Homemade Crab Rangoon (2024)

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Chinese

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Author: Nancy Buchanan

• 6 oz. crabmeat picked through for shells
• two 8 oz. packages cream cheese softened
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 20 wonton wrappers
• 1 egg slightly beaten
• Oil for frying

Crab Rangoon Dipping Sauce

• 20 oz. can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons cold water
• 1 cup plum sauce

• For the Crab Rangoon:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the crabmeat, cream cheese, salt and garlic powder until well combined.

• Lay one wonton wrapper on a clean work surface with one corner facing up (so wonton wrapper looks like a diamond). Cover the remaining wonton wrappers with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.

• Brush the edges of the wonton with the beaten egg.

• Place a heaping teaspoon of the crab/cream cheese mixture on the center of wonton.

• Fold the bottom up to the top to form a triangle shape.

• Carefully press the wonton around the filling, smoothing out any air.

• Dab a bit of the beaten egg on each size of the triangle and fold the ends towards the center.

• Repeat with the remaining wontons until you used all the filling.

• Fill a deep skillet with 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil and heat to 350 degrees.

• Fry 8 - 10 wontons at a time, turning 2 or 3 times until the wontons are golden brown, about 2 minutes.

• Drain on paper towels.

• Serve with sweet and sour sauce

For the Crab Rangoon Dipping Sauce

• Heat the pineapple with syrup, sugar, 1 cup water, vinegar and soy sauce to boiling.

• Mix the cornstarch with the two tablespoons cold water, stirring until thoroughly combined.

• Add to the pineapple mixture and bring back to a boil.

• Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

• Add the plum sauce.

• If not using immediately, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Notes:

Ingredients

You can use either fresh or canned crab.

For best results, use a neutral-flavored oil like vegetable oil or canola oil.

Making the Wontons:

To keep the wontons from breaking: When the wontons are fried, any air trapped inside with convert to steam and break apart the wonton. So, be sure to press out any air bubbles when sealing the wontons.

For the Crispiest Wontons: Crispy wontons are all about the temperature of the oil. If the temperature is too low, the wontons will soak up the oil and become greasy. If the temperature is too high, the wontons will cook on the outside but not on the inside!
To get crispy wontons, heat the oil to 350 degrees. Fry a few wontons at a time - don't crowd the pot. Use a deep-fry thermometer monitor the temperature and increase/decrease the heat as needed.

How to Freeze Crab Rangoon:

You can freeze Crab Rangoon before or after frying. If you want the crispiest wontons though, freeze them before frying.

How to Freeze the wontons Before Frying:

After folding all of the wontons, lay them on a parchment-lined sheet pan and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Transfer the wontons to a sealed container and return to the freezer.

Freezing the Wontons After Frying:

Let the wontons cool. When cool, layer them in a lidded container, using parchment in between the layers.

To reheat, place the wontons on a parchment-lined sheet pan and place in a 350-degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until the wontons are hot. Serve with the dipping sauce!