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Make the VERY BEST hot dogs ever in the air fryer! Cooked in less than 10 minutes, these hot dogs are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and nestled in a toasted bun. This fast, easy way to serve up a family favorite treat is great whether you are feeding a hungry family or a crowd.
I have had a love affair with hot dogs for years. Whether they are served at a ballgame, at a backyard cookout, a camping trip, or for a weeknight meal, I’ll be the first one in line to grab one.
But hold on, I don’t want just any hot dog. I want one that’s juicy with perfectly cooked with slightly crispy skin. And let’s not forget about the bun. I want it to be toasted and ready to hold all the yummy toppings that go on a hot dog.
Recently, I found the ultimate way to enjoy the BEST hot dog and it’s all about air frying! Cooking hot dogs in the air fryer takes just 6 minutes and another 2 minutes to toast the bun. These babies turn out perfectly whether you are cooking one for yourself or making a meal for your family.
Air Frying is easy, quick and clean-up is almost nonexistent since the basket goes into the dishwasher. There are no coals to heat up or heading outside to fire up the grill. So now, you don’t have to wait for summer to enjoy a perfectly cooked hot dog in a toasted bun…just grab your air fryer and go for it!
What You Need For This Recipe
- Hot Dogs – choose your favorite brand of high-quality hot dogs. I prefer either Hebrew National or Nathans.
- Hot Dog Buns – select buns that are pre-cut and fit the length of the hot dog.
- Toppings – mustard, ketchup, chili, slaw, sauerkraut, relish are a few of the favorites in my house.
About The Air Fryer
The key to successfully cooking in an air fryer is to test and practice with different foods. I use a Power XL Air Fryer and have had excellent results. All the settings are easy to understand, and the heat stays consistent, producing beautiful results. Here are some of my top air fryer recipes:
Tips For Making The Best Air Fryer Hot Dogs
- Before cooking, make slits in each hot dog. You don’t need to do this, but I like to because those little edges get extra crispy and hold the delicious toppings.
- Brush the top of each bun with softened butter. This is totally optional, but I think it adds a bit of flavor and helps the bun toast to a beautiful golden color.
- There is no need to pre-heat the air fryer, and no oil is needed.
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What To Serve With The BEST Hot Dogs
Everyone has their favorite toppings to add to their hot dog, and I’m no different. For me, it’s yellow mustard, chopped onion, and slaw. But, you can get creative, too, and pile on all kinds of goodies.
After the toppings, you’ve got to have some side dishes, right? Whether you’re serving these hot dogs for Memorial Day, Labor Day, a family cookout, or a simple weeknight meal, these dishes are ideal to serve alongside your perfectly cooked dogs!
- Tomato Cucumber Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Southwest Ranch Dip and Chips
- Cucumber and Onion Refrigerator Pickles
- Pineapple BBQ Baked Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4-8 hot dogs
- 4-8 hot dog buns
- softened butter
Instructions
- Take hot dogs out of package. Cut slits in each hot dog and place them in the basket of the air fryer.
- Set temperature to 400 degrees and timer to 6 minutes. Slide basket into the air fryer and press the start/power button. At the end of the cooking time, carefully remove the basket. Place one hot dog into each bun. Brush on softened butter (optional) and place hog dogs in buns back in the air fryer.
- Set the temperature to 400 degrees and the timer to 2 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, carefully remove hot dogs from the basket and serve with your favorite toppings.
Want To Know More About Air Frying?
If you are new to cooking with an Air Fryer or just don’t know where to start, I’ve got something to help. I’ve put together a helpful guide with tips and recipes to get you using the Air Fryer like a pro!
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Delicious. It made the bun perfectly crisp!
WOW! You’ve made my day. Thanks for sharing.
I appreciate your terrific rating!
~Donya
Hi Donya. I have a Ninja 9n1 air fryer and have been steadily using it for a variety of different types of foods. Came across your hot dogs and had to give it a go. I have to let mine preheat first, if I put them in while it’s heating, they’re already half done when it finally comes to temperature. No biggie. I put the the finished hot dogs in the bun, in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds. That actually softened the buns while retaining their crispy toasted exterior. Thanks for your post!
These were delicious. Perfectly cooked as well as the buns!! Thank you
Thanks so much for the great comment and the terrific rating!
~Donya
Love it and thank you.