Chinese
Crab Rangoon
Wonton wrappers are filled with crab and cream cheese, then fried in oil that stays below the halfway mark of the pot. They are done when the wrappers are deep golden and the centers are hot.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- A small amount of crab in a seasoned cream cheese filling tastes clear, not fishy.
- Sealing the wrappers tightly keeps the cheese from leaking into the oil.
- 350°F oil browns the wrappers before the filling scorches.
- Frying in batches keeps the oil temperature steady.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Mix the cream cheese, crab, scallion, Worcestershire, garlic powder, and salt.
- 2
Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each wonton wrapper. Brush the edges with water, fold into triangles, and press out air pockets.
- 3
Pour the oil into a deep pot, keeping the oil below the halfway mark. Heat it to 350°F. If the oil smokes, turn the heat off and let it cool before continuing.
- 4
Fry 4 or 5 rangoons at a time until deep golden, about 2 minutes, turning once.
- 5
Check one rangoon; the center should be hot, about 160°F. Drain on a rack.
- 6
Serve warm with sweet chili sauce.
Pro tips
- Keep unused wrappers under a damp towel so they do not dry out.
- Do not overfill or the seams split in the oil.
- Never fill the pot more than halfway, and do not leave the hot oil unattended.
Easy substitutions
- lump crab meat
- finely chopped cooked shrimp
- sweet chili sauce
- duck sauce
- scallion
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate fried rangoons in a single layer up to 2 days.
Reheating
Bake at 375°F until the centers are hot and the wrappers crisp again, about 8 minutes.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 374
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Special occasion · Stovetop
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
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An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
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An instant-read thermometer
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