While not the healthiest item on the Chinese buffet that we went to so often in Ohio that they knew us by name, they were the best crab rangoons I have ever eaten at a restaurant. While they were the traditional American Chinese restaurant crab rangoons made with imitation crab and cream cheese, they seemed to be house-made and better than others. I haven’t been to that Chinese restaurant in many years…I am not sure it still exists; it probably doesn’t. I was not much of a fan of any other Chinese buffet restaurant (or any buffet restaurant really). So, crab rangoon is not something that I have frequently eaten over the last decade several years until I started making them at home.
I have discovered that I enjoy crab rangoons even more if they are made with real crab meat and are fresh from the fryer or the oven.
While you can make your own wonton wrappers, there are inexpensive, good ones in the freezer section of many grocery stores and Asian markets.
I also have discovered that I prefer them made with real canned crab over imitation crab meat. While you can buy the canned crab meat you find in the refrigerated seafood section of the store, the canned crab you find on the shelf near the canned tuna in the store works just fine in this recipe.
Crab Ragoon
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 6 oz. can crab meat
- 1 green onion, thinly slices
- pinch of sugar
- wonton wrappers
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp. water
Instructions
Filling
- Beat cream cheese until fluffy with a mixer.
- Add Worcestershire sauce, onion, sugar, and crab meat.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Blend until well combined.
For Fried Rangoons
- Place a scoop or dollop of the mix in the center of a wonton wrapper.
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl.
- Brush (or use your finger) the cornstarch water around the edges of the wonton.
- Seal the wonton sides together in your preferred shape. If you are using square wontons, one way is folding one edge across the middle to meet the other in a triangle pattern. Another way is seaming the adjoining sides together in the middle to form a square packet.
- Whatever shape you chose, make sure it is well sealed and there is not any air trapped inside or else the filling will come out.
- Heat oil to 350 degrees F.
- Fry filled wontons just a few at a time until golden brown.
- Let drain on a paper towel lined plate, baking sheet or rack.
For Baked Rangoons
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place wonton wrappers in mini-muffin pan.
- Place a spoon/scoop of filling in each wrapper.
- Bake until filling is hot/bubbling and wrapper is browned.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm.
- Can be served with a dip Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, Duck Sauce, Sweet and Sauce, etc.