Easy Spinach and Cream Cheese Wonton Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is cream cheese wonton made of? ›

The recipe ingredients are simple: 1 wonton wrapper plus 1 teaspoon cream cheese. You can add chives, crab, and other kinds of cheese — just decrease the amount of cream cheese accordingly.

Yes, they are very similar to each other. Both cream cheese rangoons and fried wontons use fried wonton wrappers stuffed with cream cheese. The difference is what they are stuffed with. When they have crab, they are called crab rangoons.

Yes! You can fill and fold wontons a day ahead of time. Place the folded wontons of a sheet pan in a single layer. Cover the wontons with a slightly damp paper towel.

Make the Pork and Shrimp Wonton Filling

To the pork and shrimp, add chopped scallions, minced garlic & ginger, then season with light soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, sugar, and msg. Mix in ONE direction with your hand until you see streaks on the bowl as seen in the images below.

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.

A little water acts as the “glue” to keep the wontons sealed tight so they don't fall apart as they cook. Remember to buy square wrappers (round wrappers don't work with this folding technique) and press as much air out of the wontons as you can while sealing them.

To start, place your filling in the middle of your wrapper and then fold the wrapper closed in a triangle shape. Take care to remove the air as you close it and seal the edges with water. You could stop here, with a samosa style wonton, or fold the corner in horizontally to create an envelope shape. Seal with water.

While egg roll wrappers can be used as a substitute for wonton wrappers in some recipes, the texture and thickness of the wrappers will be different, which may affect the overall dish.

There is no need to thaw frozen wontons or gyozas as they can go straight from the freezer into the boiling water. When the water boils again, add about ½ cup cold water. When the water boils a second time, remove the wontons/gyoza immediately and drain.

Bring a wok halfway full with water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the wontons in batches until they float to the surface, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

How do you know when frozen wontons are done? ›

(To cook frozen wontons, do not defrost and just drop them into boiling water the same way. Let them cook for an extra few minutes once the wontons begin to float. The best thing to do is cut one open to check for doneness.)

The best way to keep fried foods crispy? Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. If you're frying multiple batches, throw the whole setup into a low oven to keep everything warm as you keep frying and adding to the rack.

When all are made, loosely cover with a kitchen towel to prevent drying. The wontons also can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for several hours; let them sit at room temperature to remove the chill before frying.

Serve while hot with the sweet-and-sour sauce for dipping. These wontons can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month. You can also refrigerate them overnight and fry them the next day, but don't refrigerate them for longer than that.

Invented in the 1950s at Trader Vic's, a popular chain of Polynesian-style tiki-themed bars in San Francisco, the only thing authentically Chinese about these wontons is the wrapping. That's totally okay because this is one of the tastiest inventions in history, in my opinion.

Cream Cheese Rangoons

The inside of these crispy rangoons contains cream cheese and diced scallions (no crab here!), so they're technically vegetarian-friendly if you can get past the fact that they are fried in the same fryers as non-vegetarian items.

Wontons may provide some protein, but they may also be high in sodium and fat, depending on how they are prepared. Enjoyed in moderation, these steamed dumplings or wonton soup can add variety to a balanced diet.