When it comes to fried wontons, you can never have too many.
But, if you’ve somehow found yourself with a few extra of these mouth-wateringly crispy starters, you may be wondering if you can store and reheat them later.
You’re in luck.
I’ve tried out four different reheating methods, and I’m confident that I’ve discovered the best way to keep your wontons crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside.
How you preserve them is also essential, so I’ll include some info on how to store, freeze, and thaw them.
A note on my experiment
Because wontons are such a popular treat in my home, I always make a few too many to keep for later.
I’ve recently experimented with different ways to reheat them to nail down the best way to keep wontons tasting fresh and crisp, without drying out their fillings or turning them greasy.
The techniques I’ve tried out include:
- The oven (good for reheating larger quantities)
- An air fryer (excellent results and very convenient)
- Frying them (good results but may turn your wontons greasy)
- The microwave (worst method)
The oven method produced decent results, crisping up the skin nicely. This method is convenient for warming a bunch of wontons at once.
The results from the air fryer, however, were the absolute best.
It was quick, easy, and the wontons were crispy on the outside while being fresh and moist on the inside.
Refrying my wontons also worked well for restoring crunch, but it made them a bit greasier than I would have liked.
As for the microwave method: I got sad, soggy wontons lacking in flavor. 1 out of 10, would not recommend.
Reheating fried wontons in the oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Then, lightly spray your wontons with oil and arrange them, not touching, on a wire cooling rack. Heat them in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until warm to your satisfaction. Serve immediately.
Set your wire rack over a baking sheet if you’re worried about oil dripping into your oven.
How to reheat fried wontons in the oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Spray your wontons with a light coating of cooking oil.
- Arrange them on a wire rack (set over a baking sheet).
- Heat them in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Once crispy and warm, remove and serve immediately.
Using a wire cooling rack to reheat your fried wontons allows air to circulate beneath them, minimizing the risk of them turning soggy.
It also allows any oil buildup to drip off.
If you don’t have a wire rack to hand, the next best thing is a pre-heated baking tray. Heating it first helps avoid the dreaded soggy bottoms.
My verdict
The results of this technique were decent.
The skin of the wonton was nice and crisp, although not as crunchy as when I first made them.
I could have left them in the oven for longer to crisp them up a bit more, but the filling would have started to dry out, which I wanted to avoid.
This option is super convenient for party-sized portions because you can heat lots of wontons at once.
Reheating fried wontons in an air fryer
Set your air fryer to 350°F (180°C). Optionally spray your wontons with a light coating of cooking oil before arranging them, not touching, in the fryer basket. Heat your wontons for 3 to 4 minutes or until warm to your satisfaction. Remove from the basket and serve immediately.
Spreading out your wontons in the basket allows them to crisp up as evenly as possible.
How to reheat fried wontons in an air fryer:
- Set your air fryer to 350°F (180°C).
- Optional: spray your wontons lightly with oil (for extra crispiness).
- Arrange them, not touching, in the fryer basket.
- Fry them for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Give the wontons a shake halfway through heating.
- Check a wonton to make sure it’s heated all the way through before removing the rest from the air fryer.
Keep a close eye on your wontons in the air fryer to make sure you don’t burn them.
Things heat surprisingly quickly in the air fryer, and you don’t want to end up with a dried-out filling.
Some fried wontons will be already pretty greasy and have lots of residual oil in the skin. In this case, adding extra oil isn’t necessary.
If you have a lot of wontons to reheat, it’s best to do them in smaller batches.
If the wontons overlap too much in the air fryer, they won’t crisp as efficiently.
My verdict
When it comes to reheating fried foods, an air fryer is the way to go.
This method produced the best results by far. My wontons were deliciously crispy, tasting almost as good as new.
It’s also a very quick and convenient technique with minimal fuss or cleanup.
Reheating fried wontons by frying them
Fill a deep fat fryer with oil and heat it to a temperature of 350°F (180°C). Drop your wontons into the oil a few at a time and fry them for 1 to 2 minutes. Then, drain them on paper towels before serving. Alternatively, you can shallow fry your wontons in a skillet, flipping them at the halfway mark.
If you’re reheating your fried wontons from frozen, deep fry them for 3 to 4 minutes.
How to reheat fried wontons by frying them:
- Fill a deep fat fryer with oil, and warm it to 350°F (180°C).
- Carefully place your wontons in the oil a few at a time and fry them for 1 to 2 minutes. Don’t overcrowd the pan because this will cause the oil temperature to drop.
- Remove the wontons from the oil and drain them for 60 seconds on paper towels.
- Serve immediately.
Alternatively:
- Add an inch of oil to a skillet or frying pan.
- Allow it to heat up to 350°F (180°C).
- Drop your wontons into the oil and fry them for 1 to 2 minutes, turning at the halfway mark.
- Remove your wontons from the oil and drain them on paper towels for 60 seconds before serving.
As a third option, you can flash fry your wontons with minimal oil, turning them as you go.
However, flash-frying only really works for completely flat wontons.
If the wontons are more 3D, they won’t crisp up evenly without being completely covered in oil.
The oil temperature is critical when deep-frying something, so it’s best to use a thermometer to measure it.
If the oil is too cold, the wontons will soak it up. If the oil is too hot, the wontons will burn.
If you don’t have a thermometer – I don’t recommend this method.
My verdict
My deep-frying experiment resulted in the crispiest wrappers, but I generally try to avoid this method because it’s a lot of effort (and pretty unhealthy!).
I also find the results pretty inconsistent.
Sometimes my wontons are nice and crisp, and other times they are really greasy and unappetizing (probably due to me misjudging the temperature of the oil).
If you’re used to deep frying, this method can be great, but it’s not for everyone.
Reheating fried wontons in the microwave
To reheat fried wontons in the microwave, first, line a microwave-safe plate with a piece of paper towel. Then, arrange your wontons on the plate, not touching. Heat your wontons in 15-second intervals until piping hot. Let the wontons rest for 60 seconds before biting into one.
The wontons will be very hot inside and you don’t want to burn your mouth.
How to reheat fried wontons in the microwave:
- Line a microwave-safe plate with a piece of paper towel.
- Arrange your wontons on the plate, not touching.
- Heat them in 15-second intervals until piping hot, around 30-60 seconds depending on portion size.
- Optional: heat the wontons under the broiler on high for 1-2 minutes to help crisp them up.
- Let the wontons rest for 60 seconds before serving.
The paper towel will soak up and excess grease that drips out of the wontons while they’re heating.
A microwave is a strong machine. It will ruin your food in the blink of an eye, which is why I suggest such short time intervals.
By checking on your wontons regularly, you reduce the chance of them overcooking.
My verdict
I don’t recommend this method unless you have absolutely no other choice.
It turns the wonton wrappers soggy and mutes the flavors of the filling.
While the wontons were edible, it was very obvious you were eating last night’s leftovers.
The broiler helps a bit with the sogginess but isn’t very convenient.
How to store fried wontons
To store fried wontons, allow them to cool to room temperature before drying off any excess oil with a paper towel. Place the wontons into an airtight container, minimizing touching. Seal the container tightly and put it in the fridge. The fried wontons will last for 3 to 4 days.
Allowing your wontons to cool before storing them will prevent condensation buildup in the container and stop them from turning soggy.
I like to line my container with a paper towel before putting the wontons in. The paper towel acts as insurance against any moisture and will help keep the wontons crisp.
Can you freeze fried wontons?
You can freeze fried wontons, but they may never regain that freshly cooked crisp. Wontons will last six months in the freezer if kept in an airtight environment. Freezing is a two-step process. You need to flash freeze the wontons before transferring them to a bigger freezer bag.
How to freeze fried wontons:
- Allow your wontons to cool to room temperature.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Spread out your cooled wontons on the baking sheet.
- Freeze them for 2 to 3 hours or until solid.
- Then place your wontons in a zip-lock freezer bag.
- Remove the excess air from the bag and seal it tightly.
- Reheat your frozen wontons within six months.
To remove the excess air from the freezer bag, press down on it as you seal it, or suck the air out with a straw. (First prize is a vacuum sealer if you have one!)
Another cool trick is to submerge the bag in water.
The water will push all the air out, and you can seal the bag.
Removing the air is a crucial step. It goes a long way to preventing premature freezer burn.
Flash freezing is useful because it means the wontons won’t stick together in the freezer bag. If you only fancy one wonton – no problem, you can easily pick one out.
How to reheat frozen fried wontons
Set your oven or air fryer to 350°F (180°C). Lay your wontons on a wire rack and heat them for 10-15 minutes (6-8 minutes in the air fryer) until they’re warm all the way through and crispy on the outside. Coating your wontons lightly with oil will help to restore their original crunch.
Alternatively, you can reheat fried wontons from frozen by deep frying them for 3 to 4 minutes, turning regularly.
The microwave is also a possibility, but I advise against this because the wontons will turn out soggy.
There’s no need to thaw your frozen fried wontons before cooking them. In fact, thawing them can leave you will mushy wrappers.
How long do fried wontons last?
You can use the following storage guidelines to keep your fried wontons tasting fresh for as long as possible.
- Room temperature: Cooked foods should never be left standing out for more than two hours. You can store your fried wontons in the fridge as soon as they have cooled to room temperature.
- Refrigerated: In an airtight container in the fridge, you can keep your fried wontons for 3 to 4 days.
- Frozen: To retain their best quality and for the best chance of restoring their fresh taste, eat your frozen fried wontons within six months of storing them. They will remain safe to eat beyond that, but the quality might be compromised.
The BEST Way To Reheat Fried Wontons
Equipment
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 portion fried wontons
- 1 spray oil optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Spray your wontons with a light coating of cooking oil.
- Arrange them on a wire rack (set over a baking sheet).
- Heat them in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Once crispy and warm, remove and serve immediately.
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