Classic Crab Rangoon

Name: Classic Crab Rangoon
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 58 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 8 oz (225 g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened about 30 minutes at room temperature; 6 oz (170 g) cooked lump or flake crab meat (canned, pasteurized or previously cooked fresh), kept refrigerated until mixing; drained, squeezed very dry in a clean towel or paper towels, and picked over for shell; 3 tablespoons (18 g) scallions, thinly sliced (about 2 scallions); ½ teaspoon (1½ g) garlic powder; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) soy sauce; ½ teaspoon (2½ ml) Worcestershire sauce; ⅛ teaspoon (0.3 g) ground white pepper; 24 wrappers (210 g) square wonton wrappers (3½-inch/9 cm), thawed if frozen, kept covered with a damp towel; ¼ cup (60 ml) water, for sealing edges; 7 cups (1650 ml) neutral frying oil (peanut, canola or vegetable), enough for 2 inches (5 cm) depth in an 8-inch (20 cm) pot; ½ cup (120 ml) sweet chili sauce (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crisp, golden wonton pockets filled with a creamy, lightly savory mix of cream cheese, cooked crab, scallions and garlic. Folded into the classic four-corner shape and fried until blistered, they're the takeout favorite made easily at home.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 28 min
Wait: 19 min
Total: 1 hr 17 min
Makes: 24 crab rangoon (6 servings of 4)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the filling
8 oz (225 g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened about 30 minutes at room temperature
6 oz (170 g) cooked lump or flake crab meat (canned, pasteurized or previously cooked fresh), kept refrigerated until mixing; drained, squeezed very dry in a clean towel or paper towels, and picked over for shell
3 tablespoons (18 g) scallions, thinly sliced (about 2 scallions)
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) garlic powder
1 teaspoon (5 ml) soy sauce
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) Worcestershire sauce
⅛ teaspoon (0.3 g) ground white pepper
For assembly and frying
24 wrappers (210 g) square wonton wrappers (3½-inch/9 cm), thawed if frozen, kept covered with a damp towel
¼ cup (60 ml) water, for sealing edges
7 cups (1650 ml) neutral frying oil (peanut, canola or vegetable), enough for 2 inches (5 cm) depth in an 8-inch (20 cm) pot
For serving
½ cup (120 ml) sweet chili sauce (optional)

Equipment (10)

Heavy-bottomed 4-quart (3.8 L) pot or Dutch oven, about 8 inches (20 cm) wide and at least 5 inches (13 cm) tall, with a fitting lid nearby
Deep-fry or candy thermometer
Instant-read thermometer
Medium mixing bowl
Small bowl for water (for sealing)
Baking sheet lined with parchment, for assembled rangoon
Wire rack set over a baking sheet, for draining
Spider skimmer or slotted spoon
Clean kitchen towel or paper towels (for squeezing crab)
Second clean damp towel (to cover wrappers)

Steps

Before you start

Take the cream cheese out of the fridge about 30 minutes ahead (cut into chunks to soften faster). Keep the crab refrigerated until the moment you mix. Cream cheese and crab together should spend no more than 2 hours total out of the fridge (1 hour if your kitchen is above 90°F/32°C).
Use only cooked crab: canned, pasteurized pot-style, previously cooked fresh crab, or imitation crab. Never use raw crab.
Choose a heavy pot about 8 inches (20 cm) across and at least 5 inches (13 cm) tall, so 7 cups of oil is 2 inches deep with plenty of headspace. A wider pot needs more oil to reach the same depth.
Keep a pot lid that fits your frying pot within reach. If oil ever ignites, slide the lid on, turn off the heat, and never use water. Have an instant-read thermometer and a deep-fry thermometer ready.

1
Dry the crab
- Tip the drained crab onto a clean kitchen towel or several layers of fresh paper towel.
- Wrap and squeeze firmly to press out as much liquid as you can.
- Pick through the meat for bits of shell and break up large lumps into small flakes.
- Wash your hands, the board and any surface the crab touched with hot soapy water.
- Return the crab to the fridge until you're ready to mix.
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Ready when: Crab feels fluffy and barely damp, with no liquid released when pressed.
Tip: Wet crab makes a runny filling that leaks during frying. Use a clean towel, not one that has touched other foods.
2
Mix the filling
- In a medium bowl, stir the softened cream cheese with a spatula until smooth.
- Add the crab, scallions, garlic powder, soy sauce, Worcestershire and white pepper.
- Fold gently until evenly combined, keeping some small flakes of crab visible.
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Ready when: Filling is thick, cohesive and scoopable, with no streaks of plain cream cheese.
Tip: Taste is mild by design; the dipping sauce adds sweetness. Don't add salt, since soy and crab are already salty.
3
Chill the filling
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Firmer filling is far easier to portion and fold neatly, and it keeps the crab mixture cold.
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Ready when: Filling holds its shape on a spoon.
Tip: Total time out of the fridge for the cream cheese and crab, including softening and assembly, must stay under 2 hours.
4
Fill the wrappers
- Set a parchment-lined baking sheet beside you.
- Lay 1 wrapper on a clean surface with a corner pointing toward you (diamond position).
- Keep the rest covered with a damp towel.
- Spoon 2 level teaspoons (about 12 g) of filling into the center.
- Dip a finger in the water and moisten all four edges of the wrapper.
- Keep the filling bowl in the fridge, taking out only half at a time.
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Ready when: Filling is a compact mound in the center, with a clear border of wrapper all around.
Tip: Overfilling is the top cause of bursting. Stick to 2 level teaspoons.
5
Fold and seal
- Bring the four corners up to meet in the center above the filling.
- Pinch each adjacent pair of edges together to form four seams, pressing out air as you go, so you get a pouch with a four-pointed star on top.
- Press all seams firmly shut.
- Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining wrappers.
- When all 24 are done, cover loosely and refrigerate the tray while the oil heats.
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Ready when: All seams are sealed with no gaps, and the rangoon stand upright on their bases.
Tip: Any open seam lets oil in and filling out. Re-moisten and re-pinch if a seam springs open. Pat the outsides dry if damp.
6
Heat the oil
- Pour 7 cups (1650 ml) oil into the 8-inch (20 cm) pot so it is about 2 inches (5 cm) deep and at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) below the rim.
- Clip on a thermometer and heat over medium-high heat to 350°F (175°C), about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Set a wire rack over a baking sheet near the stove, and keep the pot lid within reach.
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Ready when: Thermometer reads 350°F (175°C).
Tip: Never leave hot oil unattended. If oil ignites, cover the pot with the lid, turn off the heat, and never pour water on it.
7
Fry first batch
- Carefully lower 4 rangoon into the oil, one at a time and away from you, without crowding.
- Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once or twice with a spider skimmer, until deep golden brown and blistered on all sides.
- Lift out, let excess oil drip off, and transfer to the wire rack.
- Right away, insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of one rangoon to check the filling.
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Ready when: Wrappers are deep golden brown, bubbly and crisp, and the center of a test rangoon reads at least 165°F (74°C).
Tip: If they brown in under 1½ minutes the oil is too hot and the center will be cold; if pale after 3 minutes the oil is too cool and they'll be greasy. If a rangoon bursts, remove it and any loose filling with the skimmer right away.
8
Fry remaining batches
- Let the oil return to 350°F (175°C) between batches, then fry the remaining rangoon in 5 more batches of 4 using the same method.
- Check the center of one rangoon from every batch with the instant-read thermometer; if it reads below 165°F (74°C), return them to the oil for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Drain each batch on the rack, not paper towels, which trap steam and soften the wrappers.
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Ready when: Every batch is evenly golden and crisp, with the filling at 165°F (74°C) or higher.
Tip: Fish out stray bits of wrapper between batches so they don't burn. Keep unfried rangoon refrigerated until each batch goes in.
9
Cool and serve
- Let the rangoon cool on the rack for 3 to 5 minutes; the filling is extremely hot.
- Serve warm with sweet chili sauce for dipping.
- Don't leave them out for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F/32°C).
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Ready when: Wrappers are crisp to the touch and the filling no longer steams violently when broken.
Tip: Bite carefully; the cream cheese center stays scalding hot longer than the shell. Let the oil cool completely before moving or discarding it.

Good to know

Tips

Use full-fat block cream cheese, not whipped or spreadable tubs, which are too soft and loose and can leak when fried.
Press out air pockets when sealing; trapped air expands in the hot oil and can burst the seams.
Fry in small batches to keep the oil near 350°F (175°C); overcrowding drops the temperature and causes greasy rangoon.
Always drain on a wire rack so the bottoms stay crisp, and confirm 165°F (74°C) in the center of one rangoon per batch.

Make ahead

Assemble the unfried rangoon up to 8 hours ahead: arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate. For longer storage, freeze on the tray until solid (about 2 hours), then bag. To fry from frozen: do not thaw; brush off any ice crystals and pat dry, lower them into 350°F (175°C) oil slowly and gently, a few inches from the surface, in smaller batches of 3. Fry 4 to 5 minutes, letting the oil recover to 350°F (175°C) between batches, until golden and the center reads 165°F (74°C).

Storage & reheating

Serve within 2 hours of frying (1 hour if above 90°F/32°C); don't leave them on a buffet longer. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Freeze fried rangoon for up to 1 month. Reheat from fridge or freezer on a wire rack set on a baking sheet in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 8 to 12 minutes (12 to 15 from frozen) until crisp and the center reaches 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Avoid the microwave, which makes the wrappers chewy.

Substitutions

cooked lump or flake crab meat (canned, pasteurized or previously cooked fresh) → imitation crab (surimi), finely chopped. Already cooked, budget-friendly and sweeter; chop finely and still squeeze dry. Total weight is the same.
scallions → fresh chives. Use the same amount, finely snipped, for a milder onion flavor.
neutral frying oil (peanut, canola or vegetable) → air fryer (no deep oil). Spray rangoon generously with oil and air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway, until the center reads 165°F (74°C). They'll be less blistered but still crisp.
Worcestershire sauce → additional soy sauce. Use ¼ teaspoon extra soy sauce; flavor will be slightly less savory-tangy. Note Worcestershire contains anchovy.