Frozen dumplings in the air fryer actually worked, who knew

I've been skeptical about putting anything frozen besides fries in my air fryer since I got it, but my wife convinced me to try her freezer dumplings last night after our steamer broke. I set it to 380 degrees for like 12 minutes, shook the basket halfway, and they came out crispy on the outside with the filling fully cooked through. Do you guys have a go-to time for frozen potstickers or dumplings, or is it always a game of trial and error?

2 comments

2 Comments

ninas671mo ago

My 380 degrees always leaves the bottoms a little scorched on mine, idk if it's just my air fryer running hot or what. I do 360 for 14 minutes now and flip them at the halfway point, which gets the wrappers golden without that burnt taste. Also make sure you spray the basket even if it says nonstick, because dumpling dough will find any spot to stick. The filling being fully cooked is always my worry too, so I usually cut one open before I serve them. Maybe try dropping the temp a bit next time and see if you get an even crispier result.

patricia5581mo ago

The 9 minute mark is where I see most people go wrong honestly, because that's when the steam starts to really build up inside the wrapper and it can get that soggy middle if you don't let it finish right. I found that if I do a quick 5 minute preheat with nothing in the basket, then put the dumplings in at 375 for 8 minutes, then drop it down to 350 for the last 6, the bottoms come out way more even. @ninas67, that scorching is probably your air fryer's heating element being closer to the basket than you think, so moving the rack down or just putting a piece of parchment under them helps a ton. Also I stopped worrying about the filling being raw by using a meat thermometer on the thickest one, hits 165 and it's done for sure. The secret nobody talks about is to let them rest for 3 full minutes after they come out, because the inside keeps cooking and the bottom firms up so it's not mushy.