Air Fryer Crab Rangoon is a delicious twist on the original fried version! These are air fried, so they’re lighter and healthier, but just as tasty as the traditional recipe you know and love. Perfect appetizer for holidays and game day!
Crab Rangoon is a deep-fried crab and cream cheese appetizer that was popularized in American Chinese restaurants. It’s fairly easy to find crab rangoons in most Chinese takeout places and for good reason – people LOVE them!
I’m such a sucker for most things if they are deep-fried – but they aren’t that great to eat all the time. We would make this same recipe in the oven for decades – we love it so much. So when I learned I could make them in the air fryer – it was a game-changer. Check these out – I know you will love them as much as I do.
Make sure to try our crab cakes that can be baked, air fried, or cooked on the stovetop. Pair this with my Instant Pot White Rice too!
When I got my first air fryer the very first thing I experimented in making was some cream cheese-stuffed wontons. They were positively addictive with their super crispy shell and that delicious cream cheese inside.
So as we made them more and more the family was requesting that we stuff them full of other things too. This is when we decided to move on to making crab rangoons – which are one of the most requested things in our house. Making them in the air fryer instead of baking just makes them so much better! Absolutely incredible!
crab rangoon air fryer
Here are some commonly asked questions
What is a wonton?
A crab rangoon is a type of “wonton” (a Chinese dumpling), and the difference between crab rangoons and other wontons is that crab rangoons contain cream cheese.
Wontons can be round or square, boiled, simmered in broth, or deep-fried. Although crab rangoons are deep-fried in restaurants, the crab rangoon recipe below does not require deep frying because of our trusty air fryer.
Can these be baked instead of air fried?
Yes – if you want to bake them instead of air frying – just prepare the rangoons as instructed and then bake at 400 for 10 minutes.
Tips for Making Crab Rangoons
- Be sure to press out all of the air when you close in the edges. The excess air will create a balloon effect when the air inside heats up – which will cause the wonton to explode.
- Don’t over-fill the wontons – this will also contribute to them exploding – you want to keep the insides inside – so you have less mess and a prettier presentation.
- Make sure to seal the edges tightly with water.
recipe for crab rangoons
Can Wontons Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes – you can make the filling, fill the wontons and close them up. Place them on a baking sheet and keep refrigerated for up to one day ahead of when you plan on making them. Be sure to keep them properly spaced as the uncooked wontons will tend to stick together in the moist air of the refrigerator.
How Air Frying Works
While air fryers are relatively new to the market, the technology isn’t really a new concept. They basically work like tiny convection ovens that you can use on your countertop.
Similar to a convection oven, it circulates the hot air within the cooking area using a high-powered fan. This helps evenly distribute the heat around the food which not only creates more evenly cooked food but also reduced cooking times.
By circulating the hot air, which contains the fine oil droplets from adding a light mist layer before cooking, and allows you to remove the need for submerging our foods in heavy oils to create the deliciously crunchy foods we all love.
What are the benefits of air frying?
Healthier
It’s no secret that fried foods are more fattening – but did you know that there are 9 calories in every gram of fat? With air frying, we can reduce the fat by removing most of the oils usually needed to create crunchy foods. This helps to drastically reduce fat intake and calories.
Convenience
I love being able to cook with my air fryer and eliminate the need for large baking sheets and lots of pots and pans. Most of my air fryer recipes can be made with just a mixing bowl or two or a small saucepan in addition to my air fryer.
Energy Efficient
Someone said to me once, “why make this in the air fryer if you can do it the conventional way in the same amount of time?” Well, air frying helps eliminate the need for a conventional oven.
Not only can you keep your home cooler in the summer by not using the oven, but you are saving money with reduced energy consumption costs as well.
Time Saver
I don’t know about you, but if I can avoid turning on the oven and having to wait 20 minutes for it to preheat, I’m happy about that. Most air fryer recipes either don’t require that you preheat the fryer – or the preheat time is 5 minutes or less. That is a huge time saver over using the oven.
Take it on the go
I love that the air fryer is compact and easy to take along on trips. We pack ours in our RV and find that air fryer cooking while camping is so much easier than trying to deep fry foods on a small RV stove or camping burner.
rangoons
How to Freeze Wontons
I’m all about freezing things when I have been a little too ambitious in the kitchen and made more than we can reasonably eat. This happens a lot now that I am often cooking for only 2-3 of us instead of feeding a family of 5. So the freezer saves the day often around here.
To freeze – make sure to do it before you fry them. Follow the instructions mentioned above for making ahead of time. But instead of placing them in the refrigerator – you will place them in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid, transfer them to a zip-top bag or airtight container.
To cook them from frozen – just place them straight from the freezer into the air fryer. Give them a spritz of oil and then add 2-3 minutes to the overall cooking time. Super easy!
Ingredients for Crab Rangoons
- cream cheese – softened
- lump crab meat
- green onion sliced thinly
- Worcestershire sauce
- garlic powder
- lime- juiced
- wonton wrappers
- olive oil
- Sweet chili sauce to serve
I have a bake option and other special features on my air fryer, is that the setting? Or do you put it on “air fry” setting?
All of my recipes were created with an air fryer that had only a temperature & timer setting – since not all air fryers have all the additional settings.
You can use the bake setting when making recipes that you would traditionally bake – but if possible, please just set the temperature & time for this recipe.
crab meat rangoons
How to Make Crab Rangoons
- Combine the cream cheese, crab meat, green onion, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and lime juice in a small bowl.
- Brush one side of a wonton wrapper with olive oil. Flip the wonton wrapper over so the olive oil side is facing down.
- Add a tablespoon of crab filling in the center of the wonton wrapper.
- Brush the edges of the wonton with water.
- Pull two opposite corners of the wonton together, pressing them gently to steal. Then, pull the remaining two corners up to form a square. Steal the four lines together so the filling doesn’t burst when cooked.
- Place the crab rangoons in the air fryer (make sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket). Cook at 375F for 8-10 minutes, or until the wontons are crisp and golden brown.
- Serve warm, with sweet chili sauce.
What type of crab do you use for crab rangons?
I’m a firm believer that if the ingredient is the star of the show – as in – these are crab stuffed wontons – then the crab should be the best possible quality you can find. While you can use imitation crab for these rangoons – I always recommend using lump crab meat if you can.
How to prevent sticking in the air fryer
Sticking can often happen when using an air fryer. I understand that most would think to add non-stick spray to the basket to prevent this. I strongly encourage you to not do that.
Non-stick spray leaves a coating that won’t come off, even when washed. Over time – this will build up and cause smoking when you use our air fryer.
I also do not recommend putting down a sheet of foil. The idea behind air frying is to allow the air to circulate around the food.
This is why the basket or tray has holes in it. If you put foil down – this prevents the air from reaching all of the areas it needs to in order for it to cook properly.
Instead – I recommend spraying the basket with olive oil using this spray bottle. You can line the air fryer with perforated parchment paper.
Or you can use one of these really great silicone liners that still allow for airflow but are reusable and easily cleanable.
crab rangoons recipe
How to reheat wontons?
The key to a good wonton is keeping them crispy. So say no to the microwave when reheating the crab rangoons. Since you are already making them in the air fryer – you want to also reheat them in the air fryer. Just place them back in the basket or on the tray, give them a fresh spritz of oil and reheat at 375 degrees until hot again.
Can this recipe be doubled?
You can, and we do it often. Depending on the size of your air fryer – you might need to cook it in batches. But you can at least mix the crab stuffing altogether for a double batch and then work to stuff them all as you go. Fortunately, they don’t take very long to prep or cook – so you can make quite a few in a short period of time.
What air fryer do you use?
We actually have 3 air fryers. I have a smaller one from Phillips that we started with. I have since given that to my son since he’s only cooking for 1.
But the more I used the air fryer I realized I really wanted a digital screen. It wasn’t any more expensive, in fact- our XL air fryer from GoWISE was less expensive than the Phillips and I love its ease & extra functions.
Plus it comes with a lot of the extra accessories I like to use when cooking with my fryer.
But I when I started working on my second air fryer book, I wanted to change things up. I picked up this Chefman 6.3 Quart Digital Air Fryer+ Rotisserie, Dehydrator, Convection Oven. It has 8 Touch Screen Presets (Fry, Roast, Dehydrate & Bake, BPA-Free, Auto Shutoff) & Accessories Included. It is XL Family Size, which is great!
Where Can I Buy Wonton Wrappers?
I have always found the wonton wrappers in the refrigerated area of the produce section in the grocery store. While all stores are a bit different – every store I have been to here I have found them consistently in that spot.
Now – when it comes to the wrappers themselves – not all brands are the same. I have used what seems like every brand out there. Some tear easily while others are nice and have the perfect thickness. You might have to see what is available and try different ones until you find one you like. Keep in mind – price isn’t always indicative of the quality – I have had more expensive brands not be so great and vice versa.
crab rangoons
If you love this recipe – You might also love my air frying cookbook too!
The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Two also makes everything fast and easy. Most recipes take 30 minutes or less and they’re designed with simple prep and minimal clean-up in mind. Nutritional information, serving size descriptions, and recipes for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free are also included. There’s so much to savor.
The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Two
Perfectly Portioned Recipes for Healthier Fried Favorites
homemade crab rangoons
If you love this Easy Air Fryer Crab Rangoon recipe, you’re going to love these other snacks too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Other Savory Snacks
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Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
Ingredients
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces lump crab meat
- 1 green onion sliced thinly
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ lime juiced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 24 wonton wrappers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sweet chili sauce to serve
Instructions
- Combine the cream cheese, crab meat, green onion, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and lime juice in a small bowl.
- Brush one side of a wonton wrapper with olive oil. Flip the wonton wrapper over so the olive oil side is facing down.
- Add a tablespoon of crab filling in the center of the wonton wrapper.
- Brush the edges of the wonton with water.
- Pull two opposite corners of the wonton together, pressing them gently to steal. Then, pull the remaining two corners up to form a square. Steal the four lines together so the filling doesn’t burst when cooked.
- Place the crab rangoons in the air fryer (make sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket). Cook at 375F for 8-10 minutes, or until the wontons are crisp and golden brown.
- Serve warm, with sweet chili sauce.
Notes
- If your wonton wrappers don’t seal with water, brush them with an egg wash instead.
- I used lump claw meat (because it’s what I had on hand) but use whatever you like. Chopped imitation crab can also be used.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
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