Our family absolutely loves these homemade Crab Rangoon. Watch our recipe video to see me folding them. For best results, fry them using a deep saucepan or a Fry Daddy (inexpensive and handy for frying at home). Baking and air fryer tips are below, but since the filling is wet from the cream cheese, the wontons do not get as crisp or golden brown.
8 ounces (226g) fresh or pasteurized crabmeat, like blue crab or Dungeness crab
4 ounces (113g) cream cheese, softened
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
1 small clove garlic, grated on a microplane or finely minced
1 teaspoon light soy sauce or tamari
26 wonton wrappers
Peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying
2 tablespoons Sambal Oelek chili paste (we use Huy Fong)
6 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1Prepare the crab: Place the crabmeat in a colander and let it drain for at least 5 minutes. Then, pick through the crabmeat for any bits of shell and remove them.
2Make the dipping sauce: Combine the chili paste, sugar, and rice wine vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and set aside for serving. If needed, warm the sauce after frying the wontons.
3Make the filling: In a medium bowl, stir the cream cheese, green onion, bell pepper, garlic, and soy sauce. Fold in the crabmeat.
4Make an egg wash: Whisk an egg with a tablespoon of water in a small bowl.
5Fill wontons: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour. Lay a few wontons out on a lightly floured work surface. Keep the rest under a damp towel or plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
6Place one teaspoon of the cream cheese and crab filling in the middle of each wonton. Moisten the edges with the egg wash, then fold into a triangle, pushing as much air out of the middle as possible. Moisten one of the corners of the triangle, and then bring the two corners together, overlapping the moistened corner on top of the other corner and pressing to seal to make a little envelope. Watch us do this in our video. It is important the edges are sealed, otherwise they will not hold together in the oil.
7Place filled and folded wontons onto the prepared baking sheet and cover with a clean dishcloth. Repeat with remaining wontons (this recipe makes about 24).
8Prepare the oil: To avoid using a large amount of oil, use a small, deep saucepan (like in our video). Fill it with 2 to 3 inches of oil, ensuring ample space to fry the crab Rangoons without the oil rising too close to the top. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) as registered on an instant-read thermometer.
9Fry the wontons: Carefully drop 5 to 6 wontons into the oil. Cook, adjusting the heat to maintain close to 350°F (175°C). Use a wire mesh spider to flip them in the oil.
10When the wontons look crisp and golden brown, carefully transfer them to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat with the remaining wontons. Occasionally, a wonton will split and cause the oil to spit around it. If you’ve left enough room in your pot, this should not be a problem. If you are worried, place a splatter screen over the pot.