Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls

5 from 1 vote

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.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American, Asian

Servings: rolls

Calories: 131kcal

Author: Rose Sioson

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.

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.

Nutrition