Crab Rangoon is a crispy American-Chinese appetizer filled with a rich and creamy mixture of crab, cream cheese, scallions, and savory seasonings. Wrapped in wontons and fried or air-fried until golden, they’re best served hot with sweet chili sauce for dipping.
Ingredients
Prepare the filling
Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and let it sit at room temperature until softened.
Squeeze any excess liquid from the imitation crab, then shred it into small pieces using your hands or two forks. Finely grate or mince the garlic and thinly slice the scallions.
Add the crab, garlic, and scallions to the softened cream cheese. Add the soy sauce, sugar, toasted sesame oil, garlic powder, and white pepper. Mix until everything is evenly combined.
Fill the wontons
Fill a small bowl with water. Arrange the wonton wrappers on a clean work surface.
For a sturdier Crab Rangoon, lightly wet the center of one wrapper and place a second wrapper on top.
Place about 1 tablespoon of the crab mixture in the center of each wrapper.
Fold the Crab Rangoon
For a triangle, lightly wet the edges of the wrapper, fold it diagonally over the filling, and pinch the edges together to seal.
For a pyramid, bring two opposite corners together over the filling and pinch. Bring the remaining two corners to the center, then pinch all four seams together until completely sealed.
Cooking
Deep-fry
Heat the neutral oil in a medium saucepan to 350°F.
Working in batches, carefully lower 2 to 4 Crab Rangoons into the hot oil. Fry until crisp and golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.
Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs and transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined baking sheet.
Or air-fry
Preheat the air fryer to 380°F.
Arrange the Crab Rangoons in a single layer, leaving about ½ inch of space between each one. Lightly coat them with cooking spray.
Air-fry for 3 minutes. Check for an even golden-brown color and cook for another minute if needed.
Serve
Lightly sprinkle the freshly cooked Crab Rangoons with kosher salt.
Serve warm with sweet chili sauce for dipping.
