Wontons. Delicious Chinese homemade wontons filled with pork and shrimp that will hit the spot! Ready in 35 minutes.
These Southern China style dumplings can be served with chili oil or in wonton soup with wonton noodles. Great as a quick snack or meal.
Pork shrimp wontons are iconic to Chinese cuisine or Asian food. These Chinese dumplings differ from the Northern China version, as they contain shrimp.
My personal favorite is the shrimp pork version. But there are different ingredients used in all kinds of wontons. I share the classic Hong Kong Style in this blog post and links to the infamous Crab Rangoon, Pork Chive Wontons or Shrimp Wontons
Quick to Cook!
Wontons are my favorite things because they are so quick to cook and are versatile. Serve them with bok choy or napa cabbage with noodles in chicken broth and you have a meal that took less than 5-10 minutes to whip up! They also serve well as a quick snack if you pair the wontons with my Chinese Chili Oil or Dumpling Dipping Sauce.
How to make Wonton Noodle Soup
If you're looking for the full recipe for wonton noodle soup, click here. I share the whole cooking process. Wonton noodle soup is a great recipe that easily serves the whole family since the components are either already prepared or easy to prepare.
Looking for Homemade Cream Cheese Wontons?
If you're looking for a cream cheese wonton recipe popularly served at Chinese restaurants in the United States, click here. They are crispy wontons with a cream cheese filling and imitation crab meat.
My easy cream cheese wontons are a hit on social media and have been a great success to those who have made them. They're also a great appetizer for parties - who could resist a golden brown crispy wonton with a cream cheese mixture filling served with thai sweet chili sauce? They're my favorite wontons next to the classic version.
Ingredients
You will need the below ingredients for my pork and shrimp wonton recipe. Please scroll down to below recipe card for full measurements.
Note: Most Asian Markets will carry these ingredients. You may find them at your select local grocery store or online, like on Amazon, depending on your country.
- Wonton wrappers: square wrappers made of egg, wheat flour and water.
Filling:
- Ground pork
- Frozen shrimp, peeled, deveined and rinsed well with water to remove small shells and any residual dirt.
- Egg: to help bind our bind our mixture.
- Cornstarch: To help emulsify the mixture.
- Oyster sauce or vegetarian stir fry sauce: This adds a deep umami flavor to many Asian dishes.
- Sesame oil: this adds a nutty scent and flavor, iconic to these dumplings!
- Soy sauce: not dark soy sauce. Just your regular all-purpose soy sauce. You may use light soy sauce but please add about half the amount since it's saltier than regular soy sauce.
- Shaoxing wine, or Dry Sherry wine
- Chicken bouillon powder: aka chicken stock powder. This offers additional flavor and I highly recommend it. I like using the Knorr brand.
- White pepper: this adds a florally citrus flavor to the wontons and it's not the same as black pepper.
How to Make Wontons
If needed, peel the tails off the shrimp. Rinse the shrimp well under cold water until it runs clear and strain.
Transfer rinsed peeled shrimp to a cutting board. With a knife, mince the shrimp in a chopping motion until it becomes pasty. You may also use a food processor for this process.
In a large bowl, add filling ingredients.
With clean hands, mix in one direction until the pork breaks down and becomes a paste, about 1-2 minutes. You may also use a food processor for this step.
Assembling Wontons
Keep wrappers moist by placing plastic wrap, a damp paper towel on top or store them in an airtight container. Avoid exposure to air or they will dry out quickly.
Have a small bowl of water nearby.
On a clean working surface, lay the wonton skin flat. Add 1 teaspoon of filling into the center of each wrapper. Do not add too much filling or you will not the able to seal it. Using your finger or the back of the spoon, dab water along the corner of a wonton wrapper.
Fold the wonton into a triangle so the opposite corner is sealed to the other one. Push out any air bubbles and seal the edges of the wrapper.
With your triangle, dab water on the tip of the left or right pointed end.
Take the remaining pointed end and seal it with the other.
Repeat this process for remaining wontons. Place assembled wontons on a baking sheet with parchment paper or excess cornstarch to prevent them from sticking. (See images for better visuals).
(Note: You will have leftover filling which you can shape into little patties or meatballs and fry in a large pan with some oil over medium heat until cooked through)
Cooking Methods
Boiling:
In a large pot of water, bring to a boil on high heat. Boil about 6-10 wontons at a time and stir immediately to prevent them from sticking to the pot. Boil uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until they float. Remove wontons with a slotted spoon and transfer to a medium bowl for serving. Serve with hot sauce, chili oil, or equal parts soy sauce with sesame oil. Garnish with green onions or cilantro.
Deep Frying:
In a large wok or large-medium skillet set on medium heat, add 3 inches of vegetable oil, canola oil or any neutral oil (avoid olive oil). Check to see if oil is hot enough by inserting a wooden chopstick into it and looking for bubbles or checking the oil temperature with a deep-fry thermometer, the temperature should be 375 F.
Fry 7-8 wontons at a time for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a cooling rack or a baking sheet lined with clean paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Air Frying:
Pre-heat air fryer to 350 F. Lightly spray air fryer basket with neutral oil. Place uncooked wontons in a single layer with enough space around each one. Do not overlap. You may need to air fry in batches. Lightly spray oil over the wontons. Air Fry for 6-8 minutes until crispy and internal temperature is 140 F to ensure filling is cooked through.
How to Cook from Frozen:
In a pot of boiling hot water, toss them in. Boil for 2-4 minutes until they float and are cooked in the center. They can also be deep fried or air fried from frozen.
FAQ
Where do I find wonton wrappers?
In the refrigerated section at most Asian grocers or select Western grocery stores.
Can I freeze wontons?
Yes, place a freezer-friendly resealable plastic bag or Ziplock bag on a flat baking sheet or large plate. Line wontons in a single layer into the bag giving each one enough space. Seal the bag and place the plate with the bag into your freezer. This prevents the uncooked wontons from toppling over and sticking to one another as they freeze. Once they've been frozen for 1 hour, remove the plate.
Can I refrigerate fresh wontons?
Yes, line them in a single layer in a airtight container(s) and store them in the fridge. They will last fresh up to 4 days. Tip: sprinkle some cornstarch on the base of the container or line it with parchment paper to prevent wontons from sticking to the container.
Other recipes you may like!
Chinese Wontons (Pork Shrimp Version)
Ingredients
- 400 grams wonton wrappers 60 wrappers
Filling:
- 200 grams ground pork
- 300 grams frozen shrimp peeled, deveined and rinsed well with water
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch/potato starch
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil toasted
- 2 teaspoon regular soy sauce all purpose kind (not dark soy sauce or light soy sauce)
- 2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine or Dry Sherry wine
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
Serve with:
Instructions
- If needed, peel the tails off the shrimp. Rinse the shrimp well under cold water a few times until water runs clear and strain to remove dirt and any shells.
- Transfer shrimp to a cutting board. With a knife, mince the shrimp in a chopping motion until it becomes pasty. You may also use a food processor for this process.
- In a large bowl, add filling ingredients. With clean hands, mix in one direction until the pork breaks down and becomes a paste, about 1-2 minutes. You may also use a food processor for this step.
- Keep wonton wrappers moist by placing plastic wrap, a damp paper towel on top or store them in an airtight container. Avoid exposure to air or they will dry out quickly.
- Have a small bowl of water nearby.
- On a clean working surface, lay the wonton skin flat. Add 1 teaspoon of filling into the center of each wrapper. Do not add too much filling or you will not the able to seal it. Using your finger or the back of the spoon, dab water along the corner of a wonton wrapper. Fold the wonton into a triangle so the opposite corner is sealed to the other one. Push out any air bubbles and seal the edges of the wrapper.
- With your triangle, dab water on the tip of the left or right pointed end. Take the remaining pointed end and seal it with the other. Repeat this process for remaining wontons. Place assembled wontons on a baking sheet with parchment paper or excess cornstarch to prevent them from sticking. (See images in blog post for visuals).
- (Note: You will have leftover filling which you can shape into little patties or meatballs and fry in a large pan with some oil over medium heat until cooked through)
Boiling Method
- In a large pot of water, bring to a boil on high heat. Boil about 6-10 wontons at a time and stir immediately to prevent them from sticking to the pot. Boil uncovered for 2-3 minutes or until they float. Remove wontons with a slotted spoon and transfer to a medium bowl for serving. Serve with hot sauce, chili oil, or equal parts soy sauce with sesame oil. Garnish with green onions or cilantro.
Deep Frying Method
- In a large wok or large-medium skillet set on medium heat, add 3 inches of vegetable oil, canola oil or any neutral oil (avoid olive oil).Check to see if oil is hot enough by inserting a wooden chopstick into it and looking for bubbles or checking the oil temperature with a deep-fry thermometer, the temperature should be 375 F. Fry 7-8 wontons at a time for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a cooling rack or a baking sheet lined with clean paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Air Frying Method
- Pre-heat air fryer to 350 F. Lightly spray air fryer basket with neutral oil. Place uncooked wontons in a single layer with enough space around each one. Do not overlap. You may need to air fry in batches. Lightly spray oil over the wontons. Air Fry for 6-8 minutes until crispy and internal temperature is 140 F to ensure filling is cooked through.
How to Cook from Frozen
- In a pot of boiling hot water, toss them in. Boil for 2-4 minutes until they float and are cooked in the center. They can also be deep fried or air fried from frozen.
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
Mmm craving a bowl of wontons now! Love them with a good homemade chili oil 🙂
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
Wontons really are amazing, I can never resist them. Your idea to use both shrimp and pork makes them even more irresistible!