Crab Rangoon (The Best Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

FAQs

Do Chinese restaurants use real crab in Rangoon? ›

The filling is made with a combination of cream cheese, crab meat or imitation crab meat, scallions or onion, garlic, and other flavorings. A small amount of the filling is wrapped in each wonton wrapper.

In a small bowl, gently combine crab meat, cream cheese, green onion, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce (if using), and garlic powder. Layout 3 wonton wrappers at a time. Place 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of each. Dab the edges with water and fold the two opposite corners together to form a triangle.

Wontons and crab Rangoon are, on the surface, similar dishes: They're both a form of dumpling (essentially, a dough pocket) stuffed with some kind of filling. However, crab Rangoon has a specific type of filling, while wontons have a little more wiggle room when it comes to what they're stuffed with.

One of the biggest clues in the makeup of crab rangoon that this dish is American over Asian in origin is the cream cheese. Cream cheese was a staple in 1940s and 50s America but this is not an ingredient you'll have found in China or Burma or Polynesia.

I love Panda Express' Crab Rangoons and they're so easy to make! Oddly enough, they don't use crab or imitation crab in their original recipe. Feel free to add some though, it's delicious! My local Panda Express offers 3 for $2.35.

steps. In a mixing bowl, stir cream cheese, crab meat, sugar, MSG, soy paste, chinese five-spice, and scallions together until well-combined.

Worst: Crab Rangoon

It's mostly cream cheese, wrapped in dough and deep-fried to create bite-sized calorie bombs. Because they're small, it's easy to eat more than one. Finish an order of 4, and you're likely to get more than half the calories and fat you should have in an entire meal.

What is the difference between crab wonton and crab rangoon? Crab rangoon is a type of fried wonton, so they are really very similar. The difference is all in the filling. Traditional wontons are not ever filled with cream cheese (which is one of the main components in crab rangoon recipes).

The name "Crab Rangoon" is believed to be a nod to the traditional Burmese dish, "ohn-no khauk swe" or "ohn-no kaukswe," which is a soup made with noodles and chicken. "Rangoon" was the former name of Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar (formerly Burma), where the dish is said to have originated.

It is, essentially, deep-fried cheesecake with fake crab in it—as sweet as any dessert, but served as an appetizer. It has a Burmese name, is served in a theoretically Chinese restaurant, and its main component was invented in New York in the late 19th century.

What kind of crab is used in rangoon? ›

Crab Rangoon Ingredients

The cream cheese will be easier to mix if it is room temperature. Lump Crab Meat: You can use lump crab meat that is found in the refrigerated meat section of the grocery store, or you can also find canned lump crab meat! I recommend using real crab meat over imitation crab meat.

Cursory online research will tell you that a dish resembling present-day crab rangoon first appeared on the menu of legendary tiki bar and restaurant Trader Vic's, though some sources hypothesize these stuffed crab puffs emerged around the turn of the century in British-controlled Burma.

Crab Rangoon is a crispy cheese-filled dumpling made from wonton wrappers (thin sheets of wheat dough.) These cheese wontons are traditionally served in American-Chinese Restaurants are commonly filled with cream cheese, imitation crab meat, scallions, and sugar.

Filling: Crabmeat (snow and lump), Cream Cheese, Cabbage, Onion, Contains 2% or Less of the Following: Fresh Cilantro, Cornstarch, Egg, Salt, Spices, Sugar, Worcestershire Sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, water, salt, caramel color, sugars, spices, anchovy puree, natural flavor (contains soy), tamarind).

Crab Rangoon Ingredients

The cream cheese will be easier to mix if it is room temperature. Lump Crab Meat: You can use lump crab meat that is found in the refrigerated meat section of the grocery store, or you can also find canned lump crab meat! I recommend using real crab meat over imitation crab meat.

Manufacturers add in some artificial flavoring and sometimes ingredients like starch, sodium, and MSG to the paste, then shape it to mimic the flesh of a crab. So imitation crab is considered pescatarian, but it is not vegetarian or vegan. It's often used in place of crab because of its affordability.

Fortunately, most restaurants that offer crab options rely on authentic crab. Many people wonder about canned versus fresh, and how to choose crabmeat. The answer is not clear, as some restaurants will utilize canned crab for their crab dishes. Both are “authentic,” but one kind is superior in taste and quality.