Air Fryer Pot Stickers (Frozen Dumplings + Gyoza + Wontons)
Here's how to make the BEST crispy air fryer pot stickers with no sugar dipping sauce!
Ingredients
- 1 box frozen potstickers, dumplings, or gyoza (about 8-10 of them; I like these)
- cooking oil spray
- dipping sauce (store-bought or homemade)
To Make Dipping Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 pinch toasted sesame seeds
- ¼ sliced scallion
Instructions
- Mist the air fryer tray or basket with cooking oil spray. Put the frozen potstickers on the prepared tray in a single non-touching layer.
- Generously spray the potstickers with cooking spray. Spray the edges of the dumplings really well so they don't get too hard in the air fryer.
- Put the tray of dumplings in the top rack position of the air fryer (if using an air fryer oven).
- Air fry the dumplings for 5 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Take them out, flip them over, and spray them well with more cooking spray.
- Put the tray back in the air fryer (top rack again) and air fry for 4 minutes more at 400°F (200°C).
- My dumplings with wheat flour wrappers were done at this point. If your potstickers are not cooked to your liking. flip them one last time and spray with cooking spray. Air fry for 2-3 more minutes at 400°F (200°C). (Note: If you're making potstickers with meat or poultry filling, I would use a meat thermometer to ensure the minimum safe internal temperature of 165°F/74°C has been reached.)
- While the dumplings air fry, you can make the dipping sauce. Put the rice vinegar, soy sauce. ginger, and sesame oil in a small canning jar. Put the lid on the jar and shake it up. (If you're using the sauce from the box of dumplings, it often only needs thawing.)
- Serve the dumplings with the dipping sauce. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions and sesame seeds.
Notes
This is a level 3 recipe (transition or weight maintenance). Pot stickers are delicious and packed with umami. As always, foods containing flour get the bump containing level 3. The macronutrient profile of your typical dumpling definitely makes this a level 3 recipe.
Most potstickers have a refined grain wrapper, typically white flour. “Wheat flour” on a food label almost always means white flour, unless the word “whole” is used (i.e., whole wheat flour). Additionally, they may contain refined sugar.
And if the dumplings come with a sauce, that is almost always loaded with added sugar and sodium. What you end up with is an appetizer high in refined carbs with minimal protein. Though there are often some veggies in dumplings, they’re mostly white flour (or white rice flour).
The easiest way to give your dumplings a little boost nutritionally is to make your own dipping sauce. The dipping sauce recipe I’m providing contains no added sugar. If you’re on a low-sodium diet, a peanut sauce with no added salt and minimal or no soy sauce may be a better choice.
Changing up the dipping sauce may seem like a really small thing. However, the little changes we make to improve our health can have a positive impact over time.
For example, cutting out just one teaspoon of white sugar per day adds up to over 7½ cups of sugar per year! (That’s around 5,500 calories.)
Additionally, you might become accustomed to enjoying foods without a lot of added sweetness over time. That can make maintaining your lifestyle change a little easier.
A small (and potentially imperfect!) step towards greater health is almost always better than doing nothing at all. Go for it!
Nutrition information for one serving of the recipe depends on the brand of potstickers you use. Information here is for ½ box of Whole Foods Market Vegetable Potstickers, without the homemade dipping sauce. Fat content is likely higher than listed here, due to the cooking oil spray.
Nutrition
Calories: 185kcalCarbohydrates: 35.5gProtein: 4.5gFat: 3.5gSaturated Fat: 0.5gSodium: 330mgPotassium: 380mgFiber: 1gCalcium: 3% DVIron: 10% DV