These crispy Crab Rangoons are easy to make with wonton wrappers, then stuffed with a delightfully rich cream cheese filling featuring tender bits of crab meat! They're a perfect appetizer to serve with your Chinese food dinners, while watching a game, or just to snack on because they're THAT GOOD!
Delicious & Crispy Deep Fried Crab Rangoons
Crispy and unsurprisingly addictive, these simple-to-prepare Crab Rangoons are the perfect go-to for appetizers, party snacks, and finger foods. I love ordering them at my favorite Chinese restaurant, but my homemade ones are extra special. Sweet crab combined with cream cheese and spices makes these crab rangoons so appealing.
Simple ingredients make these easy to whip up, so there is not much wait time until you can devour your crab creations. When you are in the mood to snack on something savory, crab rangoons hit the spot every time.
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Everyone looks forward to my crab rangoons, and I assure you that your family and friends will follow suit. My shrimp rangoons and cream cheese wontons are also a crowd-pleaser! If you're a fan of crab meat, try my crab egg drop soup!
What You'll Need
This is a pretty short list of ingredients, and they can be modified to suit your flavor preferences!
- Wonton Wrappers – Find these pre-made in the produce section of your supermarket. Cover the unused wrappers with a damp paper towel while you are prepping so they don’t dry out.
- Cream Cheese – I use the Philadelphia brick style, regular fat content, that has been allowed to soften at room temperature.
- Crab Meat – Use two 5 ounce cans of drained crab, or 10 ounces of fresh crab meat, cooked crab, or imitation crab meat. Fresh is my favorite, but they all come out delicious!
- Soy Sauce – Kick up the flavor with a punch of salty soy sauce!
- Garlic Powder – Seasonings make these a standout, and the rich and unique garlic flavor is a welcome addition.
- Chives – Adds color and freshness to every bite!
- Egg White – To seal up your wontons once the filling is inside. You really don't want the rangoons exploding in your fryer oil!
- Fryer Oil – Where the magic happens! Use your preferred cooking oil for frying.
You can vary up the sauce that you use to flavor the crab filling. When I want to dip in soy sauce, I like the soy sauce in my rangoons.
For dipping in hot mustard, I like to use Worcestershire sauce. For dipping in sweet and sour sauce, I like to use lemon juice and a touch of lemon zest for a divine flavor combination!
How to Make Crab-Filled Rangoons
The total prep time is only 25 minutes. Before you know it, your crab rangoons will be gone!
In a deep fryer, saucepan, or deep-frying pan, heat the oil to 350ºF (175ºC).
Mix the Filling
Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl. Mix the room temperature softened cream cheese, drained crab meat, soy sauce (or lemon juice or Worcestershire sauce), garlic powder, and chives. *For best results, mix your cream cheese with just the soy sauce (or lemon juice or Worcestershire sauce) until smooth, then add the remaining ingredients to combine.
Fold the Crab Rangoons
Work in small batches of 2-3 wonton wrappers at a time while filling and folding each wrapper.
- Place a 1 tablespoon portion of the filling into the center of each wonton. Fold and seal the edges by tracing around the outside edge of the wonton wrapper with the egg white. You can use a pastry brush or your finger. *Water can work in place of egg whites, however, egg whites are still the best option.
- Fold the wontons in half and seal completely for triangle-shaped rangoons.
- OR fold by pinching two opposite corners together.
- Fold the third side up to meet the center two.
- Fold the final side up to meet the others.
- Use your fingers to pinch along the edges and seal the wontons completely. They don’t have to look perfect, as long as they’re fully sealed so the filling doesn’t seep out.
Fry the Rangoons
Working in batches again, fry your crab rangoons until all are cooked. Fry at 350ºF (175ºC) for 3 - 4 minutes or until golden brown. If you put too many rangoons in the oil at a time, the temperature of the oil will go down. Plus, they need room to brown on all sides without cramping.
Transfer the fried wontons onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain off any excess oil as you complete the rest of the wontons. Give your oil a minute to return to the correct temperature, then drop the next batch.
Serve immediately once all the wontons are fried. You can provide a dipping sauce such as additional soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce, or hot mustard. But these are so good, they don’t need a thing more! Enjoy!
Storing Leftover Crab Rangoons
If they are not all gobbled up, which would be rare, you can keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days at a maximum. They may become a bit soggy, but the taste is still terrific!
Freezing Crab Rangoons
The best way to freeze and store your prepared crab rangoons is to assemble them as directed in the recipe card below, then set them on a baking sheet and flash freeze the rangoons. After about 15 - 20 minutes in the freezer, your crab rangoons can either be fried or packaged for freezing and cooking at a later time.
📋 Recipe
Crab Rangoons
Ingredients
- 24 wonton wrappers
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 10 oz crab meat (2 5 ounce cans, drained - or use fresh, cooked crab or imitation crab meat)
- 1 tsp soy sauce (or lemon juice)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp chives (or use 1 ½ tablespoon dried chives)
- 1 large egg white (beaten)
- fryer oil
Instructions
- In a deep fryer, saucepan, or deep frying pan heat the oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Combine the filling in a small bowl. Mix the cream cheese, drained crab meat, soy sauce, garlic powder, and chives. *It's easier to mix your cream cheese with just the soy sauce until smooth, then add the remaining ingredients for a creamy filling.
- Work in small batches of 2-3 wonton wrappers at a time. Place 1 tablespoon portion of the filling into the center of each wonton. Fold and seal the edges by tracing around the outside edge of the wonton wrapper with the egg white.
- Fold the wontons in half and seal, or fold by pinching two opposite corners together.
- Fold the third side up to meet the center two.
- Fold the final side up to meet the others.
- Use your fingers to pinch along the edges and seal the wontons completely.
- Fry the wontons in batches until all are cooked. Fry at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 3-4 minutes or until golden.
- Transfer the fried wontons to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off any excess oil as you complete the rest of the wontons.
- Serve immediately once all of the wontons are fried.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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