Air Fryer Crab Cake Egg Rolls

Golden brown on the outside and so juicy and flavorful inside, these crab egg rolls offer the perfect blend of sweet, savory and spicy flavors, and plenty of crunch too.

You might also like heart shaped pork potstickers if you’re in a snacking mood. Or whip up baked donuts or any of these peanut butter recipes!

Why You’ll Love It

So delicious: Beautifully crispy on the outside with rich, creamy and zesty seafood flavors inside, these crab cake rolls are seriously amazing, offering lots of lip-smacking goodness in every bite.
Easy to prepare: You need to mix the crab cake ingredients and cook them, whisk the sauce ingredients together, fill the egg rolls with crab cakes and air fry until crispy and delicious.
As good as restaurant egg rolls: In fact, I’d say these are even better since they’re made fresh (and you don’t have to stand in line at a restaurant either!)

Air Fried Crab Egg Rolls Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Cabbage: A popular egg roll ingredient, cabbage offers nutrients and flavor.
Egg roll wrappers: Grab them from your local Asian market or order them online (I used these!)
Egg: To brush over the egg rolls to make them crispy and golden.
Panko breadcrumbs: To bind the crab cakes.
Lemon juice: For a citrusy kick.
Sriracha: Adds a little heat.
Sour cream: The basis of the fire sauce.
Sweet chili sauce: Adds spice and sweetness to the fire sauce.
Old Bay seasoning: A tasty seasoning for both the crab cakes and the dipping sauce.

How to Make Seafood Egg Rolls

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Make the crab cakes: The first thing to do when making air fried egg rolls is to combine the lump crab meat with the other crab cake ingredients listed. You can then shape the mixture into balls, pressing them in your palms so they hold together.
Air fry them: Now cook the crab cakes for about 10 minutes in an air fryer.
Prepare the fire sauce: Whisk together the fire sauce ingredients next and set most of it aside as a dipping sauce. The rest can be tossed with the shredded cabbage.
Assemble the egg rolls: Now lay the egg roll wrappers on the countertop and divide the cabbage mixture between them. Cut the crab cakes in half and add those too.
Seal the egg rolls and air fry: Roll up and seal the seafood egg rolls, painting the egg wash over the outsides. Now all that’s left to do is cook the air fryer crab cake egg rolls in the air fryer until golden brown, crispy and piping hot.
Serve and enjoy: Serve the air fried egg rolls hot from the air fryer, with the fire sauce for dipping.

Substitutions and Variations

Gluten-free: Use gluten-free egg roll wraps (these coconut ones are really good!)
Dairy-free: Since dairy is rarely, if ever, used in Chinese cuisine, you can see how the sour cream makes this a fusion dish. It’s the only dairy in the recipe, so use a dairy-free alternative for a dairy-free version, or else just swap the fire sauce for chili sauce for dipping.
Adjust the spiciness: For a milder result you can omit the hot sauce or, for a spicier one, double up on it.

Serving Suggestions

With other appetizers: Serve the egg rolls with salt & pepper pork chop bites, Texas cowboy caviar dip or smoked spiced shrimp for snacking.
As a main dish: Pair them with hibachi rice or hibachi noodles.

How to Store Crab Egg Rolls

Store: Leftovers should be fine for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Freeze them on a baking sheet not touching, and then transfer them into a Ziploc freezer bag. They’ll be good for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before warming them back up in the air fryer. If you want to cook them for frozen, you will need to use a deep fat fryer else they will overcook on the outside but still be frozen in the center.
Reheat: Give them a minute in the air fryer at 350 degrees F and then flip them over and give them another minute on the other side.