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 made this as my daughter’s Birthday Dip (that’s a thing, right? Everyone has a special dip on their birthday?). I accidentally bought Pepper Jack instead of Monterey Jack and it turned out great! We didn’t make the wontons this time (next time we’ll try that) and ate it with crostini. Yummy!
Made this for Superbowl VXIII. It was great and everyone loved it! I added a little worcestershire sauce and used mozzerella cheese, as that is all I had on hand. I also used imitation crab meat, as I already had it on hand. The texture was nice and tasted great.
The fried wonton strips were great. It just cut them in 1/3rds and fried in Canola oil. They fry fast, so flip after 15 seconds and take out by 30 seconds. My kids said they liked it better than restaurant crab rangoons. I will definitely be making again!
Everyone complaining about the size freaked me out with no time for an alternative. It was fine for a cocktail party of eight which included other snacks, cheese, etc. The hosts gleefully scooped up the leftover half! Don’t wait until the last minute. for wontons that look like the picture. I used a thermometer in the oil and was only able to cook three at a time to avoid them becoming too brown. Practice, practice. They are well worth it and stay fresh.
Another excellent recipe, and guests had to remind themselves that dinner was to follow! I didn’t find good crab meat, so I substituted rotisserie chicken and it was still excellent. Thank you Jenn!
This was so good even with modifications for missing ingredients. I needed to make a vegetarian dish, so I used drained, crumbled tofu and added 3/4 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning. I didn’t have sweet Thai chili sauce, so I added 1 tablespoon of honey to a tablespoon of siracha and 1/8 teaspoon of ground Chipotle powder. I took another reviewers suggestion and baked the wonton wrappers (drizzled lightly with garlic infused olive oil). I sprinkled Kosher salt on them and baked at 375 for 10 minutes until lightly blistered and crispy. Whenever I am stumped for a meal, I turn to this site or my OUAC cookbook.
Hi Jenn! Would this work in actual crab rangoons? How might you adapt the filling to work for those?
Yes, I think it would work but I’m not sure what (if any) modifications you’d need to make so you’ll just need to play around with it a bit. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try it!
Delish!
Love this recipe almost as much as I love crab rangoon! I tend to use either a full 1/2cup sour cream or Greek yogurt since I don’t usually have mayo in my house. I don’t use the whole 1/4cup of sweet chili sauce since I find it too sweet that way. I use about half warmed up in the microwave and drizzled over the top.
Hi Jenn! Happy New Year! I just want to be sure it’s a 1 qt baking dish. I have a square 4 cup Pyrex dish I’m going to use. It looks so small compared to the dish in the pictures! Excited to try this recipe tonight, all of your recipes are always a hit ☺️
Hi Allison, I think I’m weighing in too late to be helpful – sorry! Hopefully, you made this and it worked out, but even if the dish in the picture looks smaller, you’re correct in that a 4-cup dish is the equivalent of 1 quart. Hope you enjoyed if you made it!
This is a great recipe, made it last year for New Years Eve, and it was the hit of the party. Plan on making this again this year! I found using Alaskan king crab legs works beautifully and I bake the wontons on a cookie sheet, spraying them with cooking spray and a little salt!