Crab rangoons are a delicious food commonly served in American-Chinese fusion cuisine. They consist of a creamy crab-based mixture that is stuffed inside light wonton wrappings and then fried. This results in a crispy dumpling-type dish filled with a decadent crab mixture. It’s safe to say that this is one of the most popular items on most Chinese restaurants’ menus.
However, like most food, crab rangoons are not known for reheating very well. Since they are fried in oil, they can quickly become soggy when stored in the refrigerator. To reduce this sogginess and return them to their original crispy state, it is important to reheat them correctly.
The best ways to reheat crab rangoons are using the air fryer, in the oven, in the microwave, and on the stovetop. Out of all of these methods, the air fryer is generally considered the best as it produces crispy crab rangoons in a matter of minutes without any extra oil.
Is It Safe to Reheat Crab Rangoons?
It is definitely safe to reheat crab rangoons. Since they need to be cooked before they’re eaten, there is no danger in heating them up.
The only issue that you could encounter when reheating crab rangoons is if they have been saved for too long. You can keep crab rangoons in the refrigerator for up to 3 days without having any issues with them spoiling.
If you keep them in the fridge for longer than three days, they could begin to spoil which could result in serious foodborne illness.
The same could occur if the crab rangoons were left at room temperature at any point for more than two hours. After perishable food is left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours rapid bacterial growth occurs. This can result in food spoiling and becoming unsafe to consume.
As long as proper food safety measures have been taken, there are no safety issues associated with reheating crab rangoons.
How Do You Reheat Crab Rangoons?
There are multiple methods that you can use to reheat crab rangoons. The most popular are the air fryer, oven, microwave, and in a pan on the stovetop.
1. Air Fryer
One of the most popular, and quite possibly the best, methods for reheating crab rangoons is to use an air fryer. Since crab rangoons are normally fried to achieve their light and crispy outer layer, they tend to not keep well. When stored in the refrigerator, the wrapping can absorb water making them lose their crunch.
Using an air fryer is a great way to counteract the effects of storing crab rangoons in the fridge without refrying them in oil. The hot air lets the wrapping crisp up again without needing to add extra oil.
Using an air fryer is also one of the faster ways to reheat a batch of crab rangoons. In just a few short minutes, you can have crispy hot crab rangoons that are ready to be eaten again.
- Preheat Air Fryer to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit
First, you will preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. There should be a preheat setting on your air fryer and the entire preheating process should only take around 3-5 minutes. This is one of the things that makes air frying much faster than the other methods.
Frozen Crab Rangoons
If you are using frozen crab rangoons, now is a perfect time to let them thaw if you haven’t already. If you place frozen crab rangoons directly into the air fryer they won’t cook evenly and can have a chewy texture.
- Place Crab Rangoons in Air Fryer
After the air fryer has finished preheating it is time to place the rangoons in the air fryer. When you do this make sure to place them right side up on the tray. This will help to make sure that all sides of the crab rangoon end up crispy and prevent the filling from leaking out.
You should also make sure to spread them out so the sides are not touching. If the crab rangoons are too close together, the crab rangoons could remain soggy and won’t get evenly crisped up in the fryer.
- Air Fry for 5 Minutes
Now that all your crab rangoons are evenly spread out you will heat them for about 5 minutes. You don’t need to flip them during this time.
You will know that they are done when the wrapping is crispy all around and all of the dumplings are hot to the touch.
Make sure to let them cool down slightly before eating them. The filling of the crab rangoon will be extremely hot when they are removed from the air fryer and eating them right away could result in burns.
2. Oven
Another good method for reheating crab rangoons is using the oven. This method will take the longest, both for the preheating and the actually reheating part. Therefore, if you are in a hurry, you may want to stick to one of the other methods.
This method is the best if you need to reheat a large number of crab rangoons. You can fit a lot of crab rangoons on a baking sheet and can even do multiple sheets if you want to reheat several packages.
- Preheat the Oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit
- Use Foil
When you are reheating crab rangoons in the oven, the biggest risk to the rangoons is that you accidentally burn them. To prevent this, you should cover the crab rangoons in foil to protect the edges. Using foil also helps to keep the crab rangoons from drying out while they’re in the oven.
If you are only doing a small number of crab rangoons you can individually wrap each with foil. However, this will take a long time and use up a lot of foil, especially if you are reheating multiple trays worth of crab rangoons.
To save time you can also cover each tray with foil and tuck it in around the edges. This won’t be quite as effective at protecting the edges of the crab rangoons but will still work and save quite a bit of tin foil and time.
- Bake for 5 to 7 Minutes
After the rangoons are wrapped in tin foil you will place them in the oven and bake them for 5 to 7 minutes.
You want to avoid overcooking them as much as possible. If crab rangoons are overcooked the filling can dry out and the wrapping will become chewy and unappealing.
- Remove Wrapping, Back for 2 to 3 Minutes More
After 5-7 minutes in the tin foil, you will remove them from the oven and take off the tin foil. Then put them back in the oven and allow them to bake for another 2-3 minutes. This will help the edges to crisp up and give them the classic crab rangoon texture that everyone loves.
Make sure to watch the rangoons carefully during this stage of cooking. If the edges of the crab rangoons begin to darken and turn brown remove them from the oven immediately. Browning edges are a sign that they are beginning to burn.
3. Microwave
Using the microwave is by far the fastest method for reheating your crab rangoons. With a microwave, you can easily reheat the crab rangoons in a matter of minutes without needing to preheat anything or prepare extra dishes.
The main downsides to using a microwave are that it can make them soggy and it can dry them out. Since the microwave doesn’t have dry heat, it won’t draw any moisture out of the wrappings and can make them chewy and soggy.
Microwaving can also dry out the filling inside the crab rangoons. This will result in a dry, crumbly crab rangoon with a chewy wrapping. Although there are some things you can do to avoid this, it is always something you should keep in mind when deciding how to reheat your crab rangoons.
- Place Crab Rangoons on Microwave-Safe Dish
The first step to heating your crab rangoons in the microwave is to place them on a microwave-safe dish. Make sure to spread them out so each rangoon has plenty of space for the air to circulate around them.
If your crab rangoons are exceptionally wet and you’d like to dry them out a bit, you can also line the dish with dry paper towels. This will help to absorb excess moisture and prevent the wrappers from becoming too gummy.
Similarly, if you’d like to add moisture to your crab rangoons you can place a small number of damp paper towels on the dish. This will help to humidify the air in the microwave and keep it from drying out the crab rangoons as much as normal.
- Heat on Medium
If you have the option to change the heat settings on your microwave, try lowering the heat to medium. This will help to keep the crab rangoons from heating unevenly.
Heat the crab rangoons in short 15-second intervals, making sure to check the rangoons between each interval. This will help to prevent overheating the crab rangoons which can cause them to become gummy and unappealing.
Between every interval make sure to shuffle the rangoons around and flip them over. Microwaves are notorious for reheating food unevenly. Flipping them over and shuffling them around the plate will help them to heat evenly and avoid having cold spots in the rangoons.
- Remove and Serve
You will know that the crab rangoons are fully reheated once they are hot all the way through. The filling should also be soft and slightly runny. If it is still thick, this is a sign that the filling has not heated all the way through and the center will be cold.
4. Stovetop
The last method for reheating crab rangoons that you’ll learn about today is the stovetop. This is a great way to maintain the crispy texture of the crab rangoons and doesn’t require too much time. However, you will need to stand there the entire time to ensure that they don’t burn.
- Heat Your Pan
The first step to reheating your crab rangoons using the stovetop is to heat the pan. Ideally, you’ll want to use a non-stick pan as this will reduce the risk that the rangoons stick and tear.
You’ll want to heat your pan over medium heat. Any higher and the crab rangoons could burn, any lower and they won’t become crispy and may absorb some of the oil.
After your pan heats up you will want to add one to two tablespoons of oil and allow that to heat up. This oil will help to ensure a crispy wrapping and golden brown crust on your finished rangooons.
- Add the Rangoons to the Pan
After your pan has been heated you will add the crab rangoons to the pan. Make sure to spread them out so they are not touching. This will make sure that all the sides are crisped up evenly and that they don’t stick together and rip during the reheating process.
- Cook for 3-5 Minutes
Once all the crab rangoons are in the pan you will want to let them reheat for about 3-5 minutes. Make sure to keep moving them around this entire time. This will help to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan and make sure that they heat evenly.
You will know that they are done once the wrappings are bubbling and are golden-brown in color.
Do You Eat Crab Rangoons Cold?
Maybe you don’t have the time or the tools to reheat your leftover crab rangoons. In that case, you may be wondering if it’s possible and safe to eat crab rangoons cold.
As long as your crab rangoons have been cooked before, it is safe to eat them cold. Since all of the ingredients have been cooked, there is no risk of catching a disease from the fillings which could happen if you eat raw crab or fish.
Some people actually prefer to eat crab rangoons cold and will place them in the fridge immediately after cooking. This will make the crab rangoons slightly softer in texture but won’t negatively affect the flavor of the food.
If you choose to eat your crab rangoons cold, try pairing them with a light sauce like white soy sauce. This will help to bring out the flavors in the crab rangoon and lighten them up, making them more of a snack than a main course. You can also squeeze some lemon on top and the acidity will help to cut back on the creaminess of the crab filling.