Homemade Crab Rangoon Recipe
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Crab rangoon, as recipe developer Cecilia Ryu explains, is "a very popular appetizer served mainly in Chinese-American restaurants," and that "they come in many different shapes and are sometimes called crab puffs." Crab rangoon may not be authentic Chinese cuisine, but it's popular in American-Chinese cuisine. It represents a fusion of several cuisines wrapped up in one delicious, deep-fried appetizer.
Whether you're throwing a party or just want to kick back with a plate of crunchy, fried deliciousness, you'll be pleased to know how easy it is to make your own crab rangoon. You need a little patience to fill and fold your wontons, but it's the work of but a few minutes to fry them once they're done. Ryu tells us that crab rangoon is typically dipped in soy or sweet and sour sauce but says that she likes to dip them in sriracha for a spicy kick. Whichever way you dip, you'll surely bask in the crunchy, homemade goodness that this crab recipe has to offer.
Assemble the ingredients for crab rangoon
For the filling, you'll need cream cheese and some imitation crab meat, though Ryu notes that you could use real crab meat. You will also need scallions, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and sugar. You're then going to need some wonton wrappers to encase the filling, as well as a quart of oil in which to fry the wontons. Although Ryu uses canola oil, she tells us that "vegetable oil or any high smoke point oil can be used" for frying the rangoon.
Make the crab filling
For making the filling, it helps if your cream cheese is softened. If you forgot this step and you're in a hurry, you'll just have to beat it harder. Mix the crab, scallions, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and sugar into the cream cheese, then taste to adjust the seasonings, if necessary.
Assemble the wontons
The most time-consuming part of making crab rangoon is assembling the wontons — the sooner you begin this process, the sooner you'll finish. Start with one wonton wrapper at a time. Moisten the edges with a few drops of water, then plop a teaspoon of crab filling right in the center. Fold the wrapper to make a triangle, then pinch the points (but not the sides) of the triangle closed. Now, take one side of the triangle at a time and fold the points into the center. Pinch both points to seal, then press all along the sides to make sure the entire wonton is leak-proof.
Repeat the process until you've used up all the filling. You should have enough filling to fill 18 to 20 wontons.
Fry the crab rangoon
Heat the oil to 350 F, then add 5 to 6 wontons at a time. Fry them for about 2 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Once fried, drain them on paper towels.
Ryu recommends that crab rangoon be eaten hot, but if you don't feel capable of consuming such a large batch at once, she has a suggestion. Rather than cooking them all and then refrigerating the leftovers, she says you can instead "assemble the wontons and freeze whatever you won't be using right away." In order to prevent their sticking together, she suggests first freezing them unwrapped on a tray, then transferring them to a freezer bag once they are frozen. Once you're ready to fry those frozen rangoon, you don't need to worry about thawing them — just fry and enjoy!
What to serve with homemade crab rangoon
Homemade Crab Rangoon Recipe
These homemade crab rangoon are a little bit savory, a little bit sweet, and a whole lot of crunchy and delicious.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 5 ounces imitation crab meat, chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 20 square wonton wrappers
- 4 cups canola oil
Directions
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cream cheese, imitation crab meat, scallions, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and sugar, and mix well. Set aside.
- Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of a wonton wrapper.
- Using your finger or small brush, moisten the edges of the wonton wrapper with water. Fold one of the corners up and seal it together with the other corner to form a triangle. Do not seal the sides of the triangle closed. Lift the right corner and seal it to the top. Press firmly to connect and seal. Continue with the remaining left corner. Press firmly to seal all edges closed and to prevent any leakage.
- Repeat with the remaining filling and wonton wrappers.
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium/high until it reaches 350 F. Fry 5 to 6 wontons at a time until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes. Place the fried crab rangoons on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
- Transfer to a dish and serve immediately while hot.
Can you make crab rangoon without deep frying them?
For the most classic crab rangoon, deep-frying is your best friend. It provides the rangoon with that crunchy-on-the-outside and airy-on-the-inside shell . However, it's not the only way to cook these pockets. This cooking method — obviously — uses lots of oil, and you might be looking for an at-home crab rangoon with a little less fat than a restaurant version.
One of your most viable options is to use an air fryer. A roughly 10-minute cook at 325 F is enough to crisp the shells up and heat the filling. If you want to best approximate the deep-fried crunch, considerspritzing the rangoon before they enter the fryer and midway through cooking. You can also bake the rangoon, which takes a little longer and won't have the same supreme crisp and puff. You'll want to brush or spritz them with a little oil, and then put them in the oven at around 400 F for 15 or so minutes. These methods offer somewhat similar results to deep-frying, and the clean-up is decidedly easier.