This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These super-simple Homemade Crab Rangoon Wontons are so delicious and easy to make! Filled with rich cream cheese and delicate crab meat, every crispy bite is a delight.
Easy Homemade Crab Rangoon Wontons
Crispy, crunchy, and golden-brown, crab rangoons are one of my favorite appetizers! I order them anytime I get Chinese food, because they’re just so good. Everybody loves them!
So I am especially excited to share this recipe for crab rangoons here today! They are just as awesome as takeout, and they’re easy and fun to make. Your whole family will love munching on them, freshly made by hand.
My personal favorite time to enjoy crab rangoons is when the whole family gathers around to have a movie night, watch a game, or play a board game. It’s also fun to do an at-home “takeout” menu with crab rangoons as your starter.
What is Crab Rangoon?
If you’ve never had crab rangoons before, get ready for a wonderfully addictive new snack!
Although these crispy fried dumplings are quite popular in American Chinese restaurants, it’s not clear exactly where the recipe originated. Since they contain mostly cream cheese, experts say it’s not likely that they were part of any traditional Asian cuisine.
To make preparation easy, I make mine with store-bought wonton wrappers. They get so crispy and golden once fried!
And, what’s inside a rangoon? A flavorful cream-cheese filling, lightly mixed with green onions, soy sauce, and finely chopped crab.
FYI: Even when I double the recipe, these are gone in no time!
Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients for this dish are widely available and easy to find, even if you don’t have an international market nearby. I like to fry mine in canola oil or peanut oil, but you could also use grapeseed oil or any other high-heat oil option. Just don’t use Olive Oil – it doesn’t have a high enough smoking point.
- Cream Cheese: Set an 8-ounce block or tub of cream cheese on the counter and let it come to room temperature. 👈 IMPORTANT.
- Crab Meat: Fresh, canned, or imitation is fine. You’ll need about 5 ounces, total, finely chopped.
- Soy Sauce: Just two teaspoons of soy sauce; you can use low-sodium or regular, or substitute coconut aminos or tamari.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This versatile sauce is an easy way to add lots of flavor!
- Garlic Powder: I find it easier to use garlic powder than fresh garlic here, and the flavor is great!
- Black Pepper: You’ll need 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Green Onions: Finely chop about 1/4 cup of fresh green onions, plus a little extra for garnish.
- Wonton Wrappers: This amount of filling usually calls for about 36 wonton wrappers.
- Egg: You’ll need one egg, lightly beaten, for sealing the edges of the wontons.
- Oil: A generous amount of high-heat oil, for frying.
- Sauce: I like to have sweet and sour sauce, or plum sauce, for serving. Duck sauce and hot chili sauces are also very good!
How to Make Crab Rangoon Wontons
Making the rangoons is a fun and easy process, and can be a great time to involve some helpers! Very young kiddos may struggle to properly seal the edges, though, so just supervise carefully or the filling may leak out during cooking.
- Make the Cream Cheese Filling. In a mixing bowl, gently combine the cream cheese, crabmeat, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, and green onions.
- Spoon Filling into a Wonton Wrapper. Place a wonton wrapper on a clean work surface. Lay the wrapper with the corner facing up, so it looks like a “diamond” shape. Brush the edges of the wrapper with the egg, and place 2 tsp of the crab filling in the center. Do not overfill.
- Fold and Seal the Rangoon. Fold the bottom corner UP to seal the wonton in a triangle shape. Fold the two remaining corners toward the center, pressing out any air surrounding the filling. Be sure to press all of the edges together firmly to seal well.
- Repeat with Remaining Wrappers and Filling. Repeat this process until all of the filling is gone. Keep the remaining wonton wrappers and the folded wontons covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out while working.
- Fry the Rangoons. Fill a deep skillet with two to three inches of oil, and heat to 350˚F. Fry the rangoons in small batches (about five to six at a time, depending on the size of your skillet). Turn them occasionally. It should take 3 to 5 minutes to fry each batch of the rangoons to a golden brown.
- Drain and Serve. Once the rangoons are golden-brown, remove them from the hot oil and place on paper towels to drain. Serve with a dipping sauce.
Can I Bake Wonton Rangoons in the Oven?
- Yes, you can definitely bake these in the oven! Just fill, seal, and shape them. Then arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and give them a quick spritz of cooking spray.
- I bake mine at 400˚F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden-brown. Easy!
Tips for Success
Before you start cooking, take a look at these tips! They’re my best advice for making the most of this fun little recipe.
- Don’t Overfill: The main mistake that most people make (in my experience) with any kind of dumpling is overfilling. Two teaspoons of filling might seem like a tiny amount, but you have to leave plenty of room around the edges to seal the wonton. Otherwise, the seal will break and the filling will leak out.
- Shiny Side Down: Your wonton wrappers may have a “starchy side” and a more “shiny side.” If so, place them shiny-side-down, so that you press and seal the starchy sides together.
- Use a Mini Muffin Tin: Don’t want to wrap these little guys? You can also lightly mist a couple of mini muffin tins with cooking spray, and poke the wonton wrappers down into each cup. Then, spoon the filling in and bake according to the time and temperatures below! Easy and fast!
Serving Suggestions
What kind of dishes go well with crab rangoon wontons? Well, there are quite a few tasty options! I like to serve mine either as part of a small-plate collection of appetizers, or as part of a Chinese takeout-style meal. Here are a few recipes to get you started!
- Appetizers: To make a delish collection of appetizers, I just have to include shrimp! These Crispy Popcorn Shrimp are just right! Grilled Pizza Capricciosa is another great appetizer choice, and so are these awesome Garlic Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Yum!
- Soup: Sometimes, I’ll just serve up some of these crispy rangoons with a hearty bowl of my Asian Chicken Noodle Soup. It’s filling, healthy, and scrumptious!
- Stir Fry: You can’t go wrong with a good stir fry! I recommend this Easy Chicken Stir Fry, or my Honey Balsamic Beef Stir Fry. So good!
ENJOY!
CRAB RANGOON WONTONS
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese,, room temperature
- 5 ounces crabmeat
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup green onion,, finely chopped (plus extra for garnish)
- 36 wonton wrappers
- 1 egg,, lightly beaten
- Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil,, for frying
- Sweet and sour or plum sauce,, for serving
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, gently combine the softened cream cheese, crabmeat, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, and green onion.
- Place a wonton wrapper on a clean work surface. Lay the wrapper with the corner facing up, so it looks like a “diamond” shape.
- Brush the edges of the wrapper with the egg and place 2 teaspoons of the crab filling in the center.. Do not overfill.
- Fold the bottom corner up to to seal the wonton in a triangle shape.
- Fold the two remaining corners toward the center, pressing out any air surrounding the filling. Be sure to press all of the edges together firmly to seal well.
- Keep the remaining wonton wrappers and the folded wontons covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out while working.
- Fill a deep skillet with 2 to 3 inches of oil and allow to heat to 350°F. Use an Instant Read Thermometer to check the temperature.
- Fry the wontons in small batches, about 5 to 6 at a time, depending on the size of your skillet.
- Fry until wontons are golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes, turning a couple of times during frying.
- Once golden brown, remove and place on paper towels to drain before serving with a dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Better than takeout! So easy to make too
I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂
These are my favorite appetizers! I love the little fold and the filling is so creamy and perfect!
Thank you so much! I’m very glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
My kids loved these! Such a delicious appetizer that is really easy to make!
I’m very glad you enjoyed them! Thank YOU! 🙂
These are a big hit here at the house! I will definitely be making these again! So excited!
That’s great to hear! I’m very glad you enjoyed them! Thank YOU! 🙂
These are even better than my favorite takeout place! So delicious!
Thank you so much! I’m very glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Oh wow! These are amazing! Easier to make than you’d think, too!
Thank YOU! I’m very glad you enjoyed them! 🙂