We love this Crab Rangoon recipe! These crunchy fried wontons have a perfectly creamy filling and taste incredible dipped in the insanely good sweet and sour sauce.
I’m going out on a limb and saying this easy Crab Rangoon recipe boasts a better filling than what you’ll find at most takeout spots, because if I’m making crab wontons, I want to taste the crab, so we’re extra generous with it! Oh, and that sweet and sour sauce? It’s outrageously good!
We developed this recipe with the help of Chef Richard Hattaway, and every time we’ve tested it, the wontons disappeared in minutes! For more of our favorite takeout-inspired dishes, check out our crispy chicken spring rolls or our easy fried rice!
Key Ingredients
- Wonton wrappers: I use thin square wonton wrappers for crab rangoon. My grocery store sells them in the refrigerated section near tofu, but you’ll find an even better selection at International grocery stores. Consider using leftover wonton wrappers to make these baked wonton cups.
- Crab: I love using real crab for these. We used Dungeness crab in the photos and video, but blue crabmeat is also excellent. Imitation crab works, too (surimi), but it tastes milder and sweeter than real crab.
- Cream cheese: This makes our crab rangoon (also known as crab and cream cheese wontons) filling creamy and rich while helping to bind everything together. You might notice that our recipe calls for less cream cheese than other recipes, making these wontons more crab-forward and less heavy.
- Veggies: For flavor, we stir in sliced green onion, chopped red bell pepper, and a bit of garlic. I highly recommend using all three.
- Soy sauce: Crabmeat is naturally salty, so you don’t need much seasoning in the filling. I add a teaspoon of soy sauce or tamari to the mix.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Homemade Crab Rangoon
Tip 1: Make little envelopes. There are a few ways to fold your wontons, but making little envelopes is the easiest. You can see me do this in our video (which I highly recommend watching before making this recipe).
Tip 2: For the best results, fry them! I’m not someone who fries a lot of food at home, but it’s worth it for these crunchy wontons. I’ve tried them in an air fryer and the oven, and while they absolutely work, the wontons don’t get nearly as crispy (because the filling is so wet from the cream cheese).
Tip 3: Use our sweet and sour sauce. Don’t miss our homemade sweet and sour sauce (it’s so good!). It takes less than 5 minutes to make.
Once you taste it, you’ll see why I’m encouraging you to try it so much!