The perfect crunch that comes from biting into a crispy fried wonton is one of those experiences that make us love food. Like gyoza, dumplings, and potstickers, wontons consist of delicious fillings of meat, seafood, and vegetables wrapped in delicate dough. When fried to golden perfection, they are an irresistible treat. The crispy crunch on the outside paired with the tender, juicy flavor burst on the inside are a match made in heaven. But if you’ve ever tried your hand at cooking them only to end up with an exploded mess of wonton guts, then you may prefer to shy away from a quick fix at home and lean toward restaurant-made wontons whenever you get the chance.
But that doesn’t have to be the case. Expertly cooked wontons (the kind that don’t explode!) are absolutely attainable at home. All you need is a little know-how to deliver the perfectly fried snacks every time, and your air fryer is just the tool to help you do just that. You can cook just about anything in one, including a tender yet flaky pie crust, so it’s no surprise that an air fryer is actually the key to achieving crispy, unexploded wontons — that and a few important prep tips we’ll get to in just a bit. This handy kitchen appliance allows you to perfectly control the cooking temperature by keeping it between 350 and 375 degrees, thus assuring the temperature doesn’t get too hot, which can cause an unpleasant explosions.
Proper preparation provides extra protection
Now that we’ve established that an air fryer is your best friend when it comes to making wontons at home, let’s explore the prep mistakes that will help guarantee your success, because even with the perfect tools, mistakes — or rather, explosions — can still happen. Ultimately, it boils down to a few simple issues. Either you’ve got too much filling in your wonton wrapper, or you’ve got too much liquid. If you’ve got too much good stuff packed into the wrapper, it will have nowhere to go as it cooks. Similarly, as the wontons cook, the moisture trapped inside starts to turn to steam. That steam will continue to expand as the wonton heats up and if it runs out of room, kapow! Wonton guts everywhere and no golden delicious bites to munch on. To keep your filling inside and your wrappers intact, make sure you’ve removed excess moisture from your ingredients before you fill your wrappers. Ensure the filling is evenly spread out and that you have equal amounts inside each wonton, then gently press out any air pockets before sealing the edges for frying.
And if you are using a frozen variety, you can still have success making beautiful wontons in the air fryer. Assuming you have purchased quality wontons, you don’t have to worry about filling problems causing them to explode. But there are still easy-to-make mistakes you’ll want to avoid, like not following the instructions on the package when it comes to things like not overfilling the fryer basket. By giving your wontons plenty of space, they will get adequate air flow and cook more evenly, thus preventing the dreaded explosion during the process.
