Crab Rangoons with Orange Sweet Chili Sauce
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These fresh crab meat and gooey cream cheese filled crispy fried wontons are one of my favorite items to order from any Chinese takeout menu. While they have roots in Polynesian-style restaurants and are named after Yangon in Myanmar, they can now be found on most Chinese-American takeout menus.
There are a lot of fine crab Rangoons out there and then there are the really good ones. My top qualifiers for a good crab Rangoon are as follows:
- Made with real crab meat.
- Good balance of crab and cream cheese.
- Crispy wonton shell.
- A good dipping sauce!
Folding the Rangoon can be time consuming but that step takes the longest. I’ve provided instructions for making these appetizers both fried in oil as well as air fried. You can also assemble the crab Rangoons ahead of time and freeze them for easy serving using the instructions provided below! Make sure you let them cool slightly before eating, the filling can be lava hot! I serve them with my homemade orange sweet chili sauce though you can use store-bought or swap with another sauce like sweet and sour sauce.
Crab Rangoons with Orange Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
Table of contents
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Crab – Since the fresh crab meat is mixed into the cream cheese mixture you don’t need to spend money on the highest level of crab meat. I prefer to use lump crab in this recipe because it is slightly less expensive than jumbo lump crab, but you still get large chunks and lots of distinct yet delicate crab flavor!
- Cream cheese – Letting the cream cheese stand at room temperature makes it easier to evenly mix the crab filling. If you didn’t have the foresight to take the cream cheese out of the fridge, then add it to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-low speed until softened.
- Green onion – The thinly sliced green onion helps to add flavor to the delicate crab filling.
- Soy sauce – While some recipes prefer to use Worcestershire sauce to round out the flavor of the filling, I prefer to use soy sauce. The soy sauce adds salt to the recipe as well so I don’t add additional kosher salt.
- Wonton wrapper – I buy packages of square wonton skins at the grocery store and simply fill them with the crab and cream cheese filling before frying. As the wontons are filled, keep the wrappers under a damp towel so they don’t dry out.
How to Make Crab Rangoons
Step 1: Mix the sweet chili sauce.
Add the rice vinegar, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, garlic, ¼ cup (60g) of water and red pepper flakes to a small pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer until the mixture reduces slightly, about 6 minutes.
Step 2: Thicken the sauce.
In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon (15g) of cold water. Add the slurry to the sugar mixture, whisking to combine. Continue to simmer the mixture until the sauce becomes thick and shiny, about an additional 4 minutes. Remove to a small bowl or jar and let cool completely. Use or store covered and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Step 3: Mix the crab filling.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, crab meat, green onion, soy sauce and garlic powder. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Fill the wontons.
Working one wonton wrapper at a time, add a teaspoon of the creamy crab filling to the center of the wonton.
Step 5: Fold the crab Rangoons.
Brush the edges of the wonton with water. Fold by bringing together two opposite corners of the wontons and pressing to seal. Repeat with the other two corners, squeezing out any air as you seal the wrapper.
Step 6: Add to a baking sheet.
Add the sealed wontons in a single layer to a baking sheet dusted with flour, repeating with the remaining filling and wrappers. Freeze the crab Rangoons for 15 minutes before cooking (this will keep the filling from leaking as much when frying).
Step 7: Fry crab rangoons.
Add enough oil to reach 2-inches (5cm) up the side of a large cast iron skillet. Heat oil to 350ºF (180ºC). Once oil is hot, working in batches, add a few of the Rangoons and fry until golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes.
Step 8: Serve.
Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining wontons.Let cool for about 5 minutes then serve the crab Rangoons hot with the sweet chili sauce for dipping.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
How to make with imitation crab meat
Imitation crab meat or “kani” is meant to mimic the texture and flavor of crab meat at a more affordable price point. The sticks are made from white fish such as pollock which are ground into a paste and mixed with starch and flavoring. To swap the real crab meat with imitation crab, shred, then chop, 1 cup of the kani and add to the recipe as you would with the real crab.
Tips for folding wontons
- If you don’t want to take the time to pinch the wontons together, you can easily fold them in half and seal them shut.
- To fold them in a pinwheel shape, bring two flat sides together and seal then bring the other flat sides together and seal.
- Brushing the edges of the wonton wrappers with water helps to seal them shut completely.
- Make sure each wonton is sealed entirely so they don’t leak as they fry. Freezing them for at least 15 minutes before frying will also help with this.
How to make in the air fryer
In a small bowl whisk an egg with 1 tablespoon (15g) of water. Brush the wontons all over with the egg wash mixture. Heat air fryer to 350ºF (180ºC). Arrange the crab Rangoons in the basket, cooking a few at a time so as to not overcrowd the basket. Air fry for 6 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.
How to freeze the Rangoons
Freeze the uncooked Rangoons on a baking sheet for 15 to 30 minutes so they won’t stick together, then add to an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks and cook as instructed below.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this crab Rangoon recipe, give these a try:
Crab Rangoons with Orange Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
For the orange sweet chili sauce:
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
For the Crab Rangoons:
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup picked lump crab meat
- 2 medium green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 35-40 square wonton wrappers
- Vegetable oil, as needed, for frying
Instructions:
For the sweet chili sauce:
- Add the rice vinegar, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, garlic, ¼ cup (60g) of water and red pepper flakes to a small pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer until the mixture reduces slightly, about 6 minutes.
- In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon (15g) of cold water. Add the slurry to the sugar mixture, whisking to combine. Continue to simmer the mixture until the sauce becomes thick and shiny, about an additional 4 minutes. Remove to a small bowl or jar and let cool completely.
- Use or store covered and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
For the crab Rangoons:
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, crab meat, green onion, soy sauce and garlic powder. Stir to combine.
- Working one wonton wrapper at a time, add a teaspoon of the crab filling to the center of the wonton.
- Brush the edges of the wonton with water. Fold by bringing together two opposite corners of the wontons and pressing to seal. Repeat with the other two corners, squeezing out any air as you seal the wrapper.
- Add the sealed wontons to a baking sheet dusted with flour, repeating with the remaining filling and wrappers. Freeze the crab Rangoons for 15 minutes before cooking (this will keep the filling from leaking as much when frying).
- Add enough oil to reach 2-inches (5cm) up the side of a large cast iron skillet. Heat oil to 350ºF (180ºC). Once oil is hot, working in batches, add a few of the Rangoons and fry until golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes.
- Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining wontons.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes then serve the crab Rangoons hot with the sweet chili sauce for dipping.
DID YOU MAKE THIS?
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great dish, fun too, and love the sauce too, thank you!
so happy to hear it Sabrina!! Thanks for sharing!