Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

I invented this recipe many years ago… when I was in high school.  I loved eating crab rangoon at Asian restaurants, and of course there were none of those in my hometown of under 1,000.  Like a lot of recipes I come up with, this one was invented out of necessity.  And it was awesome.  Thus, I christened it:  Alicia’s Awesome Crab Rangoon.  I’ve matured (slightly) since then, so I considered re-naming them, but the fact of the matter remains…  they’re still awesome.

Crab Rangoon

I’ve only tweaked it a little here and there, and it just gets better every time.

Since the crab in the filling is already cooked, I’ve even made the filling and served it as crab dip.  Also, you can bake the wontons as in my aunt’s Sausage Stars, then fill the wontons with this filling instead for baked crab rangoon.  They have a different texture that way (not the same type of crispy), but they’re still delicious!

You can also make these ahead of time and freeze them uncooked.  After they are all filled, place them on a baking sheet a few inches apart and freeze.  After they’ve frozen, you can remove them from the tray to put into a freezer bag.  Cook them up straight from the freezer, though it might take slightly longer, and the wontons will be a little darker to heat the filling all the way through.

Here’s the details…

And here’s the recipe…

Alicia’s Awesome Crab Rangoon

Print Recipe
Servings 30 rangoons, or 2 cups of filling

Ingredients
  

  • 1 12 oz package imitation crab meat leg or flake style, chopped
  • 1 8 oz package cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 green onions chopped
  • wonton wrappers

Instructions
 

  • Mix together all ingredients except wontons. Place a small amount of filling (a generous tablespoon or two) in the center of the wonton. Seal wonton by bringing the midpoints of each side together in the center, using water on edges if necessary to get a good seal. Fry in small batches, in oil heated to 375 degrees F. Rangoon will be done when light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with sweet chili sauce and citrus marmalade sauce for dipping.