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Pork and Shrimp Wonton Cup Appetizer is made with baked wonton wrappers pressed into cups, filled with a seasoned pork and shrimp mixture, and baked until crisp, making it an easy appetizer recipe for entertaining.
About the Taste
This wonton cups recipe is beyond flavorful, with crisp, golden edges with a tender, juicy pork and shrimp center. The filling is so savory, with soy and sesame coming through first, followed by a light ginger-garlic notes. The dipping sauce is salty and tangy, with just enough acidity to cut through the richness. These bites are easy to make for a crowd since you just bake them in the oven. They also make a lot, which is exactly what you want in an appetizer when you’re having people over.
Table of Contents
Prep the Ingredients
The Pork and Shrimp Filling
Shrimp | Ground Pork | Kosher Salt | MSG | Cane Sugar | White Pepper | Onion Powder | Sesame Oil | Soy Sauce | Lime Zest | Scallions | Cilantro | Salsa Macha | Garlic | Fresh Ginger
Finely chop the shrimp until it is almost paste-like so it blends with the pork and isn’t chunky. Grate the garlic, fresh ginger and lime with a microplane. You want them to be small enough that they blend in and don’t leave sharp bites. Slice the scallions thinly and finely chop the cilantro, including the stems.
The Wonton Dipping Sauce
Soy Sauce | Rice Vinegar | Sambal Oelek Or Chili Paste | Honey
The sauce can be mixed up to 1 day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.
The Toppings
Micro Cilantro | Chives
Rinse and thoroughly dry the micro cilantro and finely slice the chives.
Ingredient Swaps
- Ground Pork: If you want these to be pork-free, you can use all shrimp instead. Chop the shrimp very fine so the filling stays cohesive and not bouncy. Ground chicken or ground turkey will also work but the flavor will be a little lighter and less rich.
- Shrimp: You can always use all pork , chicken or turkey if you want to skip the shrimp.
- Salsa Macha: Chili crisp is a great substitute and gives a similar savory heat, though it will be slightly oilier and less nutty.
- Scallions: You can use chives in a pinch and keep the flavor mild, but you’ll lose a bit of that fresh onion bite.
- Cilantro: Flat-leaf parsley is fine if you’re cilantro-averse. The flavor will be cleaner and more neutral.
- Sambal Oelek: You can use a chili paste instead, but choose something vinegar-forward rather than sweet to keep the sauce savory, unless you want a bit of sweetness.
- Wonton Dipping Sauce: I was craving a savory, tangy sauce, but a sweet chili honey sauce would also be amazing to use as a dipping sauce.
Similar Recipes
- Tuna Wonton Cups: Finely chopped tuna folded into a creamy, savory mixture and baked in crisp wonton cups, finished with citrus and optional caviar for a clean, rich bite that leans elegant rather than hearty.
- Spicy Salmon Wontons: Baked wonton cups filled with spicy salmon and creamy mayo, then topped with cucumber, avocado, and eel sauce for a softer texture and a sweeter, more sushi-inspired finish.
- Thai Golden Bags: Shrimp-filled wontons seasoned with ginger, scallions, and cilantro, folded into tied bundles and baked until crisp, offering a similar savory profile in a more traditional Thai-style format.
Nadia’s Tips
- This filling works best when the shrimp is chopped very fine. You want it almost paste-like so it blends with the pork instead of feeling like it stands out..
- Keep the wrappers covered while are making everything. Wonton wrappers dry out fast, so I leave the stack under a damp towel and pull them one at a time.
- Oven placement matters. The edges of wonton cups brown faster than the bottoms, so I usually bake them one rack lower than center to get more even color and better crisping underneath.
- I prefer baking these instead of frying. You still get crisp edges, but the cups stay lighter and easier to handle, especially when you’re making a lot at once. It’s also simpler when you’re hosting and don’t want oil on the stove. But you can also completely seal them, like a traditional wonton, and fry them.
- I always move the wonton cups to a rack right after baking instead of leaving them in the hot pan. That little pause keeps steam from softening the bottoms.
The Perfect Pairings
Cucumbertini: A cold, cucumber cocktail with a clean, crisp finish that pairs really well with a savory, soy-forward appetizers.
Salmon Sushi Bundt Cake: Layers of seasoned salmon and rice with citrus, pressed into a sushi-style bundt and served in slices.
Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad: Crunchy cucumbers dressed with garlic, soy, and chili that bring a pop of freshness to the table.
Passion Fruit Panna Cotta: Silky panna cotta with bright passion fruit that ends the menu with a refreshing bite.
Wonton Cup Appetizer FAQ
Yes. You can prep the filling and mix the sauce ahead of time, then bake the wonton cups just before serving. That way they stay crisp and don’t soften while sitting.
You can. Fully seal the wonton wrappers around the filling and fry them until golden and cooked through. The texture will be richer and more traditional, but baking keeps them lighter and easier to manage for a crowd.
Bake the wrappers first so they set before adding the filling, and serve the sauce on the side. Moist fillings and pooled sauce are what soften them fastest.
Yes. All shrimp just needs to be chopped very fine, and all pork will be richer and slightly denser. The mixed version gives the most balanced texture.
The filling should look opaque and lightly browned on top, with no translucent shrimp visible. The cups should feel firm when lifted from the pan.
Baked Pork and Shrimp Wonton Cups
Equipment
- 24 cup mini muffin pan
- Mixing bowl
- Microplane, or fine grater
- spoon, or piping bag
Ingredients
The Filling
- ½ lb shrimp, very finely chopped
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp msg
- ½ tsp cane sugar
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 lime, zest only
- 3 scallions, finely sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped including stems
- 1 tbsp salsa macha, or chili crisp
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ¼ inch fresh ginger, grated
The Wonton Cups
- 40 wonton wrappers
- oil spray
The Sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sambal oelek, or chili paste
- 1 tbsp honey
For Serving
- micro cilantro, for topping
- chives, finely sliced, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the Filling: Finely chop the shrimp until it is almost paste-like. Add the shrimp to a mixing bowl with the ground pork, salt, MSG, cane sugar, white pepper, onion powder, sesame oil, soy sauce, lime zest, scallions, cilantro, salsa macha, garlic, and ginger. Mix thoroughly until fully combined and slightly sticky.½ lb shrimp, ½ lb ground pork, ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp msg, ½ tsp cane sugar, ½ tsp white pepper, ½ tsp onion powder, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 lime, 3 scallions, ¼ cup cilantro, 1 tbsp salsa macha, 1 garlic clove, ¼ inch fresh ginger
- Preheat and Form the Wonton Cups: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with oil. Place one wonton wrapper into each cup and carefully press them down so they form a cup. Score the bottom lightly with a knife so it does not puff during baking. Spray the top of the wrappers lightly with oil and place them in the oven for 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden but the cups are still flexible.40 wonton wrappers, oil spray
- Fill and Bake: Spoon or pipe about 1½ teaspoons of the pork and shrimp mixture into each parbaked wonton cup. Return the pan to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the filling is fully cooked and lightly browned on top.
- Make the Sauce: While the wontons bake, stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sambal oelek, and honey until smooth.2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sambal oelek, 1 tbsp honey
- Serve: Transfer the wonton cups to a serving platter. Serve warm with the sauce on the side and finish with micro cilantro and chives.micro cilantro, chives
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
