Hot Crab Rangoon Dip with Crispy Wonton Chips
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Think of this Asian-style hot crab dip with crispy wonton chips as a deconstructed crab rangoon.
This is my copycat version of the crazy-good hot crab rangoon dip served at the now-shuttered TenPenh, a much-loved pan-Asian restaurant in the DC area. Think of the dip as a deconstructed crab rangoon, the crispy crab and cream cheese-filled wonton appetizer served at many Chinese and Thai restaurants. I’ll be the first to admit that the combination of ingredients seems odd, but somehow it really works. Frying your own wonton chips is quick and easy (I show you how below) but if you don’t want to bother, toasted baguette slices or rice crackers work well, too.
Table of Contents
“The dip is absolutely delicious and spot-on in terms of Rangoon flavor. But the CHIPS?! TO DIE FOR.”
What You’ll Need To Make Hot Crab Rangoon Dip
If possible, I recommend using fresh-off-the-boat crab meat. It comes in a clear plastic container and is usually resting on ice in the seafood department. It’s not always available depending on the season and region, so your second-best option is refrigerated crab meat, such as Phillip’s, which is readily available year-round. Just avoid shelf-stable canned crab meat; it contains additives that affect the taste and texture of the meat.
Fresh crab meat has tiny pieces of shell in it, so it’s important to pick them out. There’s also a lot of excess liquid in crab meat, so you have to drain it or your dip will be watery. The best way to gather the crab meat into your hands and squeeze out any excess liquid over the sink.
Step-by-Step Instructions For Crab Rangoon Dip
Begin by warming the cream cheese in the microwave to make it easy to whisk, otherwise it will be lumpy and hard to incorporate with the other ingredients. Whisk until smooth, then add the mayonnaise, sour cream, Sriracha, lime juice, garlic, salt, and sugar.
Whisk to combine.
Add the crab meat, light green scallions, and 3/4 cup of the cheese.
Using a rubber spatula, fold to combine, being careful not to break up the lumps of crab too much.
Transfer the dip to a 1-qt baking dish.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese over top.
Bake until the cheese is melted and the dip is bubbling. (You don’t want it too golden.)
Top with the Thai sweet chili sauce.
Sprinkle the dark green scallions and cilantro (if using) over top.
What You’ll Need To Make Crispy Wonton Chips
Wonton wrappers are widely available at most supermarkets. You will typically find them in the refrigerated section of the produce department, near the tofu.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Wonton Chips
Pour the vegetable oil to a depth of 3/4 inch into a Dutch oven or large heavy pot. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350°. (If you don’t want to bother with a thermometer, just drop one of the wontons into the oil to test it; if it sizzles, the oil is ready.)
Fry the wontons in batches, without crowding the pan, for about 15 seconds on each side or until golden brown and crisp. Adjust the heat as necessary as you go if the wontons are cooking to quickly or slowly. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt.
Serve with a spoon for scooping the dip onto the wonton chips, as the chips are fragile.
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Hot Crab Rangoon Dip
Think of this Asian-style hot crab dip with crispy wonton chips as a deconstructed crab rangoon.
Ingredients
For the Hot Crab Rangoon Dip
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from 1 lime
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 8 oz fresh lump crab meat, well drained
- 3 scallions, white and dark green parts separated
- 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided
- ¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon cilantro (optional, for garnish)
For the Wonton Crisps
- 24 wonton wrappers, cut in half, from one 6-oz package
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Salt
Instructions
For the Hot Crab Rangoon Dip
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the dark green portion of the sliced scallions to use as a garnish on the finished dip.
- Place the cream cheese in a large, microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high heat until the cream cheese is softened, 45 to 60 seconds. Whisk the cream cheese until completely smooth. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, Sriracha, lime juice, garlic, salt, and sugar; whisk to combine. Add the crab meat, scallions, and ¾ cup of the cheese; using a rubber spatula, fold to combine, being careful not to break up the lumps of crab meat too much.
- Spread the dip evenly into a 1-qt baking dish and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup cheese over top. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and the crab dip is bubbling, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the Thai sweet chili sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the reserved dark green scallions and cilantro (if using). Serve with a spoon for scooping the dip onto the wonton chips, as the chips are fragile.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The dip can be assembled up until the point of baking and refrigerated up to one day ahead of time. Allow a few extra minutes in the oven if baking straight out of the refrigerator.
For The Crispy Wonton Chips
- Pour the vegetable oil to a depth of ¾-inch into a Dutch oven or large heavy pot. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350°. (If you don't want to bother with a thermometer, just drop one of the wontons into the oil to test it; if it sizzles, the oil is ready.) Fry the wontons in batches, without crowding the pan, for about 15 seconds on each side or until golden brown and crisp. Adjust the heat as necessary as you go if the wontons are cooking to quickly or slowly. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The wonton chips can be made a day ahead of time and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Note: Nutritional information does not include wonton crisps.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 200
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Sugar: 2 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Sodium: 444 mg
- Cholesterol: 62 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I love pretty much and dip and also love crab rangoon, so this recipe was a must-do. Loved it! Made it for watching the college football championship game. Next time, I think I will mix all the cheese in and not top it with melted cheese, but wouldn’t change anything else. A keeper!
The dip is absolutely delicious and spot-on in terms of Rangoon flavor. But the CHIPS?! Are TO DIE FOR. I have made just the chips 3-4 times since I first made the dip on New Year’s eve. I use safflower oil in a small cast iron skillet, keep the heat pretty low (my stove seems to run hot), drain well on paper towels, and dust them with sea salt. They are amazing with hummus and have an absolutely divine light and crunchy texture. SO GOOD!
Made this appetizer for the holidays and it was fantastic! Everyone in my family enjoyed it and it will be a go-to recipe in the future! Highly recommend.
Delicious!
Well fresh crab was not available, so I used refrigerated crab meat, and I failed to see the instruction re: draining and squeezing the crab before using. I just dumped the jar in, liquid and all. Major fail. It wasn’t so much that the dip was runny, but the dip had a strong fish flavor. I like fish (love anchovies on my pizza) but my wife and daughter? Not so much. Even I thought it was too fishy. Also, we like our food spicy (perhaps the anchovies have deadened my taste buds), and would add more siracha sauce. Re: the wontons, they turned out fine, but I found as I continued to try them in oil, the wontons left bits of brown in the oil and the chips increasingly came out darker brown. Tasted fine, just an appearance thing.
I made this for a party and it was a HUGE hit! Multiple people requested the recipe and I referred them all to your website which I love. Hopefully, they will be as impressed as I am with your recipes.
What would be a good ready made substitute for the fried wonton chips ?
Thanks !
Hi Jeannie, toasted baguette slices or rice crackers also work nicely. Enjoy!
This dip was good to eat as it was pretty to look at. I put it together the day before serving and cooked for a longer time, about 20-30 minutes in order to get some browning on top. It is also good as a cold leftover snack for lunch.
Is there any substitute for the mayo?
Sure — You could use more sour cream in place of the mayo. If you do, I’d omit the lime juice (as the increased sour cream will provide additional tartness). Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Would this recipe work with small cooked shrimp?
I love so many of your recipes, btw. Perfect everytime!
Glad you like the recipes! Unfortunately, I don’t think shrimp would work here — sorry!