Deep-fried wonton wrappers folded around a sweet, tangy filling of cream cheese and crab, served crisp and golden with a sweet-and-sour or sweet chili dip.
An American invention, not a Chinese one. It was popularized in the 1950s at Trader Vic's, the Polynesian-themed restaurant chain founded by Victor Bergeron in San Francisco; the name borrows Rangoon (now Yangon, Burma) for tiki-era exotic flavor. It spread through American Chinese restaurants and remains a U.S. takeout staple, near-unknown in China.
The shell shatters into flaky, blistered layers, and inside the filling is hot, smooth, and barely melted. It tastes mostly of tangy cream cheese, with the crab playing a soft, sweet supporting note. Dunked in the sticky-sweet dip, it lands somewhere between savory and dessert.
Cream cheese is the key: its fat stays creamy and won't leak out the way a wetter filling would, so the parcel fries clean. The thin wonton skin crisps fast in hot oil before the filling overheats, and sealing the edges well keeps oil out and steam in.
Variations
Some cooks add a little garlic, scallion, or Worcestershire to the filling; restaurants often use imitation crab (surimi) rather than real crab. Baked versions exist for a lighter take.
On the Palate
Where Crab Rangoon sits in the American-Chinese flavor cloud
Seal every parcel airtight around a not-too-wet cream-cheese filling, so the wonton crisps clean in hot oil without the filling leaking or the skin bursting.
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
5 steps · 33 min active + 2 min waiting
- 15 min
Beat softened cream cheese with the crab, a little sugar, garlic powder, and finely sliced scallion until evenly combined.
Watch outCream cheese must be at room temperature or it won't blend smoothly.
- 210 min
Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each wonton wrapper. Wet the edges with water.
Watch outDon't overfill or the wrapper will split open while frying.
- 310 min
Fold into a four-point star or a triangle, pressing the edges firmly to seal out all air pockets.
Watch outPress until the sealed edge is thin and air-free; any pocket of air will balloon and split in the oil.
- 46 min
Heat oil to about 175°C and fry in small batches, turning once, until golden brown.
Watch outDrop one in first — it should sizzle steadily and turn golden in about two minutes, not brown instantly.
- 52 min
Drain on a rack and serve hot with sweet-and-sour or sweet chili sauce.
Watch outDrain on a rack, not paper, so the bottoms stay crisp.
