Here’s the deal: Hot pockets are a delicious convenience. Take the handheld cheese-filled bundle, heat it up, and you have a complete meal in under 10 minutes. The bread-like wrap somehow works with every ham and cheddar, bacon, egg, cheese, or copycat pizza combination. I discovered that “pop and fresh” crescent dough sheets minimize efforts; all you have to do is roll. Read on for some tips for how to make hot pockets at home.
Fillings
We’ve chosen a few that are super-easy to make. The separate recipes below create enough filling for 12 hot pockets, but if you want to mix and match, you can adjust the ratios to whatever you’d like. Your call.
– The Buffalo chicken filling is mixed with your favorite Buffalo sauce, broccoli, and cheddar cheese.
– The spinach-artichoke filling is garlicky and cheesy thanks to using both mozzarella and Pecorino. You can use Parmesan too.
– Finally, the pepperoni cheese filling features mozzarella, pepperoni slices, and tomato sauce. A sprinkle of dried oregano gives it that pizza touch. I used a high-quality jar of marinara sauce, but if you want to make your own, we recommend making our easiest tomato sauce.
About Time
- Prep Time 10 mins
- Cook Time X mins
- Total Time 90 mins
Ingredients
BUFFALO CHICKEN FILLING
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 c. broccoli florets
- 3 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 3 (8-oz.) chicken breasts, cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 3/4 c. Buffalo sauce
- 2 1/4 tsp. honey
- 12 thin slices cheddar cheese
SPINACH-ARTICHOKE FILLING
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 c. packed baby spinach
- 3/4 c. chopped artichoke hearts
- 2 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tbsp. plus 3/4 tsp. garlic powder, divided
- 6 oz. cream cheese
- 1 1/2 c. shredded whole-milk mozzarella
- 3/4 c. grated Pecorino Romano
PEPPERONI CHEESE FILLING
- 1 1/2 c. shredded whole-milk mozzarella
- 96 slices pepperoni
- 3/4 c. tomato sauce
- 3/4 tsp. dried oregano
ASSEMBLY
- 3 (8-oz.) Pillsbury crescent dough sheets
- 1 large egg
- Olive oil cooking spray
- Coarse salt (optional)
Instructions
BUFFALO CHICKEN HOT POCKETS
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Season broccoli with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Season chicken with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, then rub with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. In same skillet over medium heat, cook chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165°, about 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl with broccoli. Add Buffalo sauce and honey and stir to combine. Let cool.
- Divide each dough sheet into 4 (6″-by-3″) rectangles to get 12 total. Arrange filling lengthwise on one half of each rectangle, leaving a thin border around the sides. Top with cheese.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg with a splash of water. Brush edges of dough with egg wash. Fold long side of rectangle over and press edges to seal. Brush top of dough with egg wash.
- Coat an air-fryer basket with cooking spray. Working in batches, arrange filled dough in a single layer in the prepared basket. Cook at 375° until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if using.
SPINACH-ARTICHOKE HOT POCKETS
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Cook spinach, artichokes, kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon garlic powder, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in cream cheese, mozzarella, and Pecorino. Let cool.
- Divide each dough sheet into 4 (6″-by-3″) rectangles to get 12 total. Arrange filling lengthwise on one half of each rectangle, leaving a thin border around the sides.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg with a splash of water. Brush edges of dough with egg wash. Fold the long side of rectangle over and press edges to seal. Brush top of dough with egg wash. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Coat an air-fryer basket with cooking spray. Working in batches, arrange filled dough in a single layer in prepared basket. Cook at 375° until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if using.
PEPPERONI CHEESE HOT POCKETS
- Divide each dough sheet into 4 (6″-by-3″) rectangles to get 12 total. Arrange 1 tablespoon cheese lengthwise on one half of each rectangle, leaving a thin border around the sides, then top with 8 pepperoni slices. Spoon 2 tablespoons sauce over pepperoni, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a splash of water. Brush the edges of the dough with egg wash. Fold the long side of the rectangle over and press the edges to seal. Brush the top of the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with oregano.
- Coat an air-fryer basket with cooking spray. Working in batches, arrange the filled dough in a single layer in the prepared basket. Cook at 375° until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if using.
Amount Per Serving
CALORIES: 37
- TOTAL FAT: 3g
- SATURATED FAT: 0g
- TRANS FAT: 0g
- UNSATURATED FAT: 1g
- CHOLESTEROL: 0mg
- SODIUM: 26mg
- CARBOHYDRATES: 3g
- FIBER: 0g
- SUGAR: 1g
- PROTEIN: 0g
