Air Fryer Ninja Foodi Crab Rangoon

This air fryer Ninja Foodi crab rangoon recipe is a cheap appetizer using imitation crab and cream cheese blend. Homemade dipping sauce recipe included too.

Air Fryer Crab Rangoon

This was made in a Foodi but any brand of fryer will do. We have a Cosori as well which works about the same. Biggest thing to remember is you want them to be in a single layer when crisping so you get the perfect texture you want.

Overlapping is a no no. You just need a light olive oil spray to get this done. We live in Idaho so fresh crab is a no go. Imitation crab works great for this actually. Makes it a cheap option with that similar flavor you’d get if you could get it easily in Maine. If so though, this is How to Cook Frozen Crab Legs to start with.

Crab Rangoon in Ninja Foodi

For these and this pot you will use the lid that is attached with the air crisp button on the front. Do not overlap them in the basket that came with this machine, so just cook in batches so they come out as crispy as possible.

Let me start by saying that once you get the hang of how these are made you can fill them with everything! Seriously I mean you could make a version of our cheesecake egg rolls instead with basically the same timing and instructions. Sweet or savory inside can turn them from an appetizer, easy side dish to a dinner or dessert.

I used to eat “fake crab” all the time in college. It has tons of flavor, protein, and is so incredibly cheap that it was just my go to. Now that I have kids who love fish they too snack on it after school and just can’t get enough. Cut into smaller chunks works well to add into this filling, you’ll need;

Ingredients

1. Softened cream cheese
2. Chopped fresh, imitation crab, or canned crab looks similar to tuna
3. Diced green onions is great but not necessary
4. Square wonton wrappers you can find in the refrigerated section at the grocery store
5. Spray of olive oil will make the outside crispy

We will share a great Sriracha dipping sauce recipe below too. Soy sauce is a favorite choice too.

You can also make your own homemade egg roll wrappers if you’d like and just make them smaller in size. Buying them at the store saves a lot of time for me. To deep fry them you’d just heat the oil and drop them inside. For that method the tops would need to be REALLY sealed well so the crab mixture wouldn’t seep out.

How to Stuff Won Ton Wrappers

• Chop sticks of imitation crab meat into smaller pieces. Add them into a small bowl with room temp. cream cheese and diced green onions if you want to add those.
  • A pinch of salt and pepper can be thrown in as well. Use a fork to blend together.
• Preheat your machine to 360 degrees F. for 5 minutes.
• On a cutting board lay down won ton square wrappers. Spoon about 1 tsp. of crab meat cream cheese filling into the center of each wonton wrapper.
  • Wet your finger tip and touch all 4 edges of the wrapper. Fold them up together and gently squeeze so it seals at the top and doesn’t unravel.
  • You could just wet 2 edges and fold into triangles to seal shut instead if you preferred.
• Spray inside of your air fryer basket with non stick spray and lay inside without overlapping them. Spray tops with olive oil and close basket.
• Air fry them at 360 degrees F for about 6 minutes cook time (will vary slightly depending on size and machine) or until the outsides are as golden brown as you’d like

How this will vary if you use a different machine than that one you see here. First off if yours is a lot smaller without the pressure cooker function it will likely take less time. I say it will take 6-8 minutes just because I don’t want you walking away and assuming 8 is the least time. It would be awful to make all of these and then have them burnt.

What is the difference between crab rangoon and cream cheese wontons?

These are both popular appetizers, typically served at Asian restaurants. While they share similarities, such as using crispy fried wrappers and both filled with cream cheese. The primary difference lies in the ingredients and flavor profile beyond that. Rangoon includes crab meat and additional ingredients like garlic, Worcestershire sauce, scallions, or soy sauce too. The other is meatless with typically a bit of sugar, scallions, or garlic powder inside.

Before you jump to recipe card below take note of the sauce we served these with first. You likely have everything you need at home to make it and it’s wonderful.

Crab Rangoon Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 tsp paprika and garlic salt
• 1/2 c mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Sriracha, or more if you want it hotter
• One tbsp white wine vinegar

Some like a fresh squeeze of lime inside the dipping sauce too. Fiddle around with it to see how you like it best. Some like fiery hot spicy foods where others are all about mild (me). You could also add red pepper flakes and/or chili powder for that element.

How Long to Air Fry Crab Rangoon

This is at 8 minutes with this larger pot with a bigger area that has to heat up. Perfect on our end but if it’s too brown for you then just decrease. The nice thing about any and all of these small kitchen appliances is that you can open them easily whenever and as often as you feel like.

Unlike an Instant Pot where it is sealed solid and will not open to check how things are going you can pull out the drawer (or lift the lid) to peek. Close it back up and it will continue cooking when you do. Unless you are baking something like a cake that will deflate if you do, there isn’t really any harm to keep an eye on it.

You can use these same wrappers to fill with ground beef and some cabbage too for dinner. For that recipe follow our air fryer won tons instructions. In it a bit of soy, Worcestershire sauce, ground beef and cole slaw mix was used as a filling. Gave an Asian flare to them that was a fun finger food for the kids as a change to burgers.

Other Air Fryer Finger Foods You’ll Love

We love having a finger food dinner for sure. If you have kids this is a way to make you a super hero of the household. Picking every item up and not using forks just makes every meal fun. You can use up any extra meat you may have to make crab deviled eggs to enjoy too. Those are absolutely delicious too.

Need other ideas for filling? We’ve got a few like making a version of our sloppy joe egg rolls inside, or even pizza egg roll filling is killer and my kids’ favorite. Have another idea for goodness? Let us know so we can try that next go around as a family.