Crab Rangoon

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Crab Rangoons are a fun, Asian-inspired appetizer filled with crab meat, smooth cream cheese, and seasoning. Wrapped in a wonton wrapper and deep-fried, they are irresistible!

Overhead shot of crab rangoon on a serving platter.

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Flavor: There is something so incredibly good about cream cheese mixed with crab and seasonings, all wrapped in a crisp wonton shell. YUM! I could eat all of them!
  • Customizable: These are just as good as what you get at any restaurant. You can also switch up the ingredients to suit your tastes and preferences.
  • Versatile: You can make this for a yummy snack or appetizer for a party or get-together. You can also serve it with your fried rice, cucumber salad, and miso chicken for dinner.

Ingredients Needed for Crab Rangoon

This list is short, but you might not have everything on hand. No Worries, though; these can usually be found at most grocery stores. Scroll to the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

  • Imitation Crab Meat: The yummy meat that adds a nice texture and flavor.
  • Cream Cheese: Adds the perfect creamy tang that complements the crispy wonton and savory seasoning.
  • Green Onion: Gives the best savory flavor!
  • Worcestershire Sauce: Just a little bit adds the best depth of flavor you can’t get anywhere else.
  • Soy Sauce: Provides a nice umami flavor.
  • Garlic Powder: Give me all the garlic!
  • Wonton Wrappers: These fry up perfectly crispy and flavorful!
  • Oil: For frying.
Overhead shot of labeled ingredients.

How to Make Fried Crab Rangoon

My favorite things to order from Chinese takeout are egg rolls, kung pao chicken, fried rice, and crab rangoon. So, when we were stuck at home for months and were craving takeout, I decided to make my own crab rangoon recipe. And it was so much easier than I thought, and dare I say, even better than takeout because you can enjoy them freshly fried!

  1. Combine: Add the crab, cream cheese, green onion, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and garlic powder to a medium bowl and mix until fully combined.
  2. Add: Assemble up to four wonton wrappers at a time, adding about two teaspoons of filling to the center.
  3. Wet: Wet the edges of the wrappers with water or a beaten egg.
  4. Fold: Pinch two opposite corners together before bringing up the other two corners to form the shape.
  5. Cover: Pinch all the edges together to seal and set aside. Cover the formed rangoons with a damp paper towel until you are ready to fry them. Continue to assemble rangoons until all of the filling has been used, about 30.
  6. Fry: Heat about 3 inches of oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven until the oil reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the rangoons in batches for 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove them from the oil to a paper towel lined plate. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce of your choice.
Overhead shot of filling ingredients all in a mixing bowl.
Overhead shot of dollops of mixed filling ingredients on wonton paper.
Overhead shot of someone using their finger to wet the edges of the wonton paper.
Angle shot of someone pinching two corners of the wonton paper together.
Angle shot of someone pinching all four corners of the wonton paper together with filling inside.
Overhead shot of sealed crab rangoon in oil frying.

Crab Rangoon Tips and Variations

This process might seem intimidating, but trust me, you can do this! Here are a few tips to make sure your cran rangoons turn out just the way you like!

  • Filling Amount: When filling your wonton wrappers, it might take a few tries to get the perfect amount. Overfilling can cause the rangoons to burst while underfilling leaves you with just fried wonton shells. I found that about two teaspoons of filling worked perfectly for me!
  • Blowouts: To avoid blowouts, you can try squeezing the air out of the center of the rangoons before sealing all the edges shut.
  • Drying Out: Fill only 4-5 rangoons at a time to prevent the wonton wrappers from drying out. Make sure you cover the filled ones with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out.
  • Crab: I used finely chopped imitation crab for my rangoons, but you can use real crab meat or canned crab if you drain it really well.
  • Dipping Suace: My favorite dipping sauce is sweet red chili sauce, but you can use whatever dipping sauce you prefer!

Close up shot of a crab rangoon cut in half over a pile of crab rangoons.

Make Ahead and Storing Instructions

  • Make Ahead: You can form the rangoons about half a day in advance; just cover the formed ones with a lightly dampened paper towel or two and then tightly wrap them in plastic wrap. I found it most helpful to uncover the rangoons and let them sit in the open air for 20–30 minutes before frying, especially if I made them in advance. 
  • Fridge: Store fried crab rangoons in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes or in the air fryer at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 4 minutes. 
  • Freezer: You can freeze crab rangoons before or after they are fried.
  • Before: Before they are fried, crab rangoons can be frozen for up to 3 months. Place the formed rangoons on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the freezer. When fully frozen, transfer them to a large freezer bag. Fry them from frozen in oil at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-7 minutes. 
  • After: For fried rangoons, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the freezer. When fully frozen, transfer them to a large freezer bag. Reheat them in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 8 minutes, flipping them over halfway through. Or you can air fry them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-8 minutes.

Close up shot of someone dipping their crab rangoon into sauce.

More Asian-Inspired Recipes to Try

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  • Add the crab, cream cheese, green onion, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and garlic powder to a medium bowl and mix until fully combined.

  • Assembling up to 4 at a time, add about two teaspoons of filling to the center of each wonton wrapper.

  • Wet the edges of the wrappers with water or a beaten egg. Pinch two opposite corners together before bringing up the other two corners to form the shape.

  • Pinch all the edges together and set aside. Cover the formed rangoons with a damp paper towel until you are ready to fry them.

  • Continue to assemble rangoons until all of the filling has been used, about 30.

  • Heat about 3 inches of oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven until the oil reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the rangoons in batches for 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove them from the oil to a paper towel lined plate.

  • Serve immediately with the dipping sauce of your choice.

Originally Posted December 28, 2020
Updated December 14, 2024

Calories: 47kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 102mgPotassium: 18mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 79IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Published by Staff Reporter