Fried Wonton Food

FRIED WONTONS

Steps:

• Start by making the filling. Simply combine the ground pork, chopped scallions, sesame oil, soy sauce, wine (or sherry), sugar, oil, water, and white pepper in a bowl. Whip everything together by hand for 5 minutes or in a food processor for 1 minute. You want the pork to look a bit like a paste.
• To make the wontons, take a wrapper, and add about a teaspoon of filling. Overstuffed wontons will pop open during the cooking process and make a mess. Use your finger to coat the edges with a little water (this helps the two sides seal together).
• For shape #1:
• Fold the wrapper in half into a rectangle, and press the two sides together so you get a firm seal. Hold the bottom two corners of the little rectangle you just made, and bring the two corners together, pressing firmly to seal. (Use a little water to make sure it sticks.)
• Shape #2:
• Fold the wonton in half so you have a triangle shape. Bring together the two outer corners, and press to seal (you can use a little water to make sure it sticks).
• Keep assembling until all the filling is gone (this recipe should make between 40 and 50 wontons). Place the wontons on a baking sheet or plate lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
• At this point, you can cover the wontons with plastic wrap, put the baking sheet/plate into the freezer, and transfer them to Ziploc bags once they're frozen. They'll keep for a couple months in the freezer and be ready for the fryer whenever you're ready.
• To conserve oil, use a small pot to fry the wontons. Fill it with 2 to 3 inches of oil, making sure the pot is deep enough so the oil does not overflow when adding the wontons. Heat the oil to 350 degrees, and fry in small batches, turning the wontons occasionally until they are golden brown.
• If you have a small spider strainer or slotted spoon, you can use it to keep the wontons submerged when frying. This method will give you the most uniform golden brown look without the fuss of turning them. Remove the fried wontons to a sheet pan lined with paper towels or a metal cooling rack to drain.
• To make one or all of the sauces, simply mix the respective ingredients in a small bowl, and you're ready to eat!

FRIED WONTONS RECIPE

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix the ground pork, shrimp, soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper together. Stir to combine well to form a sticky filling.
• To wrap the wontons, lay a piece of the wonton wrapper on your palm and add 1/2 tablespoon of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. (Use 1 teaspoon filling if you are a beginner.) Dip your index finger into the sealing water and trace it on the outer edges of the wonton wrapper.
• You can wrap the wontons three ways. To make a triangle, just fold it up to form a triangle. Pinch the edges to seal tight. To make them into the pretty shape (far left in the above picture), just pull the two corners of the triangle down so one overlaps the other, pinch and seal with water. To make them into Hong Kong style wonton (far right in the above picture), please watch my video at the top of this post.
• Heat up some oil for deep-frying. Once the oil is fully heated, deep fry the wontons until golden brown. Drain the excess oil with paper towels. Serve hot with Chinese sweet and sour sauce or Thai sweet chili sauce.

EASY FRIED WONTONS (WITH SHRIMP OR TOFU)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Drain tofu and slice into very small cubes to equal 1 cup.
• Place in a bowl and add the green onion, hoisin, and sugar. Gently stir to combine.​
• Thaw and drain if using frozen shrimp.
• Place in a bowl and add the green onion, hoisin, and sugar, stirring to combine.
• Using a cutting board or another clean surface, lay out 6 wonton wrappers at a time. You will also need 1/2 cup water and a pastry brush if you have one (otherwise you can use your fingers). Wet the outside borders of each wrapper.
• Place a little filling (about 3/4 teaspoons) in the center of each wrapper.
• Fold wrapper in half to create a triangle with the filling inside its base. Press sides together.
• You can fry them up like this or continue folding by bringing the two outside corners of the triangle together, overlapping them a little and securing with a little water. They should be able to stand up, like artfully folded serviettes.
• Place oil in a small to medium frying pan (oil should be at least 3/4- to 1-inch deep). Turn heat to high and don't leave the stove. Wait until you see squiggly lines forming on the bottom of the pan.
• Shortly after this, test the readiness of the oil by dipping the corner of a wrapper into the oil. If it begins to fry, oil is hot enough; if not, wait a minute longer.
• Place wontons in the hot oil and fry, turning until all sides are light golden brown.
• Remove from heat and set on a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to drain. Continue until all the wontons are fried.
• Serve with your choice of homemade Thai sweet chili sauce , store-bought Thai chili sauce, or sweet and sour sauce .
• Enjoy!

CREAM CHEESE WONTONS

Steps:

• For the dipping sauce: Mix together the honey, soy sauce, Sriracha, vinegar and sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside.
• For the wontons: In the bowl of a mixer (or you can do it by hand), mix together the cream cheese, Sriracha and green onions until totally combined (scrape the mixer bowl if necessary). In a separate bowl, mix together the egg and 1/2 cup water.
• One at a time, assemble the wontons: Place approximately 1/2 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture on one corner of a wonton wrapper. Use your finger to "paint" the egg wash all around the edges of the wrapper. Roll the wrapper on a diagonal, starting with the cream cheese corner and stopping when half the wrapper is rolled and the cream cheese mixture is inside. Bring up the 2 ends and use the egg wash to stick them together. Allow the remaining pointed end to naturally tuck backward. (The wontons should resemble tortellini.) As you work, place the assembled wontons under plastic wrap or a light towel to keep them from drying out.
• Heat 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil in a large saucepan or medium skillet until a deep-fry thermometer inserted in the oil registers just under 350 degrees F. (You don't want the oil too hot or it will burn the wontons! Experiment with a spare sheet of wonton wrappers to check.)
• In batches of 4 or 5 at a time, fry the wontons for 45 seconds to 1 minute, flipping carefully midway through to make sure they brown evenly. Remove them when you think they still could stand to slightly brown a teeny bit more (because they will slightly brown in the seconds after you remove them from the pan!). Drain the wontons on a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining batches.
• It's best to wait 5 to 10 minutes before serving the wontons, as the cream cheese filling can be quite hot. Serve with the dipping sauce.

FRIED WONTONS

Steps:

• To make the filling, in a bowl, combine the pork, shrimp, scallion, garlic, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and pepper and use chopsticks or a fork to mix well.
• To fill the wontons, work in batches of 6 to 8 wonton skins. Place them on a work surface, such as large cutting board, inverted baking sheet, or tray. Using 2 teaspoons or demitasse spoons, place a scant teaspoon of filling (about the size of a 1/2-inch marble) in the center of a wonton skin. Dip a pastry brush in water and lightly brush the entire edge of the skin. Pick up a corner of the wonton skin and fold it over, enclosing the filling and forming a triangle. Press the edges of the triangle firmly with your finger to seal. Make sure that there are no air bubbles, or the wontons will bob around in the hot oil, and that the edges are well sealed, or the wontons will split open when they hit the hot oil. Place the finished wonton on a large plate or tray. Repeat until all the filling is used up.
• Put a wire rack on a baking sheet and place the sheet next to the stove. Pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into a wok or 5-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat to 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer. (If you don't have a thermometer, stand a dry bamboo chopstick in the oil; if small bubbles immediately gather on the surface around the chopstick, the oil is ready.)
• Working in batches of 4 to 6, slide the wontons into the hot oil and fry, turning once, for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Using a skimmer, transfer to the rack to drain.
• Arrange the wontons on a platter. Serve hot as finger food along with the sauce for dipping.

CITRUS AND GREENS SALAD WITH WONTON CROUTONS

Steps:

• Grate a teaspoon of zest from the orange and set aside in a small bowl.
• To make the citrus supremes: Using a paring knife, cut off 1/2-inch from both ends of the orange and grapefruit and stand them upright so they sit flat on the cutting board. Make downward cuts, following the contour of the fruit, to remove the entire pith and peel. Hold the orange in your hand over the bowl with the zest (to catch the juice) and carefully slice between the membranes to remove the segments. Squeeze the orange remnants to release the remaining juice. Place the orange supremes in a separate bowl and set aside. Repeat with the grapefruit, adding the juices to the zest bowl for a total of about 3 tablespoons juice. Set aside the orange and grapefruit supremes.
• To make the salad dressing: Into the bowl with the reserved citrus juice and zest, add the mustard, vinegar, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds black pepper. Whisk in the olive oil.
• Place the kale in a large serving bowl. Add the onions and drizzle with the dressing. Toss to coat. Season with salt if needed. Top with the citrus supremes, sesame seeds and Wontons. Drizzle with more dressing, as needed. Serve immediately.
• Heat about 2 inches neutral oil in a large saucepan to 365 degrees F and fill a small bowl with water. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet and set aside.
• Combine the goat cheese, chives, honey, a pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper in a small bowl. Mash with a spoon to combine.
• To form the wontons: Lay out the wonton wrappers and add 1 teaspoon filling to the center of each. To seal, dip your finger in the water and wet the perimeter of the wrapper. With your thumb and forefinger, fold 2 opposite corners of the wrapper in half and then bring them together to meet in the middle. Pinch to seal. Repeat with the remaining 2 opposite corners to create a four-cornered star.
• Add half of the wontons to the oil and fry, turning occasionally, until crisp and deep golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on the wire rack. Season with salt. Repeat with the second batch of wontons.

CRISPY WONTONS

Steps:

• Combine pork, water chestnuts, green onions, soy sauce, cornstarch, salt and ginger in medium bowl; mix well. Place 1/2 teaspoonful pork mixture in center of each wonton skin. Fold wonton skin over filling to form a triangle. Turn top of triangle down to meet fold. Turn over; moisten 1 corner with water. Overlap opposite corner over moistened corner; press together firmly.
• Heat oil in wok or large saucepan over medium-high heat to 375 degrees F. Deep-fry wontons, a few at a time, 2 to 3 minutes, or until brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with ketchup and mustard or sweet & sour sauce, as desired.

AIR FRYER BEEF WONTONS

Steps:

• Combine ground beef, green onions, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and ginger in a bowl; mix well.
• Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place several of the wonton wrappers on a plate or a cutting board without overlapping. Pour some water into a small bowl next to the plate.
• Form about 1 tablespoon of beef mixture into a ball and place on one side of each wrapper. Dip your fingertips in the bowl of water and swipe some water around the edges of the wonton wrappers. Fold the wontons in half so that they form a triangle around the beef mixture. Wet your fingers with additional water and pinch the edges of the wrapper together. Place folded wontons onto plates, making sure they don't overlap, while you assemble the remaining wontons.
• Brush one side of the wontons lightly with sesame oil. Place a single layer of wontons into the air fryer basket, oiled side down. Brush the tops lightly with additional sesame oil.
• Air fry for 4 minutes, then carefully flip the wontons with tongs. Cook on the second side until the wontons are crispy and the edges are golden brown, 3 to 4 more minutes. Transfer wontons to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool while you cook the rest of the wontons in batches.

FRIED WONTON STRIPS

Steps:

• Cut wonton wrappers into strips about 1/2-inch by 3 inches long. NOTE: egg roll wrappers can be used, but cut them in half first before cutting the strips.
• NOTE: canola oil, vegetable oil, or corn oil can be used if desired. Peanut oil is recommended due to the high flash point (since you will probably dribble some oil as you scoop out the fried wontons).
• Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep pan on medium-high to 360 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, try dropping a single strip in to see if it crisps up quickly. If it does, then it's hot enough.
• NOTE: the strips cook very quickly. If the oil is hot enough, they will be done in as soon as 15 seconds, so don't walk away!
• Fry the strips in batches, spreading them out so they don't stick. Flip them over with a slotted spoon if both sides aren't browning evenly. Remove when they turn golden brown.
• Drain on paper towel-lined plate.
• Sprinkle with salt if desired. This is absolutely NOT a traditional way to prepare the wonton strips, but it's tasty.