Delicious Crab Rangoon is a popular and easy appetizer in American Chinese cuisine that I recently had the pleasure of trying. It typically consists of a filling made with cream cheese, such as Philadelphia, crabmeat, and various spices like green onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and ginger. The prepared filling is then spooned onto wonton wrappers, which are folded into shapes, often triangles or pouches, to encase the filling. These filled wontons are fried until golden and crispy. Crab Rangoon is commonly served as an appetizer in Chinese restaurants, often accompanied by sweet and sour sauce or other flavorings to suit individual preferences.
Recipe
Ingredients in this recipe
- 1 package (8 ounces) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
- 1 can (6 ounces) crabmeat, drained and flaked
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 20 to 24 wonton wrappers
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Your favorite sweet and sour sauce for dipping
Step-by-step instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine softened Philadelphia cream cheese, crabmeat, green onions, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, ground ginger, salt, and pepper. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Using a tablespoon, place an appropriate amount of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper.
- Moisten the edges of the wonton wrapper with water using your fingertips, fold the wrapper in half to form a triangle, and press the edges to seal tightly. Personally, I prefer to prepare triangles. It’s simple and nice.
- Heat the oil in a deep skillet or deep fryer over medium heat to 350 °F (175 °C).
- Carefully drop the crab rangoon into the hot oil, a few at a time, and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, remove the finished crab rangoon from the oil and transfer to a plate lined with, for example, a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- Repeat the frying process with the remaining Crab Rangoon until you have them all done.
- Serve the crab rangoon hot with sweet and sour dipping sauce as a wonderful appetizer or as an appetizer just to taste.
Crab Rangoon really surprised me. Sometimes I am tempted by something exotic and unknown to me, but at the same time, I have to overcome my fears. But when I tasted this appetizer in a restaurant with friends, I thought that I would prepare it at home for the next party with my friends. Well, I have to say that the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Crab Rangoon worked for me because it quickly disappeared from the table and the girls wanted another portion. In addition to the Philadelphia cream cheese, you can of course use another, and you can also play around with the spice mix to suit your tastes. I don’t know about you, but this recipe for a simple and slightly exotic appetizer just got me.
