Pot sticker, potstickers, Chinese dumplings, gyoza, wontons, dumplings…no matter what you call these flavorful bite-sized culinary gems, you’ll never go back to preparing them any other way once you make these Air Fryer Potstickers!
Difference Between Dumpling, Potstickers, Wontons & Gyoza
Potstickers, wontons, gyoza and even dim sum style shumai are all types of dumplings where the main differences are origin, size and cooking method. Chinese dumpling is another common term used which refers to the origin the dumpling, not the type of dumpling. There are also many different types of dumplings not specific to Asian cultures (Instant Pot Chicken & Dumplings, anyone?); potstickers, wontons and gyoza just happen to be specific to Asian cuisine.
Dumplings are most commonly filled with pork, shrimp, seafood, vegetables or a combination.
Can you put frozen potstickers in an air fryer?
Yes, you can put frozen potstickers directly from the freezer into your air fryer. There’s no need to thaw them first, making them a great way to enjoy a meal or appetizer quickly!
Any popular frozen dumpling brand will work including Ling Ling, Tai Pei, Pagoda, P.F. Chang’s, Ajinomoto, and bibigo.
How to Make Air Fryer Frozen Potstickers
An air fryer is easily the best way to reheat frozen dumplings!
- Preheat Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 380 degrees or skip this step and add a few minutes cook time.
- Spray with Oil and Line Up: Spray with cooking spray and placed the place the frozen potstickers in a single layer in the air fryer basket
- Bake in Air Fryer: Air Fry for 6 minutes. Flip each dumpling over and set the timer for another 2-6 minutes until crispy and lightly browned on the outside and heated through.
Of course, it’s also easy to fry them in a hot skillet, but I like being able to set my timer and basically walk away.
How long do you cook air fryer potstickers?
8-10 minutes is a great guideline for cooking frozen air fryer dumplings. However, cooking times will vary based on the size and thickness of your potstickers or dumplings and how hot your air fryer cooks, since they vary. I always cook mine for 6 minutes to start, then I flip them and check them every minute or so. Once they’re golden brown on the outside and the filling is cooked through, they’re ready to be enjoyed!
Note that you can skip preheating your air fryer and add a couple of minutes to the cooking time.
Tips for Making the Best Air Fryer Frozen Dumplings
- Coat with Oil: The most important thing is to use a generous amount of oil. You don’t want your potstickers or frozen dumplings to turn out greasy, yet if you don’t use enough oil the outside will be dry once the inside is cooked through. Spray them well on all sides with cooking spray, then brush with oil when you turn them halfway through the cooking time.
- Air Fry from Frozen: No need to thaw them first! They turn out perfect from frozen so save yourself that step.
- Flip for Best All Around Crispiness: Make sure to flip air fryer potstickers to get them crispy on all sides. You can skip this step but they might not get as crispy (some people prefer them that way).
- Don’t Stack the Dumplings: The dumplings won’t cook evenly and may stick together if not cooked in single layer with spacing.
- Adjust time: Potstickers, wontons, and gyoza come in different sizes and individual air fryer cook times vary. Start with the suggested time and add or reduce time as needed. Cook in 1 minute increments, if adding time.
- Liners: Use air fryer parchment sheet liners or reusable air fryer silicone liner mats. The holes allow for hot air to circulate and cook the food evenly.
Air Fryer Potstickers Dipping Sauces
Potstickers made in the air fryer benefit greatly from having a dipping sauce to serve them with. Most frozen dumplings and potstickers you buy will have a sauce included, but if you’re like me, you’ll run out of the sauce long before the potstickers. Here are some ideas for sauces you can keep on hand, including a quick recipe for a potsticker dipping sauce:
- Hoisin sauce – Go easy on this one as it’s very sweet, but it’s so delicious!
- Duck sauce – Same as the above. It’s sweet but tastes great with potstickers and other types of Asian dumplings.
- Soy Ginger Sauce – Mix about 1/4 cup of soy sauce with a couple of teaspoons freshly minced ginger. Allow it to sit at room temperature while you’re cooking your air fryer potstickers, then add a tiny amount of sesame oil to taste.
- Hot Chili Oil – This one is for the spice lovers out there! Depending on the heat level of the sauce, you might want to go easy and just dip the tip. I love this sauce in combination with any of the others, too.
- Soy Dipping Sauce – This will come closest to what typically comes inside a bag of frozen potstickers. Mix 1/4 cup of soy sauce with 1/2 tsp of rice vinegar, 1/4 tsp sesame oil, and a teaspoon or so of sugar (start with a teaspoon and add a tiny bit more if you prefer it sweeter). You can also add some crushed red pepper for a little heat, and some chopped scallions or sesame seeds if you’ve got some on hand.
You might also like these Air Fryer Brats, Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket, Air Fryer Zucchini or Air Fryer Tater Tots!
Air Fryer Frozen Dumplings and Potstickers
Pot sticker, potstickers, Chinese dumplings, gyoza, wontons, dumplings...no matter what you call these flavorful bite-sized culinary gems, you'll never go back to preparing them any other way once you make them in your air fryer!
Ingredients
- 12-15 frozen dumplings (more or less depending on the size of your air fryer basket)
- cooking spray
- olive oil, for brushing halfway through (optional and only if necessary)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 380°F.
- Carefully place the frozen potstickers or dumplings into the basket of the air fryer, taking care to make sure they're in one layer. Spray them well with cooking spray on all sides (make sure they're completely coated).
- Close the air fryer and set the timer to air fry for 6 minutes. Check the dumplings and lightly brush them with additional oil (either olive oil or give them another coating of cooking spray). Flip each dumpling over and set the timer for another 2-6 minutes until crispy on the outside.
- Check them to see if they're lightly browned on all sides and cooked completely through. Add another minute at a time until they're done to your liking.
- Remove from the air fryer and serve them immediately with the dipping sauce of your choice.
Notes
See the post for dipping sauce ideas!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 307Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 1016mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 7g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
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