This recipe for homemade crab rangoon was originally shared on December 14, 2009. I have updated this post and the images.

I have made this crab rangoon recipe for family and friends so many times. It's the second recipe I ever shared on The Little Kitchen too! It's really easy to make and it's requested all the time.

I worked part-time at a startup in college and one day, a co-worker asked me what was in the crab rangoon appetizers she had at Chinese restaurants. I hadn't thought about it, I just knew I loved ordering them when we went to Chinese restaurants.

I asked my mom (even though we're Vietnamese) what she thought and she rattled off a list of ingredients.

I did tell my co-worker what my Mom thought but then I decided I would try my hand at creating a recipe for crab rangoon and this is how this recipe was born.

This is such a great recipe to make for your Super Bowl Party and for the Chinese New Year (or Lunar New Year) party! This recipe is actually pretty popular in my family and like I said requested all the time!

What is crab rangoon?

Crab rangoon is a fried appetizer served at American Chinese restaurants across the United States. But did you know they aren't Southeast Asian or Chinese? Crab rangoon are actually an American invention!

The filling of crab rangoon is cream cheese, imitation crab meat and green onions. Some restaurants add garlic or other spices as well.

Crab Rangoon Ingredients

• 1 package of square or round wonton wrappers
• 8-ounce package imitation crab
• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese
• 5-6 green onions
• salt and pepper
• vegetable or grape seed oil

How to fold crab rangoon

It's really easy to fold them. I show you how in the photos below. First you want to make sure to cover your wonton wrappers with a damp paper towel that way they don't dry out.

I usually do this with both of my hands but I'm showing you below on a plate what each step looks like.

Take about a teaspoon of the crab-cream cheese filling and spread it onto the middle of a wonton wrapper with a spoon.

Then, fold it in half to make a triangle.

Then, pinch with your fingers near the filling and fold the side corners in (as pictured above).

It actually comes together really fast and you'll have a bunch of these wonderful crab rangoon!

Can crab rangoon be made ahead of time?

Yes they can be made ahead of time. First, I'll say they taste best and have the best consistency when you fry them up immediately after folding them up. But they totally can be made ahead of time.

From the photo above, you can see that I put them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet in one layer and then put it in the freezer. Freeze for at least 30 minutes and then you can put them into a zippered plastic bag (make sure you add the name of the recipe and date it!) and put them in the freezer.

Before frying them though, you'll need to let them defrost part of the way in the refrigerator.

How to fry crab rangoon

It's really easy to fry crab rangoon, you don't need a lot of oil. I add about a 1 1/2 inch layer of oil (you can use vegetable or grape seed oil) and heat it for a few minutes on medium high.

I fry them in batches, you don't want to over crowd the pan. Cook for about 2 to 4 minutes on each side.

And put them on a paper towel lined plate upside down to drain the oil out. This will keep them from being overly greasy. That's my secret! Now you know!

These little homemade crab rangoon appetizers are amazing. Once you make them, you won't need to order as takeout or at a restaurant anymore because homemade is better!

Just a note about the wonton wrappers, I have used square and round for this recipe. The original photos from 2009, I used square ones. The ones in the updated photo, I'm using round ones!

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Crab Rangoon Recipe

Servings 50 -60 appetizers

Ingredients

• 1 package of square or round wonton wrappers
• 8- ounce package imitation crab I like to use imitation lobster sometimes
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened on the counter for about 30-60 minutes on the counter
• 5-6 green onions sliced thin
• salt and pepper to taste I used 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• vegetable or grape seed oil for frying

Instructions

• Open the packaging of imitation crab (I like to rinse it quickly under the faucet and pat dry with paper towels). Break apart the crab and then tear using your hand into a large mixing bowl.
• Add sliced green onions, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix throughly with a rubber spatula.
• Add the cream cheese and mix throughly.
• After opening the wonton wrappers, make sure to cover it with a damp paper towel to prevent drying out. Take about a teaspoon of the crab-cream cheese filling and spread it onto the middle of a wonton wrapper with a spoon. Then, fold it in half to make a triangle.
• Place your fingers on the area of the wonton right above the filling and crimp together. It should look like a pouch. You don't have to make sure it's completely sealed.
• Repeat steps 4-5 until finished with the wontons or the filling.
• Heat oil (about a 1 1/2 inch layer) in a nonstick skillet on medium to medium high heat for a few minutes.
• In batches, fry the crab ranoon in the skillet until slightly browned on each side about 2 to 4 minutes.
• Cool on a clean plate lined with paper towels. Place the crab rangoon upside down to ensure the oil drains out. Allow to cool for 5-8 minutes. Serve immediately. (You can serve them with your favorite store bought sauce, I like to eat them plain!)

Notes

Notes:

I like to buy my wonton wrappers at the Asian grocery store. They are thinner and actually fry up better than the ones I find at American grocery stores. They are usually found in the refrigerator or freezer section.

If you buy the wrappers frozen, defrost them in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, sometimes less.

If you make your crab rangoon ahead and freeze them, make sure to let them defrost in the refrigerator first before frying them.

Other recipes you totally need to try!

Smoked Salmon Rangoon
Keto Cheese Crisps
Easy Keto Chili
Vietnamese Egg Rolls
Beer Cheese Fondue

The post Crab Rangoon appeared first on The Little Kitchen.

Last week was a little crazy, I did a lot of driving…3 days last week, I was in the car for at least 2 hours each day. It was fun though! I attended a small blogging conference at Walt Disney World and I met…

It was super fun! Last Wednesday, I had a few things planned, I was going to meet my friend for coffee but she wanted sushi instead. I had a planned dinner with other food bloggers (those are always fun, we ate at one of new favorite restaurants in Orlando, The Smiling Bison, I highly recommend it!). And then, I met my sister at BART (a bar in Orlando) and enjoyed some treats from Sushi & Seoul On The Roll food truck. Should I even admit this? I sound like a total pig…I had three meals over a period of like 6 hours. Oops. It was all soooo good. And this recipe is based on Spicy Krab Nachos I had from Sushi & Seoul. So so good! They used imitation crab and I used lump crab I found in a refrigerated, sealed container from my grocery store's seafood department. Either one will work!

I am often inspired by food I have at restaurants and on trips. As soon as I had this, I told my sister, I will be making this at home! Less than a week later, here's the recipe.

What I love about this recipe is that it's so easy. It literally takes less than 15 to 20 minutes to put together.

I cut wonton shells into 4 triangles each and mix it up with sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seed.

I baked them for about 6 minutes in the oven. The food truck fries their wonton nachos, I couldn't get my grocery store wontons to crisp up the same way they did theirs so I baked them similar to the wonton chips for this recipe.

They used imitation crab but I thought I would use lump crab meat. It's cooked and pasteurized and it's pretty much my new favorite ingredient to cook with now.

Mix up the crab with the sriracha hot sauce with mayo.

Top the wonton nachos with the crab salad, jalapeños, green onions and some more sriracha sauce. This is sooo good. Go make it…if you don't have the ingredients, go get the ingredients and make it. I know you'll love it. I loved it so much, I made it again. I was snacking on this while I was writing this post.

It's spicyyyyy, if you like it even hotter, add more hot sauce. There are glasses of water in these photos for a reason!

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Spicy Crab Wonton Nachos Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 10-12 wontons
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed optional
• 4 ounces cooked lump crab (can use imitation crab)
• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 Tablespoon sriracha hot sauce plus additional for serving
• 1 jalapeño sliced (optional)
• 2 green onions sliced (just the green parts)

Instructions

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
• Cut wontons 4 triangles, cut about 4 pieces at a time, using kitchen shears or a knife on a cutting board. Place wonton triangles onto baking sheet, add sesame oil and toss to distribute. Place wontons flat and in one layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle sesame seed over the wontons. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes until golden brown. (Watch these carefully as they will burn easily.)
• In a small mixing bowl, add crab, mayo and hot sauce. Mix together.
• Place cooled wonton nachos on a plate or serving dish. Add crab salad and top with jalapeño slices and green onions. Top with more hot sauce and serve immediately.

Notes

from The Little Kitchen (inspired by Sushi & Seoul On The Roll food truck)

The post Spicy Crab Wonton Nachos appeared first on The Little Kitchen.