Pigs In Blankets In The Air Fryer

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Air Fryer Pigs In Blankets. How to cook the festive British favourite in your air fryer. With perfectly cooked sausages wrapped in crispy bacon, it is ideal for quick cooking in the air fryer.

This air fryer pigs in blankets recipe was originally posted in December of 2015 and updated with lots of new extras!

Pigs In Blankets

My mum always put on an amazing Christmas dinner on Christmas Day. I remember many of them over the years.

From those as a small child to the last one I went to which was the same year that Dominic and I got married.

Pigs in blankets would be one of many treats that would be on the Christmas dinner table.

It was a family affair and apart from my parents and I, there would be my grandparents, elderly aunts and maybe a couple of my dad’s friends.

As a child (and as an adult), I have favourites on the Christmas dinner table and would usually bulk my plate up just on a handful of favourites and not bother with the rest.

My favourites would usually be vegetable gratin, roast potatoes, roasted parsnips, and pigs in blankets.

A total waste when my mum had spent all day cooking and had done about 10 different side dishes plus lots of sauces and other things.

I don’t think I ever bothered with the roast turkey either!

Fast forward many years and it is Dominic and me cooking Christmas dinner for our three kids.

We will prep everything that we can on Christmas Eve and then come Christmas Day its just a bit of warm up.

Then the days that follow will be eating the leftovers and not having to worry about any cooking.

What Are Pigs In Blankets?

Pigs in blankets are small pieces of sausages that have been wrapped in bacon. They are crispy and delicious and are often associated with the British Christmas dinner.

• Why are pigs in blankets associated with Christmas? Pigs in blankets are associated with Christmas the most, this is because they are well known as one of many small sides, served on a Christmas dinner. Though us Milner’s eat them outside of Christmas too when we cook a roast dinner.
• Why are they called pigs in blankets? Because you are adding pork sausages (the pig) and wrapping it in a blanket of bacon.
• Are pigs in blankets gluten free? Only if you use gluten free sausages. If you struggle to get gluten free sausages, then you can use sausage meat instead.
• What are pigs in blankets made of? Traditional and authentic pigs in blankets will be made with streaky smoked bacon and cocktail sausages.

Pigs In Blankets UK Vs US

I notice there is a LOT of confusion with pigs in blankets between the UK and the US. Let’s clear it up, shall we?

• Pigs in blankets UK – British pigs in blankets are small sausages wrapped in bacon. You can either chop up large sausages or use cocktail sausages.
• Pigs in blankets US – American pigs in blankets are called pigs in a blanket and involve small sausages wrapped in pastry.

Many Americans would consider pigs in blankets to be bacon wrapped smokies, whilst Brits would consider pigs in a blanket to be sausage rolls.

Here is our American version of air fryer pigs in a blanket.

Pigs In Blankets With Large Sausages

There is always an obsession with using cocktail sausages in pigs in blankets. But do note that during Christmas time they do go up in price.

Instead, make pigs in blankets with large sausages and slice into sausage chunks before wrapping in bacon.

Taste just as good and a true money saver.

Air Fryer Pigs In Blankets Recipe

Cooking pigs in blankets in an air fryer is EASY:

1. Remove packaging from your bacon and sausages.
2. If using large sausages dice into the size of cocktail sausages.
3. Wrap each piece of bacon in a rasher of bacon.
4. Load pigs in blankets into the air fryer basket.
5. Cook and serve.

How Long Do Pigs In Blankets Take To Cook?

Pigs in blankets cooking time is JUST 8 minutes. This also includes using the air fryer to make the bacon truly crispy.

I also love that pigs in blankets take up very little room in the air fryer and you can cook them at the same time as your other sides.

Can I Cook Pigs In Blankets The Night Before?

Yes you can and then reheat them the next day. But I don’t recommend doing this. This is because the cook time for reheating isn’t that much less than cooking on the same day.

Instead what I do is make them, load them into the fridge and cook them when I need them. I can then serve them in the same dish with other sides on the dining table the next day.

Can Pigs In Blankets Be Cooked From Frozen?

Yes pigs in blankets can be cooked from frozen and we gave it a try for you. We bought some pigs in blankets from Iceland and had fun trying them out.

We found that compared to homemade pigs in blankets from scratch they carried a lot more fat. This led to the air fryer smoking a bit. But overall, they did taste good.

In the image above you can see us cooking our frozen pigs in blankets. We found that the cook time for frozen was 11 minutes, compared to 8 minutes using fresh.

Can You Reheat Pigs In Blankets?

Yes you can. I have done it many times, but I usually throw my leftovers into leftover meals rather than reheating them as they are.

For example, our air fryer turkey burgers are made from leftover Christmas or roast dinner sides. You could do the same thing.

Or alternatively reheat pigs in blankets in the air fryer. 4 minutes at 160c/320f will do the trick.

Pigs In Blankets Syns

If you follow Slimming World then I am sure you want to know how many syns are in pigs in blankets.

Well if you are selective in the sausages and bacon you buy, then there can be none.

• Use lean back bacon and remove any visible fat
• Use healthy sausages or make your own or use quorn

More Air Fryer Christmas Recipes

If like us Milner’s you would like to cook more of your favourite Christmas classics in the air fryer, then here are some other suggestions:

• Air Fryer Roasted Parsnips
• Air Fryer Stuffing Balls
• Air Fryer Roast Potatoes
• Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts With Bacon

Can’t make it now? Then pin it for later!

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