These Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets are the easiest Christmas side dish, with juicy sausages wrapped in crispy bacon. Made with just 2 ingredients, they cook in around 8-12 minutes and, best of all, you don't need to turn the oven on!
At Christmas, oven space is always at a premium, with the turkey, roast potatoes and all the other trimmings to fit in. Cooking pigs in blankets in the air fryer is one of my favourite ways to make Christmas dinner a little less stressful.
You can even prepare them the night before, ready to cook when you need them. Just don't forget that they are in the air fryer when serving up. Christmas Day disaster!
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 5 October 2022 and was fully retested in November 2026 to check the cooking time and ingredient quantities. The original recipe still worked well, but I've expanded the instructions, tips and FAQs.
For more space saving Christmas side dishes, try our crispy slow cooker roast potatoes, easy air fryer Brussels sprouts or our delicious slow cooker red cabbage.
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Jump to:
- Why You'll Love Them
- Recipe Overview
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets
- How Long to Cook Pigs in Blankets in the Air Fryer?
- Can You Make Pigs in Blankets Ahead of Time?
- What to Serve with Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets
- Storage
- Dannii's Top Tips
- Troubleshooting Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Sausage Recipes
- Recipe
- Feedback
Why You'll Love Them
- Saves oven space - Perfect for Christmas Day when every oven shelf is already full.
- Quick and easy - Just 2 ingredients and around 10 minutes of cooking.
- Perfectly crispy - The air fryer gives you golden bacon with juicy sausages inside.
- Make ahead - Prepare them on Christmas Eve and keep them chilled until you're ready to cook.
Recipe Overview
- Makes: 8 pigs in blankets (4 side servings).
- Ingredients: 8 small chipolatas and 4 rashers of streaky bacon.
- Temperature and time: Air fry at 180°C/350°F for 8-12 minutes, depending on sausage size. Start checking after 8 minutes.
- Make ahead: Wrap the sausages in bacon up to 24 hours in advance and keep refrigerated until ready to cook.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
You only need 2 ingredients for this recipe.
- Sausages - We use 8 small chipolatas, but raw cocktail sausages work well too. If using longer chipolatas, you may need more bacon and a slightly longer cooking time.
- Bacon - 4 rashers of thin streaky bacon, cut in half. Smoked bacon adds extra flavour and crisps up really nicely in the air fryer. You can use unsmoked if you prefer.
You may also need a little spray oil if your air fryer basket is prone to sticking.
These are traditional British pigs in blankets, made with sausages wrapped in bacon, rather than the American version made with pastry.
How to Make Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets
- Cut the bacon: Cut each rasher of streaky bacon in half to make 8 shorter strips.
- Add the chipolatas: Place a sausage at one end of each strip of bacon.
- Roll them up: Roll the bacon around the sausage, keeping it fairly tight so it doesn't unravel.
- Put into the air fryer: Place the pigs in blankets seam-side down in the air fryer basket, in a single layer with a little space between each one.
- Air fry: Cook on the Air fry setting at 180°C/350°F for approximately 8-12 minutes, checking from 8 minutes and turning carefully if needed, until the bacon is crispy and the sausages are cooked through.
How Long to Cook Pigs in Blankets in the Air Fryer?
Cooking time depends on the size of the sausages and your air fryer.
- Small cocktail sausages: Start checking after 8 minutes at 180°C.
- Larger chipolatas: Allow approximately 10-12 minutes at 180°C, checking they are cooked through.
- Frozen pigs in blankets: Start checking after 11-12 minutes at 180°C and cook for longer if needed, following the packaging instructions.
The bacon should be golden and crispy, and the sausage should be piping hot and thoroughly cooked in the middle. For raw pork sausages, you can check the centre with a food thermometer. A safe temperature is 75°C for 30 seconds.
Every air fryer cooks a little differently, so use the timings as a guide.
Can You Make Pigs in Blankets Ahead of Time?
Yes! This is one of my favourite Christmas Eve jobs because it means one less thing to do on Christmas Day.
Wrap the sausages in bacon, arrange them in a container or on a tray, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, provided they're still within their use-by date.
When you're ready to eat, cook them straight from the fridge in the air fryer.
I prefer making them ahead but cooking them fresh, as the bacon is at its crispiest straight from the air fryer.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets
Pigs in blankets are a must-have with our Christmas dinner, and they go with pretty much all the traditional trimmings.
For a festive roast, we love serving them with slow cooker turkey crown, slow cooker roast potatoes and easy onion gravy.
Add some vegetables, like honey roasted parsnips, roasted brussels sprouts or slow cooker red cabbage.
If you're trying to save even more oven space, our air fryer stuffing balls and make ahead mashed potatoes are great additions.
These aren't just for Christmas dinner either! Serve them as festive party food with cranberry sauce or alongside air fryer camembert for dipping.
Storage
Store: Allow leftover cooked pigs in blankets to cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours. Eat within 48 hours.
Freeze: Once cooled, freeze cooked pigs in blankets in a suitable container or freezer bag for up to 2 months for best quality.
Defrost: Defrost cooked frozen pigs in blankets in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheat: Put them back in the air fryer at 160°C for approximately 3-4 minutes, or until steaming hot all the way through. You can also use the microwave, although the bacon won't be as crispy. Only reheat leftovers once.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Don't overcrowd the basket - Leave a little space between each one so the hot air can circulate and crisp up the bacon. Cook in batches if needed.
- Keep the bacon in place - Put the pigs in blankets seam-side down to help stop the bacon unravelling during cooking.
- Make them gluten-free - Choose gluten-free sausages and check the bacon packaging too.
- Save money - Cocktail sausages can be more expensive at Christmas. Buy a pack of chipolatas and cut them into smaller pieces before wrapping.
- Try a different sausage - Quorn cocktail sausages or chicken sausages are alternatives, but cooking times will vary. You can also use turkey bacon for a different texture and flavour. Wrapping Quorn in bacon will, of course, mean this is no longer a vegetarian dish.
- Add a glaze - Brush with a little maple syrup during the last couple of minutes for sticky pigs in blankets. For a honey mustard version, mix a little honey and wholegrain mustard and brush it over near the end of cooking so it doesn't burn.
- Shop-bought pigs in blankets work too - You can use the same general cooking method for fresh supermarket pigs in blankets, adjusting the time according to their size and the packet instructions.
- Keep an eye on the bacon - Fatty bacon can release quite a lot of grease. Check the drip tray if you're cooking several batches, and follow your air fryer's instructions if smoking occurs.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Bacon isn't crispy | The basket is overcrowded or the bacon is too thick. | Use thin streaky bacon, leave space between each one and cook for another 1-2 minutes if needed. |
| Bacon comes unwrapped | The bacon wasn't wrapped tightly enough or the seam is facing upwards. | Wrap tightly and place seam-side down in the basket. |
| Sausages aren't cooked through | The sausages are larger than those used in the recipe, or your air fryer cooks more slowly. | Cook for another 1-2 minutes at a time until thoroughly cooked. Check the centre reaches 75°C for 30 seconds. |
| Air fryer starts smoking | Excess bacon fat has collected in the bottom. | Stop cooking and follow your air fryer's instructions for safely dealing with collected grease before continuing. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, provided the product is suitable for cooking from frozen. Place them in a single layer and start checking after around 11-12 minutes at 180°C. They may need longer depending on their size and whether they are raw or pre-cooked. Always check the packet instructions and make sure the sausages are cooked thoroughly.
Not necessarily. I make these without a separate preheating step, but if your air fryer requires preheating, follow the manufacturer's instructions. A preheated air fryer may cook them a little faster.
Yes. Arrange them on a baking tray and cook at 200°C/180°C fan for approximately 20-25 minutes, until the bacon is golden and the sausages are cooked through.
More Sausage Recipes
If you've tried this pigs in blankets recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 80 g of Streaky bacon - about 20g/¾ oz per rasher
- 200 g of Chipolatas - about 25g/1 oz per sausage
Instructions
- Cut the bacon: Cut each rasher of streaky bacon in half to make 8 shorter strips.
- Add the chipolatas: Place a sausage at one end of each strip of bacon.
- Roll them up: Roll the bacon around the sausage, keeping it fairly tight so it doesn't unravel.
- Put into the air fryer Place the pigs in blankets seam-side down in the air fryer basket, in a single layer with a little space between each one.
- Air fry: Cook on the Air fry setting at 180°C/350°F for approximately 8-12 minutes, checking from 8 minutes and turning carefully if needed, until the bacon is crispy and the sausages are cooked through.
Recipe Notes
- Don't overcrowd the basket - Leave a little space between each one so the hot air can circulate and crisp up the bacon. Cook in batches if needed.
- Keep the bacon in place - Put the pigs in blankets seam-side down to help stop the bacon unravelling during cooking.
- Make them gluten-free - Choose gluten-free sausages and check the bacon packaging too.
- Save money - Cocktail sausages can be more expensive at Christmas. Buy a pack of chipolatas and cut them into smaller pieces before wrapping.
- Try a different sausage - Quorn cocktail sausages or chicken sausages are alternatives, but cooking times will vary. You can also use turkey bacon for a different texture and flavour.
- Add a glaze - Brush with a little maple syrup during the last couple of minutes for sticky pigs in blankets. For a honey mustard version, mix a little honey and wholegrain mustard and brush it over near the end of cooking so it doesn't burn.
- Shop-bought pigs in blankets work too - You can use the same general cooking method for fresh supermarket pigs in blankets, adjusting the time according to their size and the packet instructions.
- Keep an eye on the bacon - Fatty bacon can release quite a lot of grease. Check the drip tray if you're cooking several batches, and follow your air fryer's instructions if smoking occurs.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
Andrew Loudon says
Made this with British PIBs from Sainsbury's in my Instant Vortex 3.8L (1650W). Needed 11 minutes at 180c on Air Fry setting. Perfect - crispy bacon and well-cooked succulent sausages.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
Such a great way to make perfectly crisp pigs in blankets. They always try to weld themselves to the dish when I make them in the oven.
Beth says
I love this bacon-tastic take on pigs in a blanket! I cannot wait to make these.
kushigalu says
I love this air fryer version of pigs in a blanket. Thanks for sharing, Looks delicious.
Katherine says
Such a great idea to make these in the air fryer!