This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Ready in minutes, Air Fryer Hot Dogs are the best way to guarantee perfectly cooked hot dogs every time! Pile them with your favorite toppings and make everyone in your family happy.
Table of Contents
- Easy Air Fryer Hot Dogs
- Why You’ll Love Cooking Hot Dogs in the Air Fryer
- What You’ll Need
- Can I Use Frozen Hot Dogs?
- How to Make Air Fryer Hot Dogs
- How Long Does it Take to Cook Hot Dogs in the Air Fryer?
- Tips for Success
- Hot Dog Topping Ideas!
- Make it a Meal
- What Air Fryer Should I Buy?
- Get the Recipe
- More Hot Dog Recipes to Try
Easy Air Fryer Hot Dogs
Hot dogs are one of those classics that we make over and over. You may wonder if there is anything new to bring to the table and I’m here to tell you that, yes, there certainly is. Using the air fryer method for cooking hot dogs is a great way to prepare hot dogs. You won’t have to bother with using a grill or the stove to cook hot dogs quickly and easily, just pop them in the air fryer.
Hot dogs are a beloved staple for a reason – of course, they’re perfect at summer barbecues but are welcome any time of the year. They’re endlessly adaptable to all sorts of toppings and can be eaten just as a handheld snack or as part of a heartier meal. Plus, they’re easily adapted to gluten-free when you use gluten-free ingredients.
I’ve included a variety of topping ideas below – you can go simple with the traditional ketchup and mustard or add baked beans, chili, and more. And I’ve given you some ideas for how to make hot dogs more of a dinner option. These air fryer hot dogs are the perfect blend of slightly crisp and beautifully juicy, everything a good hot dog should be.
Why You’ll Love Cooking Hot Dogs in the Air Fryer
If you peruse my Air Fryer recipes section you’ll see that I’m a fan of using the air fryer for so many dishes. Here are a few reasons you’ll also love using the air fryer to make hot dogs:
- Air fryer and done. The air fryer takes the guesswork out of cooking, and you don’t have to spend much active time other than placing the hot dogs in the air fryer basket.
- Versatile. Hot dogs are a familiar and beloved dish, and they work equally well as a quick lunch option as they do rounded out with a few more dishes, like a salad or fries or both, for dinner. See my suggestions below if you want to make this into a heartier meal.
- So many topping ideas. I’ve branched out beyond the basic ketchup I did as a kid, and now I love to top my hot dogs with anything from caramelized onions, to chili, to cheese. More details later on in this post!
What You’ll Need
Here’s a short list of everything you’ll need to make air fryer hot dogs. Don’t forget to scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Hot Dogs: If you are sensitive to gluten, make sure to buy certified gluten-free hot dogs (read more about finding gluten-free hot dogs).
- Hot Dog Buns: Use gluten-free hot dog buns if needed. Or use my recipe and make your own.
- Condiments and Toppings: Choose from all of your favorites – ketchup, mustard, relish, etc.
Can I Use Frozen Hot Dogs?
You definitely can use frozen hot dogs! This is one of the beauties of the air fryer – you don’t need to defrost food before cooking it. However, you will need to cook frozen hot dogs in air fryer a little longer, about 7-8 minutes.
How to Make Air Fryer Hot Dogs
Making hot dogs in the air fryer could hardly be simpler. Here’s my easy method for perfectly cooking hot dogs in air fryer:
- Prepare the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. If you’d like to warm your buns in advance, place them in the air fryer while it preheats.
- Prepare the hot dogs. Cut diagonal slits in the hot dogs all the way around, being careful not to cut all the way through the hot dogs.
- Cook the hot dogs. Place the hot dogs in the air fryer and cook at 400°F for 4 minutes. Check the hot dogs, and if you would like them crispier, flip them and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Toast the hot dogs in the buns if desired. If you’d like to toast the hot dogs in the buns or melt cheese on top, place the hot dogs in the buns, add cheese if desired, and place them back in the air fryer at 400°F for 2 more minutes.
How Long Does it Take to Cook Hot Dogs in the Air Fryer?
My method for cooking hot dogs in air fryer calls for about 4-6 minutes of cooking time, depending on how crisp you like your hot dogs (for crisper dogs you’ll cook them a few minutes longer). As noted above, if you cook frozen hot dogs using this method you’ll need to allow at least 4 extra minutes of cooking time. And if you want to toast the hot dogs in the buns once the dogs are fully cooked, just plan for a minute or two of toasting time.
Tips for Success
I have to say that this method of making air fryer hot dogs is nearly foolproof! But here are a few tips to ensure success every time:
- Make slits in each hot dog. Making slits in the hot dogs helps them to cook more evenly when they are in the air fryer. We’re going for ease of cooking, so anything you can do in advance of cooking to help make them turn out perfectly is
- Toast the buns first. I don’t know about you, but I love a toasted hot dog or hamburger bun. (This is especially nice if you are using gluten-free hot dog buns.) You can toast the buns in the air fryer while it’s heating up.
- Then toast the hot dogs in the buns. I also like to give the hot dogs a final little toast once they’ve been placed in the buns. This will also help melt any cheese you’ve added.
- Try sausages instead of hot dogs. If you want to try changing things up a bit, you can swap out the hot dogs for sausages. Cook them using the method detailed above for the hot dogs.
Hot Dog Topping Ideas!
I love to load up my air fryer hot dogs will all sorts of toppings. You can keep it simple with the classic ketchup, mustard, and relish, or go all out! Here are a few of my suggestions for how to dress up your hot dogs:
- Chili. Make these air fryer hot dogs into chili dogs! Use my Quick and Easy Chipotle Turkey Chili or Slow Cooker Aloha Chili to add flavor and texture to your hot dogs.
- Top with baked beans. My Semi-Homemade Baked Beans would be amazing piled on top of air fryer hot dogs.
- Add caramelized onions. Caramelized onions add so much sweetness and soft texture to any dish. Try loading up your cooked hot dogs with caramelized onions just before serving.
- Pile on the cheese. Yes, I highly recommend adding lots of cheese to your air fryer hot dogs! You can use any combination of cheese you like. For intense flavor, go for blue cheese or a sharp cheddar. For extra meltiness, use mozzarella cheese or Jack cheese. I also like to do a combination of cheeses! Or give them a slather of Gluten Free Cheese Sauce!
- Use mayonnaise. Let’s just go for all the flavors possible here to make these air fryer hot dogs something special. I love a trio of mayo, ketchup, and mustard on my dogs, but sometimes I’ll do just mayonnaise and cheese. Another cream option is Avocado Lime Crema – trust me!
Make it a Meal
Air fryer hot dogs make a great lunch or dinner option, especially when you pair them with other dishes. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve hot dogs:
- With fries. Add a big pile of fries to your air fryer hot dogs. I’ve got you covered with recipes for Air Fryer Truffle Fries, Herbs du Provence Baked Sweet Potato Fries, Air Fryer French Fries, or Italian Herb Oven Fries.
- Add a salad. A hearty salad is perfect alongside hot dogs. Try my Easy Three Bean Salad, Easy Greek Salad, or Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad recipes to add fresh flavor to your hot dog meal.
- Serve with macaroni and cheese. This is pure comfort food! Serve air fryer hot dogs with my Gluten-Free Stovetop Mac and Cheese recipe.
- Plus other air-fried vegetables. Hot dogs are so good but I often feel like I need to add some veggies to round out my plate! You can use the air fryer to make a variety of options – try my Air Fryer Roasted Carrots, Air Fryer Corn on the Cob, Air Fryer Green Beans, or Air Fryer Zucchini with Parmesan recipes.
- Skip the buns and serve with onion rings and potatoes. I love my recipe for Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings and it’s a perfect complement to air fryer hot dogs. Skip the hot dog buns and add Air Fryer Ranch Potatoes to make a complete meal.
What Air Fryer Should I Buy?
I always have my Cosori 5.8 Qt air fryer on my counter because I use it at least several times a week. It’s great for roasting veggies, cooking an entire roast chicken, or making hot dogs and hamburgers. I have that older model I just linked to, but you can buy a newer model…
Air Fryer Hot Dogs
Ingredients
- 4 hot dogs
- 4 hot dog buns, gluten-free if necessary
- Your favorite condiments and toppings
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. If you’d like to warm your buns in advance, place them in the air fryer while it preheats.
- Cut diagonal slits in the hot dogs all the way around, being careful not to cut all the way through the hot dogs.
- Place the hot dogs in the air fryer and cook at 400°F for 4 minutes. Check the hot dogs, and if you would like them crispier, flip them and cook for another 2 minutes.
- If you’d like to toast the hot dogs in the buns or melt cheese on top, place the hot dogs in the buns, add cheese if desired, and place them back in the air fryer at 400°F for 2 more minutes.
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakesandkalechips on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
