dogs are so quick and easy, perfect for a quick meal or to serve to a crowd! They are ready in just 10 minutes – serve them with all of your favorite toppings to make a kid-friendly dinner or casual party snack.
Sometimes, we need those backpocket recipes we can put together in a flash, without any fussing. Be it a busy weeknight or lazy summer days we’d rather spend with family instead of in the kitchen – those super quick meals are definitely in high demand!
Air frying hot dogs couldn’t be any easier. All you need are two ingredients, 10 minutes of time (mostly hands-off!) and all of your family’s favorite toppings.
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Hot dogs: I used plain old hot dogs that were on the skinny side. If yours are thick, they may need longer. You can also use frozen:
- Carefully cut 6-8 slits into the hot dogs – take care with this. If it’s tricky, try letting them sit on the counter for 10 minutes so they start thawing on the outside for easier cutting.
- Air fry the frozen sausages for 8-10 minutes, shaking once halfway through.
- The hot dogs should be fully heated all the way through and crisp on the outside when done. Make sure to check them on the inside to ensure they are fully cooked.
- Topping ideas:
- My children are huge fans of ketchup, mayonnaise and fried onions on theirs.
- I love mustard and pickle relish, but I was out of relish when I took the photos for this recipe.
- Leftover chilli is really delicious on these, add shredded cheddar for chili cheese dogs!
- Coleslaw is another favorite hot dog topping of mine, especially on a hot summer day!
How to air fry hot dogs
Note: I always pre-heat my air fryer for 5 minutes on its hottest setting before adding any food. I find it yields the best results this way!
1. Cut slits into hot dogs. This keeps them from bursting open during air frying!
2. Air fry. I do 375°F for 3 minutes. Different sizes of sausages may need more or less cooking time.
3. Finish air frying in buns. I do about 1-2 more minutes at 375°F to toast the buns and finish cooking the hot dogs. Make sure your sausages are fully heated for safe consumption!
cut slits in hot dogs place in hot air fryer basket air fry until starting to look browned add to buns for last 2 minutes of air frying
Immediately serve the hot dogs with your favorite toppings!
This is also a great way to cook them for a party/buffet style, because they cook really fast in the air fryer. While you can only do 4 at a time in buns, they only need 3-4 minutes without a bun and then another 1-2 minutes with the bun. So quick and super, super easy!
Recipe tips
- Don’t forget to cut slits into the sausages before air frying them, otherwise they will burst during cooking.
- Do not fully split the buns, leave the halves attached on one side (I know this may seem like common sense to most people, but I did, in fact, fully split hot dog buns for way longer than I’d ever care to admit).
- Make sure your hot dogs reach an internal temperature of at least 160°F in the middle for safe consumption.
Serving ideas
While hot dogs are something I usually serve when I barely have time to put a meal on the table, we do also make them on more casual, relaxed summer nights. Here are some of our favorite side dishes, apart from pickles and potato chips:
- Zucchini fries or zucchini fritters
- Potato salad or macaroni salad
- Coleslaw
- Corn on the cob or corn salad
- BLT Pasta Salad or Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Crockpot Baked Beans
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Air Fryer Hot Dogs
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 6 hot dogs
- 6 hot dog buns split open
- favorite hot dog toppings
Instructions
- Pre-heat air fryer on hottest setting for 5 minutes.
- Cut 6-8 small slits into each hot dog, then place into hot air fryer basket and air fry for 3-4 minutes at 390°F.
- Once time is up, check to make sure hot dogs are starting to brown and crisp. Remove each to a split open bun, then place back into the air fryer with buns (2-4 will fit at a time, depending on air fryer model). Air fry on 390°F for 1-2 more minutes, until buns are toasted and hot dogs reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Serve immediately with favorite toppings.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Hot dogs:
- Depending on exact size, hot dogs may need more tine in the air fryer. Always check with a meat thermometer to ensure they reach 160°F.
- For frozen hot dogs: Carefully cut 6-8 slits into the hot dogs – take care with this. If it’s tricky, try letting them sit on the counter for 10 minutes or defrost in the microwave for 2 minutes so they start thawing on the outside for easier cutting. Air fry for 8-10 minutes, shaking once halfway through. Make sure to check them on the inside to ensure they are fully cooked.
- Topping ideas:
- My children are huge fans of ketchup, mayonnaise and fried onions on theirs.
- I love mustard and pickle relish, but I was out of relish when I took the photos for this recipe.
- Leftover chilli is really delicious on these, add shredded cheddar for chili cheese dogs!
- Coleslaw is another favorite hot dog topping of mine, especially on a hot summer day!
Recipe tips
- Don’t forget to cut slits into the sausages before air frying them, otherwise they will burst during cooking.
- Do not fully split the buns, leave the halves attached on one side (I know this may seem like common sense to most people, but I did, in fact, fully split hot dog buns for way longer than I’d ever care to admit).
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