Make the healthier version of crab rangoon with melty cheese, sweet crab meat, and oniony scallion against the crispy wonton wrappers with your air fryer.
Last year my husband started using the air fryer for half of his meals. After seeing how well the Porto’s Bakery bake-at-home food came out, we began switching most of our deep fried recipes to the air fryer. One that we enjoy during crab season is crab rangoon. Here’s our healthier version with fresh crab meat, cream cheese, and scallion wrapped in wonton wrappers and air fried until crisp and delicious.
What is Crab Rangoon
Although crab rangoon has its name rooted in colonial Burma, it is 100 percent an American invention. Cream cheese was pretty much non-existent in Southeast Asian and East Asian cuisines until recently. Crab rangoon started appearing on the menus at Asian restaurants in the 1950s and became a popular appetizer at many Chinese and Thai restaurants.
Ingredient Notes
- Crab: for this recipe, I used fresh Dungeness crab. You can also use swimmer crab, rock crab, or stone crab. The meat from fresh crab is sweet and more delicate than canned ones.
- Cream cheese: for a healthier version, I used Neufchatel cream cheese which is lower in fat compared to regular cream cheese. Feel free to use regular cream cheese if you don’t mind the calories.
- Scallions: Scallions are a member of the Allium family and commonly used in Asian cooking. They have two distinct parts, the white bottoms and the green shoots on top. The flavor of the bottom white section resembles the flavor of an onion while the green parts also taste oniony but have an additional fresh, grassy flavor. For this recipe, use only the green parts.
- Wonton wrappers: look for wonton wrappers, not dumpling wrappers. My favorite is the Hong Kong style wrappers characterized by its thin and square-shaped yellow wrapper.
How Much Filling to Put for Each Wrapper
I used about half a tablespoon of filling for each wrapper. For the recipe, I was able to get 6 crab rangoon per 1 ounce of filling. The max amount I would put is two teaspoons otherwise you risk overfilling them and the filling bursting out during the cooking process.
How to Fold Crab Rangoon
Take one wonton wrapper and place it in the palm of your hand. Place half a tablespoon of filling in the center. Lightly moisten the edges with egg white. Full the opposite corners of the wrapper into the middle over the filling then press the edges together to seal.
Repeat the process until you're done with all the filling.
Tips for Air Frying
- Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with a non-stick spray
- Lay the crab rangoon in a single layer. I only put 8 of them per batch.
- I have the Instant Pot Duo Crisp. The cooking time might be different if you have a different air fryer. Air fry the crab rangoon at 375 degrees F for 8 minutes.
- Add another 2 minutes if the crab rangoon are not golden brown and crisp.
Can I Freeze Crab Rangoon
You can freeze them before or after air frying. Place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer for 2 hours. Once they are frozen, put them in a freezer bag and store in the freezer until ready to use them. For uncooked crab rangoon, air fry them similar to the recipe. For cooked crab rangoon, air fry them straight from the freezer at 375 degrees F for 6 minutes.
The air fryer transformed these crab rangoon into parcels of deliciousness without a big pot of spattering oil to deal with. You’re in for a treat with melty cream cheese, sweet crab meat, and oniony scallion against the crispy wonton wrappers. Dunk them in the sweet chili dipping sauce and you won’t be able to stop with just one!
Healthy Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
Equipment
- Instant Pot Duo Crisp Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 ounces freshly picked crab meat
- 2 ounces cream cheese, room temp
- 2 tablespoons sliced scallion (green parts only)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 24 square wonton wrappers, preferably made with egg, thaw
- 1 egg white for sealing the wontons
- olive oil spray for
- cilantro for garnish
- Thai sweet chili dipping sauce for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together crab meat, cream cheese, green onion, and salt until well combined.
- Line a baking with parchment paper.
- Fill a small bowl with egg white.
- Working with one wonton wrapper at a time, place half a tablespoon of filling in the center.
- Use a brush or your finger and brush the egg white around the edges.
- Bring the opposite corners of the wrapper up to meet each other and gently pinch them together.
- Bring the two remaining corners of the wrapper up to meet the other corners and pinch all four corners together removing any air and seal it into an X shape at the top.
- Transfer the crab rangoon to the baking sheet and cover it with a towel while you're finishing the rest.
- Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with the olive oil spray.
- Working in batches, coat the wontons on all sides with olive oil spray and arrange 8 in a single layer in the air fryer basket making sure they don't touch.
- Insert the basket ino the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Attach the air fryer lid.
- Press the Air Fry button and set the temperature for 375 degrees F for 8 minutes then press Start.
- When the cooking time is done, add 2 more minutes if the wontons are not golden brown and crispy.
- Use tongs to remove the crab rangoon and transfer them to a serving plate.
- Cook the remaining crab rangoon until you're done.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve with Thai sweet chili dipping sauce.
Notes
- I have the Instant Pot Duo Crisp. The cooking time might be different if you have a different air fryer. Air fry the crab rangoon at 375 degrees F for 8 minutes.
- You can freeze them before or after air frying. Place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer for 2 hours. Once they are frozen, put them in a freezer bag and store in the freezer until ready to use them. For uncooked crab rangoon, air fry them similar to the recipe. For cooked crab rangoon, air fry them straight from the freezer at 375 degrees F for 6 minutes.
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