Air Fryer Hot Pockets (Frozen and Homemade)

Forget the microwave and throw away that cardboard sleeve. The air fryer is the best way to get perfect crispy, crunchy, flaky hot pockets, whether they're store-bought or homemade.

Prep: 25

Cook: 10

Total: 35

Yield:4 hot pockets

Equipment

air fryer
spatula (to remove hot pockets from basket)
spray oil safe for air fryers
cutting board (or other flat surface)
2 plates
Wax paper
fork (for homemade hot pockets)

Ingredients

For the Frozen Hot Pockets

2-4 frozen hot pockets any brand, any flavor

For the Homemade Hot Pockets

1 8-count can crescent roll dough chilled, see Notes
1 cup shredded mozzarella divided
¼ cup thick pizza sauce divided, see Notes
¼-½ cup chopped pepperoni divided, see Notes

Instructions

For the Frozen Hot Pockets

Preheat air fryer to 350° Fahrenheit. When preheated, lightly spray basket with spray oil and place frozen hot pockets in basket, being careful not to stack hot pockets or overcrowd basket. Spray top of hot pockets with spray oil, then place basket in air fryer.
Air fry hot pockets for 6 minutes, then flip hot pockets over and cook another 6 minutes, or until desired doneness is achieved. Carefully remove hot pockets from air fryer and serve immediately.

For the Homemade Hot Pockets

Spray cutting board or work surface with spray oil. Open and unroll can of crescent roll dough. Dough should be perforated into 8 triangles; separate dough on center lines, forming 4 rectangles made of 2 triangles. Transfer 3 dough rectangles to plate, alternating dough and wax paper, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Place remaining dough rectangle on oiled surface. Quickly but carefully pinch dough together at perforation to seal, and gently pull and press dough into square shape. Be careful not to overwork dough and make it too thin. Carefully flip dough square over and pinch together perforation on other side.
Place ¾ to 1 tablespoon pizza sauce in horizontal line across center of dough, being careful not to get too close to edges. Top sauce with approximately ¼ cup shredded mozzarella and 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons chopped pepperoni, depending on size of dough square. Be careful not to overfill.
Gently peel each edge of crescent roll dough up from work surface. Once all edges have been loosened, pick up dough by corners, bringing top corners to meet opposite bottom corners. Gently lift dough so that filling hangs like someone laying in a hammock. While keeping dough suspended, press top edge of dough together.
Lay dough pocket down on work surface. Gently press tines of fork around edges of dough pocket to seal seams, then lightly press top of dough pocket to spread filling out. Be careful not to use too much pressure or perforation can split open.
Transfer sealed hot pocket to plate and set aside. Repeat process with remaining 3 dough rectangles until all have been formed into filled hot pockets.
Preheat air fryer to 350° Fahrenheit. When preheated, lightly spray air fryer basket with spray oil. Place 1 to 2 hot pockets in basket depending on size and lightly spray tops of hot pockets with spray oil. Return basket to air fryer and cook 4 minutes.
After 4 minutes, remove basket and use spatula to carefully flip hot pockets over. Return to air fryer and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until desired doneness is reached.
Carefully remove hot pockets from air fryer and set aside. Repeat with any remaining hot pockets, then serve immediately with dipping sauces if desired.

Notes

Frozen Hot Pockets: Spraying the tops of the hot pockets with oil is totally optional, so feel free to skip it if you want to use less oil. I find that it makes the hot pockets extra crispy, but they crisp up nicely without it.
Homemade Hot Pockets: Spray your work surface before rolling out the crescent roll dough, to prevent the dough from sticking to the cutting board or counter as much.
Homemade Hot Pockets: The crescent roll dough is infinitely easier to work with when it's chilled. When I separated my dough into 4 rectangles, I kept them in the fridge until I was ready to work with one. You'll want to work quickly, as the heat from your hands will make the dough warm up and then it'll be very sticky.
Homemade Hot Pockets: If you have trouble getting the perforation to close up, wet your fingers with a little water before pinching the dough.
Homemade Hot Pockets: We made pepperoni hot pockets, but you can use any fillings you like. Ham and cheese are my personal favorite. Chicken and a white sauce would be delicious, too.

Nutrition

Recipe By:Cheryl Malik