Crab Rangoon (The Best Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

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The best and authentic Crab Rangoon recipe with cream cheese, crab and wonton wrapper. These Crab Rangoon are fail proof and much better than Chinese takeouts!

Crab Rangoon (The Best Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (1)

Crab Rangoon (The Best Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (2)

Table of Contents

Crab Rangoon Recipe

What is Crab Rangoon?

It’s an appetizer found in many Chinese restaurants in the United States.

Many people wonder if crab Rangoon is authentic and the answer is no. It is a classic American creation even though they are mostly served in Chinese restaurants.

These dainty appetizers are basically fried wontons filled with cream cheese, with real crab meat in the filling.

They are deep-fried to golden brown and usually served with a pink-color sweet and sour dipping sauce.

I first encountered them at a Chinese buffet restaurant in the Midwest. They have since become one of my favorite appetizers!

Crab Rangoon (The Best Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (3)

Other Recipes You Might Like

  • Fried Wonton Recipe
  • Chicken Wontons
  • Shrimp Gyoza
Crab Rangoon (The Best Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (4)

How to Make Crab Rangoon?

There are three few key ingredients in the recipe: cream cheese, wonton wrapper and crab meat.

First, you make the filling by mixing cream cheese and crab meat together.

Next, wrap the filling in the middle of a wonton wrapper. Make sure you seal it tight and there is no leakage.

Finally, deep fry until golden brown. It’s that easy!

Tips for the Best Homemade Crab Rangoon

For the best results, please follow the cooking techniques below:

  • Use square wonton wrappers to wrap the cream cheese and crab filling. You can get wonton wrappers at Asian supermarkets or food stores. You can also find wonton wrappers in many regular supermarkets now, for example: Whole Foods.
  • Use real crab meat for the cream cheese filling. You can use fresh crab meat, frozen crab meat or canned crab meat. If crab is not an option, you can use imitation crab meat sticks. Just cut and shred up the imitation crab meat before using.
  • Wrap the cream cheese and crab mixture using wonton wrappers. Do not overfill with too much filling.
  • Seal each wonton wrapper tight so there is no leakage. Pinch it up like a little purse and deep fry to golden brown.
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Frequently Asked Questions:

Is There Crab in Crab Rangoon?

Yes! You can use either fresh crab, canned crab or artificial crab.

What’s the Difference between Fried Wontons and Crab Rangoon?

Fried wonton is a Chinese appetizer wrapped with wonton wrapper and filled with meat such as ground pork, chicken and/or shrimp.

The latter is a type of wontons with cream cheese and crab as the filling.

Can You Freeze Crab Rangoon?

Yes, once they are assembled and wrapped, you can freeze them in the refrigerator. Thaw to room temperature before deep-frying.

Can I Use Air Fryer for This Recipe?

Yes, you certainly can. Just follow the instructions of your manual for perfectly crispy and authentic crab rangoons better than Chinese takeout.

Can I Bake Crab Rangoon?

Yes, you can use an oven to bake. The color of the wrapper won’t turn golden brown, but they are equally delicious!

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Crab Rangoon Calories per Serving?

Crab Rangoon is pretty healthy and each one is only 26 calories, so you can definitely eat lots of them.

What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?

Serve Crab Rangoon with other Chinese recipes. For a Chinese-restaurant style meal at home, I recommend the following recipes.

Hot and Sour Soup

Chow Mein

Kung Pao Chicken

Mongolian Beef

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Crab Rangoon

Best and authentic Crab Rangoon recipe with cream cheese, crab and wonton wrapper. These Crab Rangoon are fail proof and much better than Chinese takeouts!

4.52 from 260 votes

Print

By Bee Yinn Low

Yield 20 pieces

Prep 15 minutes mins

Cook 5 minutes mins

Total 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 1 cube Kraft Philadelphia Regular Cream Cheese (room temperature)
  • 2 oz. (60g) crab meat (finely diced, or 2 sticks imitation crab meat )
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 20 wonton wrappers
  • oil (for deep frying)

Instructions

  • Mix all the cream cheese, crab meat, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Stir to blend well. Place about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese filling in the middle of a wonton wrapper.

    Crab Rangoon (The Best Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (11)

  • Dab some water on the outer edges of the wonton wrapper and fold the two ends of the wrapper together. Fold the other two ends to make a tiny parcel pictured below. Pinch to seal tight and make sure that there is no leakage.

  • Heat up a pot of oil for deep-frying and fry the crab rangoon until golden brown. Dish out with a strainer or slotted spoon, draining the excess oil by laying the crab rangoon on a dish lined with paper towels.

  • Let the crab rangoon cools down a bit before serving them with sweet and sour sauce.

Notes

Use real crab meat if possible. Don't serve the crab Rangoon immediately after deep-frying as the filling will be too hot! To make the sweet and sour Crab Rangoon dipping sauce, please refer to mysweet and sour pork recipe.

Course: Chinese Recipes

Cuisine: Appetizer

Keywords: Crab Rangoon

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Crab Rangoon

Amount Per Serving (20 pieces)

Calories 26Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 2mg1%

Sodium 69mg3%

Carbohydrates 5g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 1g2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

Crab Rangoon (The Best Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between crab Rangoon and Rangoon? ›

Rangoon is actually a Burmese city. Wontons filled with cream cheese and imitation crab are named after the city – crab rangoons, whereas wontons just filled with cream cheese are often referred to as wontons – but they are used interchangeably.

What is crab Rangoon filling made of? ›

In a small bowl, gently combine crab meat, cream cheese, green onion, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce (if using), and garlic powder. Layout 3 wonton wrappers at a time. Place 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of each. Dab the edges with water and fold the two opposite corners together to form a triangle.

Do Chinese restaurants use real crab in Crab Rangoon? ›

It consists of cream cheese, sometimes sweetened, plus, usually, very small bits of imitation crab, stuffed into a wonton wrapper and deep-fried, served with a syrupy, neon sweet-and-sour dipping sauce. It is, essentially, deep-fried cheesecake with fake crab in it—as sweet as any dessert, but served as an appetizer.

Is Chinese crab Rangoon healthy? ›

Worst: Crab Rangoon

It's mostly cream cheese, wrapped in dough and deep-fried to create bite-sized calorie bombs. Because they're small, it's easy to eat more than one. Finish an order of 4, and you're likely to get more than half the calories and fat you should have in an entire meal.

What does Rangoon mean in Chinese? ›

Although crab Rangoon can be found in almost all the Chinese restaurant in the United States, again, this dish has nothing to do with Chinese food. The word “Rangoon” in the name “crab Rangoon” is really an old name of Yangon, the largest in Myanmar.

What ethnicity is crab rangoon? ›

Cursory online research will tell you that a dish resembling present-day crab rangoon first appeared on the menu of legendary tiki bar and restaurant Trader Vic's, though some sources hypothesize these stuffed crab puffs emerged around the turn of the century in British-controlled Burma.

What oil do you use to fry crab rangoon? ›

Vegetable oil for frying*

Moisten the edges of the wrap with water.

What's the difference between fried wontons and crab rangoon? ›

What is the difference between crab wonton and crab rangoon? Crab rangoon is a type of fried wonton, so they are really very similar. The difference is all in the filling. Traditional wontons are not ever filled with cream cheese (which is one of the main components in crab rangoon recipes).

Are cream cheese wontons the same as Rangoons? ›

A crab rangoon is essentially a cheesecake samosa, sometimes with a soupcon of surimi thrown in for color. A wonton is curled around a filling of sweetened cream cheese and deep fried. It's served with some kind of fruit preserve made mostly out of corn syrup and food coloring.

What country invented Crab Rangoons? ›

Although the appetizer has the name of the Burmese city of Yangon, the dish was probably invented in the United States by Asian-American chef Joe Young working under Victor Bergeron, founder of Trader Vic's.

Do Crab Rangoons have MSG? ›

steps. In a mixing bowl, stir cream cheese, crab meat, sugar, MSG, soy paste, chinese five-spice, and scallions together until well-combined.

Who invented the crab Rangoon? ›

When and where did Crab Rangoons originate? Most sources indicate that Crab Rangoons were likely invented by Victor Bergeron, the founder of Trader Vic's, sometime in the 1950s. Fried wontons existed in the U.S. at least as far back as the 1930s.

What is the healthiest thing to order at a Chinese restaurant? ›

Steamed fish or seafood with ginger, scallions and soy sauce. Steamed fish and veggies are packed with fiber and protein. One of the healthiest places you can choose an entree on a Chinese restaurant menu from is the seafood section, according to Amy Yiu, RD, a registered dietitian with Health Stand Nutrition.

What is the healthiest Chinese takeout dish? ›

The 17 Healthiest Chinese Food Takeout Options, According to Registered Dietitians
  • Chinese Eggplant With Garlic Sauce. ...
  • Steamed Dumplings. ...
  • Brown Rice With a Scrambled Egg. ...
  • Shrimp or Tofu Entrées. ...
  • Kung Pao Chicken. ...
  • Buddha's Delight. ...
  • Chicken Lettuce Wraps. ...
  • Sauce on the Side. This tip came up again and again.
Jan 7, 2018

Is crab rangoon the same as cream cheese Rangoon? ›

Crab Rangoon, sometimes called crab puffs, crab rangoon puffs, cheese wontons, or cream cheese rangoons, are filled crisp dumpling appetizers served primarily in American Chinese restaurants.

Why is crab rangoon called Rangoon? ›

The name "Crab Rangoon" is believed to be a nod to the traditional Burmese dish, "ohn-no khauk swe" or "ohn-no kaukswe," which is a soup made with noodles and chicken. "Rangoon" was the former name of Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar (formerly Burma), where the dish is said to have originated.

What makes a Rangoon a Rangoon? ›

Crab rangoons, if you've never had them, originated at Trader Vic's restaurant in San Francisco in the 1950s and are crispy, fried wontons filled with cream cheese, imitation crab, and seasonings.

Why did Rangoon change its name? ›

These renamings took the form of the "Adaptation of Expressions Law", passed on 18 June 1989. Thus, for instance, Rangoon was changed to Yangon to reflect the fact that the "r" sound is no longer used in Standard Burmese and merged with a "y" glide.

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