Easy Crab Rangoon recipe for a beloved appetizer of crispy wontons with a creamy crab filling made of cream cheese and imitation crab meat.
Crab Rangoon has to be one of the most popular Appetizers at any Chinese-American restaurant, second perhaps to Egg Rolls. These wontons are similar to Panda Express Cream Cheese Rangoon but with the addition of sweet imitation crab meat!
From Chicken Chow Mein to Mongolian Beef to Sweet and Sour Pork, we all have our own top choice for best Chinese takeout. When it comes to appetizers though, Crab Wontons are a dish we can all agree on. The only thing better than a crispy fried dumpling stuffed with a creamy, tangy cheese and crab wonton filling is having hot, freshly made homemade Crab Rangoons.
Not only are Crab Rangoon incredibly delicious, making them homemade is incredibly easy too. The creamy filling is made with imitation crab, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce mixed into soft cream cheese. Then you hand fold a pre-made wonton wrapper around the crab mixture, seal them up tight, then fry them until they are perfectly crispy. From start to finish, it takes about 20 minutes to make crab wontons.
These delicious Crab Wontons make perfect party appetizers since you can make them ahead of time and freeze them for months. The day of your party, you can fry the frozen creamy crab wontons without thawing them. In minutes, they are ready to serve up with other dim sum favorites like Potstickers and Spring Rolls. Whether you are having these crispy crab dumpling appetizers on a casual weeknight or for a party, you don’t want to forget the Sweet and Sour Sauce for dipping!
What is Crab Rangoon?
Crab Rangoon, also known as Crab Wontons, are fried wontons or dumplings with a cream cheese and crab meat filling. They are a beloved appetizer found at most Chinese takeout restaurants, but they are actually an American dish. While the fillings can vary with seasonings, they always have crab meat, either real crab meat or imitation crab meat, mixed with cream cheese. They are served most often Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce, but other Asian dipping sauces like duck sauce or sweet chili sauce are popular too.
What is the difference between Fried Wontons and Crab Rangoon?
Fried Wontons can have various types of fillings, which can include a combination of vegetables, ground meat, or seafood. On the other hand, Crab Rangoon specifically refers to wontons filled with a mixture of crab meat and cream cheese. While both are deep-fried and feature a crispy wonton wrapper, the distinctive filling of Crab Rangoon sets it apart from other types of fried wontons.
How to Make Crab Rangoon
- Filling: Dice the imitation crab into little bits. Combine with the softened cream cheese, minced garlic, and Worcestershire sauce until well mixed.
- Assemble: Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrapper. Brush the edges with the egg and pinch the corners together to form a four cornered star. There is a video as well as step by step instructions in this post for how to fold Crab Rangoon.
- Fry: Heat oil in a large dutch oven to 350 degrees. Working in batches, fry the wontons until they are browned and crispy, about a minute or two. If they are taking longer to fry, remove debris in the oil and let it heat back up to 350 then resume frying.
How do you fold Crab Rangoon?
- Spoon approximately 1 teaspoon of the crab and cream cheese mixture onto the center of the wonton skin laid on a flat surface.
- Dip your finger or a small brush into beaten egg and lightly brush the edges of the wonton wrapper, which will form a sealant.
- Fold the sides of each corner up and connect, like a four cornered star, and bring the corners towards the center like a little purse. Press the edges to seal.
- Make sure there is no trapped air and the edges are sealed.
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FAQs for Crab Rangoon
Even though nowadays you’ll almost always find some version of Crab Rangoon at Chinese, Thai, and other Asian restaurants, it’s actually an American-fusion dish. It was invented at a u0022Polynesian-Styleu0022 restaurant in California but was adapted by American Thai and Chinese restaurants somewhere along the line and is now a beloved appetizer we associate with Asian cooking even though it’s completely American!
Crab Puffs are similar to Crab Rangoon but not exactly the same. Both dishes involve a crispy outer shell filled with a creamy crab mixture. However, Crab Puffs are typically made with puff pastry dough, while Crab Rangoon uses wonton wrappers. The filling ingredients may also vary slightly between the two, but the overall concept and flavors are similar.
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Key Ingredients
- Crab: Crab meat has a delicate seafood flavor and a flaky texture to the filling that works great in these tasty crispy wontons. Imitation crab meat, or surimi, is made from white fish, such as pollock, combined with other ingredients to mimic the taste and texture of real crab meat.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese adds a rich, velvety element to the crab mixture. The cream cheese also helps bind everything, while also making a super creamy, melty filling. It gets pretty hot inside the wrapper so be careful biting into the freshly cooked wontons!
- Garlic: Minced garlic adds its savory distinct aromatic flavor that complements the seafood and cream cheese and it’s a common seasoning in Asian cooking.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Worcestershire sauce brings a tangy and slightly sweet flavor, intensifying the taste of the crab and providing depth to the rich creamy filling.
- Wonton Wrappers: Pre-made wonton wrappers are thin sheets of dough used to make dumplings and other Asian stuffed appetizers. They are smaller than eggroll wrappers, but similar in shape and thickness. Square wonton wrappers are easier to fold because you can just match up the corners and pinch them.
- Egg: Brushing egg wash around the edges of the wonton skins helps seal the Crab Rangoon, preventing the filling from leaking out during frying.
Can Crab Rangoon be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can absolutely make Crab Rangoon ahead of time a couple of ways. First of all you can make the filling up to 3 days ahead of time before assembling them and frying like usual. You can also assemble them and freeze them before cooking, or you can cook them first then freeze them. Either way they will stay good for up to 3 months and can be cooked from frozen.
Variations
- Crab: Instead of imitation crab, you can make these with real crab meat, either with canned crab, frozen crab or fresh crab meat from the seafood counter. If you want to splurge, make these with King Crab meat!
- Veggies: You can add some finely chopped veggies like green onions, chives, mushrooms shredded carrots, water chestnuts, or bell pepper to your creamy filling. Just make sure to mince the vegetables into small bits so they don’t overpower the crab.
- Sauce: Sweet and Sour Sauce is the traditional side, but you could serve these indulgent crispy crab andcream cheese filled dumplings with light soy sauce, plum sauce, sweet chili sauce, or duck sauce instead. If you like spicy foods, try them with some Chinese hot mustard!
Baked Crab Rangoon
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Prepare the crab and cheese filling as usual.
- Assemble the wontons, sealing them well.
- Lightly spray or brush outsides of the wontons with cooking oil.
- Bake the Crab Rangoon on a baking sheet in a single layer for 15-18 minutes, or until they are crispy.
Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees.
- While it’s heating up, prepare the filling and assemble the rangoons like normal.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
- Working in batches, place crab wontons in a single layer in the basket and lightly spray with oil.
- Air fry for 5 minutes, then pull the basket out and shake the wontons around a bit.
- Return the basket and cook another 5-10 minutes, or until they are crispy and golden brown.
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How to Store
- Serve: It’s best to serve Crab Rangoon hot and fresh from the fryer. Because of the cheesy crab filling, they can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
- Store: Crab Rangoon will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 375 degree oven or air fryer to crisp back up.
- Freeze: Cool the Crab Rangoon completely before freezing. Freeze in a single layer before sealing in an airtight plastic bag for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven from frozen until heated through.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces crab meat , Imitation crab meat
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 large clove garlic , minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 12 wonton wrappers
- 1 large egg , beaten
- deep frying oil
Instructions
- Chop up the crabmeat in small pieces.
- Mix well with the cream cheese, garlic and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add 1 teaspoon of filling to the center of the wonton.
- Brush the edges with the egg and pinch the corners together (make sure there is NO trapped air) to form a four cornered star like in this tutorial.
- Fry in 350 degree oil until browned and crispy, roughly 1-2 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
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Photos used in a previous version of this post.
Missing some kind of flavor, it was okay to eat but needed something else I did add salt n pepper to it for second batch but still was not doing it. Easy to make though
I love to beagle to see the recipes.they are great.had friends who worked in Chinese restaurants. Some times I would sit and help.make them.i thank each person has their ideas of how food should taste .so just taste as you go.and make to suit your self.thank you for sharing your recipes. I look forward to try others.i give your star
Im about to make these, how do you make the sweet red dipping sauce?
This recipe is okay. I think it would be better with less cream cheese.
Not very good. It was missing something
I’m confused by the ingredient list… 8 ozs of crabmeat and 8ozs of cream cream and only 12 wonton skins? the recipe clearly states that you are only using 1 tsp per wonton skin. Don’t you need way more wonton skins for this recipe? and if there are 12 servings (as noted), then everyone gets only 1? I think you mean 1 pkg of skins, which are generally 48, then it’d be 4 pieces per person and would use up nearly 16 ozs of filling.
That makes perfect sense to me!
They were ok. I highly recommend using a peanut oil or an oil that is used to deep fry Chinese inspired foods.
Also, for anyone curios, you should definitely use your finger to egg wash the outside border of the egg roll wrappers. AND. Doing the star takes A LOT of time. I ended up just folding the wrapper I half to make a triangle shape.
I was craving Rangoons this afternoon and immediately decided to go here, your amazing recipes are an asset in this world.
Great stuff – It’s a keeper in my recipe book.
LOVE THIS RECIPE – THANK YOU
Absolutely fantastic! These are my daughter’s favorite. Really easy to make too. I make these every year for our holiday parties.
I just made this and they turned out good, but dry like you said. Definitely going to try adding some mayo next time, thank you.
I have uncooked lump crab meat. Should I cook it first or will it cook enough inside the wrapper?
You’ll want to cook it first. Enjoy!
If I’m using imitation crab should I cook it? Or is it okay if I use it raw?
Hello, if you are using imitation crab or lobster, they have already been cooked so they just need to be warmed up for your meal. Hope this helps|
Out of curiosity…how do you have “uncooked” crab meat? Uncooked crab meat is a snotty Looking gook (see the movie “Castaway”) that doesn’t resemble cooked meat at all.
I read that and was thinking the same thing “uncooked crabmeat?” ?
This is a great recipe! After reading the comments, I added curry powder and it was delicious!! I did find the filling a bit dry, so I added a tbsp of mayo just to get it creamier, but other than that it will now be my go-to recipe! Thank you
good but i always add 1/2 tsp curry powder to mine it adds a touch more flavor
Thanks for sharing. I love crab rangoons. The text mentioned scallions but they aren’t in the list of ingredients. They add something to the flavor.
Never use imitation crab. It’s not crab $10 at a grocery store can get you the real thing. Plus its made with white fish, which there are people that are allergic to. Then there is the Sugar in it.
I live on prince Edward Island in Canada. The Chinese food here is disgusting i started making my own
I did my best – followed the recipe and I got big fried lumps- yuck my German Shepherd liked them though
Oh no!
I made mine after preheating for 5 mins at 350 and then cooking at 350 for 6 mins and they came out nice and browned and fully warmed through. I did spray the actual wontons rather than the basket just to get the coloring.
Someone in the comments mentioned putting Curry in the mix and I would like to thank him. Made for a wedding reception with curry and everyone commented on how delicious it was. The recipe is excellent but please add the curry powder. You will be glad you did
I agree with other commenters. You would benefit from not saying 12 won ton wrappers. It would be far more accurate to say a package of won ton wrappers (since one has to purchase them anyway). Or at least 24–30, a range since there will be variation of consistency depending on the person making them. But there is no way all that filling will fit into only 12 no matter how much you try to overstuff them.
I agree I did half of this recipe and it made well over 12
I agree, Chris.
I did 12oz of cream cheese, doubled the worcestershire, added finely chopped green onion, skipped the egg wash, and since I don’t own an oil timer I guess on the heat of the oil but they turned out fabulous!! I made pffft at least 30 little guys and I’m glad I made that many so I can save some for leftovers tomorrow! I used frieda’s wraps which were pretty small but oh so perfectly thin 🙂
I noticed that the opening paragraph of the recipe mentions green onion but it’s not listed anywhere in the ingredients. Was it accidentally omitted?
It shouldn’t have been included. Thanks for catching that.
Should have been included or should not have?
I decided not to include it.
Best recipe for crab rangoon. Really easy instructions to follow. Made these several times and each time they were a big hit at dinner time.
So glad you enjoyed it so much!
Can I mix half cream cheese and half ricotta cheese, instead just all cream cheese? Thank you – Lisa I.
You absolutely could, the difference will be in the tang of the cream cheese you’ll be missing in the ricotta. Add a bit of green onions and garlic powder to bring the flavors back around and you’ll be a-ok. Hope that helps 🙂 (sorry I had to edit your comment, there’s weird stuff surrounding talking about all of that on here and how it affects recipes – beyond long story).
Are u asking this? What do you really think would happen? Just do it. There’s no law, for crying out loud ?
These were so easy and yummy. Liked the recipe as is. Had my 10 & 6 yr old granddaughters help. They watched the tutorial and shaped them up perfectly. Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome. Thanks for the 5 stars, Donna.
These recipes can help you pop out some things you didn’t know you could, but there is no substitute for tasting before you say – thats it!
Most folks would have said: little sugar, a ever so light dash of cayenne- ah there it is. 🙂
I also used about 4oz of crab, knowing that most Chinese restaurants skimp on the crab.
This recipe helped me get to – ah there it is!
I had really high hopes for this recipe, but was disappointed with both the flavor and the accuracy of the recipe.
As to the accuracy, not only do I believe the amount of filling to be added to each wonton should have been stated as 1 tablespoon (scant) vs. 1 teaspoon, but also the yield should have been listed as 30 vs. 12 (that’s even using 1 Tablespoon per wonton). If I had only used 1 teaspoon per wonton, I expect I would have yielded 90, which would have been 7.5 times as many.
As to the flavor, they didn’t taste too bad, but were nothing like what I’ve had at any Chinese restaurant I’ve been to. I noticed a slightly fishy taste, whereas I don’t normally even taste the crab. Also, I think there was just a little too much Garlic and Worcester flavor (I might try using half as much next time). Finally, they were missing the slightly sweet flavor I’m used to.
I would like to bake mine instead of deep frying. Do you think they would be ok if I make them the night before the event and then bake them the next day. I think I would have to make sure I keep them moist overnight….thoughts?
You can bake these if you’d like. I suggest lightly spraying them with cooking spray once on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Hope this helps!
Hi Sabrina, this one was nice. Very close to what I recall. I do substitute soy sauce or even a drop or two of dark soy for the worcestershire sauce, I think the result is a bit more “asian” flavor and I never included garlic before, I use minced green onion in mine. But these were a nice change for a more “American” palate. Yummy and served up with oyster sauce and duck sauce for dipping. I’ll probably do these again.
What brand of wonton wrappers did you use? Also, What brand/kind of imitation crab meat?
I just use the standard brand that you get in produce section, any will do as long as they are wonton wrappers and not egg roll size. For the imitation crab, again no brand preference, just not the store brand 🙂
Absolutely awesome!
Thanks Lacey!
These were perfect! I did add a 1/2 teaspoon of sweet and sour, sugar and some green onion to the mixture, but they turned out phenomenal.
Yum! That sounds delicious – happy to hear it turned out great!
I’m wondering how this would work with the air fryer… Have you tried it?
I haven’t tested it using one but if you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks!
I just made in the air fryer and they were great!
Glad you enjoyed them!
How did you do them in the air fryer? I’m interested in doing them that way but don’t know what temp or how long
Can these be cooked in a air fryer and if so what temperature and how long?
I’ve not tested it so if you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks!
The recipe worked well. I did find the recipe particularly meaty, even after following the comment recommendation of using only half the crab meat. The recipe being meaty isn’t a bad thing, I was just hoping for a sweeter cream cheese filling.
Crab Rangoon is my daughter’s favorite and let me say that this recipe did not disappoint! I substituted real crab meat for the imitation and added green onion to the cheese mixture. This recipe definitely earned a spot in my cookbook of favorite recipes!! Thanks for sharing ?
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
This recipe makes a huge batch. I fried about a dozen, then assembled and froze the remaining ones. I’m hoping they will be good after freezing.
They are great to freeze! You cook them straight from frozen which makes it so easy!
Crab Rangoon is my daughter’s favorite and let me say that this recipe did not disappoint! I substituted real crab meat for the imitation and added green onion to the cheese mixture. This recipe definitely earned a spot in my cookbook of favorite recipes!! Thanks for sharing ?
A little too much crab for my liking. I would take out half the crab for this recipe.
I made these last week and they turned out fantastic! I used half real lump crabmeat and half fake (I had some lump meat left over from a she-crab soup recipe). They were better than any Rangoon we’ve had at any restaurant. I added the green onions and just a tiny bit more Worcestershire sauce (just a drip). But our taste buds need more bold.
Do you have a sweet & sour sauce recipe that you like?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I have 2 sweet and sour recipes on the blog. One is a Panda Express copycat https://dinnerthendessert.com/panda-express-sweet-sour-sauce/ and here’s the link to the other https://dinnerthendessert.com/sweet-sour-sauce/.
Either would be fantastic!
These were delicious and super easy to make. Chop green onions into the mix you won’t be disappointed! Yum! Even better than the restaraunts.
That’s a great compliment, Lori! Thank you!
Thanks for all your recipes.
This recipe was easy and pretty yummy. I added green onions and some extra spices. All in all I think about there was just a little too much crab for this 1:1 ratio, so I added 4oz more of cream cheese.
Tried it not as good as expected. Would use half of the crab listed
Hi Sabrina,
I see that under the recipe section you give a description that includes green onions in the mixture, but yet the recipe list does not include green onions. I like green onions in mine and would like to know if you cook yours with the green onions and what was the outcome??
Thanks!!
Yes, you can add them in with the cream cheese mixture. So yummy!
Imitation crab meat is made with fish. This recipe is not vegetarian. I wish it were — I miss Crab Rangoon! P.S. If you do have a brand of crab that is not made from fish, would you mind sharing the brand? I’d love to try your recipe!
I’m sorry I don’t but thanks for catching that! I’ve heard people using jackfruit but I haven’t tried it so I can’t really say if that was the best alternative.
These are really good with avacado too instead of crab meat! A little thai place in my home town used to do this.
Do I cook these from frozen or should I thaw
If you are making these ahead of time and freezing, no need to thaw before you fry them. Hope you enjoy them!
Hi Sabrina, I would love it if people left comments after making the recipes. It would be a great reference. Thank you.
Yes girl!!! There’s little I hate more than people feeling the need to tell everyone that they think something LOOKS good when they have no input on the actual taste! That’s the spread of Facebook idiocy across the entire internet.
I did actually make this recipe and found that the people in the house who like the salty/bland crab rangoons really liked it. I prefer the sweeter version so I added about a 1 T of powdered sugar and really liked the slight sweetness that added to the rest of the batch.
Oh my gosh, my boys would be thrilled if I made these at home. They LOVE them and yours look so delicious!
Thank you!
These look really good! Would be perfect for any party!
Such a great appetizer for a party!
I LOVE these!! The perfect appetizer!!
Thank you Katerina!
These look irresistible! My family would love these for sure!
Make sure to get at least one before your family eats them all up!
These would be a great appetizer option! Love them!
Definitely!
I made this by your recipe but after cooking i had no crab left in the wanton
oil temp was 350.
what happened
I’m not sure what you mean by no crab left. If the wonton opened up and the filling was out, it sounds like the wontons needed to be pinched a bit firmer to ensure no air was left inside before frying. You want to make sure the inside is sealed properly. Hope this helps for next time.