If you like crab rangoon, you will LOVE this dip. It’s creamy, cheesy and full of crab!!
Cooking for a Crowd
If you need a dish to please a crowd while still keeping your sanity, this one’s for you!
What’s great about this dish is that it can be prepared ahead of time without any trade-offs of flavor or texture. To start, make this dish according to the directions. Then, wrap in plastic wrap or cover with a lid to seal it off from air. Store the dip in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and it can be baked immediately following removal from the fridge.
Wonton Wrappers
Crab rangoon traditionally uses wonton wrappers, so this is just a deconstructed dip version of that. Wonton wrappers can be found at an Asian grocery store and are usually in the refrigerated or frozen section.
If you can’t find wonton wrappers or if you want more options, I highly recommend serving this with warm, crusty bread! The creamy, melty dip strikes a perfect balance with a good French baguette.
Substitutions
Crab:
I used lump crabmeat but you can certainly use imitation crabmeat instead. I also think shrimp, crawfish or lobster would be great substitutes! Alternatively, if you’re allergic to crab you can opt-out for spinach. But, of course.. then it wouldn’t really be a crab rangoon dip 🙂
Cheese:
I found a mix of mozzarella and freshly shredded cheddar cheese works great for this recipe. The mozzarella is for that soft, melty cheese texture and the cheddar for that sharp flavor profile. Feel free to experiment, though! Gouda or gruyere are great substitutes, but make sure not to use too much since these are such strongly flavored cheeses.
What is Japanese mayo?
Japanese mayo differs from American mayo in a few ways. Unlike American mayo, Japanese mayo is made with only egg yolks which give it a richer flavor. It is also more tangy, sweeter and creamier than American mayo. I highly recommend it as a staple kitchen ingredient because I use it so often when cooking Asian food. Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise is the most popular brand, but there are some lesser known brands that you might find at your Asian market.
“Cheat” recipe for Japanese mayo:
If you don’t have Japanese mayo, use American mayo and simply add sugar and a bit of rice vinegar. It is not a 100% substitute, but it’s pretty close! Just add a small amount at a time and taste test as you go.
Watch my video tutorial below!
Crab Rangoon Dip
Ingredients
- 1 block (8oz) cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (57g) Japanese mayo *see notes
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Japanese rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup (40g) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup (40g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- small handful of extra cheese for topping
- 1 cup (150g) lump crabmeat
- wonton wrappers, or crusty bread
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Add the cream cheese, mayo, sugar and rice vinegar to a mixing bowl. Mix well until you get a soft and creamy texture with few lumps.
- Add in the cheese and mix again, then add the crab meat and fold this in gently so you don’t break apart the crab too much.
- Transfer to a baking dish and flatten the top. Sprinkle with a small handful of cheese and bake at 350°F/180°C for about 25 to 30 minutes until the top bubbles and is slightly browned.
- In the meantime, prepare the wonton chips by cutting the wonton skins into triangles. Cut the square wontons at each point, then again so you get 4 triangles out of each wonton wrapper.
- Deep fry at about 375°F/190°C until the wontons turn a light golden brown. Make sure to fry only a few at a time since these cook quickly and shake the oil out of each chip with a tong. Place the chips on paper towels to soak up excess oil.
Garnish with scallions & enjoy!
Notes
I recommend using Japanese mayo for the taste, but you can use American mayo if you don’t have it. Add a bit of extra sugar and rice vinegar to make up for the taste. It’s not the same, but pretty close!
