Panda Express Cream Cheese Rangoon with a creamy center and crispy exterior are the perfect appetizer for your next Chinese takeout meal.
Chinese Food recipes are among the most popular on this site, and top of the favorite list are my Panda Express Copycats like Orange Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, and these crispy cheese wontons!
Sabrina’s Panda Express Cream Cheese Rangoon
Panda Express Cream Cheese Rangoon may seem like the Chinese restaurant appetizer, but it is actually not the crab wontons you’re used to. In this version, the crispy wontons are filled with a cream cheese, garlic, and scallon mixture. These crunchy, creamy bites are super addicting so you may want to double the batch! And of course, don’t forget the Sweet and Sour Sauce for dipping.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 2 tablespoons scallions , minced
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 24 wonton wrappers
- oil , for frying
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix the cream cheese, scallions and garlic powder together.
- Preheat oil in a heavy bottomed pot, a couple inches high to 350 degrees.
- Put 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the middle of a wonton wrapper and with your finger add water to the edges.
- Push the four centers of each side into the middle and press them together.
- Once the middle is connected from all four sides connect the little wings coming out from the middle.
- Let sit while you make all the wontons and when you start to fry, begin with the wontons you made first, they’ll be the driest.
- Cook rangoons in batches in the hot oil until golden brown (about 10 minutes total for all wontons.)
Video
Nutrition
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Table of contents
Chef’s Note: Folding the Wrappers
The hardest part of making cream cheese wontons really just lies in making the same shape. If you remember playing the fortune teller paper game as a kid, that’s what your hand looks like when making these. You have to fold into the center from the center of each side so you make little wings that you can seal together. While it isn’t necessary or add to the flavor, it is definitely cute and adds to the copycat nature of the recipe. You can also just fold the wonton in half into a triangle and fry them up!
Recipe Video
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes, store assembled uncooked rangoons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. You could also freeze them and fry them from frozen.
Nutrional Facts
How to Store
- Serve: Do not leave the cooked Rangoons at room temperature longer than 2 hours.
- Store: Kept in an airtight container, these fried wontons will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a single layer on a baking sheet at 375 to make crispy again.
- Freeze: Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in a single layer at 375.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Prepare the rangoons as described, making sure to spray both the air fryer basket and the rangoons with oil. Then cook in your air fryer for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees, checking half way through to rotate and spray more oil if needed.
Simply swap out the cream cheese in this recipe for your favorite dairy free cream cheese and have an allergy friendly version of Panda Express Cream Cheese Rangoon!
Try mixing in sesame seeds, red chili flakes, lime zest or cilantro with the cream cheese mixture to add more layers of Asian flavor to your Panda Express Cream Cheese Rangoon.
More Delicious Chinese Appetizers
The following photos were in previous versions of this post:
Hello Sabrina,
I went through all the questions on your post, to find if anyone had asked the question:
What oil you used for frying the Rangoons?
I didn’t find any questions on the type of oil used.
So, I will ask you to please send a reply as to what oil was used to fry the
Rangoons in your recipe? Thank you, Marta
I use vegetable oil. Please let us know how your Rangoon turns out!
I was craving the wontons from panda and found this recipe – it was spot on and so easy!! These were very easy to prepare ? thank you for the recipe!
Grandson says they are way better than Panda express.
Really easy and delicious! Make sure you’re keeping an eye on the edges to get a sense of the color, the outside edges will crisp and brown much faster because there’s no filling. When that starts get golden, they’re done. Don’t wait for the whole thing to get golden