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.

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  • 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 truth about crab rangoon? ›

One of the biggest clues in the makeup of crab rangoon that this dish is American over Asian in origin is the cream cheese. Cream cheese was a staple in 1940s and 50s America but this is not an ingredient you'll have found in China or Burma or Polynesia.

Is crab rangoon healthy for you? ›

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

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).

Do restaurants use real crab for crab 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.

Do people in China eat crab rangoon? ›

In fact, the majority of the most famous Chinese food dishes in the west don't exist in China, including the famous Chinese takeout box, mainly because of the kind of ingredients available, for example, the cream cheese, an ingredient so uncommon in China that makes the crab rangoon almost impossible to find.

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 Chinese food can a type 2 diabetic eat? ›

Some lean protein choices include chicken, lean ground pork and fish. These proteins are often used in Chinese main dishes such as Kung Pao Chicken with Bell Peppers. Plant-based proteins, such as tofu, are also found in Chinese dishes. Tofu may be used as a meat alternative, providing protein from soybeans.

What Chinese food is good for high cholesterol? ›

Opt for steamed dumplings instead of ordering egg rolls and fried dumplings. Sidestep fried or breaded meat entrees. Instead, choose baked, broiled, grilled, sautéed protein sources-chicken, fish, shellfish, lean beef or pork.

Does Panda Express use crab in their rangoons? ›

No the Rangoon do not contain crab which is why they taste not as good. ☠️ #fyp #viral #tiktok #usa #fyp #pandaexpress #rangoons #chinese.

What kind of crab is used in Rangoon? ›

Crab Rangoon Ingredients

The cream cheese will be easier to mix if it is room temperature. Lump Crab Meat: You can use lump crab meat that is found in the refrigerated meat section of the grocery store, or you can also find canned lump crab meat! I recommend using real crab meat over imitation crab meat.

Why is crab rangoon called Rangoon? ›

The name, too, is emblematic of tiki culture. Rangoon, now Yangon, is the largest city in Myanmar, formerly Burma. Myanmar has a substantial Chinese cultural and gastronomic influence, as the two countries share a border. But neither uses cream cheese in its food—that's a proud New York product.

Is crab rangoon good for you? ›

Too much sodium, however, can lead to cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure. Eating too much crab rangoon can also increase the amount of saturated fat in the diet, leading to an increase in cardiovascular issues.

Can you eat crab rangoon cold? ›

They can be served hot or cold. In North America, crab rangoon is often served with a sauce for dipping such as soy sauce, plum sauce, duck sauce, sweet and sour sauce, or a hot mustard sauce.

What are crab Rangoons eaten with? ›

We love to dip our Crab Rangoon in a simple sweet and sour dip (just like our fave restaurant) for maximum flavor! This Crab Rangoon recipe is one of our favorite things to order when we go out for Chinese (although they are an American invention)! They're surprisingly easy to make!

Is there real crab in Panda Express crab rangoon? ›

No the Rangoon do not contain crab which is why they taste not as good. ☠️ #fyp #viral #tiktok #usa #fyp #pandaexpress #rangoons #chinese.

What is imitation crab made of? ›

Imitation crab is made from surimi, which is fish flesh that has been deboned, washed to remove fat and unwanted bits, then minced into a paste. This paste is blended with other ingredients before being heated and pressed into shapes that mimic crab meat ( 1 ).

What is the shell of crab rangoon made of? ›

Wonton wrappers: I use thin square wonton wrappers for crab rangoon. My grocery store sells them in the refrigerated section near tofu, but you'll find an even better selection at International grocery stores. Consider using leftover wonton wrappers to make these baked wonton cups.

Where did Rangoon crab originate? ›

The history of crab rangoon leads back to tiki culture. The dish was probably invented by Victor Bergeron, best known as the namesake founder of the Trader Vic's chain of tiki bars.

References

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