At risk of becoming “the water lady,” I have to say that a bit of water in the air fryer makes a world of difference. Keep reading to see what I mean.
How to Cook Dumplings in an Air Fryer
If you love to cook your dumplings with almost zero supervision and a satisfying crunch, you can cook them in an air fryer. When we first tried this method, we did it the way that seemed to be the accepted convention—brush or spray the uncooked dumplings with oil, and bake at various temperatures until crispy. Yet, something was bothering us. Our results—and all the aforementioned air fryer dumpling recipes—seemed rather…dry. When it comes to air frying, you can sometimes not only overcook your food, but really dry it out. Such was the pitfall with our first air fryer dumpling attempts. When we cook pan-fried dumplings with the crispy bottoms in a pan, we start the dumplings with oil, but then add water to steam them. The water cooks off, and then you’re left with those golden crispy bottoms AND tender cooked dumpling wrappers on the top. This is the conventional method. So I decided to apply the same logic to cooking them in the air fryer, and it worked much better! The result is almost like a reversed pan-fried dumpling. The bottom is more tender and the top of the dumpling has a super crunchy ridge of pleats that will definitely satisfy any crunch cravings you may have. Just see for yourself the difference between the “no water” air fried dumplings and the partially steamed air fried dumplings! Another win for mashing up traditional Chinese cooking methods with more modern techniques!
A Convenient Method for Air Fryer Fans
If I’m being 100% honest, the jury is still out in our family on this technique. Sarah insists that cooking a pan of dumplings on the stove is not only better (it is, for the record) but also easier. Pork, chicken, beef, seafood fillings—no matter the dumpling, you can cook it in the air fryer. Check out our full list of dumpling filling recipes. And don’t forget to make a batch of our Perfect Dumpling Sauce and Chili Oil to go alongside! Sarah’s right in that the air fryer technique is more a substitute for deep-frying than for pan-frying, which remains king in our books. The resulting dumpling is really for those who prioritize crunch over juiciness. On the issue of ease, though, some of us disagreed. If you forget a pan of dumplings on the stove it’s quite easy to accidentally burn them, ruining the whole batch. With the air fryer, you get the benefit of a built-in timer that stops the cooking process. While the dumplings are going, you can tend to other things, whether that be your kids, your pets, or that show you’ve been binge watching.
So here are the pros and cons of this technique:
Pros: If you don’t care as much about the crunch, you can back off on the cook time by 2 minutes or so.
Very little supervision required No flipping needed to get high crisp coverage on the dumpling (if you want a crispy-all-over pan-fried dumpling, you do need to flip them) Whereas pan-fried dumplings are crispy, these get cronchy
Cons:
Brushing each dumpling can be a little tedious. To make things easier, you might consider getting an oil spray. With less moisture in the air fryer, these are not as juicy as dumplings that have been steamed, boiled, or pan-fried the traditional way.
How to Cook Dumplings in an Air Fryer: Instructions
Place the dumplings in your air fryer basket. Space them apart so there’s about a 1/4 to ½-inch (1cm) of room or so between them. If using frozen dumplings, do not thaw before cooking. Brush or spray the dumplings on all sides with a thin coat of oil. Use your fingers to sprinkle the dumplings with ¼ cup water using a flicking motion. For any last bits that you can’t splash on, just pour into the base of the air fryer basket. Air-fry at 400°F/200°C for 10-12 minutes if using fresh dumplings, or 12-14 minutes for frozen (depending on size and number of dumplings). For a smaller number of dumplings (e.g., for one person), air-fry them for the shorter end of the time range. Because the air fryer basket is not as full, they will cook faster. There’s no need to preheat the air fryer; just let it go. We find that you don’t have to flip the dumplings during cooking either, making the process that much easier. Serve with our perfect dumpling sauce for dipping!
