Creamy, crunchy, and packed with flavor, this air fryer crab rangoon recipe is the perfect appetizer for any gathering! Crispy wontons are stuffed with a creamy crab filling and placed in an air fryer basket to cook up quickly and effortlessly. BUT the true beauty of this recipe is our homemade sweet and sour sauce that adds the perfect tangy, spicy kick to each bite.
This is one of those easy and delicious air fryer recipes that you’ll want to make again and again!
What’s In Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
- Cream cheese: a staple ingredient in crab rangoon that adds a creamy and tangy flavor.
- Cooked crab meat: we used real crab meat to give the filling a fresh and authentic taste (we used this brand).
- Wonton wrappers: these thin, square wrappers can be found in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores.
- Raspberry jam: a surprising ingredient in our homemade sweet and sour sauce that adds a tart, fruity twist.
- Chili garlic sauce: this spicy condiment brings the heat and depth of flavor to our sweet and sour sauce.
- Sriracha: another spicy ingredient that adds a kick and complexity to our sauce.
Variations and Substitutions
There are a few variations and substitutions you can make to customize this air fryer crab rangoon recipe to your liking.
For instance, you’re more than welcome to use imitation crab meat instead of actual crab meat. The recipe is still gonna be scrumptious!
Raspberry jam can also be swapped for apricot jam or marmalade if you prefer a different fruit flavor in the sauce.
And if you prefer a different hot sauce, you can use any of your favorites instead of sriracha. If you want to skip the homemade sweet and sour sauce, any sweet chili sauce of your choice would work!
Want to amp up the flavor even more with some toppings? We recommend green onions, sesame seeds, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for added heat. You can also serve these with a side of soy sauce for dipping if you’d rather.
Tips for Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
- It is important to push out as much air as you can when folding the wrapper. It will stop the wontons from bubbling/blowing up while frying.
- Air-fried rangoons take a bit longer to cook than deep frying. Because of this, we recommend working with colder cream cheese. You could also refrigerate the rangoons before cooking for 10 minutes between steps 2 and 3.
- It’s important to preheat your air fryer before adding the rangoons. This will ensure they cook evenly and have that perfect crispy texture.
Storage + Freezer Directions
Store any leftover crab rangoon in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze, place your homemade crab rangoon in a freezer-safe, airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What to Serve with Crispy Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
While this air fryer crab rangoon would taste fantastic with anything from your favorite Chinese restaurant, we wanted to provide some more unique pairings that bring that “wow” factor. This Simple Cheesy Rice and Cheesy Broccoli is a great example because, let’s be honest, everything tastes better with cheese!
And to freshen things up, our Beet Goat Cheese Salad and Roasted Asparagus Soup are both light yet delicious options that complement the richness of the crab rangoon beautifully.
Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 4 oz. cooked crab meat we used this brand
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 24 wonton wrappers thawed
- Water for sealing
- Cooking oil spray
Easy Sweet & Sour Sauce
- ¼ cup raspberry jam
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
Instructions
- Place the cream cheese, garlic powder, and onion powder into a large bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until everything is well combined. Add the crab and mix together one more time. Set aside.
- Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the corner of one of the wonton wrappers. Dip your fingers in water and wet the outer edge of the wonton wrapper. Fold the wonton wrapper over the cream cheese mixture and seal by pushing out any air bubbles and pinching the edges together. Then, dab water at one of the bottom points and fold it over to the other point, like a wonton hug. Repeat until the filling is gone and you have about 24 rangoons.
- Spray the tops and bottoms of all of the wontons with cooking spray, and set aside.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400℉. Place 4-6 wontons in the air fryer and cook for 3-4 minutes. Continue until you have cooked them all.
- To make the sweet and sour sauce, place all of the ingredients into a small bowl and stir to combine. Serve immediately.
Tips & Notes
- It is important to push out as much air as you can when folding the wrapper. It will stop the wontons from bubbling/blowing up while frying.
- Air-fried rangoons take a bit longer to cook than deep frying. Because of this, we recommend working with colder cream cheese. You could also refrigerate the rangoons before cooking for 10 minutes between steps 2 and 3.
