Crab Rangoon – Crispy bite-sized appetizers with decadent cream cheese, real crabmeat, and mouthwatering seasonings wrapped in wonton wrappers are BAKED or FRIED to golden perfection. Skip the line and make this popular American Chinese 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. 😉
Content…What Is It? |
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.
Recipe Ingredients
- Wonton Wrappers – You can usually find these wrappers in the refrigerator section at Chinese or Asian stores. Even your local supermarket may have them.
- Cream Cheese – This is the filling’s base and also the binder. Make sure to take it out of the fridge to soften before starting.
- Crabmeat – I use two 6-ounce cans of real white crabmeat, drain them, and chop the crabmeat into bits for this recipe. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the canned crabmeat, so it won’t make the wrapper soggy. And, of course, you can use imitation crabmeat if you prefer.
- Green Onions and Garlic – Fresh green onions and minced garlic add exquisite flavor to your filling.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Perfect for that distinct umami flavor.
- Sriracha – This ingredient elevates the flavor in the traditional Crab Rangoon recipe with a bit of heat. Feel free to omit it if spicy isn’t your thing.
- Creole Seasoning – The only non-traditional ingredient in Rangoon is my Creole seasoning 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.
- Egg Wash – Combine an egg with a tablespoon of water to securely seal the edges of the wonton wrappers.
How To Make Crab Rangoon
Prep the Ingredients
- The Wrappers – Place wonton wrappers aside (keep them inside the packaging or cover them to prevent them from drying out).
- Filling – Combine all the filling ingredients in a medium bowl. (Softened cream cheese, crabmeat, green onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, sriracha, Creole seasonings, salt, and pepper.)
How to Fold Wontons
- Fill and 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. 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. 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. (Photos 1-4)
- 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 Crab 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. (See the frying method in the recipe box.)
Recipe Variations
- Shrimp Rangoon – Replace the crab with diced shrimp for a more economical Rangoon.
- Vegetarian Rangoon – This is awesome with diced and sauteed oyster mushrooms. You can replace the crab with the same amount of mushrooms.
Tips and Tricks
- Be careful not to overfill the wontons. If two teaspoons are too much for your wrappers, try 1-1½ teaspoons.
- To keep your Rangoon from puffing up, press the air out before sealing them.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can assemble these beauts 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 them in the refrigerator 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 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 Ziploc 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).
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve these babies fresh from the oven with your favorite sauce. If you have any leftovers, you can store them wrapped in a paper towel in an airtight container. To reheat refrigerated leftover Crab Rangoon, simply place them on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for 5-7 minutes at 300℉/150℃.
FAQs
Wonton wrappers are square sheets of dough made from wheat flour, egg, and water and used in Chinese cooking. They have the same ingredients as egg roll wrappers but are about a ¼ of the size and thicker than a Japanese Gyoza wrapper. You can fry, steam, or boil these wrappers.
No, it isn’t. Chinese cooking doesn’t traditionally use cream cheese. It is, in fact, a classic American creation, even though you’ll find Crab Rangoon in Chinese restaurants.
I honestly preferred the beautiful crunchy exterior of a fried Rangoon. But I also included a baked version for those who prefer to cut back on calories.
If frying Crab Rangoon, fold the wonton wrapper into four-cornered stars, securing the edges with an egg wash while ensuring no air is trapped inside the wonton. Any air inside will expand with the heat and break open the wonton wrapper, spilling your filling into the oil.
As for baking, heat up the sheet first to ensure that the wontons are nice and crispy on the bottom. And then, spray the wonton wrappers with a light layer of nonstick spray before popping them in the oven.
What to Serve With Crab Rangoon
These Rangoon are fun party appetizers or snacks, and you can certainly pair them with other Asian favorite takeouts like these.
More Savory Crab Recipes to Try
Conclusion
Crab Rangoon with a creamy soul-satisfying filling wrapped in a crispy wonton is exquisite. Have you ever tried making this deliciousness at home? Please let me know how it went for you in the comments.❤️
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.
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