Enjoy an irresistible appetizer with this easy crispy crab rangoon. Contains seasoned crab meat and cream cheese, wrapped up in dumpling wrappers then fried until golden brown.
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Crab rangoons have been all over Tiktok for the past few weeks and I am here for it! It’s an appetizer that’s beloved by many, including myself. So much so that I would almost always get it as part of my Chinese takeout order!
But fun fact: I never knew the existence of these tasty morsels until I came to the US. It’s more of an American invention that’s been adopted as part of the menu in Chinese restaurants. Now though, it’s become one of my favorite things to have, and it’s pretty easy to make too! I’ve even made a variation of it with this Mini Crab Rangoon Pizza.
Crispy Tangy Crab Rangoon
What are crab rangoons? It’s a mixture of seasoned crab meat (in my case, imitation crab), cream cheese, garlic and green onions that’s wrapped up in dumpling or wonton wrappers, then fried to a beautiful golden brown. They’re deliciously creamy and tangy, with an addictive crunchy bite.
For this recipe, I used more crab sticks because I like my crab rangoons a bit more meatier, but you can reduce the amount if you want them to be more cheesy.
How I shape them
Since I’m using a circle shaped wrapper, I placed the filling in the middle of the dumpling wrappers and pinched the sides to the center to make what looks like 3-point ninja star dumplings. You can opt for the square shaped wrappers as well.
Making ahead and freezing
You can definitely prep for them earlier and make these ahead. Freeze the rangoons that haven’t been fried on a sheet pan for a few hours, before transferring to a freezer safe bag or container. They will keep for up to 6 months. You don’t need to thaw it out before frying.
NOTES FOR CRISPY CRAB RANGOON
- Remove the air – When you’re folding the dumpling, make sure to remove as much air before sealing it tightly. If there’s any air trapped inside, it will turn to steam when you fry the crab rangoons, resulting in it bursting open.
- Don’t overfill – Scoop about 1 tablespoon of filling or less to prevent the dumplings from breaking open when frying.
- Seal with water – Make sure to properly seal the folds tightly with water.
- Crab meat – I love using crab sticks (imitation crab), but feel free to substitute with fresh or canned crab meat.
- Air fry option – Spray a thin layer of cooking oil on the air fryer basket, then spritz the crab rangoons with cooking spray before air frying them at 350°F for 6 minutes or until golden brown.
Pair it with these dishes for dinner:
- Beef Chow Fun (30 minutes)
- Easy Chow Mein (10 Minutes)
- Chinese Crispy Lemon Chicken
- 15-Minutes Bok Choy Mushroom with Oyster Sauce
RECIPE
Easy Crispy Crab Rangoon
Ingredients
Crab Rangoon Filling
- 1 cream cheese softened
- 10 crab sticks shredded/minced (see notes)
- 1/4 cup green onions diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Others
- Dumpling wrappers
- Sweet chili sauce
Instructions
- In a bowl mix all the fillings ingredients until well combined.
- Take a dumpling wrapper and scoop about 1 tbsp or a little bit less of filling to the center.
- Dip your finger in water and wet the edges of the wrapper.
- At one end of the wrapper, bring two sides together and seal.
- Bring the other end towards the center and seal the two folds at the side. Repeat until you use up all the fillings.
- Over medium heat, heat up a pot with cooking oil.
- Once it’s hot enough, fry the crab rangoons for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oil and serve with sweet chili sauce. Enjoy!
Hi, is it possible to air fry this?
Yes! Spray some cooking spray on it and air fry at 350F for 6-8 minutes.
Thank you! I made it yesterday evening and it was a delicious snack <3