How to Cook Dumplings in the Air Fryer

I love dumplings, and I can even make them from scratch, but there are times when I cook frozen dumplings in my air fryer, especially when I’m running late to work.

After a year of trying different recipes in my air fryer, I can say that the air fryer can cook anything with little to no oil.

Frozen Dumplings or Potstickers are the best, considering they take only 5 minutes to cook, and you can have them with some hot and sweet sauce or on their own.

In this recipe, I do not use oil; I directly place the dumplings in my air fryer basket and reheat them.

If you like, you can spray some cooking oil on top of them, but I like them without oil, so it is a matter of personal preference here.

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I had this sweet and spicy sauce with my dumplings, so in case you are wondering, a quick sauce that you never have to make and can put on everything; then get that one!

WHY THIS AIR FRYER RECIPE IS THE BEST!

1. Time efficient- This recipe is quick, it takes 5 minutes, and you are good to go. Pair it with the ready-to-eat sauce I recommend, and you will never go back to eating potstickers or dumplings with any other sauce.

2. Uses very little oil- This way of cooking dumplings will give you the fried effect without using any oil. Using oil is optional here, and I know many people suggest using it, but I like mine without it, so the choice is yours.

3. Hands-off Cooking- This is the most hands-off cooking ever; you do not have to wait for the water to boil to steam the dumplings or stand and fry them. You have to check on the dumplings midway, and the rest is taken care of in the air fryer.

INGREDIENTS

• A Pack of frozen dumplings
• Oil(optional)
• Air fryer (I’m using a Philips air fryer for this recipe)

How much Cooking spray is needed for this recipe?

If you are using oil, spray it on top of the dumplings and lightly coat them. 2-3 Oil sprays should do the trick.

FROZEN POTSTICKERS(dumplings) AIR FRYER COOKING TIPS

1. Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket; this would lead to uneven cooking of the dumplings. Cook in a single-layer arrangement of the potstickers, and if you have a lot to cook, then it is better to cook in batches.

2. You can use oil to get a more crispy finish outside. This way, if you cook for a minute or so longer, your dumplings will not get dry. I like it without oil, but this is a good tip if you are picky about the texture.

I use oil on the air fryer basket, so the dumplings do not stick to the basket, but I do not spray oil all over the dumplings.

3. If the dumplings are frozen, you do not need to thaw them; arrange them in the air fryer and start cooking.

Try cooking dumplings with and without oil, and let me know which one you like better in the comments!

How to make frozen dumplings in the air fryer

1. Place the dumplings in the air fryer and make sure you do not overcrowd the basket. Keep the dumplings limited to a single layer.

2. Now, set the air fryer temperature to 350°F and cook the dumplings for about 3 minutes. Once done for three minutes, I usually open the air fryer and check on them, and if everything is going great, I cook for additional two minutes.

3. After 5 minutes, I take out the dumplings, and they are ready to eat!

Yes, cooking dumplings in an air fryer is as easy as once you know the temperature and time needed, you may not even have to check halfway.

As a beginner, I recommend checking, but once you are well versed with which brand of frozen dumplings takes how long, you would not need to do that step.

HOW TO PREPARE THE DUMPLING DIPPING SAUCE

Ingredients you need-
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp Brown Sugar
4 minced Garlic
1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
2 finely chopped Green Chillis(this is to make it hot, you can also add freshly pounded chili paste)
Spring Onion(add as much as you want to)
Salt(add it in the end if needed)

You can make this sauce else, as I suggested, you can go with the store-bought sauce. Making this sauce is easy if you have all the ingredients on hand.

POTSTICKERS VS GYOZA VS DUMPLINGS VS WONTONS

Dumpling is a broad term for any recipe that has dough with meat or vegetable fillings. So potstickers, gyoza, and wontons are all a kind of dumpling.

Potstickers are Chinese dumplings that have thin wrappers with pork and cabbage filling. They are steam fried, which gives them a crispy base yet keeps them juicy, so they taste good in every bite.

Gyoza is a Japanese dumpling and very similar to potstickers.

It has thin wrappers with finely chopped filling, and it usually has a mix of pork, shiitake mushroom, and cabbage. They are pan-fried to get a nice crispy bottom.

Wantons are Chinese Dumplings, and these have a different dough and are circular and go well with soups. It has a shrimp-based filling, and it is boiled and not fried.

HOW TO REHEAT DUMPLINGS IN AIR FRYER

If you have leftover cooked dumplings, you can store them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and pop them back in the air fryer at 350°F for 1-2 minutes.

How long does it take to cook frozen potstickers in the air fryer

It should not take longer than 5 minutes. I think more than that; your potstickers can get dry because the potsticker’s wrappers are very thin.

You do not want to burn your potstickers as well, so make sure that you keep checking your potstickers after the 5-minute mark.

SHOULD I THAW THE DUMPLINGS FIRST?

Never thaw the dumplings, as they are best when taken directly from the freezer and cooked in the air fryer.

I never thaw anything frozen before I put it in the air fryer, and I recommend you do the same to get the best results and save time.

HOW TO COOK TRADER JOE’S FROZEN Potstickers IN THE AIR FRYER?

Many out there love Trader Joe’s potstickers, and I thought I would address how to cook them in this question.

You cook them the same way you would cook other potstickers; most do not take more than 5-6 minutes.

I would also like to specify that I use a Philips air fryer, and it gets hot very quickly, and I do not need to preheat it, if your air fryer needs preheating, then you can do that.

But for most of the air fryers, the times and temperatures suggested here work!

CAN I AIR-FRY RAW FROZEN DUMPLINGS?

Yes, you can air fry raw, frozen dumplings inside the air fryer. I have made them myself, and depending on the thickness of the wrapper or dough, your air fryer cooking time will vary.

I still recommend going with the same 350°F temperature, but if you use a spring roll wrapper thin cover, then it would be done within 4 minutes.

However, if the dough is thicker, you can expect the time to go anywhere between 5-10 minutes.

I do not recommend having a thick dough on your dumplings as that would prolong the cooking time, make sure to use thin wrappers, and you will be done cooking it in 5-10 minutes.

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