The Tastiest Air Fryer Crab Rangoon Recipe

Crab Rangoon is a gourmet seafood appetizer that has become a staple in many Chinese American restaurants.

They are comprised of a creamy crab and onion filling wrapped in a crispy wonton and are usually served with sweet and sour sauce.

We absolutely love this addicting dish and knew we could make an awesome version in the air fryer. (We were right!)

And guess what?

It’s super easy to make!

Crab Rangoon Air Fryer Recipe Ingredients

Here are all you need to make crispy air fried crab rangoons from scratch.

• Scallions 
• Crab meat
• Cream cheese
• Mayonnaise 
• Worcestershire sauce 
• Salt 
• Garlic powder
• Black pepper 
• Wonton wrappers

Special Crab Rangoon Dip

• Sweet chili sauce 
• Soy sauce 
• Rice vinegar 
• Toasted sesame oil

In general, we found that refrigerated, pre-cooked crab meat or imitation crab meat was better than canned crab meat. Something about the canned crab meat just wasn’t as delicious as the refrigerated version. 

The dipping sauce has just 4 ingredients but really makes a difference when serving the crab rangoon. The salty soy sauce, the sweet chili sauce and the hit of vinegar come together for an irresistible dipping sauce that perfectly complements the creamy, crunchy wontons! 

Recipe Video

How to Cook Crab Rangoon in an Air Fryer?

A benefit of using the air fryer was that the crab rangoon got incredibly crunchy and flaky with lesser oil. Considering that this dish is usually deep-fried, using an air fryer helps to reduce some of the calories!

Here’s a step by step process on making homemade crab wontons.

Step 1: Mince green onions.

Carefully mince the green onions and set aside.

Step 2: Chop crab meat into small cubes.

Carefully chop the crab meat into ½ inch size pieces. You want the pieces to be big enough that you’ll get a distinct bite of crab in the filling when enjoying the wontons, so keep them around ½ inch in size.

You can also use canned crab meat, however, based on our tests, we found out that crab sticks are way tastier.

Step 3: Mix the crab wonton filling.

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder and black pepper until the mixture is smooth and well-mixed.

Then, fold in the crab meat and scallions, being careful not to break up the crab meat.

Step 4: Preheat your air fryer to 370°F (187°C).

If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat mode, you can simply set the temperature to 370°F (187°C) and then let it cook for 5 minutes.

Or you can skip this step by adding 2-4 minutes to your cooking time until your crab wontons become slightly golden and crispy.

Step 5: Fold the crab wontons.

While the air fryer is preheating, assemble the crab rangoon.

1. Put a few tablespoons of water into a small bowl. 
2. Remove one wonton wrapper from the packaging and lay it flat.
3. Scoop one tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper.
4. Then, using your finger dipped in water, wet the edges of the wrapper on all 4 sides. 
5. Grab two opposite corners of the wonton wrapper, pull up to the center and pinch to seal. Repeat with the other two corners, pinching to seal and creating a purse-shape, with all 4 sides of the wrapper coming up to the center. 

Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling.

You could also watch the whole process in the recipe video ↑.

Step 6: Air fry crab wontons for 8-10 minutes.

When the air fryer is fully preheated, add the crab wontons in a single layer and air fry until crisp and lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.

(Optional) For extra crispy golden finish, lightly brush the crab rangoons with oil.

Step 7: Prepare the crab rangoon sauce.

While the wontons are air-frying, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, combine sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil. 

Step 8: Serve & enjoy!

When the fresh crab rangoon are fully crisped and cooked, carefully transfer them to a plate and serve with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!!

Conventional Oven Instructions

If you’re serving these at a party, (since they are a perfect party dish), you can do them in batches: 

Preheat your oven to 200°F. Line a sheet tray with a baking rack. When the first round of wontons comes out, put them on the rack-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Repeat with any additional rounds of wontons you’re making and you can easily make a large amount of these and serve them all at once! 

Freezing & Storage

Freezing: Once the wontons are completely cooled, add to an airtight container. They can be stored, frozen, for up to 2 months.

Fridge: Once the wontons are completely cooled, add to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reheating: To reheat leftover crab wontons, preheat the air fryer to 370°F (187°C). Then, the crab rangoon and air fry until they are thoroughly heated through and crispy again, about 3-5 minutes.