Lisa texted me Friday night in March 2018: "Bringing something to your Super Bowl party you'll freak out." She walked in the next day with a platter of these rangoon crab bombs. They were gone before halftime ended. I followed her into the kitchen begging for the recipe. She just smiled and said "nope, this is mine."
Why You'll Love This Recipe
From making these for about 50 people over six years, I can tell you what works. You actually taste crab instead of just cream cheese. The wrappers get crispy without being greasy if your oil's hot enough. Takes maybe 30 minutes start to finish when you're not distracted.
Max eats them without complaining, which counts for something since he picks apart most food. My friend Sarah doubles the batch every month for her book club meetings. They reheat okay in the oven the next day - microwave makes them soggy though. Even the ugly ones that didn't fold right still taste fine.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients for Rangoon Crab Bombs
- How To Make Rangoon Crab Bombs Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Rangoon Crab Bombs
- Tasty Twists on Rangoon Crab Bombs
- Equipement for Rangoon Crab Bombs
- Storing Your Rangoon Crab Bombs
- Why This Recipe Works
- Top Tip
- The Secret Ingredient My Aunt Swears By
- FAQ
- Time to Make These!
- Related
- Pairing
- Rangoon Crab Bombs
Ingredients for Rangoon Crab Bombs
The Filling:
- Lump crab meat
- Cream cheese
- Green onions
- Garlic cloves
- Soy sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- Black pepper
The Wrappers:
- Wonton wrappers
- Small bowl of water
For Frying:
- Vegetable oil
- Paper towels
Dipping Sauce:
- Sweet chili sauce
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
Tools:
- Deep pot or wok
- Candy thermometer
- Slotted spoon
- Baking sheet
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Rangoon Crab Bombs Step By Step
Prep the Filling:
- Drain crab meat and squeeze out extra water
- Mix cream cheese until smooth
- Add chopped green onions and minced garlic
- Stir in soy sauce and Worcestershire
- Season with black pepper
- Taste it - should be slightly salty
Wrap Them:
- Put one wonton wrapper on your counter
- Drop about 1 teaspoon filling in the center
- Dip your finger in water, run it along all edges
- Fold corner to corner making a triangle
- Press edges hard to seal
- Make sure there's no air pockets
Fry Them:
- Heat oil to 350°F
- Drop in 4-5 bombs at a time
- Fry about 2-3 minutes until golden
- Flip once halfway through
- Pull them out with slotted spoon
- Drain on paper towels
Make Quick Sauce:
- Mix sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar
- Adjust to your taste
Smart Swaps for Rangoon Crab Bombs
Crab Options:
- Lump crab → Canned crab (drain it really well)
- Real crab → Imitation crab (cheaper, less flavor)
- Fresh → Frozen (thaw completely first)
Cream Cheese:
- Regular → Light cream cheese
- Dairy → Vegan cream cheese (different texture)
- Block → Whipped (measures differently)
Wrappers:
- Wonton → Egg roll wrappers (cut into quarters)
- Fresh → Frozen (thaw first, pat dry)
Cooking Method:
- Deep fry → Air fryer at 375°F for 8 minutes
- Oil fry → Bake at 400°F for 12 minutes (spray with oil)
For Gluten-Free:
- Regular wrappers → Rice paper (works but tears easier)
Tasty Twists on Rangoon Crab Bombs
Spicy Kick:
- Add sriracha to the filling
- Mix in diced jalapeños
- Use spicy mayo for dipping
- Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top
Bacon Crab:
- Mix in crumbled cooked bacon
- Add smoked paprika
- Use bacon fat in the filling
- Top with bacon bits after frying
Asian Fusion:
- Add fresh ginger to filling
- Mix in chopped water chestnuts
- Use ponzu sauce for dipping
- Garnish with sesame seeds
Cheesy Version:
- Add shredded cheddar to filling
- Mix in pepper jack for heat
- Sprinkle parmesan on top
- Serve with cheese sauce
Equipement for Rangoon Crab Bombs
- Deep pot or wok (at least 3 inches deep)
- Candy thermometer (guessing oil temp doesn't work)
- Slotted spoon or spider strainer
- Paper towels
- Small bowl for water
Storing Your Rangoon Crab Bombs
Before Frying (Best Option):
- Wrap each bomb individually
- Freeze on a baking sheet first
- Transfer to freezer bag once solid
- Fry straight from frozen (add 1 minute)
- Keeps 2 months
After Frying:
- Cool completely first
- Store in airtight container
- Fridge for 2-3 days max
- Don't stack them or they stick together
Reheating:
- Oven at 375°F for 8-10 minutes
- Air fryer at 350°F for 5 minutes
- Never microwave (they get mushy)
Why This Recipe Works
From making these hundreds of times, here's what's happening. The ratio matters more than anything - too much cream cheese and you lose the crab flavor, too much crab and the filling falls apart. About 60-40 crab to cream cheese holds together without being gummy. The soy sauce does double duty - seasons the filling and helps brown the wrapper when it fries. That's why Max's extra soy sauce accident worked so well. The wrappers seal better with just water on the edges instead of egg wash, which I learned after wasting about thirty wrappers that wouldn't stick.
Temperature control is the thing most people mess up. At 350°F, the wrapper crisps in about two minutes while the filling heats through. Go lower and they soak up oil like a sponge. Go higher and you get burnt wrappers with cold filling. The candy thermometer isn't optional - guessing doesn't work. Room temperature cream cheese matters too because cold cream cheese won't mix evenly with the crab. You end up with chunks of plain cream cheese in some bites and all crab in others. Thirty minutes on the counter fixes that problem completely.
Top Tip
- Max helped me make these for his teacher's birthday back in 2020. He was in charge of mixing the filling while I handled the wrappers. I turned around to grab more cream cheese, and when I looked back, he'd dumped what looked like half the bottle of soy sauce into the bowl.
- I almost started over - we're talking about a pound of crab meat here, not cheap. But Max insisted we just taste it first. So I did. Salty as hell, but somehow it worked. The extra soy sauce gave the filling this deeper, almost caramelized flavor after frying that my regular version never had.
- Now I use about three times more soy sauce than the original recipe Lisa gave me. People always ask what's different about my rangoon crab bombs compared to other versions. I tell them it was a second-grader's mistake that turned out way better than what I'd been doing for two years. Sometimes kids know something you don't.
The Secret Ingredient My Aunt Swears By
My aunt discovered something weird about rangoon crab bombs back in 2015. She was making them for a church potluck and ran out of Worcestershire sauce halfway through mixing the filling. Panicked, she grabbed the only other bottle in her cabinet - fish sauce. Added maybe half a teaspoon, tasted it, and nearly threw the whole batch out because it smelled strong.
But she was already late, so she fried them anyway and hoped nobody would notice. Three people asked for the recipe before she even sat down. Turns out that tiny bit of fish sauce adds this deep, salty, almost meaty flavor that regular Worcestershire can't touch. It doesn't taste fishy at all once it's cooked - just makes everything taste more like itself. The crab tastes crabier, if that makes sense. Now I add about half a teaspoon of fish sauce to every batch of rangoon crab bombs. Nobody can figure out what's different, they just know these taste better than the ones they get at restaurants.
FAQ
What is crab rangoon made of?
Traditional crab Rangoon Crab Bombs is cream cheese, crab meat, and seasonings wrapped in wonton wrappers then fried. This rangoon crab bombs recipe uses more crab than most versions - about 60% crab to 40% cream cheese instead of the usual flip. Green onions, garlic, soy sauce, and Worcestershire round out the filling.
What does crab rangoon taste like?
Crab rangoon tastes creamy and slightly sweet with a crispy shell. Most restaurant versions taste more like fried cream cheese since they skimp on crab. This version has stronger seafood flavor with garlic and soy sauce coming through. The crispy wrapper contrasts with the soft, warm filling inside.
Are rangoons Chinese or Japanese?
Neither really. Rangoon Crab Bombs was invented in America in the 1950s, probably in San Francisco. Despite the Asian-sounding name and Chinese restaurant menus, you won't find this in China or Japan. It's American Chinese food - created here for American tastes, like fortune cookies or General Tso's chicken.
Are crab balls healthy?
Not particularly. These rangoon crab bombs are fried in oil and contain cream cheese, so they're pretty high in fat and calories. The crab does provide some protein and minerals. They're fine as an occasional treat, but not something to eat daily. Baking instead of frying cuts some calories if that matters to you.
Time to Make These!
Now you've got everything for rangoon crab bombs from Lisa's napkin recipe to Max's soy sauce discovery. These work when you want something that looks impressive but doesn't take all day.
Want more crowd-pleasers? Try our The Best Sloppy Joe Recipe for a messy, delicious dinner everyone loves. Our Healthy Chicken Marsala Recipe brings restaurant flavor home without the guilt. Or start your morning right with our Delicious Belgian Waffle Recipe that beats any diner version.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Rangoon Crab Bombs
Rangoon Crab Bombs
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Mix crab with cream cheese
- Fill and seal each wrapper
- Heat oil to 350 degrees
- Fry bombs until golden brown
- Stir all sauce ingredients
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