Crab Rangoon is an appetizer found in many Chinese restaurants in the United States. A classic American creation, these are basically cream cheese wontons with tiny bits of crab meat, deep-fried to golden perfection.
I first encountered Crab Rangoon at a Chinese restaurant in the Midwest, when I was pursuing my Master’s Degree. The restaurant serves typical American-Chinese fare; the daily all-you-can-eat buffet is a huge hit with the lunch crowd. Crab rangoon is one of the items on the buffet menu, other than other popular Chinese dishes.
As a poor international student who love Chinese recipes, having Chinese all-you-can-eat-buffet was the most anticipated event during the weekends and soon these little golden and crispy morsels have become my favorite appetizer.
So how do you make Crab Rangoon? Just follow my recipe and method. You only need very few key ingredients: Cream Cheese, wonton wrapper and crab meat. Wrap the cream cheese and crab mixture using wonton wrappers and pinch it up like the little purses and deep-fried to golden brown.
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 wontons and Crab Rangoon? It is a type of wontons with cream cheese and crab as the filling. Other wontons normally have a meat or seafood filling.
Other Recipes You Might Like:
NEW! MENU PAIRING IDEAS:
Wonton Soup
Chicken Shu Mai (Siu Mai)
Crab Bee Hoon (Crab Noodles)
SUBSCRIBE AND NEVER MISS A RECIPE:
SUBSCRIBE TO RASA MALAYSIA NEWSLETTER AND GET EASY AND DELICIOUS RECIPES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. If you try my recipe, please use hashtag #rasamalaysia on social media so I can see your creations! Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter for new recipes, giveaways and more.
Fern
Cute wontons! I must say that is a most bizarre but unique combination of flavours. I’m trying to imagine what they taste like, sweet or savoury…hmm….:p
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Fern – Crab Rangoon is actually quite tasty. I remember I was very skeptical when I first tasted it but I acquired the liking soon after that. ;)
mycookinghut
I really love the shape of these pretty little parcels! Definitely great as!appetizer
DebbieL
Wow. Crab rangoon is a cherished memory of mine too, but from my childhood. My dad would make them only on very special occasions. He used real crab meat mixed with a bit of salt and hot pepper sauce. Still one of my favorite foods ever!
Janet
Actually, crab rangoon isn’t Chinese American — it’s American-American. It was invented at Trader Vic’s restaurant in San Francisco. It was so popular back in the late 50s that many Chinese-American restaurants added it to their menus.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Janet – ah, that’s very interesting fact. I didn’t know that. I have always thought that it’s Chinese American food since I have only seen them in Chinese restaurants in the US.
zviivz
Yup, definitely not a chinese recipe. AFAIK, chinese folks don’t use cream cheese, or any type of cheese for that matter, in their cooking.
Richwood7
Ironically I can find Cream Cheese here in China but cannot find crab meat (except in a crab)
Brandee
We have Chinese restaurants here & they use cream cheese for there wontons & yes they’re are ran by Chinese people!!!
pigpigscorner
Very interesting dish to be appearing at Chinese restaurants! Would love to try someday!
michelle
great recipe ive never tried putting powdered sugar but i’ll def try next time! also, i brush egg whites on the ends to seal the wrappers…it works really well!
Sandra
Same recipe I created on my own…trial and error to get it right…yes.a lil but of powdered sugar , salt and a lil white pepper, cream the crab in w the cream chesse and tad of sugar…voila…fry them up…sweet and sour sauce as a dipping sauce….makes a ton of tasty and cheap treats…
Sweet Tim
Hmmm, I think the mix of sweet and savoury is quite special. This recipe looks easy and great for little parties.
Nami @ Just One Cookbook
I’ve never tried this but I can see how good it is. This is an easy party finger food. I usually put cheese when I have leftover wontons, but I’m going to make this when we have leftover wrappers. Thanks for sharing Bee!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Nami and I think you will love this crab rangoon recipe.
Nive
We make grated paneer with crabmeat seasoned with curry leaves and mustard. i was thinking that would make a lovely filling. of course it won’t be crab rangoon then!
baobabs
OMG this sounds like a dream!! such a great idea for an aperitif snack!
April
Made these before.one of my favorites
Jennie
Where can I check your recipe for Crab rangoon and Chicken Cashew???
ray
I discovered a webiste http://steamykitchen.com/recipes. Those recipes shown there, part of it are also shown here. I wonder why. You are a really a copycat. You copy her recipes and make it your own. Shame on you. Even you come out a cook book, those recipes are not yours.
Jay
ray, THAT is a pretty bad accusation! And no 2 recipes are alike. You cannot determine who was the original creator of a particular recipe unless you did some research. Furthermore, this recipe (along with others) have been around for some time now. You may want to do your own research.
Did you know some people swap and even share recipes with one another? Even giving each other permission s to use them, as long as credit is given? With that, did you also know not just one person owns certain recipes? As some recipes have been passed down and shared over so much time, that no one knows sometimes, where the original may have originated from, unless there is a history attached to them?!
And did you also know that you should really make sure your claim in accusing someone has sources and resources of substantiated proof, before you make such an outright attack on someone as public as you did (possible defamation of character)? If you are looking at the recipes alongside the one here, on the right navigation of this page (and in between the article, with pictures).
Like the side of this page, those are just links to other sites who have recipes (even similar recipes), and people DO link to one another, so that they can plug their fellow blog friends (plugging: networking with people, advertising another’s product or company etc.), and those in this case, help get the word out for each other’s recipes?
If this doesn’t make sense, you may want to educate yourself on webdesign and online blog etiquette, promoting and more! Courtesy link sharing and networking! Those pics and other recipes you see on the RIGHT SIDE of page, and those located throughout the article under their respective heading, are either lined images to more of her recipes (sharing or her own), and are links she added on her own page here, to another person’s recipe page in order to share WoM (Word of Mouth) a.k.a. promote, plug etc.! Hope ANY of this made sense, and you do the appropriate thing thereafter, and just as public as your accusation here.
Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for your strong support Jay. I appreciate it and I just replied to the above accusation, which I didn’t even realize until now.
Trisha
OMG!!!
Think you took that a bit too far I can’t get back the wasted time from reading your comment. Remember EVERYONE is entitled to his or hers own opinions.
Bob Jones
No, Trisha. No one is entitled to unsubstantiated accusations. That’s not an opinion its slander. How would you feel if I publicly accused you of stealing something you worked hard on?
Rasa Malaysia
Ray – Steamy Kitchen’s recipes are completely different from mine. We might have some similar recipes (for example: crab Rangoon) but if you do your homework and check the recipes, you will find them to be different. When I cook, I DO NOT refer to other websites, the recipes are developed as I was cooking, jotting down the quantities I use, and that are the recipes I post on my website. If I use someone’s else recipes, for example, for dishes that are beyond my comfort zone, I always credit the recipe sources and link back to the original recipes but 90% of the recipes on Rasa Malaysia are original recipes, and 10% recipes are others’ recipes, which are properly credited.
The recipes in my cookbook are mine. They were developed the same way I mentioned above. The dishes might be the same, but the recipes are not. Thanks!
Sylvia reed
Can you stop hating
Josh
Hahaha copy cat? I think someone let there kid get on the computer. What are you 6 ray?
Mark In St Pete
I served these at a dinner party Sunday night, they were just excellent. My friends liked them better than the local carry out place. Everything I have tried from your site has been absolutley delicious! Thank you.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Mark, thanks for your sweet comment, I am glad you liked my crab rangoon recipe. :)
Angela
I made these tonight. So glad I found your blog. They were very yummy.
sharon
now that my children are grown & married. they live out of state & can only visit once every other year for the holidays i try to cook from scratch. this mixer would be a great help to making homemade healthy foods.
Jacqueline
I’m going to try your recipe and hope it quenches my craving. I grew up in the midwest so chinese buffets were a must, I absolutely LOVE crab rangoon and moved to the southwest about a year and a half ago and can not find any good chinese buffets/restaurants they’ve all been disappointing. I really hope your recipe will give me that taste of midwest chinese food I’ve been missing.
Roderic Rinehart
2 ingredients that can really put crab rangoon over the top are ginger and chives. I use Ginger People brand organic shredded ginger (it keeps forever in the fridge, and comes pre-shredded, and is organic – so it’s win-win-win. And true chives (the really skinny ones) are key, although the larger green onions / scallions do work, they aren’t as good.
Those two ingredients really add some layers of flavor to the sweet and savory.
Shelley
I love that suggestion!! I am going to try this. I love anything with ginger.
mr.shaw
Hi, I will try this tonight last night me and the wife tried another recipe and we couldn’t figure out what was wrong but it didn’t come out correct it included. Worcestershire sauce but it just didn’t have that yum flavor, and we baked them instead of frying but I’m frying this batch.
Melissa
I tried making these but the filling came out when I was frying them. What did I do wrong? =(
Rasa Malaysia
You didn’t seal it tight.
Zubaidah
I agree with Janet as I had to look up your recipe when I came across it in your index…transported me back tp Trader vics n days of Pina colada. Thank You.
terri0777@sbcglobal.net
I made these but I used whipped cream cheese with chives mmm they were good!!
Harmony Jacobson
I did the same thing! Getting the onion and chive tub of cream cheese spread is so much easier to mix all of the ingredients and there’s less to cut up!!
Ainsley
I just made these last night for my husband and in-laws. I couldn’t make them fast enough! My husband and I ALWAYS get them when we get chinese and are excited to be able to cook these at home. However, I do have one question. What temperature did you fry them at?
Joe
Made a couple of batches of these tonight to go with our bugolgi and rice. I made one batch according to your recipe and one batch slightly tweaked. I added a pinch of garlic powder and diced up three green onions(just the white part) and added into the mix. I also added an extra half teaspoon of powdered sugar to the mix. My wife and kids loved both the original and the tweaked versions.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Joe, your version sounds really good. :)
Pat
I made these for the first time tonight.. pretty much any tweaked version for the filling works. But instead of deep frying, I baked them at 435 degrees for about 10 minutes. That way if they weren’t sealed properly the filling wouldn’t leak, plus healthier than deep frying (and less messy).
sherry
Hi, just wondering. I have been trying to make a few dishes from a local Chinese restaurant. I am having no luck matching the taste of the dishes and was wondering if you may be able to help. I searched the internet also with no results.
Cheesey crab casserole.
chinese cheese cake made with plain graham crackers and somesort of light cream in the middle which is not cream cheese.
crab salad.
Any help would be appreciated.
T
Are you talking about a Japanese cheesecake? They’re puffy and jiggly, but they are made of cream cheese.
Sharon
They look and taste great! Thanks for another awesome recipe.
Jomarie Hernandez
Made these last night and the outcome was okay. My husband made them into perfectly shaped rangoons and we were excited to eat them since they looked like the real thing… But they weren’t sweet enough, Maybe they aren’t supposed to be really sweet but our local Chinese restaurants are sweeter. Maybe next time I’ll double up on the powdered sugar. Other than that, Thanks for my almost perfect rangoons !
Adriana
About how much oil should I use for the frying?
poisinkandy
this is how I will get my boyfriend to marry me.
Victoria
I tried this recipe and it was absolutely delicious! I was trying to figure out a sauce for it since I didn’t have stuff to make sweet and sour sauce so I used something from when I made chicken egg rolls. I made a sauce that was:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons garlic powder
It surprisingly turned out a good combination! Thank you for the recipe because I never would have thought to put powder sugar in :)
Michelle
These are very good. I admit I was surprised because there are so few ingredients, so I wasn’t sure they would turn out. But my family loved them! We couldn’t find real crab at our little local store so we use imitation. They taste exactly like the ones we get at our favorite Chinese place.
Lisa R
My daughter loves Crab Rangoon. I tried a recipe once and it came out awful. I have to try yours it looks so much easier. Now I have to look up if you have a lo mein recipe and a dumplings one too, thanks so much
sibabe64 at ptd dot net
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for your comment Lisa. Yes, you can try my Crab Rangoon recipe.
Charlene
How can I “SHARE” your recipes on Facebook. They are all so wonderful.
Katie
I made these tonight for the weekly game night get together I have with my friends and everyone LOVED them! Thanks for the recipe!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Katie. :)
Kim
I’ve been eating these for almost 30 years. I’m not sure how one thinks you ‘stole’ a recipe from some other website. Since these pre-date the internet. Here in KC we add garlic powder and chives to the filling too. As for sauce, I don’t use any. The filling is just so good that you don’t really need any dipping sauce, IMHO.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Kim. Trolls will say whatever they want about stealing recipes. I can’t be bothered.
Karen
I wondering if maybe you could help me out. I see that you have been to many American buffets . What I have been looking for is a noodle dish I guess it may be American it is usually one of the first things on the buffet when you get to the main entrees when We have been to almost all American buffets It is small thin noodles and it has the long way sliced very thin green onion cabbage and sometimes scrambled egg and I do know some kind of oil they are shiny and oily but always the veggies I do think it might be an American dish but am not sure but I also moved from one place that had a buffet style restaurant that we ate at once sometimes twice a week to not even being able to get good take out. Also looking for a dish made with pork has kind of like a gravy on it and it has thin sliced and or pieces of pork and button mushrooms. had both at an American chinese restaurant I would like to ask you if you have ever been to a buffet that has had a whole block of the imitation crab meat that looks like it maybe cooked sometimes covered with cheese and sometimes not it is not broke apart it is whole when the put it on the buffet Thank you so very much and your recipes are GREAT….Karen
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Karen, I think the noodles are Chow Mein: https://rasamalaysia.com/panda-express-chow-mein-copycat/ but I am sorry as I am not sure about the other two you described. :(
Kira
I think the noodles might be rice noodles. Super long and like needle thin, white noodles? My daughter and I frickin LOVE those things. She would have them with every meal if she could. (She’s five)
Sarah
I think maybe it’s Singapore noodles. And yes, they are rice noodles. Tons of recipes on pinterest for them.
kath g
I don’t really like fried foods that much, but I like all these ingredients, can these be baked?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can. :)
kath g
thank you! that makes me very happy.
I will experiment, but if you have any ideas as to temperature and time, I’d appreciate them.
Debra
Kath G
I read faster up the comments and Pat said she or he baked them at 435° for about 10 minutes.
Debra
That was supposed to be farther not faster. Stupid auto correct.
Mike
When I first came across Crab Rangoons, I thought it was the most amazing thing I have tasted. Heart attacks aside, I could go through plate fulls of these babies. It didn’t quite occur to me I could make it myself though. I always thought I would have the cheese melt on me. Thanks for this one.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Mike!
Callie @ aromatherapy diffuser
I will try this tonight last night me and the wife tried another recipe and we couldn’t figure out what was wrong but it didn’t come out correct it included. Worcestershire sauce but it just didn’t have that yum flavor, and we baked them instead of frying but I’m frying this batch. Thanks for sharing!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Callie let me know how it goes.
Echobeach
Hello Rasa,great recipe!Thank you for sharing!My families loved them!The only problem is when I fried them up,they all out of shape!At first,I thought it could be not enough filling,leaving too much space between the wrapping that creat bubble.Then I made some more with more filling, squeezed out the air and sealed tight.Same problem still,I couldn’t figure out why !please help!
ANIK
hi i was wondering if i can make it i advance and freeze them or let them in the fridge to cook it the day after
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can just thaw at room temperature before frying.
StevieRayLou
Food should never be thawed at room temp. Always thaw in the fridge, to prevent food poisoning.
If frozen, just transfer to fridge the night before.
JoyceK
Hi Bee! I detect tiny bits of pineapple in crab rangoon in my area on the East Coast. I am thinking instead of sugar, they use a bit of crushed pineapple (from a can) for sweetness. Thank you for your delicious Rasa Malaysia posts!! :) Your recipes never disappoint!
Rasa Malaysia
That’s interesting…I guess there are regional variations. :)
Jayselle
i made this last night for our anniversary dinner and it was so good!!! i never thought a simple recipe like that would taste really. good! thanks for the recipe bee!! :)
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Jayselle for trying out my crab Rangoon recipe.
sandie
Would it be possible to make these ahead of time, refrigerate and fry later?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes.
Eileen
I made these last night and words can not describe how wonderful they were. My question is I had trouble with the frying they float to top so the whole wonton didn’t get as brown and crispy? How did you fry yours.
Eileen
I made these last night and they were amazing. My problem was in frying they kept floating to the top and didn’t fry perfect how did you fry yours ?
Rasa Malaysia
When they float to the top, you have to use the strainer or slotted spoon to keep pushing them down, that was that I did. ;)
Bunny Peters
Hi:
I enjoy your recipes. I am reminded of my family in Singapore. Esp., the seafood recipes….,
Do you know of Bengawan Solo bakery? They make these fantastic “mini prawn rolls” that have wheat flour, dried prawns, chili, sugar, spices, vegetable oil, onion, & salt. I love them on the serving platter with other “goodies” & miss them….. I wish you could create a version of these (they are fantastic)!!!!!
Lisa
I made these tonight! They were amazing. I added green onions to some of them and they too were great. Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for trying my crab rangoon!
Amanda
These things are my FAVORITE!!!!! I LOVE them!!!!!!!!! I crave them a lot!!!!!!
Rasa Malaysia
LOL, then make some!
Kiley
I love these as well and I will defiantly make some! What is your favorite chinese food?
Rasa Malaysia
All kinds of Chinese food. :)
Claudia
Rasa, thank you for sharing your recipes!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Claudia for your sweet comment.
Kiley
I love these so much..when ever I go to the restaurants I ask for multiple. Thank you so much for allowing me to be able to make these at home! What is your favorite Chinese food?
NancyT
I brush the wonton wrappers with toasted sesame oil, turn over and fill, then pinch shut and press them into the wells of a mini-muffin tin. Then, I bake them for 20-30 minutes at 350F. Delicious!
Rasa Malaysia
Good idea, I will have to try baking these crab rangoon!
junell
These are amazing! I have made these several times. First time with real crab meat & since with the faux crabmeat stuff. They tasted more like my favorite crab rangoons from our local thai spot with the faux crab. The real crab just got too fishy when fried in that hot oil. I am very picky about my crab rangoons & these are super & freeze well as it makes allot. THX!
Jane
Hi Rasa,
Thanks s much for posting your yummy recipes! I’m a mom and a reluctant cook. The kitchen for me is more like a war zone than a comfort zone. :)
Anyway, we don’t eat crab, even the faux crab sticks. What do you suggest would be the best alternative for that? I so want to make this cream cheese wonton without the crab, if that is even possible. Please help?
Rasa Malaysia
Do you eat shrimp?
Skye MacAllister
Totally yummy! Hubby was mowing them down last night like there was no tomorrow! And here we are, it’s tomorrow! Tee hee! :)
Such an easy recipe and exactly like crab Rangoon in any restaurant. I make a crab dip that uses the same ingredients, but with a few more things… mustard, tiny bit of cream, some stuff I can’t remember right now. Being a professional chef, I love fooling around with doing things a bit differently. Last night I had shaped the Rangoons just as you have the picture, but got creative at the end by rolling them as you would an egg roll! They were just the cutest little things, and we’re just a riot to eat. Making more today!
Frank’s, the folks who make the hot sauce, make a sweet chili sauce which is PERFECT with the Rangoon. Just the right amount of sweet and heat!
Mixing some cream cheese with a bit of brown sugar and a bit of vanilla (I use vanilla paste) and stuffing the wonton make a most delightful dessert Rangoon. Dipping sauces are endless: fruit, chocolate, etc. Or mix a little brown sugar into some sour cream. Sour cream and brown sugar is also an amazing dip for fresh fruits. :)
I do digress…
I have a lot of work to do today! In addition to making more Rangoon, I’m going to spend the rest of my day checking out this delightful website of yours! Thank you so much and may our Lord bless you richly! :) :) :)
Rachel
I tried 2 times to make this recipe but I don`t know why what I make is completely different from what you made.
Rasa Malaysia
Did you seal the wontons tight?
JUDI
I HAVE MADE THESE FOR MY GRANDKIDS FOR YEARS. I MAKE THEM THE SAME CREAM CHEESE AND CRAB MEAT BUT I CHOP UP REALLY FINE GREEN ONIONS.
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome! I am so happy that you like my crab rangoon recipe.
Peggy
I made these yesterday for a get together and everybody loved them. I did stray from the recipe a little bit because I could only buy an 8 ounce can of crab, so I used two 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese with the 8 ounces of crab and doubled everything else. I also added a few finely chopped green onions only because I had them. We did have a leaker or two, and a few that sort of exploded in the hot oil — must have been ones my husband wrapped and he left too much air in them! :) Looking through your website, there are quite a few recipes that sound amazing. Tonight we’re going to try one of your salmon recipes! Thanks so much for posting!
Mia
I just made these for my family for the first time. They were amazing!! Thank You for sharing your recipe.
Maria Jones
I just made these a few minutes ago for my family and they turned out Amazing!! Thank You so much for sharing your recipe!! Too Awesome!!
Lynn
I made the crab Rangoon and they were delicious, beautiful and easy to make. Can I freeze the uncooked ones?
Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can Lynn. Thanks for trying my crab Rangoon.
Jane
Well, I don’t care if this is your original recipe or not but I managed to cook a delicious crab rangoon by following your recipe so keep up the good work!
Cece
Would I be able make extra and store them in the freezer uncooked?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes.
Tina
I’ve cooked these for my family and they where very pleased. Thanks for sharing!
Geri Lyn Cross
My son loves crab rangoon and he is heading off to college on Saturday. We are taking this week and making the most of it. Tonight he made them using your recipe and with the exception of 2 that weren’t sealed quite tight enough, SUCCESS! Thank you!
Mike
I might have missed this in a previous comment, but can these be frozen if you make a lot of them? And if so, before or after frying? I’m going to try this! It looks deelish…I’m going to add a small amount of Old Bay Crab Seasoning to it though. Thanks for sharing!
Rasa Malaysia
You can freeze before frying but need to thaw before you fry.
Caity
I’ve lived in the Midwest all my life and i never knew other Chinese restaurants didn’t have crab rangoon. Haha who knew! I used to work at a local one when I was about 16, and I saw the lady making crab rangoon only once. She folded the wonton wrappers in a special way and didn’t let anyone else make them. I’m not sure on the amounts because it was in a giant metal bowl that could probably hold gallons of the stuff. But her ingredients were cream cheese, crab, chives or green onions (can’t remember which), white pepper, soy sauce, mijiu (sweet rice wine), ginger paste, garlic paste, and salt. She’d let the mixture sit in the fridge and let the flavors meld for a day then fold them up. Sometime after I quit the lady remarried and and somebody else made the crab rangoon. The new version was more on the sweet side like yours. I miss hers but yours is good too! ?
Taki May
I made these last night and we loved them. I did add some finely diced scallions to mine, and my husband and I thought we would use a little less sugar next time. The challenge I had was that they floated up in the oil so that only the bottoms cooked, and when I tried to turn them to cook the tops, they kept wanting to flip back over because they are bottom heavy. Any suggestions?
Rita
Delicious! If I could rate this 10 stars, I would.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Rita, thanks!! :)
Kerry
I wonder if one could use an air fryer for these?
Rasa Malaysia
You can try. I am not sure how the crab rangoon would turn out.
Kassidy Mcguire
would white sugar work too also would olive oil work for the frying
Rasa Malaysia
Don’t use olive oil for frying. Too high smoke point. white sugar won’t blend in with the cream cheese, it will be grainy.
click here
I too have been giddy as a school girl the last two days because of this rain. Suddenly thinking of every pumpkin recipe i can..