Air Fryer Crispy Pot Stickers

These air fryer crispy pot stickers are one of my favorite things to make at home. They come out golden, crunchy, and honestly just as good as what you’d get at a restaurant.

The filling is a simple mix of ground pork, cabbage, and a few aromatics. Nothing fancy, but the flavors come together really well.

What I love about making these in the air fryer is how easy cleanup is. No big pot of oil, no greasy stovetop. Just spray, cook, and you’re done.

They take about 10 minutes to air fry, and the hardest part is really just folding them. Once you get into a rhythm though, it goes fast.

Serve them with some soy sauce and chili oil for dipping and you’ve got a seriously good appetizer or even a full meal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Crispy Without Deep Frying – The air fryer gives these pot stickers an irresistibly crunchy shell without submerging them in oil.

Way Better Than Frozen Store-Bought – Homemade filling with fresh ginger and sesame oil blows any freezer aisle dumpling out of the water.

The Filling Is Perfectly Balanced – Pork and napa cabbage together create a juicy and tender bite that never feels heavy or greasy.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Pork
• 2 cups Napa Cabbage, finely shredded
• 3 Green Onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 1 tsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 package Round Dumpling Wrappers (about 40 wrappers)
• Cooking Spray
• Soy Sauce, for serving
• Chili Oil, for serving

How To Make

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, napa cabbage, green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Mix with your hands or a fork until everything is evenly distributed.

Step 2

Place a dumpling wrapper on a clean work surface. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center. Dip your finger in water and moisten the edges of the wrapper.

Step 3

Fold the wrapper in half over the filling to form a half-moon shape. Pinch the edges tightly to seal, pressing out any air pockets. Create a few small pleats along the sealed edge for a classic look. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Step 4

Preheat the air fryer to 370°F for 2 minutes.

Step 5

Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Arrange the pot stickers in a single layer so they are not touching. Spray the tops of the dumplings lightly with cooking spray.

Step 6

Air fry for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the pot stickers are golden brown and crispy on both sides.

Step 7

Serve the pot stickers immediately with soy sauce and chili oil for dipping.

Tips

Squeeze the Cabbage Dry

After you shred the napa cabbage, sprinkle a pinch of salt on it and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then squeeze it out over the sink with your hands until no more water drips out.

Napa cabbage holds a lot of moisture, and if you skip this step, that water will leak into the filling. Wet filling makes the wrappers soggy and they’ll tear when you try to fold them.

It also means less steam inside the dumpling during cooking, which helps the air fryer actually crisp up the wrapper instead of just steaming it.

Press Out the Air Before You Seal

When you fold the wrapper over the filling, don’t just pinch the edges shut right away. Start from one corner and slowly press the edges together while pushing air out toward the other side.

Trapped air inside the dumpling will puff up the wrapper and pull it away from the filling. That gap means the wrapper won’t crisp evenly, and in some spots it can crack open during cooking.

Take your time with the first few and you’ll get the feel for it quickly.

Don’t Overfill the Wrappers

Stick to about 1 tablespoon of filling per wrapper. It’s tempting to add more, but overfilled dumplings are really hard to seal properly.

If the edges don’t seal tight, the filling will leak out in the air fryer and burn on the basket. You’ll also lose all that juice that keeps the pork moist inside.

A little less filling actually gives you a better ratio of crispy wrapper to savory pork, which is the whole point of making these in the air fryer.

Related Recipes

• Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
• Air Fryer Crispy Sesame Chicken
• Air Fryer Honey Walnut Shrimp
• Air Fryer Mongolian Beef
• Air Fryer Orange Chicken

Frequently Asked Questions

How many pot stickers can I cook at once in the air fryer?

It depends on the size of your air fryer basket, but the key rule is to arrange them in a single layer without any of them touching each other. For most standard air fryers, that means about 8-12 pot stickers per batch.

Overcrowding the basket blocks the airflow, which means they won’t crisp up evenly. It’s better to cook them in a few smaller batches so every pot sticker gets that golden, crunchy exterior.