Homemade crab rangoon is the perfect, fool-proof appetizer and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. They’re crisp and light on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside. My main suggestion for this recipe is to make sure to double it as there is no doubt that you will keep reaching for more!
What is Crab Rangoon?
Crab rangoon is an appetizer made of wonton wrappers that are filled with cream cheese, chives, worchestire sauce, seasonings and crab meat. Imitation crab is commonly used, but canned crab, and dungeness crab can also be used. I much prefer using dungeness crab as the flavor and texture pairs incredibly well with the cream cheese!
Crab rangoon is commonly deep fried, but can also be baked and paired with sweet and sour sauce, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, or eaten as-is. For those who are familiar with crab rangoons, you may have seen and ordered them at a local Chinese takeout spot or restuarant.
How to Fold Crab Rangoon:
After making the filling mixture, remove wonton wrapper from original package and place in a kitchen towel. Make sure to not expose the wrappers to open air as the edges will dry out, making it difficult to seal the edges.
- Remove one wonton wrapper from the stack covered with a kitchen towel.
- Place ½ tablespoon of filling in the middle of wrapper.
- Dip your finger into the egg mixture and run your finger across all sides of the wrapper.
- Bring all corners of the wrapper to the middle and smooth out the edges until you get a four-sided pyramid.
- Place on a baking sheet until ready to fry.
What Type of Wrappers to Use:
The ideal wrapper to use to make this crab rangoon recipe are wonton wrappers. They’re paper-thin sheets of dough made of flour, salt, egg, and water (some recipes include cornstarch), and can be square or circular in shape. For this recipe, opt for the square shaped wrappers, as they will yield a pyramid shape after folding.
Best Oil for Frying:
I don’t fry foods very often, but when I do, I opt for using avocado oil for these reasons:
- Avocado oil is a neutral oil–meaning the flavor of the oil will not overpower the food;
- It has a higher smoke point, which means it can be used to cook at higher heat;
- Avocado oil contains monounsaturated (good fats that can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood) as well as vitamin E (great for your skin, amongst many other things).
Although avocado oil is more expensive than other oils used for frying, you can save the oil for future frying, rather than waste it.
When saving frying oil for later use, filter the oil to separate loose fried bits. I use a funnel for an easy, and mess-free return of the oil to its original bottle. If you don’t fry food often, check the frying oil from time-to-time to make sure it has not gone rancid.
Tips and Tricks:
- Cook in small batches-Start out by frying a few crab rangoon at a time; I typically only cook in batches of three. If cooking too many at once, it gets difficult to control the batch and overcooking inevitably happens.
- Seal the edges well-Be sure to seal the edges well and do not overfill as the filling will leak out during frying. If ½ tablespoon of filling is too much, reduce as you deem appropriate.
- Consistent hot oil-Keep the oil at 375°F throughout cooking. If you have a cooking thermometer handy, use it to monitor your frying oil temperature.
Dipping Sauce for Crab Rangoon:
If you’re looking for a great dipping sauce to pair with crab rangoon, try my Sweet and Sour Sauce. This recipe was passed down from my mom and it’s absolutely delicious! You can save the leftovers and pair it with my Chicken and Shrimp Lumpia–delish!
More appetizer ideas:
Loving This Crab Rangoon?
We can’t get enough of it either! Leave a comment below and share your love for this recipe on Instagram and Pinterest. We love to see you get down in the kitchen. Happy eating!
Crab Rangoon
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ tablespoons chives, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, grated,
- kosher salt, optional, I use Diamond Crystal brand
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce, reduced sodium
- 1 egg, beaten and placed in a small bowl
- 25 wonton wrappers
Instructions
- Add cream cheese, dungeness crab, chives, garlic, kosher salt, worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce in a mixing bowl. Use a fork to mix the ingredients well.
- Remove wontons from packaging and place under a kitchen towel to keep from drying out.
- Place one wonton wrapper on a clean surface. Place ½ tablespoon of filling on wrapper. Dip one finger in egg and trace the edges of wrapper with egg dipped finger.
- Bring all corners of the wrapper to the middle and smooth out the edges until you get a four-sided pyramid.
- In a dutch oven, add 1 inch of avocado oil and heat to 375°F carefully add wontons. I typically cook three at a time.
- Cook the bottoms first, then, as they begin to turn golden brown, flip them so that the tops cook through.
- Carefully remove from oil and place on paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve with preferred dipping sauce.