These 3 Ingredient Air Fryer Hot Pockets are a homemade version of a childhood classic! Buttery crescent roll “pockets” are stuffed with salty ham and gooey cheese, then air fried until crispy!
Who doesn’t love a hot pocket?! It’s crispy on the outside and absolutely loaded with a gooey filling. My personal favorite was the classic ham and cheese hot pocket, so that’s what we’re making today! Feel free to stuff these with your filling of choice — a philly cheesesteak filling would be ah-mazing.
Ahhh. The 90s are back!
What are hot pockets?
Hot pockets are pastry turnovers stuffed with a variety of cheeses, meats, or vegetables. Standard hot pockets come frozen and are cooked in the microwave.
Today, we’re whipping up our own homemade hot pockets using crescent roll dough, ham, cheese, and an air fryer. It’s ALMOST as easy as throwing a frozen hot pocket into the the microwave, but WAY tastier.
Ingredients
The ingredient list couldn’t be simpler for this childhood classic.
- Crescent Roll Dough – acts as a buttery, flaky, slightly crispy “pocket” for the filling. See video for visuals on how to form the pockets – it’s easier than you think!
- Ham – use your favorite brand and flavor of sliced ham. Thinly sliced ham will produce the best texture, because it layers perfectly with the cheese.
- Cheddar Cheese – layers with the ham to create an ooey-gooey filling. I like sharp cheddar for it’s powerful flavor, but feel free to play around with YOUR favorite kind of cheese.
How to make
These air fryer hot pockets take 25 minutes to make from start to finish!
- Create 4 rectangles (2 triangles each) with the crescent rolls then firmly press the perforations together to seal them.
- Alternating ham and cheese, top half of each rectangle with 6 slices of ham and 1 1/2 slices of cheese.
- Fold the dough from the other side over the filling and firmly pinch the edges together. Seal with a fork.
- Preheat your air fryer to 300ºF and spray the basket with cooking spray then air fry 2 pockets at a time for 14 minutes.
- Once cooked fully, serve and enjoy!
How long do you cook hot pockets in the air fryer?
Cook homemade hot pockets in a preheated 300 degree F air fryer for 14 minutes. This results in a hot pocket that’s golden brown and crispy on the outside and hot and gooey in the middle.
Can you stack hot pockets in the air fryer?
No! If the hot pockets are stacked, the hot air created by the air fryer won’t be able to reach all sides, which will result in undercooked pastry.
Cook two at a time, side by side, with room in between, so the whole hot pocket can get nice and crispy.
Can you bake hot pockets in the oven?
You can, but they’re not quite as crispy. If air frying is an option for you, do that!
If you’re using the oven bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until the outsides or golden-brown and the pastry is cooked through.
Variations
Although these ham and cheese hot pockets are absolutely delicious, it’s also fun to play around with fillings. Here are some ways to mix things up:
- Use a different meat. Try pepperoni, sausage, bacon, Canadian bacon, or even shredded chicken. Whatever you use, make sure it’s cooked first!
- Use other cheeses. Mozzarella, parmesan, gruyere, pepper-jack, Gorgonzola, or even a combination of a few different cheeses.
- Add sauce. Slather on a bit of homemade or store-bought pizza sauce, alfredo sauce, or even pesto! Be careful with how much sauce you’re adding — you don’t want it to leak out. To be safe, simply serve the sauce on the side!
- Add veggies or make them vegetarian. Try spinach, basil, mushrooms, peppers, olives, red onions, etc. Omit the meat entirely and use some extra cheeses and veggies to make them vegetarian.
What to serve with hot pockets
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Roasted Potatoes
- Side Salad with Homemade Dressing
How to store
Store leftover hot pockets in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen then air fry, microwave, or heat in the oven to warm.
– Jennifer
Air Fryer Hot Pockets
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) tube crescent rolls
- 24 slices ham (24 slices = 7.5 oz)
- 6 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- Honey mustard dressing for serving
Recipe Video
Instructions
- Create 4 rectangles (2 triangles each) with the crescent rolls on a clean work surface. Gently stretch each rectangle to make enough room for the filling.*
- Firmly press perforations together to seal.
- Alternating ham and cheese, top half of each rectangle with 6 slices ham (1.25 oz) and 1 1/2 slices cheese.
- Fold dough from the top over filling; firmly pinching edges together, then sealing with a fork.
- Preheat air fryer to 300 degrees F and spray the basket with cooking spray.
- Once pre-heated, air fry 2 pockets a time for 14 minutes.
- Repeat with remaining hot pockets, serve with honey mustard, then enjoy!
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Notes
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
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