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

FAQs

Do Chinese restaurants use real crab in Rangoon? ›

The filling is made with a combination of cream cheese, crab meat or imitation crab meat, scallions or onion, garlic, and other flavorings. A small amount of the filling is wrapped in each wonton wrapper.

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. Wontons when not referred to as “cream cheese wontons” refer to dumplings like in my Wonton Soup.

Combine cream cheese, crabmeat, green onions, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce together in a bowl. To prevent wonton wrappers from drying, prepare only one or two Rangoon at a time, keeping the other wrappers under a damp towel. Place 1 teaspoon crab filling onto the center of each wonton wrapper.

While actual crab is not the primary focus of crab rangoon, either imitation crab or the real stuff adds necessary flavor. The best shape for crab rangoon is a four-pointed star: It concentrates the filling and maximizes surface area for more crunch.

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

I love Panda Express' Crab Rangoons and they're so easy to make! Oddly enough, they don't use crab or imitation crab in their original recipe. Feel free to add some though, it's delicious! My local Panda Express offers 3 for $2.35.

Chinese Crab Rangoons are stuffed with cream cheese, crab meat, and scallions! These Wonton pockets go best with duck sauce or sweet and sour dipping sauce and the secret to those buffet Rangoons is to make a sweet crab Rangoon recipe using powdered sugar! This fried appetizer is addicting!

THE SECRET: At first glance, you might think Money Bags are the same as Chinese crab rangoon. It is only after a taste that you realize they are uniquely Thai.

Crab puffs, aka crab rangoons, are a staple at most casual Chinese restaurants. They are made of crispy wonton wrappers stuffed with juicy crab meat and cream cheese. Although they aren't super authentic, they have become a popular appetizer to tack on alongside chow mein, broccoli beef, and other take-out favorites.

Worst: Crab Rangoon

Crab serves up lean protein. But this appetizer has only a little meat. It's mostly cream cheese, wrapped in dough and deep-fried to create bite-sized calorie bombs.

Who invented the crab rangoon? ›

Before it appeared on Chinese restaurant menus, crab rangoon was conceived for Trader Vic's in the 1940s, Atlas Obscura reports. Victor Bergeron's tiki bar chain sold a kitschy, westernized version of Polynesian culture to American customers.

Imitation Crab Meat or Real Crab Meat: This is entirely up to you! I prefer imitation crab meat since it's more accessible and less fishy tasting than real crab meat and it's also budget-friendly.

It is, essentially, deep-fried cheesecake with fake crab in it—as sweet as any dessert, but served as an appetizer. It has a Burmese name, is served in a theoretically Chinese restaurant, and its main component was invented in New York in the late 19th century.

The best side dishes to serve with Crab Rangoon are lo mein, spring rolls, beef and broccoli, Popeyes Sweet Heat Sauce, mango Kani salad, fried rice, steamed dumplings, hoisin dipping sauce, wonton soup, Szechuan green beans, shrimp tempura, sesame noodles, Chinese chicken salad, and Peking duck pancakes.

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).

Does crab rangoon contain real crab? It depends on where you get it. Crab rangoon is typically won ton wrappers, cream cheese, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, onions/onion powder, and either crab meat or imitation crab, which is a type of cured surimi called kamaboko.

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.

The answer is not clear, as some restaurants will utilize canned crab for their crab dishes. Both are “authentic,” but one kind is superior in taste and quality. It depends on your expectations. If you are ordering from a restaurant, you should verify if they are using canned meat.

Just like the name implies, imitation crab contains no crabmeat. Fish is, however, one of the main ingredients. It is made using surimi, which is a paste made of fish and a few other ingredients. Surimi is often made with pollock, which is also used to make fish sticks and breaded fish products.