When you need a quick snack or meal, Air Fryer Frozen Potstickers are the way to go! You only need 2 ingredients and 10 minutes to get hot, crispy dumplings on the table. And an easy, delicious dipping sauce is always a must.
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What Are Potstickers?
Dumplings are one of my favorite comfort foods. But what's the difference between Chinese dumplings, potstickers, and wontons? Well, dumplings are filled with meat and/or vegetables, and can be boiled, steamed, or pan-fried. Potstickers are similar to dumplings but have a thin dough wrapping and crispy fried bottoms. Gyoza is the Japanese version of a potsticker. Wontons, on the other hand, have more of a round filling and are frequently served in broth.
No matter the name, they're all delicious and satisfying! I love having a large pack of dumplings from Costco in the freezer ready for a quick lunch or snack. And air frying them have become my go-to cooking method. It's fuss-free, faster, and uses less oil than conventional or pan frying. Just whip together a quick dip and you're good to go!
Why You'll Love it
- Air frying dumplings uses less oil than deep and pan frying.
- You only need 10 minutes to make this recipe!
- Fry the potstickers straight from the freezer for a hassle-free meal.
- The dipping sauces uses pantry staples and can be easily adjusted to your taste.
Ingredients
- Frozen potstickers: Use any brand you like! I usually get mine from Costco or Trader Joe's. This recipe will work for potstickers, dumplings, gyoza, and wontons. Just avoid air-frying soup filled wontons (xiao long bao) or siu mai because those should be soft. The cook time will vary depending on the size of your dumpling.
- Oil spray: Avocado oil is my favorite oil to cook, fry, and sauté with because of its high smoke point.
For the Dipping Sauce
- Soy sauce: The base of our dipping sauce. Make sure to use low-sodium!
- Sriracha: For a little bit of spice and sweetness. Leave it out if you want non-spicy, or substitute with gochujang or chili oil.
- Sesame oil: For some nuttiness and richness.
- Rice wine vinegar: I find a little vinegar is very much needed to brighten the dip.
- Green onion and toasted sesame seeds: Optional but great for topping.
How To Make It
- Preheat the air fryer. I always preheat my air fryer to get the best texture. Spray the basket with a little bit of oil and turn on the preheating. If your air fryer doesn't have a preheating function, simply turn it on at 350°F and let warm up for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the dumplings. I like to cook my potstickers in a single layer to ensure crispiness. Spray the tops of the dumplings and air fry for 10 minutes.
- Shake halfway. Since each air fryer is different, the cooking time will vary. I have a 6-Quart Instant Vortex and like to take my potstickers out around the 10 minute mark. Check on them after 5 minutes, shake the basket, and continue checking every 2-4 minutes for your preferred doneness.
- Make the sauce. While the potstickers are frying, whisk together the sauce. Add all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk. Season to taste. Option to add hot water if you want to dilute the sauce.
- Serve hot. It's best to serve the potstickers hot or warm. You can dab with a dry napkin to remove some oil if you wish. If making another batch, I usually don't need to add more oil but use your best judgement.
Top Tips
- Don't use a high frying temperature. Cooking the dumplings at a higher temperature like 375°F or 400°F will result in a hard and dry exterior. I've found 350°F to be the golden spot.
- Adjust the time as needed. Air fryers are all different so do a test batch to determine what cooking time works best for your machine. Smaller dumplings or wontons will cook faster as well.
- Use a generous amount of oil. You'll want to spray the basket with oil as well as the dumplings. This ensures a nice, golden coating as opposed to a dry, white, unpleasant texture. Just dab the excess oil with a napkin after cooking if needed.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you don't have spray oil, brush a little oil onto your air fryer basket and dumplings.
- Substitute Sriracha with chili oil or your favorite hot sauce. Make sure to add in a little sugar if needed.
- Try mirin instead of rice wine vinegar for a lighter finish.
- If you want a different kind of dipping sauce, try sweet chili sauce, ponzu, teriyaki, or sesame dressing.
- To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free dumplings like these Feel Good Foods Potstickers. For the dip, replace soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos. Also double check the ingredients in the rice wine vinegar to make sure there isn't any cross-contamination.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: If you have leftover Potstickers that have already been air fried, you can store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, air fry them again at 375°F for 5-8 minutes until crispy again.
Freezing: You could re-freeze them again but the texture could change after you reheat them again. Lay the potstickers on a baking sheet in a single layer and with space in between each one. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes until mostly frozen. Then store in a zip-top bag with as much air removed as possible. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
FAQ
One of the best parts about air frying frozen dumplings is that they don't need to be thawed! Air fry them straight from frozen. But if you accidentally leave them out, you can also cook them thawed - just reduce the cook time by 1-2 minutes.
I love the ones from Trader Joe's (any of them) or the Bibigo Chicken & Cilantro Mini Wontons from Costco. If you're at an Asian market, try any of the ones from Wei Chuan or Prime Foods.
Any frozen foods can be high in sodium so be mindful of the serving size. I also avoid the sauce they come with and prefer to make my own for more control.
What To Serve With Dumplings?
These Air Fryer Frozen Potstickers are great on their own! But I also love serving them on the side of these delicious Asian-inspired meals:
- Rabokki (Tteokbokki + Ramen)
- Better Than Takeout Shrimp Fried Rice
- Vietnamese Turmeric Fish with Dill (Cha Ca La Vong)
- Salmon with Pineapple Salsa and Coconut Rice
- Kimchi and Pork Meatball Stew
📋 Recipe
Air Fryer Frozen Potstickers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb frozen potstickers, dumplings, or wontons
- Oil spray
Dipping Sauce
- 2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sliced green onion
- Toasted sesame seeds to top with
Instructions
- Lightly spray air fryer basket with oil. Preheat at 350°F. If your air fryer doesn't have a preheating function, simply turn it on at 350°F and let warm up for 3-4 minutes.
- When hot, add about ½ of the bag to the basket. Make sure to not overcrowd the air fryer or else they won't crisp. Lightly spray dumplings with oil.
- Air fry for 10-15 minutes, depending on your air fryer and the level of crispness desired. I take mine out at 10-11 minutes. Toaster oven style air fryers may need more time, about 5-10 more minutes. Shake the basket halfway through cooking.
- Set first batch aside and dab with napkin to soak up excess oil if desired. Add second half of the bag and repeat. Serve warm.
Dipping Sauce
- Whisk together all the ingredients. Season to taste and add water 1 tablespoon at a time to dilute if needed.
Notes
- This recipe will work with any brand of frozen dumplings. I do not recommend using shu mai or xiao long bao (soup dumplings) as those are meant to be soft.
- Storing Leftovers: Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: You could re-freeze them again but the texture could change after you reheat them again. Lay the potstickers on a baking sheet in a single layer and with space in between each one. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes until mostly frozen. Then store in a zip-top bag with as much air removed as possible. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Air fry again at 325°F for 5-8 minutes until crispy again or microwave until warm.
- Substitutions/Variations:
- If you don't have spray oil, brush a little oil onto your air fryer basket and dumplings.
- Substitute Sriracha with chili oil or your favorite hot sauce. Make sure to add in a little sugar if needed.
- Try mirin instead of rice wine vinegar for a lighter finish.
- If you want a different kind of dipping sauce, try sweet chili sauce, ponzu, teriyaki, or sesame dressing.
- To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free dumplings like these Feel Good Foods Potstickers. For the dip, replace soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos. Also double check the ingredients in the rice wine vinegar to make sure there isn't any cross-contamination.
Nutrition
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