Air Fryer Crab Rangoon

This air fryer crab rangoon recipe tastes better than takeout and is so easy to make. With a few ingredient swaps, these air fryer rangoons are healthier than the traditional American Chinese popular appetizer.

This is what I call American Chinese food. It’s delicious, and available at most Chinese restaurants in America, yet there is nothing in China that’s called crab rangoon or has its components! 

I actually just recently tried it for the first time and… OMG, delicious! 

So, obviously, I had to make my own healthier version in the air fryer and with a few ingredient swaps. 

If you like homemade healthified Chinese food that’s better than take out, you should try this Chinese Garlic Chicken, Sesame Chicken, and this Orange Chicken.

What is Air Fryer Crab rangoon?

Crab rangoon is an appetizer, traditionally made with crab meat and cream cheese wrapped in wonton paper and deep-fried until crispy and golden brown. 

To make this popular Americanized Chinese food healthier I tried making it in the air fryer. And guess what? It was a success! 

This is better than take-out! 

Cooking these crab rangoons in the air fryer made them so light and so crispy!

If you have seen me making them on my Instagram you have probably also heard the crisp. That’s how crispy they are! 

Don’t have an air fryer?

I have also successfully baked the crab rangoon in the oven. It totally works if you don’t have an air fryer. They won’t get quite as crispy, but decently delicious! 

If you have a deep fryer at home, I’m sure that would be amazing too.

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This blog post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a link and take action, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. However, I only recommend products I use and absolutely love! 

This is the Air Fryer I’m using for this recipe

Ingredients needed to make Healthy Crab Rangoon

To make these amazing Air Fryer Crab Rangoon a little healthier I swapped the cream cheese for Greek yogurt. And honestly, I don’t miss the cheese at all. The yogurt is a great binder and makes the filling super creamy.

Air Fryer Crab Rangoon

• Full Fat Yogurt or Greek yogurt
• Lump crab meat 
• Green Onion
• Fresh Garlic
• Soy Sauce
• Worcestershire sauce – If you don’t have Worcestershire sauce, search google for substitutions
• Ground Ginger
• Garlic Powder
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper – optional, but I love the kick
• Wonton Wrappers
• Oil Spray

Crab Rangoon Dipping Sauce

• Soy Sauce
• Rice Vinegar
• Chili Oil – I used black bean chili oil 老干妈
• Fresh Garlic

How to make Air Fryer Crab Rangoon

These air fryer crab rangoon might seem intimidating to make, but trust me, they are actually pretty easy to make after you have assembled the first one!

Making the crab rangoon filling

Start with draining the crab meat well and pat dry with a paper towel to eliminate all the moisture. Set aside. 

Now, chop the green onions and mince or finely chop the garlic. Set aside. 

Then, add all the ingredients – yogurt, green onion, garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ground ginger, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper into a large mixing bowl. 

Lastly, fold in the crab meat. Don’t overmixnso you can have some chunks of crab meat in the rangoons.

Mix all the ingredients using a fork or a spoon until everything is evenly and thoroughly combined. 

Assemble the air fryer crab rangoon

Start with placing a small bowl of water on the work surface. Then assemble the air fryer crab rangoon one by one using the following technique. 

Start with moistening the surface of the wonton using a wet fingertip. 

Then, place 1 1/2 teaspoons of crab rangoon filling in the center of the wonton paper. 

Then, fold 2 opposite corners toward each other over the filling but without touching the tips together. Fold up the other 2 corners. 

Now, working gently from the bottom, try to squeeze out all the potential air bubbles. 

Lastly, pinch together the 4 seams from the bottom up to create a “pyramid” shape.

Set aside on a dry surface dusted with a little bit of flour.

Then, repeat with the remaining wontons until you have used all the crab filling.

Cooking the Air Fryer Crab Rangoon

Start with spraying the air fryer basket. Then, place the Rangoon in the basket and spray them with a thin layer of oil. 

Be sure NOT to overcrowd them in the basket. If needed, cook in batches for the best and crispiest result. 

Set the air fryer for 370 F and cook for 9 – 10 minutes or until desired crispiness. 

If you are baking the crab rangoons in the oven, bake them in the oven at 425 F for 10 minutes. 

the best dipping sauce

To make the dipping sauce, simply whisk together rice vinegar, soy sauce, chili oil, and finely chopped garlic. 

Here are a few other easy sauces that you might love to pair with these rangoons:

• Homemade Asian Peanut Sauce {Soy Free}
• Honey Sriracha Sauce {5 Ingredients}
• Honey Garlic Sauce {Soy Free}

Enjoy!

Tips on making the best Air Fryer Crab Rangoons

• Use pre-made wonton wrapper
  There is no reason to make your own wonton wrap, the pre-made is really good. However, the wonton wrappers dry put very quickly and become stiff and hard to work with. Keep the wonton wrappers moist by covering them with a damp paper towel until using it.
• Don’t over fill the wonton wrapperThis air fryer crab rangoon recipe tastes better than takeout and is so easy to make. With a few ingredient swaps these air fryer rangoons are healthier than the traditional American Chinese popular appetizer. 
• Season to taste
  f you choose the salt free canned crab meat, you may need to add more salt the the recipe suggest. Taste the mixture and always season to taste.
• Don’t over crowd the air fryer
  The air fryer crab rangoon will reach the best result when there is space between each nest in the air fryer. Rather fry in batches than over crowd the fryer basket. 

How to store the Chinese Rangoons 

These air fryer crab rangoon are best when served right away! 

With that being said, you can store the leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

For the best result when reheating and for the best crispiness, heat them up in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes. 

To freeze:

For the best result, freeze the shaped air fryer crab rangoons before they are fried. 

When ready to eat, defrost on the kitchen counter and then air fry using the instruction above.

Good Luck making these Air Fryer Crab Rangoon! Let me know if there are any other classic American Chinese food recipes you would like me to make!

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