Typically, when you deep fry foods, you want the temperature of the oil to be between 350ºF and 375ºF (175ºC and 190ºC). For this recipe, it is better to fry the wontons at lower heat–somewhere between 305ºF to 315ºF (150ºC to 157ºC). I found that the two ends of the wontons burn very easily when frying the wontons at a higher temperature. 

If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test the heat of the oil two ways. Take a bamboo chopstick or spatula, and insert it into the wok (skillet or saucepan) with the oil. Make sure the chopstick or spatula is touching the bottom of the wok (or skillet or saucepan). When you see tiny bubbles forming around the chopstick/spatula, the oil is hot enough for frying. If the tiny bubbles are bubbling very rapidly and intensely, the oil might be too hot. Wood chopsticks and spatulas work too but not as well for this test.

Another way to test the oil is to have an extra wonton wrapper on hand. Rip off half of the wonton and insert it in the oil. If the wrapper starts bubbling in the oil, then it is hot enough to add the other wontons. If the wrapper turns brown immediately, then the oil is likely too hot. You should turn off the heat and wait a few minutes before frying the wontons. 

Technically, yes, but the texture of air-fried wontons is not as good as deep-fried wontons. The photo above shows how the wontons looked during my air fryer test. I sprayed the wontons with cooking spray before adding them to the air fryer. Then, I cooked them at 350ºF (175ºC) for 5 minutes. Notice how the center of the wontons barely browned during the air frying process. The wontons barely got any crunchy texture on them.

These wontons reheat incredibly well in the air fryer. If you are reheating room-temperature wontons, reheat them at 350ºF (170ºC) for 2 to 3 minutes. If you are reheating chilled wontons from the fridge, reheat them at 350ºF for 3 to 4 minutes. I should also note that the air fryer I use is a Cosori air fryer (affiliate link), and it’s a pull-out basket style. The time may vary if you use a multi-function toaster-oven air fryer. 

If you have any wrappers left over, use this recipe to turn them into crunchy cups! You can spoon salads into the cups to turn them into party appetizers. The wonton cups will stay crunchy for weeks!

LOOKING FOR MORE DUMPLINGS?

• Asian Chicken Salad Wonton Cups