Baked Cream Cheese Crab Rangoon

Name: Baked Cream Cheese Crab Rangoon
Prep time: 37 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 51 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 8 oz (226 g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature; 4 oz (113 g) imitation crab (surimi) sticks or flake-style, finely chopped into ⅛-inch (3 mm) pieces and patted dry; 2 medium (20 g) scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced; ½ tsp (1½ g) garlic powder; 1 tsp (5 ml) soy sauce; ¼ tsp (½ g) freshly ground black pepper; 30 wrappers (213 g) square wonton wrappers, 3½-inch (9 cm), thawed if frozen, kept covered with a damp paper towel; 2 tbsp (30 ml) water, in a small bowl, for sealing; 3 tbsp (42 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or avocado), for brushing, divided in half; ½ cup (120 ml) sweet chili sauce, for dipping (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp, golden wonton triangles filled with a tangy, garlicky cream cheese and imitation crab filling. They're baked instead of fried, so you get the crunch with no pot of hot oil.

Prep: 37 min
Cook: 14 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 56 min
Makes: 30 crab rangoon (5 per serving)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the filling
8 oz (226 g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
4 oz (113 g) imitation crab (surimi) sticks or flake-style, finely chopped into ⅛-inch (3 mm) pieces and patted dry
2 medium (20 g) scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder
1 tsp (5 ml) soy sauce
¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
For assembly
30 wrappers (213 g) square wonton wrappers, 3½-inch (9 cm), thawed if frozen, kept covered with a damp paper towel
2 tbsp (30 ml) water, in a small bowl, for sealing
3 tbsp (42 ml) neutral oil (such as canola or avocado), for brushing, divided in half
For serving
½ cup (120 ml) sweet chili sauce, for dipping (optional)

Equipment (9)

2 large rimmed baking sheets (about 13×18 inches / 33×46 cm)
Parchment paper
Medium mixing bowl
Rubber spatula
Sharp knife and cutting board
Pastry brush
Small bowl for water
Measuring teaspoon
Tongs or thin spatula

Steps

Before you start

Set the cream cheese out about 1 hour ahead so it is fully soft. Cold cream cheese stays lumpy and is hard to mix.
Use full-fat block cream cheese, not whipped or spreadable tub cream cheese. The tub kind is too loose and leaks during baking.
Keep the wonton wrappers covered with a damp paper towel while you work, because they dry out and crack within a few minutes.
Use 3½-inch (9 cm) square wrappers. Thaw frozen wrappers in the fridge overnight if needed.
The filling makes about 365 g. Each rangoon uses about 10 g (a level 2 teaspoons), so you'll have a small cushion for what sticks to the bowl.

1
Heat oven, line pansOven 400°F / 205°C
- Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds and preheat to 400°F (200°C).
- Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Ready when: Oven reads 400°F (200°C) by the time you finish shaping.
Tip: Parchment prevents sticking. Don't use foil, because the wrappers stick to it.
2
Chop crab and scallions
- Pat the imitation crab with paper towels to remove surface moisture.
- Chop it very finely into pieces about ⅛ inch (3 mm), so it spreads through the filling and doesn't poke through the wrappers.
- Thinly slice the 2 scallions.
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Ready when: Crab looks like small flakes with no large chunks.
3
Mix the filling
- In a medium bowl, stir the softened cream cheese with a rubber spatula until smooth and creamy.
- Add the crab, scallions, garlic powder, soy sauce and black pepper.
- Stir until evenly combined.
- You should have about 365 g of filling.
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Ready when: Filling is thick, cohesive and speckled, with no white streaks of plain cream cheese.
Tip: Taste a tiny bit. Imitation crab and soy are already salty, so don't add salt.
4
Set up folding station
- Put the bowl of filling, the small bowl of water, the stack of wrappers (covered with a damp paper towel) and the lined baking sheets within reach.
- Take out only about 6 wrappers at a time.
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Tip: Dry wrappers crack when folded, so keep the rest covered.
5
Fill and fold
- Lay one wrapper on the counter with a corner pointing toward you, like a diamond.
- Place a level 2 teaspoons (about 10 g) of filling in the center.
- Dip a finger in water and wet only the two upper edges of the diamond, the ones that will meet the bottom edges.
- Fold the bottom corner up to meet the top corner to make a triangle.
- Press out any trapped air, working from the filling outward, and press the edges firmly to seal.
- Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling, setting the rangoon 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on the pans, 15 per sheet.
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Ready when: Each triangle is sealed all the way around with no gaps and no air pockets.
Tip: Don't overfill. More than 2 teaspoons pushes out through the seams as it bakes. Use only a thin film of water, because too much makes the wrappers gummy.
6
Brush tops with oil
- Divide the oil in half: 1½ tablespoons (21 ml) for this side and 1½ tablespoons for after flipping.
- Brush about 2 teaspoons of the first half over the exposed tops and edges of the 15 rangoon on each sheet.
- The bottoms rest on the parchment and don't need oil yet.
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Ready when: Exposed wrapper surfaces have a thin, even sheen with no dry white patches.
Tip: Any dry spot stays pale and chewy in the oven, so cover every exposed surface.
7
Bake first sideOven 400°F / 205°C
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) with one sheet on each rack for 7 minutes.
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Ready when: Tops are light golden with browned edges.
8
Flip and finishOven 400°F / 205°C
- Remove the pans and flip each rangoon with tongs or a thin spatula.
- Brush the new tops with the remaining oil.
- Swap the pans between racks and bake 7 minutes more at 400°F (200°C).
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Ready when: Both sides are deep golden brown and crisp, and the filling is hot and bubbling slightly at the seams.
Tip: If the edges brown faster than the centers, move the pan to the lower rack for the last 2 minutes.
9
Cool briefly
- Slide the parchment with the rangoon onto a wire rack, or leave them on the pan.
- Let them cool for 5 minutes so the filling firms up.
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Ready when: Shells feel firm and crisp when tapped.
Tip: The filling is extremely hot straight from the oven, so don't skip this rest.
10
Serve warm
- Arrange the rangoon on a platter with the sweet chili sauce in a small bowl for dipping.
- Serve while warm.

Good to know

Tips

Press out air pockets when sealing, because trapped air puffs up and can burst the seams.
Make sure the filling is smooth before folding. Soft, well-mixed filling is easier to portion and doesn't leak.
For extra crunch, set a wire rack inside each baking sheet so air circulates under the rangoon. Spray the rack lightly with oil first, and brush the bottoms too.
Serve right away. Baked rangoon are crispest in the first 20 minutes.

Make ahead

Assemble the unbaked rangoon up to 1 day ahead. Place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Brush with oil just before baking and add 1–2 minutes to each side. To freeze, freeze unbaked rangoon on a tray until solid (about 1 hour), then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Brush with oil and bake from frozen at 400°F (200°C) for 9 minutes per side.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: store cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: baked rangoon freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, bake on a rack-lined sheet at 375°F (190°C) for 8–10 minutes (12 minutes from frozen), until hot and crisp. Don't use the microwave, which makes the shells soggy.

Substitutions

imitation crab (surimi) sticks or flake-style → canned lump crab meat, well drained (4 oz / 113 g). Gives a sweeter, more real crab flavor. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can so the filling doesn't turn watery.
neutral oil (such as canola or avocado) → olive oil or melted butter, or cooking spray. Butter browns faster, so watch the last few minutes of baking. With spray, coat every exposed surface evenly.
scallions → 2 tbsp (6 g) finely chopped chives. Similar mild onion flavor.
soy sauce → ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce. Adds a similar savory depth. Tamari works too, but the wrappers contain wheat, so this is not gluten-free.