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These crab Rangoon taquitos take the flavors of American-Chinese takeout and have a little fun with them. You can fold your wonton wrappers the traditional way, you know…the way that you’ve had a million times…or you can roll them into fun, bite-sized taquitos and really spice things up! It is a simple twist, but rolling them into cylinders gives you a great creamy crab to wonton ratio and makes them the perfect shape for dunking into sweet chili honey and miso mayo.
Table of Contents
What Are Crab Rangoons?
Crab Rangoons are basically the chips and salsa of American-Chinese takeout. Most people have to order a plate for the table before the main courses even arrive. While they feel like a deeply traditional staple, these aren’t authentic Chinese. Their origin is debated, but most people believe they were invented in San Francisco in 1950 at Trader Vic’s tiki bar. These little wonton bites were a clever way to serve the Western ingredient, cream cheese, with sweet crab. He came up with fun appetizer, and the rest is history. It became an instant hit and these flavors have become a Chinese takeout staple. They easily adapt into dips, nachos…or these amazing, easily rolled taquitos.
How to Roll These Crab Rangoons
If you want to keep things classic, you can fold these into the traditional star or purse shapes. Just drop a spoonful of filling in the center of the wrapper, wet the four edges, and pinch the opposite corners together over the top.
To get that perfect, dunk-able taquito shape, we are rolling them into tight cylinders. It is actually much faster than pinching stars, and it guarantees a perfect ratio of crispy shell to creamy crab center in every single bite.
- Pipe the Filling: Lay a wonton wrapper flat on your board. Instead of spooning the filling into the center, pipe a thick line of the crab mixture along the bottom edge of the wrapper. Leave a slight border at the ends so the filling doesn’t immediately squeeze out.
- Prep the Seal: Dip a pastry brush into your cornstarch and water slurry, and brush it along the top edge of the wrapper. This acts as your glue.
- Roll Tight: Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper up and tightly over the filling. Use your fingers to tuck it slightly, making sure you don’t leave any loose air pockets.
- Seal it Up: Continue rolling upward into a tight cylinder until the wet top edge wraps around and secures the taquito. Place it seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet while you finish the rest.
Prep Your Ingredients
The Filling: The crab and cream cheese mixture can easily be made up to 3 days in advance. Just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Letting it chill actually makes piping and rolling way easier because the cream cheese firms back up.
The Sauces: You can knock out both sauces well ahead of time. The chili honey needs time to simmer and cool anyway, and the miso mayo flavors meld better as it sits. Keep them in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to a week.
The Garnish: To get those perfect curly green onions for the top, slice the reserved green parts into matchsticks and drop them in an ice water bath. You can do this an hour before serving so they crisp up and curl tight. Just dry them on a paper towel before topping.
Ingredient Swaps
The Crab: We use real cooked crab meat here, but imitation crab is actually what most American-Chinese takeout spots use. You can completely swap it in, just make sure to chop it very fine.
Salsa Macha: If you do not have salsa macha on hand, your favorite chili crisp.
The Wrappers: You specifically need square wonton wrappers for these. If you can only find egg roll wrappers at your store, just cut them into quarters.
Storage and Reheating
Keep any leftover fried taquitos in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Skip the microwave so you do not ruin the crunch. To get that crispy exterior back, pop them in an air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 3 to 5 minutes, or use a standard oven for about 10 minutes.
Freezing for Later: For the best results, freeze these uncooked. Once rolled, place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They keep for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat, do not thaw them. Drop them straight from the freezer into 350°F (175°C) oil and add an extra minute or two to the fry time.
How to Serve Crab Rangoon Taquitos
Serve these crab Rangoon taquitos piping hot straight from the fryer. Drizzle the sweet chili honey and miso mayo directly over the top, or serve the sauces in small bowls on the side for dunking. If you are building a full menu, start with a cucumbertini. For the main course, pair a miso salmon with white rice and a din tai fung cucumber salad. Finish the meal with a passion fruit panna cotta.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all. While they are an absolute staple on American-Chinese takeout menus, they are entirely an American invention. This dish’s origins trace back to the mid-century tiki bar scene, specifically Trader Vic’s in San Francisco or Oakland, as a clever way to serve a the western ingredient, cream cheese, as a fun appetizer.
Yes. You can mix the filling up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. If you want to fully assemble the wrappers ahead of time, do not leave them sitting in the fridge. The wonton dough will pull moisture from the cream cheese, causing the wrappers to get soggy or dry out and crack at the seams. You need to assemble them and put them straight into the freezer.
No. In fact, the vast majority of restaurants use imitation crab (surimi) because it is much more affordable and has a slightly sweeter, firmer texture. You can use real crab like we do in this recipe, imitation crab, or even swap it out for chopped shrimp.
Equipment
- sheet pan
- parchment paper
- saucepan
- Saucier, or heavy pot
- piping bag, or spoon
- wire rack
Ingredients
Crab Filling
- 8 oz cooked crab meat, or imitation, finely chopped
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 scallions, white and light green parts, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1/2 tsp ginger, freshly grated
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cane sugar
- 1 lemon, zest
- 1 tbsp salsa macha, or chili crisp
- 1/4 bunch cilantro, stems only, chopped (reserve the leaves for later)
Rangoon Taquitos
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 16-20 wonton wrappers
- neutral oil, for frying
Chili Honey
- 3 tbsp sambal oelek
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
Miso Mayo
- 1/2 cup Japanese mayo
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp miso
Toppings
- green scallion, cut into matchsticks chilled in ice water
- black and toasted sesame seeds
- cilantro leaves
- fresno chiles, sliced
- serrano chiles, sliced
- chili thread
Instructions
- Make the Filling: Combine chopped crab meat, cream cheese, chopped scallion whites and light greens (reserve the greens for later, do not chop), grated garlic, grated ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt, white pepper, onion powder, sugar, lemon zest, salsa macha, and chopped cilantro stems in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.8 oz cooked crab meat, 8 oz cream cheese, 4 scallions, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 tsp ginger, 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp rice vinegar, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp cane sugar, 1 lemon, 1 tbsp salsa macha, 1/4 bunch cilantro
- Assemble the Taquitos: Whisk water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Pipe or spoon the crab mixture along one edge of a wonton wrapper. Brush the opposite edge with the cornstarch water. Roll tightly to seal (see the video). Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Repeat with remaining wrappers. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or freeze for 20 minutes.1/4 cup water, 2 tsp cornstarch, 16-20 wonton wrappers
- Chili Honey: Combine sambal oelek, honey, rice vinegar, and soy sauce in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until reduced by one-third and thickened. Remove from heat and cool.3 tbsp sambal oelek, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 3 tbsp soy sauce
- Miso Mayo: Whisk Japanese mayo, lemon juice, and miso in a small bowl until smooth.1/2 cup Japanese mayo, 1/2 lemon, 1 tsp miso
- Curly Green Onions: Cut the reserved green parts of the onion into matchsticks. Add to an ice water bath to let curl. When ready to use, dry with a papertowel.
- Fry the Taquitos: Fill a saucier or heavy pot with 4 to 5 inches of neutral oil. Heat to 350°F (175°C). Fry the taquitos in batches for 3 minutes until deeply golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towels to cool.neutral oil
- Serve: Drizzle taquitos with chili honey and miso mayo. Top with sesame seeds, cilantro leaves, sliced chiles, curly green onions, and chili threads.green scallion, black and toasted sesame seeds, cilantro leaves, fresno chiles, serrano chiles, chili thread
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
