Buffalo chicken wontons are the perfect appetizer. They look fancy and complicated to make, but they aren't!
This recipe is perfect for football season. You can make them ahead of time and freeze them, and then air fry them from frozen for a quick snack during Super Bowl!
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Even if you have never folded wontons before, I will show you step-by-step how to do it and you will be a pro in no time at all.
This recipe uses egg roll wrappers that are cut to size and are bigger than traditional wonton wrappers, which means more filling in every bite and they are easier to fold!
I prefer using my air fryer and the crispy wontons taste just like they were deep fried, but without having to deal with the hot oil.
Serve them with some extra Buffalo sauce for dipping and, of course, don't forget the ranch or blue cheese dressing!
Suggested Kitchen Tools for Crispy Buffalo Chicken Wontons
- Air Fryer or Deep Fryer
- Tongs
- Wire Rack (cooling rack)
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- Small bowl for water
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients & Substitutions
Buffalo Chicken Filling
I use my recipe for Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip in this recipe, but you can use any Buffalo chicken dip recipe that you love. You will need about 1 cup of Buffalo chicken dip for 20 wontons.
Just make sure it is not too wet of a mixture and that it is fully cooked and cooled before making the Buffalo chicken wontons.
I include how to make a quick Buffalo chicken dip in the recipe at the end of this post if you don't have a pressure cooker.
I suggest making the dip the day before you want to use it in this recipe.
You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken or chicken breast and shred it, then combine it with softened cream cheese and Buffalo sauce for a quick filling.
For every 8 ounces of shredded chicken, use 4 ounces of softened cream cheese and 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite Buffalo sauce. You want the filling to be creamy and thick with a good balance of flavors.
You can whip up your own quick Buffalo sauce by combining equal amounts of melted butter and your favorite hot sauce. I happen to love Cholula! I also add a touch of honey for a sweet and spicy dipping sauce.
Egg Roll Wrappers
In this recipe I use egg roll wrappers instead of wonton wrappers for a few reasons.
Where I live the local grocery stores don't carry wonton wrappers, but I can always find egg roll wrappers.
The other reason, and more importantly, I can cut the wrappers just a tad bigger than a typical wonton wrapper which makes them easier to fold and allows for a little more filling in each one which I think gives a better ratio of filling to crispy wonton.
Don't worry, nothing goes to waste either! I use the scraps of egg roll wrappers to make the BEST crispy noodles for soups, salads and, of course, your favorite Chinese dishes!
You can use wonton wrappers, if you prefer, but decrease the filling to about 1 teaspoon instead of 2 teaspoons.
Optional Ingredients
I kept this recipe very simple and only used the Buffalo chicken dip, but you can always add shredded mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese to the filling if desired.
Finely chopped green onions would also work well!
Dipping Sauces
I like to serve these crispy Buffalo chicken wontons with my homemade ranch dressing and homemade blue cheese vinaigrette on the side for dipping.
Extra Buffalo wing sauce is also a great dipping sauce and don't forget the celery sticks!
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Wontons
Mise En Place (Prep for Recipe)
Make the Buffalo chicken dip and make sure it is cold before using as a filling in the wontons. Putting warm filling into the wrappers will cause them to get gummy and not fold easily. It is also important that the filling is thick and not runny. Too much liquid in the filling can cause the filling to leak out of the wontons.
Cut the Egg Roll Wrappers into 4"x4" squares.
Cut about 5 or so at once to speed up the process.
Once cut, they need to be kept in plastic wrap or a Ziploc bag so they don't dry out. I recommend doing this right before you are going to assemble the buffalo chicken wontons. Don't put them near anything damp or they will get gummy and become impossible to work with.
Don't throw away the extra pieces you cut off, they make great crispy noodles and I will show you how to do that in this recipe article.
Set up your workstation. The easiest way I have found to fill the wontons is to set up a cooling rack that sits over a flat surface like your counter or cutting board. If you are using your counter, place some paper towels under the rack to catch the excess water that may drip down and also the oil from spritzing.
Gather your supplies. You will need a small bowl of water, the cold Buffalo chicken dip, a teaspoon (the kind you eat with), and a ½ Tablespoon measuring spoon and either vegetable oil or avocado oil for spritzing.
If you don't have an oil spritzer, you can use a pastry brush to lightly coat each wonton once they are assembled.
Quick Tip
Use a neutral oil for the best flavor. This means no olive oil or coconut oil as these oils will impart a flavor that may not be the best combined with these crispy wonton appetizers.
Assembling the Buffalo Chicken Wontons
Line up as many 4"x4" cut egg roll wrappers as you can fit on your cooling rack. If it is your first time folding wontons, you may want to start with just 1 or 2 and get the feel for it before you line up more. This way the wrappers have less chance of drying out.
Place a maximum of two teaspoons of filling in the center of each wrapper. If you use more filling, the wontons may leak.
Preheat your air fryer on the hottest setting and make sure the crisping tray or basket is in the air fryer during the preheat time. You will want to preheat for a minimum of 10 minutes, but if it takes you longer to fold the wontons, just add more time to the air fryer.
Folding the Wontons
Using a pastry brush or your clean finger, lightly dampen the top and bottom edges of wrapper with water.
Fold the wonton in half so the top and bottom edges meet (they don't have to be perfect) and press to seal all around the filling.
Where the seams come together along the long edge, fold that down like a flap of an envelope.
Flip the wonton over and bring the corners of the short edges together. Lightly dampen the inside point of the two edges with water and press to seal. (Don't worry, there is a short demo video below!)
It's difficult to explain this folding technique in words so if you want to watch the video below, you can see me folding them.
Quick Video on How to Fold the Wontons
Once you have the first group of wontons folded, liberally spritz with a neutral oil like avocado oil to keep them from drying out while you fold the remaining ones.
This also is important for them to crisp up and become golden brown in the air fryer. I do not recommend skipping the oil.
Repeat the process for all of the wontons.
Quick Tip
To freeze the wontons before air frying, liberally spritz with a neutral oil first. This helps prevent the wrappers from forming ice crystals and from becoming too brittle from drying out in the freezer.
Air Frying Buffalo Chicken Wontons
Make sure your air fryer has preheated for at least 10 minutes at the highest temperature. The Ninja Combi goes up to 450℉, but if your air fryer only goes to 400℉ that is perfectly fine.
Place the folded wontons in a single layer onto the crisping tray, rack or basket depending on what type of air fryer you are using.
Place them into the air fryer and reduce the temperature to 400℉/200℃. Set the timer for 5 minutes.
After 2-3 minutes, flip the wontons and spritz any areas that look dry. Continue air frying for the remaining time and remove the buffalo chicken wontons when they are golden brown.
Place them on a cooling rack and let them sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving.
The number of wontons you can cook at one time will depend on your air fryer and how much space you have. The temperatures and times may also vary based on your air fryer.
Quick Tip
You can always test out the time and temperature by cooking one wonton so you can make adjustments before cooking the entire batch.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauces and enjoy!
How to Air Fry Crispy Wonton Noodles
With the scraps of egg roll wrappers left from cutting the squares, you can make the best air fryer crispy noodles that are perfect for soups, salads, and topping all kinds of Asian dishes.
You can freeze them before cutting into strips if you want to air fry them later, but for the best quality I recommend air frying before freezing.
Cut the rectangles into strips at least ½" wide, but you can cut them up to 1" wide. The length doesn't matter.
Toss them with your hands so they aren't stuck together and place them into a medium size mixing bowl.
Liberally spritz with a neutral oil and toss with tongs. Repeat this process a few times until all the strips are lightly coated with oil.
Place the strips on the air frying rack or basket. You can air fry all of them at once, no need to put them into a single layer.
Air fry the strips on the highest temperature your air fryer can be set to. 450℉/230℃ is ideal, but 400℉/200℃ will work just fine.
Toss the strips every 2 minutes until they reach the color you want. I also spritz with more oil if I see dry areas. Tossing them frequently will help to keep the strips separated and it is very important or you will have clumps of noodles.
The time it takes to get them crispy and golden brown will depend on your air fryer.
I like to air fry them until they are pale in color if I'm going to freeze them. This way I can throw them back in the air fryer to warm and finish cooking them just before use. This takes anywhere from 5-8 minutes.
If you plan on using them within 1-2 days, you can air fry longer and take them to a deeper brown color.
Remove them from the air fryer and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
The picture below shows the pale ones on the left that I will freeze and the darker ones on the right that will use right away as a topping for Hot and Sour soup!
Storage & Reheating Instructions
How to Store Leftover Buffalo Chicken Wontons
Refrigerator
Cooked Wontons
You can store already cooked (air fried) Wontons in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Uncooked Wontons
I don't recommend refrigerating uncooked wontons for more than an hour or so because the wrappers dry out and this causes the filling to leak when they are cooked.
Make sure they are in a single layer and in an airtight container if you do refrigerate them.
Freezer
Cooked Wontons
Make sure the wontons are chilled completely before freezing to avoid ice crystals from forming.
Place them into a freezer bag or airtight freezer container in a single layer (place parchment between the layers) and freeze for up to 3 months. Freezing longer will reduce the quality when reheated, but doesn't affect food safety.
Uncooked Wontons
Assembling and freezing buffalo chicken wontons is a great way to make them ahead of time, freeze and then air fry from frozen.
Make sure you spritz the wontons liberally before freezing. This helps to prevent ice crystals and also keeps the wrappers from drying out and become brittle.
Place the uncooked wontons on a parchment lined sheet pan and place in the freezer for 4 hours or until frozen solid. Then you can transfer them to a freezer bag or air tight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat Buffalo Chicken Wontons
Oven
You can reheat already air-fried wontons in the oven at 375℉/190℃ for about 8-10 minutes or until they have crisped back up and the center is warmed through.
Air Fryer
Place already cooked wontons in a preheated air fryer at 350℉/180℃ and air fry for 5-7 minutes or until they have crisped up and the center is warm.
Uncooked from frozen
To air fry uncooked and frozen wontons, follow the same instructions as air frying from fresh. I have done this many times and it works perfectly!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use any kind of filling you like as long as it is completely cooked and cold when you form the wontons.
It's important that the filling not be too wet and don't use more than 2 teaspoons.
Some ideas are; cheesesteak wontons, pizza wontons and, of course, the more traditional crispy wonton fillings.
Yes, you can make as many or as few crispy wontons as you like by adjusting the number of wrappers and fillings.
You may need to air fry in batches.
Easy Air Fryer Recipes!
I love using my air fryer to make delicious, but easy appetizers! Here are several for you to try out!
Buffalo Chicken Wontons Recipe
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Ninja Combi
Ingredients
Buffalo Chicken Wontons
- 20 egg roll wrappers 1 pound package
- 1 cup Buffalo chicken dip
- neutral oil for spritzing
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Optional Ingredients
- ranch dressing for dipping
- blue cheese dressing for dipping
- Buffalo sauce for dipping
- celery sticks
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Instructions
- Make the Buffalo chicken dip and chill if needed.8 ounces cooked and shredded chicken breast, 4 ounces cream cheese, 2 Tablespoons Cholula, 2 Tablespoons melted butter, 1 Tablespoon honey
- Cut the egg roll wrappers into 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm) squares. Wrap the squares in plastic wrap. Put the scraps you cut off into a plastic bag if you want to keep them to make crispy noodles.20 egg roll wrappers
- Preheat the air fryer on the highest temperature (450℉/230℃ is ideal) with the rack, crisping plate, or basket inside the appliance for at least 10 minutes.
- Place a wire rack on top of a flat surface or cutting board and line up as many squares of the wrappers you cut that will fit side by side. Place 2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each wrapper.1 cup Buffalo chicken dip
- Lightly dampen the top and bottom edge of one wonton wrapper and fold in half so the edges meet. Press to seal all around the filling. Make sure there aren't any air pockets. Fold the long edge over about ¼" and flip the wonton over. Bring the corners together and dampen with water. Press to seal. I recommend watching the short video in the written article above or look at the photos if you haven't folded wontons before. It is much harder to explain in words than it is to actually fold them.
- Repeat for all the wonton wrappers on the rack and spritz the folded wontons with a neutral oil like avocado oil or vegetable oil. Repeat this process until you have used all the wrappers. You may have some filling left over.neutral oil for spritzing
- Place the wontons in a single layer on your air fryer cooking surface (rack, basket, or crisping plate) and air fry for 2-3 minutes. Flip and spritz with oil again. Air Fry an additional 2-3 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Remove the wontons from the air fryer and place on a cooling rack. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving. You may have to air fry in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.ranch dressing for dipping, blue cheese dressing for dipping, celery sticks, Buffalo sauce for dipping
Notes
Nutrition
About the Recipe Author, Louise Long
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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