Why You Should Make Crab Rangoon In Your Air Fryer

If you're a fan of American Chinese cuisine, then there's a chance the well-known appetizer, crab rangoon, is part of the Chinese food order you have written in your phone notes. The crab rangoon is a staple to anyone familiar with American Chinese food, per TODAY, and rightfully so. It has three simple ingredients: fried wontons, cream cheese, and imitation crab (via Atlas Obscura). Nothing is better than dipping the crunchy appetizer in the sweet and sour sauce for a burst of flavor and cheesiness in one bite.

The origins of crab rangoon are a little jumbled, but it most likely started at the end of World War II when tiki culture really began to take off. Atlas Obscura details that the dish was created at Trader Vic's, a tiki bar and restaurant that was opened in 1934 by owner Victor Bergeron. Sometime in the '40s, Bergeron began experimenting with wonton wrappers and decided to stuff them with cream cheese as this condiment also rose in popularity throughout American cuisine.  

If there is one thing we know about crab rangoon, it's that it has an undeniable crunch from the fried wontons. That crispy outer layer may be hard to muster when making the dish at home — but, lucky for us, there's a trendy kitchen must-have that can help us with that.

Whether the crab rangoon is shaped like a samosa, tortellini, or the iconic wonton shape with all four corners folded in, we know what we are getting ourselves into when making the dish at home. The cheese can make it challenging to put in oil, and there's a chance the wontons won't hold together. However, if your kitchen is equipped with an air fryer, let your worries subside.

Here's what you need to know about your air fryer. Since it uses quick hot-air circulation, this appliance doesn't usually require as much oil and high temperatures as regular oil-frying in a pan does. The air fryer can give the dish that same crunch without soaking it in mounds of oil. You also don't have to worry about oil splashing on you or the crab rangoon possibly falling apart once you drop it. With the air fryer, they can sit upright in the basket and get fried with an even, well-distributed crunch. 

The air fryer sets you up for success with this crispy, creamy dish, and now you can give any crab rangoon recipe a go with this efficient kitchen tool. Instead of the hassle and possibility of getting burned by oil, switch out the frying step by adding your wontons to the air fryer instead. Cook them at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. And voila, you have yourself some homemade crab rangoon, courtesy of your handy-dandy air-frying device.