Crab Rangoon
We love Asian food and these little Crab Rangoon appetizers are perfect to go with your next Chinese meal. It’s a fun dinner project to make with your family.
(Post and recipe modified on 1/18/23.)
In the past, I’ve always had trouble folding the wrappers into the shape of what you find in restaurants. Recently, I tried folding them in half to seal them, and that worked perfectly. Easy-peasy! They sealed better and were attractive to the eye, even if they didn’t look quite like your typical Rangoon.
Best Tip: Make Ahead and Freeze
One of the best tips I can offer on making this appetizer, is to make them ahead of time. Early in the morning, or even a day or two before your dinner. They freeze well, and cook well after being frozen. Plus, this allows you more time to do all of the massive prep work a Chinese dinner requires. This goes for Egg Rolls, as well.
For this recipe you will need a 12 oz package of wonton wrappers and canned crab meat. You will probably have everything else in your pantry.
Ingredients for Crab Rangoon
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- cream cheese, softened
- crab meat (canned works well)
- Worcestershire sauce
- granulated sugar
- soy sauce
- dried minced onion
- minced garlic
- ground ginger
- wonton wrappers
- water
- peanut or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions for this Recipe
Gather the ingredients needed for this recipe so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, crab meat, Worcestershire sauce, granulated sugar, low sodium soy sauce, minced onion, minced garlic, and ginger. Mix well.
I like to use low sodium soy sauce in some of my recipes to reduce the amount of sodium in the final product. Your choice.
To make the crab rangoon, lay out a wonton wrapper on a flat surface. Spread water around the edges of the wrapper.
In the past, I always used a cornstarch and water paste but the last time I made this recipe, the producer added cornstarch to the wonton wraps and all that was needed was water. If your wraps do not have cornstarch on them, simply mix together 1/3 cup cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water and continue with these instructions.
Place a tablespoon of filling onto one half of the wrapper. Fold over and seal, being careful not to squeeze out any filling. Set on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper and repeat until the filling is gone.
It’s important to make sure there the seal is good on the wrappers. If the filling escapes when frying, it will splatter in the hot oil. Be sure to check the seals.
*At this point, you may deep fry the crab rangoon, or freeze them. If the latter, place in freezer for 20-30 minutes. Once they are frozen, you may place them in a plastic freezer bag for use at a later time.
Frying the Rangoon
To deep fry, line a cookie sheet with a few paper towels and place a wire rack on top of that.
In a large Dutch oven, fill peanut (or vegetable) oil to 2-3 inches and heat to 350-360 degrees. When oil is hot enough, begin frying rangoon, 4-5 at a time, turning once, and cooking until a nice golden brown. Frying will not take very long, approximately 2-3 minutes per batch.
*If filling comes out of wrapper while frying, it may splatter. Quickly remove the crab rangoon from the oil to allow the others to cook fully.
Remove with a long-handled wire strainer and set crab rangoon on prepared rack. Place in a 350 degree warm oven until all are done.
Warning: Hot Oil Can Splatter
When frying your appetizers, wait for the oil to reach the required temperature (between 350-360) and always return your oil to that temperature between batches.
If one of the seams happen to burst, the filling will cause your oil to splatter. Quickly remove the damaged rangoon and continue cooking the rest. This is why sealing your filling is so important.
Making Chinese appetizers is a fun project to do with your family. The more hands helping you, the faster the process will go. Serve Crab Rangoon with Egg Rolls and your favorite Chinese main dish.
This recipe will serve 6-8 people.
See more Asian Recipes Here.
Crab Rangoon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 6 oz. crab meat
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce low sodium
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 12 oz. wonton wrappers
- 3 tablespoons water
- peanut oil for frying
Instructions
Prepare the Crab Mixture
- In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, crab meat, Worcestershire sauce, granulated sugar, soy sauce, dried minced onion, minced garlic, and ground ginger. Mix well.
Assemble the Rangoon
- To make the crab rangoon, lay out a wonton wrapper on a flat surface. Spread water around the edges of the wrapper. Place a tablespoon of filling onto one half of the wrapper. Fold over and seal, being careful not to squeeze out any filling. Set on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper and repeat until the filling is gone.
- *At this point, you may deep fry the crab rangoon, or freeze them. If the latter, place in freezer for 20-30 minutes. At that point, you may place rangoon in a plastic freezer bag for use at a later time.
Deep Fry the Rangoon
- Line a cookie sheet with a few paper towels and place a wire rack on top of that.
- In a large Dutch oven, fill peanut (or vegetable) oil to 2-3 inches and heat to 350-360 degrees. When oil is hot enough, begin frying rangoon, 4-5 at a time, turning once, and cooking until a nice golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove with a long-handled wire strainer and set crab rangoon on prepared rack. Place in a warm oven until all are done. Serve warm. Serves 6-8.
Notes
Nutrition
