Air-Fry Crab Rangoon: A Quick, Crispy Treat

Crab Rangoon is a popular appetiser, often served in Chinese restaurants. It is made with wonton wrappers, cream cheese, crab and seasoning. The wontons are folded into a four-pointed star shape, triangle or pyramid, and then cooked until crispy.

An air fryer is a great way to cook crab Rangoon as it is healthier than deep-frying and easier than shaping and frying them individually. You can also make a big batch and freeze them for later.

Choosing your crab meat

Crab Rangoon is traditionally made with imitation crab meat, which is actually processed fish meat, usually pollock. It has a firmer texture and sweeter flavour than real crab. If you want to use real crab, opt for the cheaper claw meat, which is usually free of shells. You can also try snow crab legs, but be aware that they are saltier.

If you're using imitation crab or snow crab leg meat, you'll need to chop it into small pieces. Canned or fresh crab meat will break up on its own when mixed with the cream cheese.

When buying seafood, always check where it is sourced from, as the quality differs greatly.

If you don't want to use crab at all, you can try using shrimp or just make plain cream cheese wontons.

You will need around 4-6 oz of crab meat for your Crab Rangoon.

Preparing the filling

For the rest of the filling, you'll need cream cheese, scallions or green onions, and Worcestershire sauce. Some recipes also include soy sauce and garlic, but these are optional. Combine all your filling ingredients in a bowl and mix well. If you're making a large batch, it might be easier to use an electric food processor to combine the ingredients. Just be sure to chop your seafood by hand first so that you can control the size of the pieces.

Once your filling is mixed, you're ready to start assembling your crab rangoon. Gather your wonton wrappers and a small bowl of warm water, and you'll be ready to start folding!

Folding the crab rangoon

Folding crab rangoon is an art, but once perfected, it will leave you with a beautiful, crispy, crunchy, and authentic-looking appetiser.

Firstly, lay out your wonton wrappers on a flat surface. A cooling rack is ideal, as any moisture from the water used to seal the wontons will fall through the rack, rather than accumulate on your surface and make a mess of your wonton wrappers.

Place a teaspoon or so of filling in the centre of each wrapper. Be careful not to overfill, as this can cause the wrappers to break open or leak during cooking.

Now, you can either fold the wrappers into a triangle shape, or, for the classic crab rangoon look, create a four-pointed star. For the triangle shape, simply fold one corner over to its opposite side, so the two corners meet, and press the edges together to seal. For the four-pointed star, dip your finger in a small bowl of warm water and run it along the edges of the wrapper, or brush the edges with water using a pastry brush. Then, bring two opposite corners together so they touch, and pinch the edges together near the filling to seal. Bring the remaining two corners to meet in the centre and crimp to seal.

Once you've folded all your crab rangoon, they're ready to be cooked!

Cooking in the air fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 350°F–370°F. You can use a Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper, or any other air fryer.

While the air fryer is preheating, prepare your crab rangoon. Place your wonton wrappers on a flat surface, such as a large cutting board or a cooling rack.

Add about 1 teaspoon of filling to the centre of each wrapper. Be careful not to overfill, as this can cause the wrappers to break open.

Dip your finger in water and run it around the edges of the wonton wrapper to help seal. Fold the wrapper diagonally across to form a triangle. Bring the two opposite corners together, then bring up the other two opposite sides, pushing out any air and squeezing the edges together.

Place the crab rangoon in the air fryer basket in a single layer, ensuring they don't touch. Spritz the crab rangoon with oil.

Air fry for 5 minutes, then turn each one on its side and spritz with oil again. Air fry for another 3–5 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy.

Remove and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce.

You can also cook crab rangoon in a deep fryer or on the stove.

Serving suggestions

Crab Rangoon is usually served as an appetizer before a meal or as a party food when you want small bites of delicious appetizers. It can be served with a variety of dipping sauces, such as:

• Sweet and sour sauce
• Sweet chilli sauce
• A mix of soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes
• Seafood sauce
• Pineapple sweet and sour sauce

You can also serve crab rangoon with other homemade "take-out" dishes, such as:

• Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
• Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
• Shrimp Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Air Fried Cauliflower with General Tso's Sauce
• Chicken Chop Suey
• Homemade Egg Rolls
• Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Hawaiian Fried Rice

Frequently asked questions