Crab rangoon filling, rolled in an egg roll wrapper instead of folded into a wonton. Same cream cheese and crab, none of the fiddly pinching, and each one holds twice as much filling.
Crab rangoon egg rolls take about a minute each to roll. This makes 24, and they go into the freezer uncooked, so there's always a tray ready when someone turns up hungry.
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My kids get hangry fast, so I keep the freezer stocked with things I can fry in five minutes. These live in there next to my lumpiang shanghai.
They started as a shortcut. We already made crab rangoon regularly, and folding forty wontons into little pinched purses is the part nobody volunteers for. Egg roll wrappers are bigger, faster, and hold more filling, which turned out to be an improvement rather than a compromise.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Egg Roll vs Wonton Wrappers
- Ingredients
- How to Make the Filling
- How to Roll Egg Rolls
- How to Fry Egg Rolls
- How to Air Fry Egg Rolls
- Fried vs Air Fried: Which Is Better?
- Rose's Tips
- Variations
- Dipping Sauces
- Storage and Freezing
- Recipe FAQs
- More Appetizer Recipes
- Did you try this recipe?
- Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No wonton folding. Traditional crab rangoon means pinching forty little purses closed and hoping they hold. Egg roll wrappers roll like a burrito, about a minute each, and they don't spring open in the oil.
- Twice the filling per bite. Egg roll wrappers are bigger, so the ratio shifts toward the cream cheese and crab instead of the wrapper. This is the actual reason I stopped making the wonton version.
- Makes 24, and they freeze uncooked. Flash freeze on a tray, then bag them. They keep 3 months and fry straight from frozen, so there's always something to put out when people turn up.
- Fried or air fried. Both work, and there's a comparison further down with a photo, since the difference is real but smaller than you'd expect.
- Imitation crab is fine here. Cream cheese and seasoning are doing most of the work, so the expensive crab is largely wasted on this recipe. Buy the stick kind and save the lump crab for something else.
Egg Roll vs Wonton Wrappers
- Egg roll wrappers are what this recipe uses. About 7 inches square, thick, made with egg, and they fry up blistered and chewy-crisp. One wrapper holds a proper amount of filling and rolls closed like a small burrito.
- Wonton wrappers are around 3 inches and much thinner. This is what traditional crab rangoon uses, pinched into little purses. They fry lighter, but you're making four times as many and each holds a spoonful.
- Lumpia wrappers are thinnest of all and fry shattery rather than chewy. They work here too, they just tear more easily.
All three live in the refrigerated section, usually near the tofu, not the freezer aisle. Keep them under a damp towel while you work or they crack within minutes.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese: The body of the filling. Let it soften on the counter first, or it won't mix smoothly and you'll be fighting lumps. Full-fat blocks work better than whipped or spreadable, which have more water and make a looser filling.
- Imitation crab: The stick kind, chopped small. Cream cheese and seasoning are carrying most of the flavor here, so expensive lump crab is largely wasted. Real crab works if you have it, just drain it well since extra moisture makes the wrappers soggy.
- Worcestershire sauce: A small amount, and it does more than you'd expect. It's the savory backbone under all that cream cheese, and it's in most restaurant versions.
- Soy sauce: Salt and depth. A teaspoon is enough, since too much thins the filling and tints it grey.
- Garlic powder and onion powder: Powder rather than fresh. Fresh garlic releases water into the filling and can turn sharp against the cream cheese.
- Green onions: Sliced thin. They cut the richness and keep it from tasting like plain cream cheese.
- Egg roll wrappers: Refrigerated section, near the tofu. Keep them under a damp towel while you work.
How to Make the Filling
- Soften the cream cheese. Leave it on the counter 30 minutes, or microwave in 10-second bursts until it gives under a spoon. Cold cream cheese won't blend and you'll be picking lumps out later.
- Mix the seasonings in. Beat the cream cheese with the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and green onions until smooth. A hand mixer is quickest, but a sturdy spoon works.
- Fold in the crab. Gently, and stop as soon as it's distributed. Working it further breaks the crab into paste and you lose the texture that makes these taste like crab rangoon rather than seasoned cream cheese.
- Chill at least 30 minutes. Not optional. Cold filling holds its shape while you roll and keeps the egg rolls from bursting in the oil.
How to Roll Egg Rolls
- Lay out an egg roll wrapper with a corner pointing towards you. Place a generous 2- of filling in the center.
- Fold the bottom corner up and over the filling.
- Fold in the sides tightly to enclose the filling.
- Roll up diagonally, forming a tight cylinder. Moisten the final corner with water to seal.
This recipe will yield 24 crab rangoon egg rolls!
How to Fry Egg Rolls
- Heat 2 inches of neutral oil to 375°F in a large pot or Dutch oven. Use a thermometer. Below 350°F the wrappers absorb oil instead of crisping and you get greasy egg rolls.
- Fry in small batches, three or four at a time depending on your pot. Crowding drops the oil temperature, and every degree you lose costs you crispness. Let it recover between batches.
- About 2 to 3 minutes total, turning once, until deep golden brown. The filling is already cooked, so you're only browning the wrapper. Longer than this and the filling heats up, expands, and pushes out at the seams.
- Drain on a wire rack rather than paper towels if you have one. Paper towels trap steam under the egg roll and soften the bottom. A rack lets air circulate.
- Let them sit 2 minutes before biting in. That filling comes out of the oil at close to 375°F and it holds heat.
How to Air Fry Egg Rolls
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. A cold basket means the wrapper sits and dries out before it starts crisping.
- Spray them properly. Both sides, and be generous. Air fryers crisp with circulating heat rather than oil, so the little you spray on is all the fat the wrapper gets. Dry patches stay pale and papery.
- Single layer, nothing touching. Where they touch, they steam instead of crisping and you get a soft seam. Do two batches rather than crowding one.
- Cook 12 to 16 minutes, turning halfway. Start checking at 12. Air fryers vary more than ovens do, and these go from golden to overdone quickly once the wrapper dries out.
- From frozen, add 3 to 4 minutes. No thawing needed, and frozen actually works in your favor since the filling stays cold longer and is less likely to push out at the seams.
Fried vs Air Fried: Which Is Better?
I made both from the same batch, and the photo above is the honest comparison. Closer than I expected, but not the same.
Deep fried gives you the blistered surface and the crunch all the way through, about 3 minutes a batch. Air fried comes out paler and more uniform, closer to a baked pastry than a fried one, about 14 minutes a batch.
I'd deep fry for company and air fry for four on a weeknight. The texture difference is real, but the time works out about even across 24 either way, so pick based on how you want them to taste rather than how long it takes.
Rose's Tips
- Chill the filling, always. At least 30 minutes. Cold filling holds its shape while you roll and it's what keeps these from bursting in the oil. Warm filling squeezes out at the seams and expands the second it hits the heat.
- Keep the wrappers under a damp towel. They dry out within minutes of being unwrapped, and dry wrappers crack at the fold instead of sealing. Pull out one at a time and cover the rest.
- Use an ice cream scoop. Same amount of filling every time, which means they all fry at the same rate and none of them are overstuffed. Overstuffed is the other reason they burst.
- Seal the last corner with water, and press it down. A dab on the final point and a few seconds of pressure. A seam that isn't stuck will open in the oil and dump filling into it.
- Roll them tight. Air pockets inside expand when they heat and push the wrapper apart. Snug from the first fold, not just the last.
- Don't crowd the pot. Three or four at a time. Every one you add drops the oil temperature, and cooler oil means greasy wrappers instead of crisp ones.
Variations
- Sweeter, like takeout. If your homemade crab rangoon has ever tasted flat compared to the restaurant version, this is why: a lot of Chinese takeout kitchens add sugar to the filling. Try a tablespoon of powdered sugar mixed in with the cream cheese. It doesn't taste sweet exactly, it just rounds everything out the way you remember.
- Spicy. A tablespoon of sriracha stirred into the filling, or a teaspoon of chili crisp if you want texture with the heat. Both cut through the cream cheese well.
- Crab rangoon dip. The filling is basically crab dip. Warm it in a small baking dish until bubbling and serve with fried wonton wrappers or crackers. Good use for whatever's left when you run out of wrappers.
- Mini rangoons. Use wonton wrappers and fold them into the traditional pinched shape if you want the small version. More fiddly and you'll be making four times as many, but they fry faster.
- Extra crab. The standard ratio leans cream cheese. Add another half cup of chopped crab if you want it meatier, and drain it well so the filling doesn't loosen.
Dipping Sauces
- Sweet chili sauce. The default, and the one I keep in the fridge. Sweet, mildly spicy, and it cuts the richness of all that cream cheese. Mae Ploy is the standard brand at any Asian grocery.
- Duck sauce. The pale orange one that comes in packets with takeout crab rangoon, so it's what most people are actually expecting. Apricot preserves thinned with a splash of rice vinegar gets you close.
- Sriracha mayo. Creamy against creamy, which sounds like too much but works because the heat does the cutting. Two ingredients and about a minute.
- Unagi sauce. Thicker and sweeter, more of a glaze than a dip. Good if you want something savory rather than sharp.
- Chinese hot mustard. The sharp yellow one. Clears your sinuses and it's the traditional partner to fried takeout appetizers if sweet isn't what you want.
- Ketchup, if you have kids. Mine go straight for it and ignore everything else on the table. Banana ketchup in particular, which is sweeter and a little tangier than the tomato kind, and it's what they grew up dipping lumpia in.
Storage and Freezing
- Freeze them uncooked. This is what I actually do, and it's better than storing them cooked. Line a baking sheet with parchment, lay the rolled egg rolls out in a single layer without touching, and freeze 30 minutes to an hour until firm. Then transfer to a labeled freezer bag and press the air out. They keep 3 months.
- Cook straight from frozen. No thawing. Fry at 375°F, adding a minute or so, or air fry at 375°F for 15 to 18 minutes. Frozen actually works in your favor, since the filling stays cold longer and is less likely to push out at the seams.
- Uncooked in the fridge, one day. If you're rolling ahead for a party the same weekend, the wrappers start to go damp and translucent past about 24 hours as moisture leaches out of the filling.
- Cooked leftovers, 2 days. Airtight in the fridge. They soften as they sit, so reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 4 to 5 minutes rather than the microwave, which turns the wrapper chewy.
- Don't freeze them after frying. Fried egg rolls come out of the freezer with a soggy wrapper, and there's no reheating that fixes it. Freeze uncooked and fry to order instead.
Recipe FAQs
Why did my egg rolls burst in the oil?
Almost always warm filling. Cold filling holds its shape, and warm filling expands fast when it hits hot oil and pushes out at the seams. Chill it at least 30 minutes before you roll. The other causes are overstuffing, air pockets from rolling too loosely, and a final corner that wasn't sealed properly with water.
Can I use imitation crab?
Yes, and I'd recommend it here. Cream cheese and seasoning are carrying most of the flavor, so expensive lump crab is largely wasted in this recipe. The stick kind, chopped small, is what most restaurants use too. Real crab works if you have it, just drain it well since extra moisture loosens the filling.
Why doesn't mine taste like takeout?
Sugar, usually. A lot of Chinese takeout kitchens add sugar to their crab rangoon filling, which is why the restaurant version tastes rounder than most homemade ones. Try a tablespoon of powdered sugar mixed in with the cream cheese. It won't taste sweet, it just fills in what's missing.
Egg roll wrappers or wonton wrappers?
Egg roll wrappers for this recipe. They're bigger, so they hold more filling and roll closed like a small burrito instead of needing to be pinched. Wonton wrappers make the traditional small rangoons, which fry faster but mean making four times as many.
Can I make them ahead?
Yes. Roll them, freeze uncooked on a tray, then bag them. They keep 3 months and cook straight from frozen. Rolled and refrigerated they only hold about a day before the wrappers start going damp.
Can I air fry them?
Yes, 375°F for 12 to 16 minutes, turning halfway, and spray both sides generously. The texture is lighter and paler than deep fried, closer to a baked pastry. There's a side-by-side comparison further up if you want to see the difference.
What do I serve them with?
Sweet chili sauce is the standard. Duck sauce is what comes with takeout crab rangoon if you want the familiar one. My kids ignore all of it and go straight for banana ketchup.
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Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls
Crab rangoon filling of cream cheese, crab, and green onion rolled in egg roll wrappers instead of folded into wontons, so they're faster to make and hold more filling. Makes 24, and they freeze uncooked for up to 3 months.
Equipment
- 1 frying pan or dutch oven
- 1 MIxing Bowl
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 300 grams imitation crab or real crab meat shredded and cut
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup green onions chopped
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 24 Egg roll wrappers
- 1-2 cups neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Soften the cream cheese. Leave it on the counter 30 minutes, or microwave in 10-second bursts until it gives under a spoon.8 ounces cream cheese
- Mix the filling. Beat the cream cheese with the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and green onions until smooth.2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ cup green onions, Salt, Pepper
- Fold in the crab. Gently, just until distributed. Overmixing breaks the crab into paste.300 grams imitation crab or real crab meat
- Chill 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate. Cold filling holds its shape and keeps the egg rolls from bursting in the oil.
- Roll. Lay a wrapper in a diamond, corner facing you. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center and shape it into a horizontal log. Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, fold in both sides tightly, then roll up. Moisten the final corner with water and press to seal. Repeat, keeping the unused wrappers under a damp towel.24 Egg roll wrappers
- Fry. Heat 2 inches of neutral oil to 375°F. Fry 3 or 4 at a time for 2 to 3 minutes total, turning once, until deep golden. Drain on a wire rack.1-2 cups neutral oil
- Serve warm with sweet chili sauce or your dip of choice. Let them sit 2 minutes first, the filling is very hot.
- Air fryer: preheat to 375°F, spray both sides generously, arrange in a single layer without touching, and cook 12 to 16 minutes, turning halfway.
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Notes
- Makes 24 egg rolls. Soften the cream cheese first. Cold cream cheese won't blend and you'll be picking lumps out of the filling. Thirty minutes on the counter, or microwave in 10-second bursts until it gives under a spoon. Chill the filling at least 30 minutes. Not optional. Cold filling holds its shape while you roll and it's the main thing keeping these from bursting in the oil. Keep the wrappers under a damp towel. They dry out within minutes of being unwrapped, and dry wrappers crack at the fold instead of sealing. Pull one at a time. Use an ice cream scoop for the filling. Same amount every time, so they fry evenly and none are overstuffed. Overstuffing is the other common cause of bursting. Seal the last corner with water and press it down. A seam that isn't properly stuck will open in the oil. Roll them tight. Air pockets expand when they heat and push the wrapper apart. Don't crowd the pot. Three or four at a time. Every one you add drops the oil temperature, and cooler oil gives you greasy wrappers instead of crisp ones. Wrappers. Egg roll wrappers are what this is written for, found in the refrigerated section near the tofu. Lumpia wrappers work too and fry shattery rather than chewy, they just tear more easily. Crab. Imitation crab is fine here and it's what most restaurants use. If using real crab, drain it well since extra moisture loosens the filling. Want it to taste like takeout? Many Chinese restaurant kitchens add sugar to their crab rangoon filling. A tablespoon of powdered sugar mixed in with the cream cheese rounds it out without tasting sweet. Freezing. Freeze uncooked in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray until firm, then bag. Keeps 3 months. Cook straight from frozen, adding about a minute to the fry time. Don't freeze them after frying, the wrapper comes out soggy. Storage. Cooked leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge. Reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for 4 to 5 minutes rather than the microwave.
Tried this recipe?Leave us a comment below and share how it came out!
Romeo Torres says
Can I use air fryer instead of deep frying ? Thanks
Rose Sioson says
Sure you can! It may take more time ad it may be less crunchy but it will work too! Spray some oil to the rangoon and air fry.