Julie Clark
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Easy Crab Rangoon
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Today we’re talking all about how to make easy crab rangoon! This party appetizer is lightly fried on the stovetop and served with a sweet & sour sauce.
Do you love appetizers? I’m one that could make a meal off finger foods any day of the week. Give me a buffet of flatbread pizza, Mexican street corn, deviled eggs, stuffed dates or creamy dips and I’m in heaven.
Today we’re talking all about an easy crab rangoon recipe. Crab rangoon is a great party or holiday appetizer. Serve the crispy filled wontons with a dipping sauce for an easy, savory treat!
What is the difference between wontons and rangoon?
For this recipe we use wonton wrappers to close up the crab filling. So does that make this a wonton? Wontons are a Chinese takeout favorite, often fried but mostly boiled. They are filled with meats such as pork or shrimp. Rangoon is a fried (or a baked for a healthier version) appetizer that we Americans love.
Is there crab in crab rangoon?
Yes! Although sometimes you may find an imitation crab meat in crab rangoon, most often there is real crab meat inside. To keep things simple, we use canned white crab meat.
Don’t like crab? You could leave it out and make cream cheese wontons 🙂
Ingredients Needed
Before you start:
There are three steps to making crab rangoon.
- Make the cream cheese filling. To make sure it all mixes together easily, the cream cheese should be at room temperature. Also make sure that the canned crab meat is well drained so the rangoon does not get soggy.
- Fold the wontons. We’ll explain this step by step below!
- Fry the wontons. We like to use traditional vegetable oil so it doesn’t add a strong flavor. The oil needs to be 350º Fahrenheit before you add the rangoon so that the wontons don’t absorb too much oil.
How to Make Easy Crab Rangoon
You’ll need wonton wrappers for this recipe. These small squares are often found in the produce section of the grocery store. Look by the egg roll wrappers and tofu section.
This crab rangoon recipe is easy. It takes just 4 steps!
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and powdered sugar. Mix in crab meat.
- Place a tablespoon of crab mixture in the middle of each wonton wrapper.
- Brush a small amount of water on all four edges of the wonton wrapper. Pinch corners together to seal them completely.
- Pour oil in a deep skillet or pan. Heat oil to 350ºF. Fry each piece for about 1-2 minutes or until lightly golden. Place a wire rack over a layer of paper towels. After they are done frying, use a slotted spoon to scoop the crab wontons up and place them on the wire rack to allow them to cool. Work in batches so that you don’t have to
How to Keep Crab Rangoon from Exploding
There’s two things you can try:
- Place the filled crab rangoon in the freezer for 15 minutes before frying. This can help keep them from coming apart when frying.
- Also, seal the wonton wrappers in batches so they don’t dry out before throwing in the fryer.
Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
This recipe calls for frying the rangoon in a skillet on the stovetop for a few minutes. This is honestly our favorite way to make it. It has the best flavor and gets nice and crispy.
If you have an air fryer and would like to make a healthier version, you can place the closed wontons in a single layer in the air fryer. Spray with an olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray, then set the air fryer to 375 degrees and air fry for about 10 minutes.
The crab rangoon won’t have as even of a golden brown color when you make it in the air fryer, but you will save calories!
If you love your air fryer, try our air fryer baked potato and air fryer spicy chicken.
Dipping Sauce for Crab Rangoon
You can easily buy a sweet & sour dipping sauce in the store to keep this recipe quick. If you want to try making a homemade sauce, try this jalapeno pineapple sauce or lemon dipping sauce. Give your guests several options for them to experiment with!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does crab rangoon last in the fridge?
After cooking, this easy crab rangoon will last about 3-4 days in the refrigerator if sealed properly.
How do you reheat crab rangoon?
To reheat crab rangoon, place them on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 300º Fahrenheit and bake for 5 minutes or until they are heated through. If you have an air fryer, you could also reheat the crab rangoon in there for a few minutes to help them crisp up.
Other Easy Appetizer Recipes
Easy Crab Rangoon
Today we’re talking all about how to make easy crab rangoon! This party appetizer is lightly fried on the stovetop and served with a sweet & sour sauce.
Servings 20
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 6 ounces white crab meat (1 can, drained)
- 20 wonton wrappers
- water
- about 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and powdered sugar. Mix in crab meat. 6 ounces cream cheese, ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, 6 ounces white crab meat
- Place a tablespoon of crab mixture in the middle of each wonton wrapper. 20 wonton wrappers
- Brush a small amount of water on all four edges of the wonton wrapper. Pinch corners together, sealing them completely. water
- Pour oil in a deep skillet or pan. Heat oil to 350ºF. Fry each piece for about 1-2 minutes or until lightly golden. about 2 cups vegetable oil
- Place a wire rack over a layer of paper towels. After they are done frying, place the crab wontons on the wire rack and allow them to cool.
- Serve with a sweet and sour sauce.
Video
Notes
- How to keep wontons from exploding: Freeze the filled crab rangoon for 15 minutes before frying. This can help keep them from coming apart when frying. Also, seal the wonton wrappers in batches so they don’t dry out before throwing in the fryer.
Nutrition
Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 39mg | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Good suggestion and your humor is great. Thanks for that as well Chad. Have a Peachy wonderful day!
I really like the ones a local Chinese restaurant makes but they have a slight sweet flavor as well. Any idea what they put in these to add that slight sweet flavor that does not over power the filling?
Make these in my air fryer
Thank you for this recipe. ‘m going to try and make it. I really like them and order from Chinese place but they never put enough crab meat in it and I plan to add plenty crab meat when I make these.
Thank you again. God bless!