Last Updated on January 21, 2024 by Karen
Homemade Crispy Crab Rangoon are wonton appetizers stuffed with a savory crab and cream cheese filling and fried until golden brown. These little bites are the perfect party appetizer for sharing with guests.
I love recreating American Chinese restaurant recipes at home and this crab rangoon appetizer is my all time favorite appetizer. It has a crispy, fried wonton skin exterior, with a savory filling made of cream cheese and crab. Crab rangoon is easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients, and taste much better than takeout! Although they are typically deep-fried,I’ve also included an air fryer and oven bake method below, so the crab rangoon can be much lighter too.
These cream cheese wontons are the perfect starter to an Asian meal. It’s also a great option if you’re entertaining, whether it is for game day celebrations, potlucks, or holiday parties.
See more below on how to fold crab rangoon. Of course, you can just fold the wonton wrappers in half into a triangle if you find this technique too challenging.
Craving for Chinese takeout dishes? Here are some more recipes you’ll want to try:
Beijing Beef
Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken
Wok-Fired Shrimp
Black Pepper Angus Steak
What is crab rangoon?
Crab rangoon are sometimes called crab puffs or crab wontons. They are made with wonton wrappers filled with a crab and cream cheese mixture, then pinched to close like a little purse. These crab wonton appetizer is a popular item on the menu of many American Chinese restaurants.
Is crab rangoon the same as cream cheese rangoon?
No. Crab rangoon and cream cheese rangoon are both made with wonton wrappers, and filled with a cream cheese based filling. However, crab rangoon is a popular appetizer at Chinese restaurants that uses crab meat and cream cheese as its filling. On the other hand, cream cheese rangoon does not contain seafood. Check out my recipe for Panda Express Copycat Cream Cheese Rangoon.
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this crab rangoon recipe at home:
Cream cheese: You can use full-fat cream cheese, or low-fat cream cheese for a lighter take. Be sure to let it soften at room temperature for easy mixing.
Crab: You can use fresh or canned crab meat. You can also use imitation crab for this recipe, just make sure to chop it into small pieces so that it mixes easily with the other ingredients.
Green onions: Can substitute with chives.
Worcestershire sauce
Soy sauce: I like to use low-sodium soy sauce.
Garlic powder: Can also use 1/2 tsp of minced garlic.
Wonton wrappers: Wonton wrappers can be found at most grocery stores, usually in the refrigerated section in the produce area (right by the tofu and vegetarian items at my local stores). Note that these are different from dumpling wrappers, which are usually round.
Oil: Any neutral oil with high smoking point is good for deep-frying, such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.
How to make crispy crab rangoon from scratch:
1. Prepare the crab filling.
2. Place about a teaspoon of filling in the center of the wonton wrappers.
3. Brush the edges with a bit of water (not too much or the edges will get soggy and not stick together well) and seal the edges tightly.
4. Deep fry in oil or air fryer until golden brown and crispy. Allow them to cool slightly before serving. The filling will be piping hot!
How to fold crab rangoon:
To achieve that iconic crab rangoon shape, bring all the corners of the wonton wrappers together up to the center, and pinch to seal. Then seal all the sides to form an “X” shape.
Tips for making crab rangoon:
– Don’t over stuff the crab rangoon. If there is too much filling, they could burst open during frying.
– When you are assembling the crab rangoon, placing a damp paper towel over the wonton wrappers as you work to keep them from drying out.
– Fry the crab rangoon in batches and make sure they are not overcrowded when frying. It can cause them to stick together.
– Use a deep-fry thermometer if you have one. If the oil is too hot, the crab rangoon will ooze out.
– If one side of the crab rangoon is turning dark sooner than the other side, just rotate gently with a tong or slotted spoon so that they cook up evenly.
Can I bake these Homemade Crispy Crab Rangoon?
Yes. Just follow the instructions to assemble the crab rangoons, brush or spritz with oil, and bake in the oven at 350F for 8-12 minutes, or until the crab rangoons are golden brown and crispy.
Can I make crab rangoon in the air fryer?
Yes, the texture won’t be the same but it still works great, as a healthier snack. Just follow the instructions to prepare the crab rangoons, brush or spritz with oil, and cook in an air fryer at 350F for 8-12 minutes, or until the crab rangoons are golden brown and crispy. I recommend folding them in half into triangles if making in the air fryer, since it can lie flat in the air fryer basket and crisps up much easier.
How do I store and reheat Homemade Crispy Crab Rangoon?
You can store this dish for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge or in the freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 350F until crispy.
Can Homemade Crispy Crab Rangoon be made ahead of time?
Absolutely! I actually like to make a double (even triple) batch whenever I make this recipe, to enjoy immediately and for freezer-friendly snacks later. Let the crab rangoon cook until they are lightly golden brown on the outside, then cool to room temperature. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 350F right before you’re ready to serve.
Can I freeze crab rangoon cooked or uncooked?
Homemade crab rangoon are best frozen after they are cooked. Let the crab rangoon cook until they are lightly golden brown on the outside, cool to room temperature, and freeze them on a sheet pan. Once they are frozen solid, you can transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, heat oven to 350F and reheat until it is crispy and golden brown (about 12 minutes in my convection oven) or you can also reheat in an air fryer.
I don’t recommend freezing the crab rangoon uncooked because the wonton wrappers tend to break off or crack once frozen, which makes a mess when frying from frozen.
What sauce should I serve with crab rangoon?
These crab rangoon taste great on their own, or they can be served with a sauce such as sweet and sour sauce, duck sauce, or Thai sweet chili sauce for dipping.
What are some variations to this crab rangoon recipe:
– Instead of making the crab rangoon filling from scratch, you can substitute with storebought flavored cream cheese (not the whipped type), such as garlic and herb, garden vegetable, or chive and onion cream cheese.
– For a sweet cream cheese wonton dessert, try filling the wontons with strawberry or honey pecan flavored cream cheese, then dust them with confectioners’ sugar before serving. Nutella would be delicious too!
– Switch up the seasoning using onion powder and chives in place of the green onions and garlic powder.
– Add a chopped jalapeno for a spicy kick.
If you like this recipe, try my other Chinese restaurant favorites:
Quick and Easy Chicken Fried Rice
Chinese Barbecued Pork (Char Siu)
Flaky Chinese Scallion Pancakes
Homemade Crispy Crab Rangoon
Ingredients
- Oil for frying
- 6 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 6 oz crab meat drained
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 24 wonton wrappers
- Sweet and sour sauce for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil to 350F over medium high heat.
- In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, crab meat, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and garlic powder.
- Place about a teaspoon of filling in the center of the wonton wrappers.
- Brush water around the edges of the wrapper, then bring the corners of the wonton wrapper together in the center and pinch to seal the filling inside.
- Carefully add the rangoons into the oil and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and serve with sweet and sour sauce if desired
