Crab Rangoon
Crab rangoon delivers crispy, bite-sized appetizers stuffed with decadent cream cheese, real crabmeat, and mouthwatering seasonings wrapped in wonton wrappers. BAKED or FRIED to golden perfection for the perfect comfort food. So skip the line at your local fast-food joint, and make this popular Chinese American takeout right at home!
We simply adore Chinese takeout here at home! In fact, whenever I don’t feel like heating up the kitchen, my number one option is calling in for takeout at our favorite local Chinese restaurant. And one of our all-time favorites is these fun, crispy, bite-sized appetizers stuffed with a creamy crab filling!
But, of course, sometimes we crave these beauties and want to make them at home. It was so much fun coming up with my own Immafied recipe. And the fam didn’t mind being guinea pigs as they tried them out and gave me their opinion.
What Is Crab Rangoon?
Crab rangoon (crab rangoon puffs or crab wontons) are dumpling-like appetizers filled with a delectable combination of cream cheese, imitation or real crabmeat, scallions, and spices. Then they’re wrapped in a special Chinese invention called wonton wrappers and folded into triangles to create a four-pointed star (I’ll show you how). Traditionally, crab wontons are deep-fried and served either hot or cold with a dipping sauce.
How to Make Crab Rangoon
- Combine all the filling ingredients in a medium bowl. (Photos 1-2)
- Fold – Moisten all four edges of the wonton with a little of the egg wash, then place a spoonful of filling in the center of each wonton (I use less than a tablespoon). Fold in a triangle and press to seal, removing air from the inside. (Photos 3-5)
- Seal – Using the egg wash like glue to assemble, take the left and right sides of the wonton and seal them on the top. Then press along the edges to close any areas where the filling is exposed. (Photo 6)
ALTERNATIVE INSTRUCTION: Press opposite corners of the wonton together to seal. Then take the remaining two corners and stick them to the first two, bringing all four corners together.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃). Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil spray and place the sheet in the oven for about 5 minutes. Heating the sheet will ensure that the wontons are nice and crisp on the bottom when they bake. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place your assembled rangoon on top. And then coat them with a light layer of nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake – The filled wontons will need to bake for 10-12 minutes. However, it’s best to start checking them after 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven when they are crisp and golden brown. Serve with sweet-sour sauce or hot mustard sauce. (Photos 7-8)
The frying method is below in the recipe box.
Recipe Tips and Twists
- Replace the crab with diced shrimp or imitation crab for a more economical appetizer.
- This is awesome with diced and sauteed oyster mushrooms for a vegetarian version. You can replace the crab with the same amount of mushrooms.
- Be careful not to overfill the wontons. If two teaspoons are too much for your wrappers, try 1 or 1½ teaspoons.
- To keep your rangoon pockets from puffing up, press the air out before sealing them.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
You can assemble these beauts 4 hours in advance, but wonton wrappers dry out quickly in the fridge unless they have been baked or fried. Then cover them loosely and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake or fry them.
To make them waaaay in advance, you can assemble them ahead of time, place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan on a single layer, and flash-freeze them for about an hour. Once they’re hard to the touch, transfer them to a ziplock bag, and label them with the recipe’s name and date. You may now freeze your uncooked crab rangoon for six months.
No need to thaw before frying (see the frying method in the recipe below). Reheat leftovers on a baking sheet and pop them in a 300℉ (150℃) oven for 5-7 minutes.
What to Serve With Crab Rangoon
These guys are fun party appetizers, and they go great with hot sauce and egg rolls. Enjoy them with Mongolian beef or a broccoli stir fry for an Asian-themed dinner. And a hot cup of ginger tea is amazing.
More Savory Crab Recipes to Try
This blog post was originally published in October 2019 and has been updated with additional tips.
Crab Rangoon
Ingredients
Filling
- 6 ounces (180g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 6-ounce can crab meat, drained and chopped
- 3 tablespoons (18g) green onions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon (5g) garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons (10g) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon (5g) sriracha sauce (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon (4g) Creole seasoning (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 12-ounce package wonton wrappers
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Place wonton wrappers aside (keep them inside the packaging or cover them to prevent wrappers from drying out) while making the filling.
- Combine all other filling ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Moisten all four edges of a wonton wrapper with a little bit of the egg wash, then place a teaspoon of filling in the center.
- Fold in a triangle and press to seal, removing the air from the inside. Use the egg wash like glue to assemble.
- Press opposite corners of the wonton together to seal. Then take the remaining two corners and have those touch the first two to establish all four corners sealed together.
- Repeat with the rest of the wonton wrappers.
To Fry
- Deep fryers work great with these. However, if you don’t have one, you can heat 2-3 inches of vegetable oil in a large deep skillet.
- You can use an extra wonton wrapper to test the temperature. Place it in the oil to ensure it doesn’t cook too quickly or burn. Adjust the heat accordingly.
- Fry 4-5 wontons at a time (depending on the size of the skillet), each for about 45 seconds (or until golden brown).
- Place them on a plate lined with paper towels to cool while you finish frying the rest.
To Bake
- Preheat oven to 375℉/190℃. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and place the sheet in the oven for about 5 minutes. Heating the sheet will ensure that the wontons get nice and crispy on the bottom when they bake.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the wontons on top. Then spray the wontons with a light coating of nonstick cooking spray.
- The wontons will need to bake for about 10-12 minutes, however, it’s best to start checking on them after around 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven when they are crisp and golden brown.
- Serve with sweet-sour sauce or mustard sauce.
Tips & Notes:
- Make sure to squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the canned crab meat, so it won’t make the wrapper soggy.
- You can usually buy wonton wrappers at Chinese or Asian specialty stores in the refrigerated area in the produce section.
- Be careful not to overfill the wontons. If one tablespoon is too much for your wrappers, try 1½ teaspoons.
- To keep your Rangoon from puffing up, press the air out before sealing them.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
