Air Fryer Chili Dogs

Air fryer chili dogs are the perfect quick dinner idea our whole family loves! Here is how long to air fry hot dogs in buns so they are juicy and plump. With Hebrew National or Oscar Mayer we even share how to cook frozen hot dogs too.

Looking to make plain wieners or chili dogs for dinner tonight??!! Well we perfected how to keep the meat juicy but with a crispy bun lathered with chili, cheese and onions if you want. It is a great throw together meal that the kids ask for these air fryer recipes all the time after school.

We are all about easy family meals for those busy nights when you only have about 20 minutes to prepare and cook something. And if you’re wondering, can you air fry hot dogs? The answer is yes! Air frying hot dogs is a quick and delicious option that fits perfectly into our family-friendly meals. We started with making Instant Pot hot dogs which are great but not crispy at all.

Ninja Air Fryer Chili Dogs

When it comes to dogs we love them crispy on the outside, that’s the benefit of air fryers. Now that we have a Ninja Foodi we can pressure cook them but using the air fryer function makes them even better!

How Long to Cook Hot Dogs in Air Fryer

You definitely want to make sure that you preheat your machine before adding any of them for the optimal crispy texture on the outside. Then you’ll be air frying for 6-8 minutes or so. Timing depends on how crisp you like them on the outside.

How Long to Cook Frozen Hot Dogs in Air Fryer

A bit forgetful and forgot to defrost them the night before? No problem really because we recently shared how to cook air fryer frozen hot dogs in 8 minutes too! That is right, it just takes a few extra minutes but dinner can still be saved using this fail proof method. Here’s some information before you get going on this:

How Long to Cook Chili Cheese Dogs in Air Fryer

You will start by air frying the dogs themselves for about 6 minutes until golden brown and a bit crispy. Then when you’re continuing on to make chili cheese dogs you set to air fry again in the bun with the chil and cheese on top of that to continue cooking for another 6 minutes so 12 minutes total.

Can you air fry chili dogs in buns?

Yes and no. For the ideal result, getting the hot dog warm in the center with a bit of crisp golden brown color on the outside you need to air fry them a few minutes first. Then you can put those in your buns and air fry again so those can crisp up as well.

There is no need for the bread if you don’t want it. If you do you can toast them after the dogs are done, add chili on top with cheese and melt that too. So as simple as you want it to as loaded as others might this turns out incredibly well. We have even made hot dog burnt ends without the bread that are killer.

When it comes to processed meats I prefer Boars Head hot dogs hands down I don’t always have them on hand though, thus the photo above which was what I found that day and what was on sale

What is the best hot dog chili?

We use our 5 ingredient dump chili that can be made in the pressure cooker, crockpot or just thrown together and warmed on the stovetop. If you want a faster option you can of course use canned instead, warm, and spoon on top.

Can you make chili cheese dogs ahead of time?

I mean technically yes but it is best to keep all the elements separate until you are ready to enjoy them. If you add the meat into the buns and let them sit the bread will begin to get a bit soggy. Even worse if you add the chili and sit, it will just become a soggy mushy mess. Instead cook all 3 elements separate and combine when ready to consume.

What to do with leftovers

If you have made a bunch of these and they aren’t finished you can make our hot dog casserole the next night! I hate wasting food so I get it.

Like I said, the brand doesn’t matter. We have quite a few and I haven’t found a difference other than the size of the basket. Larger is better for more people so you don’t have to make as many batches but other than that just go with whatever you have.

Ours come out looking like this! Seriously the slightly crispy hot dog underneath, with the edges of the buns toasted and smothered with chili and cheese. OH MY!! Here are a few other air fryer recipes you’ll love:

Other air fryer snacks you’ll love

Our air fryer frozen corn dogs are made by my girls often. Ninja foodi french fries are homemade Want to make air fryer pigs in a blanket?? We’ve done that too!! Make air fryer frozen tater tots to go with this one on the side.

You can print recipe below and keep it on hand for all your holiday get togethers, or for an after school snack. Nutritional information such as saturated fat and calories will vary with brands.