Air Fryer Dumplings

Air fryer dumplings are one of my favorite shortcuts for turning a bag of frozen dumplings into a quick lunch, snack, or appetizer. You can cook them straight from frozen, no thawing or boiling first, and they come out hot inside with crispy, golden wrappers.

I’ve made these with everything from thicker Chinese potstickers to thin Japanese gyoza, and the biggest thing I’ve learned is that they don’t all cook exactly the same way. Thicker dumplings may need a little water in the air fryer to help the filling heat through without drying out the wrapper, while thin gyoza cook quickly and can burn if you leave them in too long.

I especially like making these for a quick lunch to pack for my daughter. Add dumpling sauce and chili crisp on the side, and they’re ready in about 15 minutes.

What Kind of Frozen Dumplings Work?

I’ve tested this method with potstickers, Japanese gyoza, and Chinese dumplings, and all of them work well in the air fryer. You’ll just need to adjust the cooking time slightly depending on the size and thickness of the dumplings.

One of my favorites is Ling Ling Chicken and Vegetable Potstickers from Costco. They’re larger and have a thicker wrapper, so they benefit from the full cooking time and a little water in the air fryer.

I’ve also tested Ajinomoto Japanese Style Gyoza, which have a much thinner wrapper. They cook faster and don’t need added water. Keep an eye on them toward the end because the thin wrappers can go from crispy to too brown fairly quickly.

You don’t have to use either of these brands. The more important thing is to look at the size and thickness of your dumplings and use the recipe time as a starting point.

Please scroll ⬇️ to the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

Do You Need to Add Water?

It depends on the dumpling.

For larger dumplings with thicker wrappers, I add about 1–2 tablespoons of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket or the bottom tray of my air fryer oven. The extra moisture helps the filling heat through while keeping the wrapper from becoming too dry.

For thin-wrapper dumplings such as Japanese gyoza, I don’t add water. They cook quickly enough without it.

If you’re trying a new brand for the first time, check the package cooking instructions for clues on how to adjust the air fryer method. If the stovetop directions call for adding water to steam the dumplings, I recommend adding a little water to the air fryer as well. Start checking the dumplings early and adjust the cooking time as needed. Air fryers vary, and a small, thin gyoza will cook much faster than a large, thick potsticker.

How to Air Fry Frozen Dumplings

There’s no need to thaw the dumplings first. Take them straight from the freezer and arrange them in a single layer in your air fryer basket or tray.

Leave a little space between each dumpling so the hot air can circulate. How many you can cook at once depends on your air fryer. I can fit about 12 dumplings in my Cosori Max XL basket, while my Instant Pot Omni Plus air fryer oven can hold roughly twice as many.

Lightly spray or brush the dumplings with avocado oil or another high-heat cooking oil. Make sure you get oil on the exposed wrapper rather than just spraying the basket—this helps the outside get evenly crisp instead of dry.

If you’re cooking thick-wrapper dumplings, add 1–2 tablespoons of water to the bottom of the basket or tray.

Air fry at 375°F for 8–10 minutes, flipping the dumplings halfway through. Flipping helps prevent the bottoms from getting too dark while giving the other sides a chance to crisp.

Start checking smaller or thin-wrapper dumplings before the full cooking time. Larger potstickers may need closer to 10 minutes.

Can You Air Fry Cooked Dumplings?

Yes. I’ve also used the air fryer to crisp up previously steamed, refrigerated store-bought dumplings, and it works well.

Since the filling is already cooked and you’re primarily reheating and crisping the wrapper, they generally won’t need as much time as frozen dumplings. Check them early and remove them once the center is hot and the wrapper is crisp.

This is also a good way to revive leftover steamed dumplings that have become soft in the refrigerator.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Dumplings

I usually serve these with dumpling dipping sauce and chili crisp. The savory dipping sauce works with just about any filling, while chili crisp adds heat and extra flavor.

For a light lunch, you can serve the dumplings on their own with dipping sauce or add something fresh like Korean Cucumber Salad. If you’re serving them as part of a larger meal, Garlic Bok Choy is another easy vegetable side that doesn’t require much extra work.

Storage and Reheating

Air fryer dumplings are best right after cooking, when the wrappers are at their crispiest.

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Instead of microwaving them, I prefer putting them back in the air fryer for a few minutes. It warms the filling while helping the wrapper crisp up again.

The same method works well for previously steamed refrigerated dumplings. Just remember that cooked dumplings need less time than frozen ones.

These air fryer dumplings are an easy recipe to keep in your back pocket when you have a bag of frozen dumplings in the freezer. Once you’ve made your favorite brand a couple of times, you’ll know whether it needs a little extra water or a shorter cooking time, and you can adjust the method to get them just the way you like them.

RECIPE