Shrimp rangoon is just as easy to prepare as the classic Chinese/American classic crab rangoon.
Today I was missing the shrimp rangoon from my favourite Chinese takeaout in Monterey, California. I used to order it about three times a week when I lived and worked there. You can do that when you’re young and don’t have to worry about being told off by your family and doctor.
Although Monterey and the surrounding area is beautiful, it was’t a good time in my life. I was working long hours in a discount shoe store and rarely got to enjoy living there but shrimp rangoon and perhaps a few cold beers helped me forget life for a while.
What is shrimp rangoon?
Shrimp Rangoon is a variation of the more commonly known Crab Rangoon, a popular appetizer in American Chinese cuisine. Similar to Crab Rangoon, Shrimp Rangoon consists of a creamy cheese filling enclosed in a wonton wrapper and deep-fried until crispy.
This is an amazing starter that is usually served with sweet chili sauce but any Chinese sauce you like will be fine.
Why should you make shrimp rangoon?
You are going to love this easy starter. It is actually a lot easier to prepare than it might look. It all just comes together and you can make this appetiser in about 30 minutes.
The soft, hot, shrimp and cheese filling is addictive. That together with the crispy wonton exterior makes this a dish you will want to make many times.
Can you work ahead?
You sure can. You can prepare the filling a good couple of days before putting it all together. If you like, you could also wrap the shrimp rangoon parcels and keep them in your fridge for a day or so. If doing this, be sure to lightly dust a plate with flour so that they don’t stick and cover them tightly with cling film (plastic wrap).
Is shrimp rangoon spicy?
Not at all. I add Sichuan chili flakes to my filling but that is not traditional done. You can leave them out but I do like the subtle heat you get when adding the chili flakes.
Can you upscale/downscale this recipe?
Yes and it is really easy to do so. Just halve or double the recipe or make even more. As long as you have enough wonton skins and filling, you could make them all day long. This is party food so you might just want to do that.
How long can you keep leftovers in the fridge?
I really doubt you will have any leftovers as shrimp rangoon always tends to get eaten. If you do have leftovers, you can keep them, wrapped tightly in your fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat them, place the shrimp rangoon parcels on a rack in a pre-heated over to 200C/400F and cook until heated through. You could also heat up some oil and fry them again to heat through.
Can you freeze shrimp rangoon?
Yes. If you are freezing the shrimp rangoon after they have been fried, allow them to cool to room temperature and freeze them in an air-tight container. Then just let them defrost completely and reheat as above.
You can also prepare the shrimp rangoon and freeze them before frying which is the best option. Allow them to defrost completely and fry as in the recipe card below.
Prawns vs Shrimp
Prawns and shrimp are terms often used interchangeably, but distinctions exist. Shrimp are smaller, with shorter legs and a pronounced bend in their bodies. Prawns typically have longer legs and claws, and their gills are branching.
You can use either and whichever is freshest where you live. They both taste similar. In fact, you probably won’t taste any flavour difference.
Step by step photographs.
Get all your ingredients together.
Finely chop the shrimp or prawns. Be sure to devein them if not already done. You can finely chop them or chop them into a paste.
Whisk the cream chees with the wet and dry ingredients.
The add the chopped shrimp and mix it all together. Mix hard to really break everything down and distribute the flavours.
Place a wonton skin in front of you and wet the sides with water.
Place a good sized tablespoon of the filling in the centre.
Bring two opposite corners of the wonton wrapper together and press them together.
Do the same with the other two corners and press them together too. Then press the seams together so that the filling won’t come out when frying.
When they are all prepared, heat your oil for frying in a wok or something else suitable.
Fry the shrimp rangoons until turning a golden brown. It is usually best to do this in batches.
Transfer the cooked shrimp rangoon to a rack or paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
Serve with sweet chili sauce or another dip of choice.
The hot cheese and shrimp filling is to die for!
They will all go! Seriously addictive Chinese food.
If you like this recipe for shrimp rangoon, you might like to try some of these Chinese takeaway favourites too:
I am currently updating my blog with the most popular Chinese takeaway recipes so be sure to check back often for new recipes. There are a lot on the way!
-
- Bang Bang Chicken
- Peking Duck
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Crispy Chicken and Broccoli
- Salt and Pepper Chicken
- Sesame Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Dan Dan Noodles
- Orange Chicken
- Hainan Chicken
- Spicy Chicken Chow Mein
- Mongolian Beef
- Chinese Crispy Beef
- Egg Drop Soup
- Spicy Won Ton Soup
- Egg Fried Rice
- Potstickers
- Bam Bam Chicken
- Beef in Black Bean Sauce
- Black Bean Noodles
- Chinese Chicken Curry
- Deep Fried Green Beans
Have you tried this recipe for shrimp rangoon?
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Shrimp Rangoon
Ingredients
- 20 wonton wrappers
- Rapeseed (canola) oil for deep frying
- Water to seal the wontons
- FOR THE FILLING
- 150g (3/4 cup) White or a mix of white and brown crab meat
- 150g (3/4 cup) cream cheese
- 1 tsp Sichuan chilli flakes (optional)
- 2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place all of the filling ingredients up to and including sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mash it all up with a fork until you have a smooth, well combined filling with a few lumps in it.
- Put one of the wonton wrappers in front of you and wet the sides with water. Add about a tablespoon of the filling in the centre. You want to add as much as you can but not so much that you can’t wrap the wonton wrapper around it.
- Bring two opposite corners of the wonton wrapper together and press them together. Then bring the other two corners together around the filling. You will have a little stuffed square.
- To seal it, press the seams together tightly so there is no way the filling will fall out while frying.
- Keep the finished shrimp rangoons covered so they don't dry out and heat up about 10cm (4 inches) rapeseed (canola) oil in a wok or large saucepan. If you have a deep fat frying, you could also use that. Heat the oil to 190C/375F. If you don't have an oil thermometer, try the wooden chopstick method for testing your oil.
- Place a wooden chopstick or spatula in the oil. If thousands of little bubbles form on contact, your oil should be ready.
- Place half of the shrimp rangoon parcels in the oil and fry for about 3 minutes or until the wontons are a golden brown and crispy. Transfer the fried shrimp rangoons to a wire rack to drip any excess oil and cook your remaining crab rangoons. It is best to cook in batches to maintain the oil cooking heat.
- Your shrimp rangoons are ready for serving. Serve them with sweet chilli sauce or any hotsauce. Soy sauce is also a popular option.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 436mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 8g