Fried wonton recipe with pork and shrimp filling

Chinese New Year is fast approaching and what better way to celebrate than by making fried wontons as a snack during the festivities? In this article, I will share a fried wonton recipe using store-bought wrappers.

Since there will be a lot of work in the kitchen during this special occasion, I will not be making the wonton wrappers from scratch. Instead, I will spend more time with my friends and family and enjoy Chinese New Year.

I will stick to a simple recipe based mainly on what most wonton noodle restaurants in Hong Kong follow. The main ingredients are a combination of shrimp and ground pork. I also add some green onions, but I don’t add things like cabbage or Chinese chives in this fried wonton recipe.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read mine Privacy Policy for more information. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

1. How to make wonton filling

There is no fixed rule about what to include in a wonton serving, but most Cantonese people like to make pork wontons and shrimp wontons. In this fried wonton recipe, I use a mixture of both.

Aside from the traditional sawdust I use, you can get creative with anything you like as a filling. Some popular ingredients are Chinese chives, sesame seeds, water chestnuts, and even cream cheese. Finally, replace the ground pork with ground chicken if you don’t eat pork.

Below are the steps to prepare a wonton serving:

1. Mince the pork with a little fat.
2. Soak the shrimp in salt water with a little baking soda for ten minutes. It helps to turn the shrimp meat into a crispy one. Then rinse them with water and cut them into small pieces.
3. Mix with chopped green onions and spices: light soy sauce, Shaoxing wineground white pepper, sesame oilsalt and cornstarch.

Note: This is a simplified version of wonton. For a more authentic wonton recipe, check out this food blog’s article for a more comprehensive recipe for making Hong Kong-style soup noodles.

2. An easy way to wrap wontons

Wonton wrappers are thinner than egg wrappers or dumpling wrappers. Please read labels carefully before purchasing. You should be able to find it in the refrigerator section of most local grocery stores or Asian markets.

Since the wonton wrappers are quite fragile, handle them with care and cover them with a damp cloth or plastic wrap after removing them from the wrapper, as they can quickly dry out and become brittle.

Steps to wrap wontons

Wrapping wontons is very easy. The easiest way is to place a small spoonful of the filling in the center of the wonton skin (wrapper). Then, press and fold all the edges of the wrappers and join them together. This will probably be the shape you know if you get it from Chinese restaurants because they want to make them as quickly as possible.

Since you are making it yourself at home, you can put more effort into making it even nicer. What you can do is after placing the filling right in the center, fold the corner of one end to meet the other corner of the opposite corner. This way you will create a perfect triangle shape. Then join the two opposite ends of the triangle together.

Tip for wrapping wontons

Whatever shape you want to create, there are two basic techniques to follow. The first is to squeeze out all the air between the filling and the wrapper. This will remove any possible air pockets inside the filling that can cause the wontons to crack when deep-frying. The second important step is to create a thick paste of cornstarch like rubber that sticks the wrapper together when folded. This step will help ensure that the package does not open during deep-frying.

3. Deep fry the wontons

Fill a deep fryer or large wok with vegetable oil, peanut oil, or any other high smoke point oil suitable for deep frying. The oil depth should be at least about 1 inch deep.

When the oil temperature reaches medium high, carefully place the wontons into the hot oil and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Do not move the wontons in the hot oil for the first half minute as you want to wait for the wrapper to harden. You can then use a chopstick to lightly push them and turn them over so that they are evenly cooked.

After all the wontons are golden, immediately remove them from the hot oil using a slotted spoon or spider web. Transfer them to a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Note:

• You can use hand dryer fry wontons. It will save you a lot of oil and it will be healthier as one or two teaspoons may be enough. The main difference is that they will not be as crispy as fried in hot oil.
• If you don’t like deep-frying wontons, you can use them to make wonton noodle soup. I have a separate article on wonton soup that you can refer to.

4. Make a sauce for the wontons

These wontons are so crispy and delicious that they can be served without sauce. However, most restaurants will serve it with sauce as they are quite dry. If you want to save time and keep it simple, buy some sweet chili sauce as a dipping sauce. Otherwise, follow the directions below to make a simple Szechuan-style dipping sauce.

1. Mix two tablespoons of light soy sauce, two tablespoons Chinese black vinegartwo teaspoons Szechuan Chili Oilone teaspoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
2. Stir until all the sugar and salt have dissolved.

This is a simple homemade Szechuan style sauce for your crispy fried wontons.

5. How to store fried wontons

Since I make these wontons ahead of time, I plan to keep them in the freezer and only fry them during Chinese New Year.

To do this, after wrapping all the wontons, arrange them in a single layer baking tray lined and baking paper. Then place in the freezer until all the wontons are frozen. Then take them out of the freezer and move them to airtight container or Zip bag. This way, the wontons will not stick together and can be kept in the freezer for more than a month.

To enjoy this delicious appetizer, take it out of the freezer and deep fry the frozen wontons directly in hot oil. There is no need to wait for the wontons to return to room temperature before deep-frying.

6. More Related Fried Crispy Wonton Recipes

If you like this fried wonton recipe, I want to introduce you to other recipes featured on this food blog.

• Wonton soap is one of the most popular Chinese noodles available. Since part of my family lives in Hong Kong, I have enjoyed the best wonton noodles available. Here is an original recipe for making authentic Hong Kong wonton noodles.
• If you like dim sum, here is my recipe for making the famous dim sum called shumai.