published Sep 23, 2022, updated Oct 12, 2022 While Asian recipes are very rarely improved in the American Melting Pot, there is one exception that almost everyone can agree on: the crab rangoon. This popular crab puff has a crunchy bite and creamy center that floods your taste buds with fatty cream cheese and mouthwatering crab meat. I can’t remember a time when I’d have any leftover after serving them to friends and family. There are two camps among crab rangoon fans: those who like sweet filling and those who don’t. I personally enjoy a slightly sweet filling and include powdered sugar in my crab puff recipe. However, if you do not, you can use a little less or just omit it entirely. I have a few additional killer Asian seafood dishes that are worth a try. Shrimp shumai, a dim sum favorite and a delicately steamed alternative appetizer that isn’t quite so heavy, and sweet chili glazed salmon are two that I highly recommend.
INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Cream Cheese – Allow the block to come to room temperature before attempting to prepare the filling. It takes 30 minutes to an hour to completely soften. Crab Meat – The easiest method is to get frozen meat and let it thaw in the fridge, but any method or quantity of meat is fine. If using frozen, be sure to drain and pat dry.Powdered Sugar – Regular white sugar will be incredibly difficult to whisk into the filling, so I do not recommend using it as a substitute. Soy Sauce – A bit of savory soy sauce offsets the sweetness of the sugar. Dark soy sauce is stronger and sweeter, while light soy sauce is saltier. Choose the flavor you prefer or use a combination of the two. Wonton Wrappers – If you are unable to find wonton wrappers specifically, you can use gyoza (which would be thicker) or dumpling (which would be thinner) wrappers. Oil – The oil is simply used for frying, so any will do. Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil would be my first choices.
HOW TO FRY CRAB RANGOON
HOW TO MAKE CRAB RANGOON IN THE OVEN
Does crab rangoon use real crab?
Ideally, yes. You can find crab meat either frozen or refrigerated, likely wherever you’ll find cuts of fish in the grocery store. It is possible to make a crab puff recipe with imitation crab meat. It will not have the same, rich, briny flavor that you can only get from real crabs, but the result will be similar. You can really use any seafood for your filling, if you want to try new flavors. Just make sure it is cooked first, as the wontons are not fried long enough to cook any protein in the center to a safe temperature.
What is the difference between a crab wonton and a crab rangoon?
The two terms are sometimes (mistakenly) used interchangeably. Wontons are generally boiled while rangoons are fried. The former method is most popular in Chinese and Cantonese dishes, and the latter is most often seen in South East Asia.
Can you prep crab rangoon ahead of time and freeze?
Yes, this dumpling-like recipe is fairly easy to freeze and reheat.The best point in the recipe to freeze is once the wontons are filled and sealed. Instead of dropping in the oil, drop in an airtight container to freeze for up to 6 months. Another popular method for freezing is lining the rangoons on a baking sheet, freezing on the tray, and transferring to a freezer bag. This is what I do.When you’d like to prepare a crab puff, let it thaw in the fridge before baking or frying.
