Air Fryer Hot Dog Taquitos

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Air Fryer Hot Dog Taquitos are simple, quick, and super fun to eat.  Topped with cheese and salsa, these are a kicked up cheesy snack your kids will love.

It’s #BacktoSchoolTreatsWeek! I know. It’s a weird time for everyone and no one is really thinking about back to school anything right now, but hear me out. Personally, I think this is the most important time to think about back to school.

Not because kids are going back to school, but because they’re going back to school at home. And, well, you’re going to need some ideas and help when it comes to feeding those kids while they’re home. I don’t think your kids will be satisfied with just a bag of chips and maybe some juice now a days. So, this week we’re sharing some easy and fun delicious treats for your kids while they’re distance learning from home.

Let me tell you these air fryer hot dog taquitos are super simple and super quick. And hands off for the most part. I mean, you have to slice cheese if it’s not sliced. You have to spoon out some salsa. And you have to put the hot dogs in the air fryer to cook.

Then you roll the hot dogs up and pop the taquitos in the air fryer again to crisp up. Super simple and in 20 minutes you have crispy and delicious, kid friendly air fryer taquitos on the plate for your kids to eat in no time. And, if they’re like me, they’ll devour these and ask for more. Because hot dogs are fun and delicious to eat!

Now, if you don’t like traditional hot dogs, you can easily swap out a turkey dog. I like the smoked turkey ones. Then there’s the all beef and lite beef dogs, maybe a chorizo for a kicked up flavor. Finally, there’s the meat free option. Of which there’s an ever growing population of those with the Beyond and Incogmeato. That last one just cracks me up with the name. And, well, I’m a HUGE advocate for their corndogs.

If you haven’t tried them, you need to. They’re so good!

We purchase our air fryer Christmas before last I think? And I have been trying to figure out the best way to cook hot dogs in them. The first directions I followed didn’t heat them up hardly at all. There’s something about a room temperature-ish hot dog that is just not appealing.

This is where it dawned on me that air fryers are worse than ovens or pressure cookers. There’s such a range of temperatures and cooking times depending on how close to the heating element the food is, how big the air fryer is, and if you can open or close the vent.

It’s worse than microwave ovens. Seriously. So, while one air fryer might be okay with 5 to 10 minutes at 350 for a hot dog, mine is not. I like mine at 400 for 7 to 10 minutes. It’s nice and hot inside and has a nice crispy outside that tastes like it’s either pan fried or grilled.

 

So, if you have an air fryer, you have to take all of that into consideration.

I have a NuWave air fryer. One that’s not currently available, of course. The technology keeps evolving and changing. It’s almost as bad as computers and phones now a days. We purchased this one a couple of years ago. Shortly before that we purchased an electric pressure cooker. I don’t want to call it an Instant Pot, because it’s not. There’s a few preset buttons, but not as many as I think the Instant Pot has.

Now, you can combine an instant pot with an air fryer. Mind blown. Seriously. You can pressure cook something and then crisp it on the outside when it’s done, like a chicken or something. Previously, you could either air fry a chicken with a crispy outside or pressure cook a chicken with a not crispy outside. Now, you have the best of both worlds.

So, I see one of those in our near future. Especially since NuWave has a combo cooker on the market and I know it’s a quality product. We were looking at the Emeril one. Of course, I have a soft spot for all things Emeril since I have a recipe on FoodTV because of him. And have a killer recipe that’s pretty darned good, too. And an autographed photo and cookbook, too.

That means I could easily whip up a recipe like this one and some juicy, tender ribs all in the same appliance. And I don’t have to take the ribs out and put them under the broiler! I could just keep them in the same combo cooker and crisp them up then baste with sauce all at the time. At least I’m assuming I can do that. I haven’t actually done all the research.

I know. This is about back to school treats. But think about! If you have a combo cooker like that you can whip up snacks like these air fryer hot dog taquitos or anything you want for breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the same combo cooker. I imagine some crispy nuggets and fries for lunch, maybe some breakfast potato skins, and how about a tender crispy pork loin? All that in the same cooker taking up less space on the counter.

And since these hot dog taquitos are super delicious, your kids (big and little) will probably be asking for these all the time. Heck, I know I’ll be eating them all the time while I’m working from home. Because, even though I’m not commuting, the thought of adding that extra 30 minutes to my work day so I can take a proper lunch still doesn’t appeal to me. So, I’m always looking for quick, tasty lunches to whip up when I get hungry. Seriously, I haven’t taken a lunch that didn’t involve a group effort or a personal appointment in forever.

I’m sure your situation is a little different but having quick and easy recipes you can cook up in no time for either a snack or lunch is always a good thing when hungry kids are involved. Again, both big and little. Because those hungry big kids can be a bigger pain then the little ones. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

I should know. I’m one of those big kids!

Just look at that hot dog goodness in that tortilla!! I cooked my tortillas until they were extra crispy on the outside. Because that’s how I roll. Pun intended. I think a taquito should be crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. And that’s how I made these air fryer hot dog taquitos. If you like them a little less crunchy, just cook them 3 to 4 minutes less. They’ll still be crunchy on the ends, but tender in the middle.

Summer is winding down, and we are celebrating with #BacktoSchoolTreats hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. All week-long 11 bloggers will be sharing 30+ fantastic recipes for both parents and kids, with breakfasts, snacks, desserts, and drinks to get you back in the school routine.

Breakfast Recipes
Chai Muffins by Our Good Life
Lemon Streusel Blueberry Muffins by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Sugar Free Banana Muffins by Blogghetti

Snack Recipes
Air Fryer Hot Dog Taquitos by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Kid-Friendly Snack Board by Love & Confections

Dessert Recipes
Monkey Tail Crescent Rolls by Palatable Pastime