Jump to:
What is Crab Rangoon?
Cran Rangoon is a delicious crispy wonton wrapper filled with a creamy crab mixture and deep fried to golden perfection. It's a popular takeout dish that you can get at your Chinese restaurant! Best served with sweet Thai chilli sauce or plum sauce!
Interestingly enough, these cheese wontons have nothing to do with Chinese cuisine, but it’s a seafood served at American Chinese Restaurants. Victor Bergeron, the founder of Trader Vic's, created this dish in the 1930's in America.
I love these little crispy creamy parcels of joy! The best part is that you can prepare the wontons ahead of time, freeze them and fry them up on the day of serving.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients
- Wonton wrappers: that are about 3 x 3-inches in diameter. The Asian markets or select Western grocers will carry them in the refrigerated section. Make sure they are fresh as they are easier to work with. You can also purchase the frozen wonton skin, but you will need to thaw them before wrapping.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
- Cold Water: to seal filled wonton wrappers.
Filling
- Imitation Crab Meat or Real Crab Meat: This is entirely up to you! I prefer imitation crab meat since it's more accessible and less fishy tasting than real crab meat and it's also budget-friendly. The grocer will carry imitation or real crab meat or in canned form, which will make things much easier.
- Light or Normal Cream Cheese
- Green onions
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- Sesame oil: If you're allergic, feel free to omit.
- Worcestershire sauce: to balance the savoury flavors.
- Sugar
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
Dipping Sauce Suggestions: sweet chili sauce or plum sauce
Variations
- Gluten-free version? Substitute the soy sauce with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce of your choice. Substitute the Worcestershire sauce with a gluten-free version.
- Dairy-free version? Substitute with a vegan cream cheese for a dairy-free version!
Expert Tips
- Chop the crab meat into 2 cm wide pieces for easier mixing and so that they can break down quickly.
- Leave the cream cheese out at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften. This will make it easier to combine cream cheese with other ingredients.
- Keep the wonton wrappers moist by placing a damp clean towel over them.
- Don't overstuff the wontons with filling or they will burst while frying.
- Pinch and seal the wontons well to prevent the filling from leaking out into the hot oil.
- Use a heavy bottomed pan or dutch oven for frying as the heavy bottom maintains oil temperature.
- Make sure oil is hot enough before frying, at least 325-350 degrees F with a digital instant read thermometer or insert a wooden utensil into the oil and look for bubbles.
- Fry in small batches. This maintains a consistent oil temperature when frying.
- Drain off excess oil. Transfer the fried wontons to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil which makes it soggy.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make crab rangoon:
Chop imitation crab meat into small pieces, about 2 cm wide, and set aside.
In a large bowl, soften room temperature cream cheese with a spatula until smooth.
Add imitation crab meat into your bowl of softened cream cheese, along with the rest of filling ingredients as listed.
With a fork, mix very well until crab meat breaks down.
On a clean surface, lay out a wonton wrapper. Add ¾ tablespoon of the filling into the center of the wrapper. Prepare a small bowl of cold water nearby. Dab a bit of the water along the edges of the wrapper.
Lift and pinch the two opposite corners of the wrapper.
Then lift the adjacent corners and seal the edges. Pinch them well to prevent leakage as you fry, especially the tip of the wonton.
Place crab rangoons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover them with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap to prevent the wonton skins from drying out.
In your pan, add oil and bring to medium heat or 325 F. Once oil is hot, add crab rangoons in small batches. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Deep fry crab rangoons for 2 minutes on both sides, until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to wire rack set on a baking pan or paper-towel lined plate to remove excess oil. Allow this to cool down a bit before enjoying with sweet chili sauce or plum sauce!
Storage
- Leftovers: This is best enjoyed immediately but leftovers will last up to 4 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container. To reheat: bake them in a preheated oven at 350 F or air fry at 300 F for 6-7 minutes or until warm.
- Freezer-friendly? Yes, you can make them ahead and store them in a single layer in a freezer bag, so they don’t stick to each other. They will last 2 months in the freezer or until freezer burn begins to form. You can then deep fry, air fry or bake them from frozen.
Pairing Suggestions
Crab rangoons serve well with:
- starters like egg rolls, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
- white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice, chow mein, lo mein, or plain noodles
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
- protein dishes like Mongolian Chicken, Honey Sesame Chicken, Orange Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Bang Bang Shrimp, Soy Garlic Tofu, and more!
FAQ
Crab rangoons are best enjoyed fresh but you may make them up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or air fry for 5-6 minutes at 350 degrees F until hot.
To air fry crab rangoons: Spray air fryer basket with enough oil. Pre-heat air fryer to 350 F. Place uncooked crab rangoons in a single layer with enough space around each one. Do not overlap. You may need to air fry in batches. Evenly spray enough oil (about 1 tablespoon per batch) over the exterior of the rangoons. Air Fry for 6-10 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
To bake crab rangoons (note: these won't be as crispy as the fried or air fried kind): Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. Place the wrapped wontons in a single layer with enough space between them. Lightly spray them with oil and bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown.
Yes! I usually reuse it a second or third time depending on how clean I can keep the oil. Cool down the hot oil, then strain of any browned bits and transfer to a reusable container to store in the fridge.
📖 Recipe
Easy & Quick Crab Rangoon Recipe
Ingredients
- 18 pcs wonton wrappers
- 2 cups vegetable oil or neutral tasting oil
- water for sealing wontons
Filling:
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp imitation crab meat or canned real crab meat
- ½ cup cream cheese (I used Philadelphia Light Cream Cheese)
- 1 tablespoon green onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon regular soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil omit if you're allergic
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon white granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Serve with:
- Sweet Thai Chili sauce or plum sauce
Instructions
- Chop imitation crab meat into 2 cm wide pieces and set aside.
- In a large bowl, soften room temperature cream cheese with a spatula until smooth.
- Add imitation crab meat into your bowl of cream cheese, along with the rest of filling ingredients as listed.
- With a fork, mix very well until crab meat breaks down.
- Add ¾ tablespoon of the filling into the center of the wonton wrapper. Using your fingers, dab a bit water along the edges of the wrapper.
- Then lift two opposing corners of the wrapper and pinch only the tip of it.
- Then lift the adjacent corners and seal them. Make sure to pinch them very well to prevent leakage as you fry, especially the tip of the wonton. (See step by step images in above blog post.
- In a large heavy bottomed pan or dutch oven, add oil and bring to medium heat or 325 F. Once oil is hot, deep fry crab rangoons in small batches and do not overcrowd the pan. Fry 2 minutes on both sides, until golden brown. Remove and transfer to cooling rack or a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil. (To air fry crab rangoons, see instructions in Notes section below)
- Allow crab rangoons to cool down a bit before enjoying. Serve with store bought sweet chili sauce or any sauce of your liking.
To Freeze Leftovers:
- Place a large freezer friendly bag on a large plate or small baking tray. Place leftover rangoons into the bag in a single layer giving each one enough space. Seal the bag and place bag on top of plate/tray into freezer. After 1 hour of freezing, remove plate/tray. This keeps the rangoons in a single layer and prevents them from overlapping. They will last 2 months in the freezer (until freezer burn forms) and can be deep fried from frozen.
lilt evans
it was one of the best dishes i have ever tasted; i liked how creamy and flavorful and it went great with sweet and sour sauce. 6 out of 5 stars
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for the kind review and for making my recipe! I'm so glad it worked out well 🙂
Millie
Soooo good! I made so many and finished too many haha!
Christie Lai
Haha glad to hear! Thanks for making my recipe!
Bob
Yummy! Thank you.
Christie Lai
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it!
Lisa
Loved it! So good and just like the Chinese restaurant but better!
Christie Lai
Woo hoo! Thank you for making it!
Michele Heck
This is the best Crab Rangoon mixture that I have ever made! My family loved it! Thank you.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for the kind review, Michele! Happy to hear that your family loved it 🙂
Jacey Ginder
How much is enough oil spray for the air fryer? I’ve only just sprayed the food when it was heated, not the inside before hand.
Christie Lai
Thanks for flagging this, I've revised the recipe card to indicate how much oil is needed. I would suggest using 1-2 tbsps or as needed to evenly spray the rangoons on the outside only.
Mallory Hobbs
I did mine in triangle shapes and all the edges got nice and crispy with beautiful color. However, the middle stayed soft and almost raw. Why is that? I brushed with olive oil. Did I use too much oil or maybe not enough? Help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe! It's most likely due to the the way it was folded. When folded like a triangle, the middle part is much larger than the traditional way of folding them and has less edges. Therefore, it'll take longer for the air fryer to make it crispier. Also it's important to note that each air fryer appliance is made differently so I would suggest adding a couple more minutes until the skin of the middle is bubbled and golden brown.
Christine Carey Armstrong
I did enjoy this recipe. My first time making them they turned out great. I think there is room for adjustment, making them your own version. Thanks simple, easy and kinda fun.
I did fry them, but will try the air fryer next time.
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Christine! Glad you found them delicious, simple and easy!
Grace
Where is how much of each ingredient to use
Christie Lai
Hi Grace, all the measurements are listed in the bottom recipe card or you can click here for it. For future, when you reach my blog post, click "JUMP TO RECIPE" at the top and it'll quickly bring you down to the card so you don't need to scroll down.
hkil hgjl
Yummy!
Sandy Davis
The recipe is really spot on. It said it made 18 and I got 19 out of it. I did use fresh crab meat legs that I picked the meat apart myself. Time consuming but worth it. I just used a very small amount of sesame oil because it is very strong and can overpower the crab taste. I did not have green onions, so I used Chives and it worked better I think because it is a milder taste and you can control the usage better. All in all, great tasting Crab Rangoon just like a Chinese Restaurant. I used Sweet Chili Sauce and Sweet Duck Sauce for dipping so friends can decided heat or no heat,
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for your kind review, Sandy! I love your efforts in using fresh crab meat so kudos to you! The chives sound like a wonderful addition. I'm so happy the recipe worked out well for you and it's just like takeout!
jael
Hi, i have tried 3 crab rangoon recipes on the internet, yours was the best. Thank you for this recipe. More power.
christieathome
Thank you so much for this very kind comment, Jael! I am so happy to read that and glad you enjoyed 🙂