These easy Chinese-style homemade crab rangoons are made with cream cheese, imitation crab, a few seasonings, and herbs. They make a perfect appetizer, Hors d'oeuvre, or tailgate snack.
I love baking and cooking with cream cheese. In fact, it is one of my favorite dairy ingredients. If you haven't known, I have a dessert series made with cream cheese. Like my famous and viral Foolproof Basque burnt cheesecake, creamy New York-style cheesecake, or creamy Creek yogurt cheesecake.
See more: 10 Must-try cheesecake recipes
However, these cream cheese-filled rangoons are the first recipe that does not belong in the dessert category. These bite-sized stuffed wontons are flavorful and well seasoned, with a perfectly blended texture that is creamy and a little bit crunchy. All of this can be achieved with only 6 ingredients.
Crab rangoon ingredients and substitutions
This easy homemade crab rangoon recipe uses only 6 ingredients from start to finish.
- Wonton skins—In this recipe, I used spring roll wonton skins, which are easy to find for most people. However, if you can find the yellow version of wonton skins/wrappers, you should go with them.
- Imitation crab sticks - one of the main ingredients in the recipe. Since this is a Chinese-style plus restaurant-style crab rangoon recipe, it's best to use these crab sticks. You can swap with fresh crab meat for different textures and probably flavor too (I have not tested this recipe using fresh meat so I won't promise anything).
- Cream cheese - the main ingredient for these rangoons. I would not recommend swapping this ingredient for any other dairy option because doing so can alter the flavor and texture profile the recipe aims for.
- Green onion - white part only because adding the green part can make the filling soggy due to its slimy texture. Chives can work well as an alternative.
- Salt and garlic powder - these provide a well-seasoned profile to the rangoon. I always use Kosher salt and granulated garlic powder in my recipes. Regular table salt and garlic powder can also be used as substitutions though they may alter the flavor. You will also need to adjust the amount of seasoning accordingly if you do so.
How to fold crab rangoon
To make it easier to fold these easy homemade crab rangoons, I used a cookie cutter (size: 3in/9cm) to make a round wrapper. From that, I proceed with these steps:
- Place several wonton skins on a clean work surface (if you want to work in bulk) or a single skin on your hand.
- Brush the round edges with water.
- Place less than 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each skin.
- Use your thumb and index fingers to lift the two edges closest to you, then tightly pinch them together.
- Turn the wonton so that the other edge is closest to you. Use your index finger, once again, lift the middle of that edge and pinch it toward the middle.
- Carefully seal the edges tightly and ensure all the air inside the crab rangoon is pushed out.
See: Steamed pork and chive dumplings for more visual info about wrapping these rangoons.
Useful tips
- Cut a few pieces (3-4) of the wrappers if you are using spring roll wonton skins at a time. If you are using the bright yellow wonton wrappers, you can cut as many as your hand can handle.
- Don't use gyoza for this recipe. I understand gyoza skins are the easiest to find, but those don't go well with deep-fried/fried recipes. They are best used for steamed dumplings.
- Separate the wonton skins beforehand if you individually wrap each one. However, you do not need to do so if you do it in bulk.
- Cover the rangoon wrappers with a lightly damp paper towel to prevent them from drying.
- Line the pan with parchment paper or lightly dust with cornstarch before adding the rangoons to prevent them from sticking.
- Don't overfill the rangoons; try to push all the air out of the wonton completely before frying them.
Did you make this recipe? If so please leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comment section. Also, don't forget to tag me #cookmorphosis @cookmorphosis on social media.
Easy Homemade Crab Rangoon
These easy homemade crab rangoons are loaded with cream cheese and will make a perfect appetizer, Hors d'oeuvre, or tailgate snack.
Servings: 25 rangoons
Calories per serving: 35kcal
Ingredients
- 25 pieces springroll wonton skins
- 8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese one block, soften at room temperature
- 3 sticks imitation crab chopped
- 4 stalks green onion white part only, chopped
- ⅛ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp granulated garlic powder
- 4 cup vegetable used to deep fry
Instructions
- Place the softened cream cheese, white part of green onion, chopped crab sticks, and seasoning in a bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl.
- Mix using a stand mixer or by hand until everything blends together.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut all the spring roll wonton skins into a round shape.
- Place several wonton skins on a clean work surface (if you want to work in bulk) or a single skin on your hand.
- Brush the round edges with water.
- Place less than 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each skin.
- Use your thumb and index fingers to lift the two edges closest to you, then tightly pinch them together.
- Turn the wonton so that the other edge is closest to you. Use your index finger, once again, lift the middle of that edge and pinch it toward the middle.
- Carefully seal the edges tightly and ensure all the air inside the crab rangoon is pushed out.
- Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. When the oil reaches 350F/180C, deep-fry the crab rangoons a few pieces at a time. Do not overcrowd the frying pan, or it will become soggy. Approximately 1 minute for each side (2 minutes total for each rangoon).
- The crab rangoon should be crispy and has a light brown color on the outside when done with frying. Remove them from the oil and drain well on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Serve hot immediately by themselves or with sweet and sour sauce on the side.
Notes
- These crab rangoons are best served immediately while still crispy/puffy.
- Make sure to seal the edges properly to prevent the oil from coming inside during the deep-frying process.
- You can freeze the uncooked crab rangoons for up to one month. Please place them at the bottom of the freezer or in the drawer not opened regularly to prevent them from freezing burn.
- Store uncooked rangoons in a thick, high-quality freezer bag. Push all the air out as much as possible for a longer shelf life.
- In this recipe, I used spring roll wonton skins, which are easy to find for most people. However, if you can find the yellow version of wonton skins/wrappers, you should go with them.
Nutrition
Calories: 35kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 3gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 115mgPotassium: 93mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1503IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 0.4mg
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