Crab Rangoon – crispy bite-sized appetizers with cream cheese, real crab meat and seasonings wrapped in wonton wrappers and BAKED or FRIED until golden perfection. Skip the line and make this popular American Chinese takeout right at home!
We simply adore Chinese takeouts here at home! In fact, whenever I don’t feel like slaving in the kitchen, my number one option would be a takeout from our favorite local Chinese restaurant which hubby and I have frequently visited over the years. And one of our all-time favorites is this fun bite-sized filled appetizers that are crispy on the outside and meaty-soft on the inside!
What is a Crab Rangoon?
Crab rangoon, also called as crab puffs, crab rangoon puffs, cheese wontons OR crab wontons, are dumpling-like appetizers filled with a combination of cream cheese, imitation or real crab meat, scallions, spices and other seasonings. These are then wrapped in a special Chinese wrapper called wonton wrappers and folded into triangles to create a four-pointed star (which I will show you how below).
Traditionally, crab wontons are deep-fried and served either hot or cold along with a dipping sauce of your choice.
Crab Rangoon Ingredients
Many of you might be wondering if this dainty crab rangoon recipe is authentically Chinese. Well, the answer is NO. Cream cheese is actually non-existent in Southeast Asian cooking, and most especially in the Chinese cuisine.
Crab rangoon is in fact a classic American creation even though they are mostly served in Chinese restaurants.
As always, I’ve put my very own personal touch to this recipe to elevate the flavors even more. Below is what you need to make this fun appetizer:
Cream Cheese – This makes as the base for our filling and the binder, too. Make sure to take it out of the fridge to soften before you even start with the preparation.
Crab Meat – For this recipe, I use 2 cans of 6-ounce of real white crab meat that I drained and chopped into bits. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the canned crab meat so it won’t make the wrapper soggy.
Green Onions and Garlic – Fresh green onions and minced garlic to add flavor for our filling
Worcestershire Sauce – For that distinct umami flavor
Sriracha Sauce – I just want to elevate the flavor in the traditional crab rangoon recipe by adding a little bit of heat from this sriracha sauce which indeed makes it even more appetizing. Feel free to omit if spice isn’t your thing.
Creole Seasoning – The only non-traditional ingredient in a rangoon that I would highly encourage for you to try it. Adding Creole seasoning ( click to see my HOMEMADE recipe) takes your filling up a notch with a deeper flavor and wonderful bite in between. Promise! You won’t regret adding this to the mixture.
Wonton Wrappers – You can usually buy these special wrappers at Chinese or Asian specialty stores in the refrigerated area in the produce section.
Egg Wash – Combine 1 egg with a tablespoon of water to securely seal the edges of the wonton wrappers.
What is a Wonton Wrapper?
Wonton wrappers are square sheets of dough made from wheat flour, egg and water and are used in Chinese cooking. They basically have the same dough with egg roll wrappers, however, wonton are like about 1/4 size of an egg roll wrapper but thicker than a Japanese Gyoza wrapper. You can fry, steam or boil these kind of wrappers.
Fried or Baked Crab Rangoon
I honestly preferred the beautiful crunchy exterior of a fried rangoon, but for those who are cutting back on calories, I also included a baked crab rangoon version here for your reference.
When frying crab rangoon, make sure to fold the wonton wrapper into four-cornered stars, securing the edges with an egg wash while making sure no air is trapped inside the wonton. Leaving any air inside will break open the wonton wrapper and spilling your filling all over the oil.
As for baking it, heat up the sheet first to ensure that the wontons are nice and crisp on the bottom when they bake. And then coat the wontons with a light layer of non-stick spray before popping it in the oven.
Can I Make Crab Rangoon Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can! You may assemble them 4 hours in advance as wonton wrappers dry out quickly in the fridge unless they have been baked or fried. Then cover them loosely and store in the fridge until you’re ready to bake or fry them.
To make these crab wontons waaaay in advance, you can assemble them ahead of time, place on a parchment-lined sheet pan on a single layer and flash freeze for about an hour. Once they’re hard to touch, transfer them to a Ziploc bag, and label with the name of recipe and date. You may now freeze your uncooked crab rangoon for up to 6 months. No need to thaw before frying (see frying method in the recipe below).
How to Reheat Crab Rangoon?
To reheat refrigerated leftover crab rangoon, simply place them on a baking sheet and pop in the oven for 5-7 minutes at 300F.
What to Serve with Crab Rangoon?
These rangoon are fun party appetizers or snacks and you can certainly pair them too with other Asian favorite takeouts like the ones below:
More Crab Recipes that You Must Try
How To Make Crab Rangoon
Place wonton wrappers aside (make sure to keep inside packaging or cover to prevent wrappers from drying out). Combine all other filling ingredients in a medium bowl.
How to Fold Wontons
Moisten all four edges of the wonton with a little bit of the egg wash then place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each wonton. Fold in a triangle and press to seal-removing air from the inside. Use the egg wash like a glue to assemble. Take the left and right seal on the top. Then press along the edges to close any areas where the filling could be exposed to air.
ALTERNATIVE INSTRUCTION: Press opposite corners of wonton together to seal. Then take the remaining two corners and have those touch the first two to establish all four corners together.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 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 are nice and crisp on the bottom when they bake. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the wontons on top. And then coat the wontons with a light layer 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. (SEE Frying Method in the recipe box)
Crab Rangoon - crispy bite-sized appetizers with cream cheese, real crab meat and seasonings wrapped in wonton wrappers and BAKED or FRIED until golden perfection. Skip the line and make this popular American Chinese takeout right at home!
- 6 oz (180 g) cream cheese , softened
- 2 6-ounce cans of real white crab meat , drained and chopped
- 3 tablespoons (18 g) green onions , finely chopped
- 1 (5 g) teaspoon garlic , minced
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) sriracha sauce (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) Creole seasoning (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 12-ounce package wonton wrappers
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
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Place wonton wrappers aside (make sure to keep inside packaging or cover to prevent wrappers from drying out). Combine all other filling ingredients in a medium bowl.
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Moisten all four edges of the wonton with a little bit of the egg wash then place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each wonton.
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Fold in a triangle and press to seal-removing air from the inside. Use the egg wash like a glue to assemble.
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Press opposite corners of wonton together to seal. Then take the remaining two corners and have those touch the first two to establish all four corners sealed together.
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Deep fryers work great with these, however if you don’t have one, heat 2-3 inches of vegetable oil in a large deep skillet.
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You can use an extra wonton wrapper to test the temperature. Place it in the oil and ensure that it doesn’t cook too quickly or burn. Adjust the heat accordingly.
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Fry 4-5 wontons at a time (depending on size of skillet), each for about 45 seconds (or until golden brown).
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Place them on a plate lined with paper towels to cool.
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 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 are nice and crisp on the bottom when they bake.
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Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the wontons on top. And then coat the wontons with a light layer of nonstick cooking spray.
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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.
- Feel free to omit the sriracha sauce, if you don't like it.
- 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.
- You may assemble them 4 hours in advance and then cover them loosely and store in the fridge until you’re ready to bake or fry them.
- To freeze, place on a parchment-lined sheet pan on a single layer and flash freeze for about an hour. Once they’re hard to touch, transfer them to a Ziploc bag, and label with the name of recipe and date. You may now freeze your uncooked crab rangoon for up to 6 months.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
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