Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls

These crab rangoon egg rolls are filled with tangy cream cheese, loads of crab meat, green onions and fried until crispy golden brown. I serve them with an easy homemade sweet and sour dipping sauce.

Crab rangoon egg rolls are the perfect finger food appetizer for your next party. Crispy egg roll wrappers wrapped around a creamy, tangy crab filling and served with the most delicious dipping sauce.

You can make these egg rolls ahead of time and freeze them for months!

Looking for more delicious appetizers, then make sure to try Cheeseburger Egg Rolls, Jalapeño Popper Wontons, and Fried Mozzarella Balls.

Why You’ll Love These Crab Filled Egg Rolls

• Creamy filling- These egg rolls are filled with cream cheese, lots of crab meat, garlic, green onions and other delicious seasonings.
• Perfect appetizer- They make the perfect finger food appetizer. Serve them at your next gathering with my sweet and sour dipping sauce.
• Easy to make- Just mix all the ingredients together and your filling is done. These egg rolls are a lot easier than your typical egg roll and take no time to make.
• Simple ingredients- You can easily find all the ingredients at your grocery store.

What is Crab Rangoon?

Crab Rangoon, sometimes called cheese wontons or crab puffs, contain a simple mixture of crab meat, cream cheese, and seasonings wrapped in a wonton and deep fried until crispy and golden brown. They are a very popular takeout item at Chinese-American restaurants.

For this recipe, I use make the traditional filling, but with a bit more crab meat and instead of wonton wrappers, I use egg roll wrappers.

Ingredient Notes For Cream Cheese Egg Rolls

Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• Crab- For the filling, I use imitation crab meat. It’s affordable, readily easy to find and adds a nice texture to the egg rolls. If you aren’t a fan, feel free to use real crab meat (frozen or fresh).
• Cream cheese- Use full fat cream cheese for the best flavor. Leave out at room temperature for 1-2 hours to soften. This will make mixing a lot easier.
• Green onions- Use both the green and white part. I slice them very thin with a sharp knife.
• Garlic- Fresh garlic has the best flavor.
• Sugar- Just a small amount balances all the flavors.
• Sauces- Worcestershire and soy sauce go into the filling and add flavor.
• Egg roll wrappers- I use Twin Dragon All Natural Egg Roll Wrappers.
• Egg- I make a simple egg wash by mixing 1 egg with 1 tbsp of water to help seal the edges of the egg roll wrapper.
• Oil- Use a neutral oil like canola or vegetable.

Ingredient Notes For Sweet and Sour Sauce

Just a few simple ingredients and you have the most delicious homemade sauce for these crab and cream cheese egg rolls.

• Pineapple juice- Adds a nice sweetness to the sauce. I personally love Trader Joe’s Pineapple Juice, but free free to use your favorite. You can also use water in place of the pineapple juice.
• Sugar- I use white granulated sugar.
• Vinegar- The sour part of this recipe comes from the vinegar. I use apple cider vinegar but you can also use distilled white vinegar.
• Ketchup- Adds sweetness to the sauce and gives the sauce its traditional red color.
• Cornstarch- Combine cornstarch and water to create a slurry. This helps thicken the sauce.
• Soy sauce- Just a splash adds the perfect amount of salt and helps balance the sugar.
• Seasoning- I use garlic powder.
• Red pepper (optional)- Adds just a small amount of heat to help round out all of the flavors.

Step By Step Instructions – Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls

STEP 1: Make the filing. In medium size bowl, combine softened cream cheese, green onions, sugar, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.

Then, fold in crab meat. Season with salt and pepper.

STEP 2:  Fill the egg rolls. Take egg roll wrappers and wet the edges with egg wash. Then, add 3 tablespoon of filling on the lower third of the wrapper. 

STEP 3: Wrap.  Roll the corner closest to you over the filling, gently tucking it under filling. Gently press down on each side of the filling to flatten the wrapper. Then, fold over the right and left corners of the wrapper towards the center.

Brush the opposite corner of the egg roll wrapper with egg wash. Then, tightly roll up the egg roll until sealed. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.

STEP 4: Fry egg rolls. In a large skillet, heat oil up to 350°. Once heated, add 5 to 6 egg rolls and fry for about 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Remove the eggs rolls from the oil and drain on paper towels. Then place eggs rolls on a wire rack so the bottoms do not get soggy. 

Step By Step Instructions – Egg Roll Dipping Sauce

STEP 1: Combine. In a small saucepan, add pineapple juice, sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and ketchup over medium heat. Stir to combine, then bring to a simmer.

STEP 2: Make slurry. In a small ramekin, stir together cornstarch and water.

STEP 3: Finish sauce. Slowly whisk the corn starch mixture into the sauce. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute until thickened. Stir in red pepper flakes (if desired). Once cool, pour into a serving bowl and garnish with sliced scallions.

Expert Tips

Do not overstuff your egg rolls. Just 3 tbsp will be sufficient. If you overstuff them, you risk the chance of them bursting open. Once this happens, the moisture in the filling will cause the oil to start popping.

Make sure to use a candy/deep fry thermometer to ensure the correct temperature before and during frying. If the oil is too hot, the wrappers will burn before cooking all the way through. If the oil is too cool, the egg rolls will not crisp up and will become oily and soggy. 

Keep your egg roll wrappers moist. Work with one wrapper at a time and keep the remaining sealed or covered under a moist paper towel. This will prevent the wrappers from drying out and cracking when you roll them.

Fry in batches. Do not overcrowd your pan. I suggest 5-6 at a time. Adding too many egg rolls will drop the temperature of the oil and the egg rolls will not cook properly.

Other Cooking Methods

Air fryer- Brush each egg roll lightly with vegetable or canola oil. Air Fry at 370° for 10-12 minutes, flipping the egg rolls halfway through cooking.

Bake- Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Then, place the baking sheet inside the oven for 5 minutes. Heating the sheet pan will ensure that the bottoms of the egg rolls get nice and crispy as they bake. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the egg rolls on top. Coat the egg rolls with a light layer of cooking spray.

FAQ

Special Tools

• Candy thermometer- A candy thermometer is similar to a meat thermometer but can read higher temperatures, usually 400℉ or more. In this case, we use it to measure and maintain the temperature of the oil.
• Cooling rack- Cool the egg rolls on a wire rack. The exterior will stay crispy if you drain them on a rack instead of leaving them on top paper towels.

Storing and Freezing

These crab rangoon egg rolls make great leftovers. Store the cooled egg rolls inside an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

To reheat, place the egg rolls onto a baking sheet and warm them inside a 350° oven for 8-10 minutes. You can also reheat them inside an air fryer for 3-5 minutes.

Freezing

To freeze uncooked egg rolls: Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and flash freeze for 1-2 hours. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Freeze egg rolls for up to 3 months.

More Appetizer Recipes To Try

Try These Asian-Inspired Recipes Too!

• Easy Garlic Chili Oil Noodles
• Ahi Tuna Nachos
• Vegan Rice Paper Rolls
• Bulgogi Fried Rice
• Miso Butter Salmon

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