Crispy homemade fried Wontons stuffed with ground pork, green onions, garlic, and seasonings. A quick, simple recipe with easy-to-find ingredients.
Wontons are the sister dumplings to traditional Chinese round dumplings. The difference is in the shape, colour, and thickness of the wrapper.
Wonton wrappers (aka. Wonton skins) are square in shape, yellow or white in colour and made thin. The wrapper consists of flour, egg, water, and salt.
Dumpling wrappers (aka. Dumpling skins) are round in shape, white in colour and made thick. The wrapper consists of wheat flour, such as all-purpose flour, and water.
Usually, Wontons are stuffed with ground pork and enjoyed boiled, steamed, or fried. You can order Wontons as soup or as deep fried appetizers at many restaurants. Fillings can vary from savoury such as pork, beef, seafood, chicken, or vegetarian to sweet such as banana, chocolate, fruit with cream cheese, cinnamon sugar with cream cheese, and more.
If you are in the mood for soup, you can find my recipe for Wonton Noodle Soup here. Craving dumplings? You can find my recipe for Pork Dumplings here.
*Good To Know*
- Can I substitute ground pork for another ground meat filling?
You can substitute with ground chicken or turkey to achieve a similar flavour and texture to the pork. - What is the difference between Wontons & Dumplings?
The difference is in the shape, colour, and thickness of the wrapper.
Wonton wrappers (aka. Wonton skins) are square in shape, yellow or white in colour and made thin. The wrapper consists of flour, egg, water, and salt. Dumpling wrappers (aka. Dumpling skins) are round in shape, white in colour and made thick. The wrapper consists of wheat flour, such as all-purpose flour, and water. - Can I air fry Wontons instead?
Absolutely! It is definitely a healthier alternative to deep frying. Place wontons into your air fryer spaced apart by 1 inch. Lightly spray oil or brush cooking oil on the Wonton dumplings and air fry at 350°F (177°C) for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Ingredients you need to make Wontons
For the Wontons
- lean or medium ground pork
- green onions (or chives)
- garlic
- white sugar
- sesame oil
- oyster sauce
- salt
- ground black pepper
- wonton wrappers
- oil for frying (vegetable or canola)
- sweet chili sauce for dipping
How to make the filling
There are a variety of fillings you can make for Wontons. You can add mushrooms, carrots, nappa cabbage, ginger, and so many more to suit your taste. For this version, we are going to keep it simple; however, feel free to add the previously mentioned vegetables if you wish. Add more seasoning to compensate for the addition of vegetables.
Mix together ground pork, green onions, garlic, and seasonings in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate filling until you are ready to wrap.
Tip
- Since you do not want to taste raw meat after you season it, a little trick I do, is to scoop a teaspoon or Tablespoon of the seasoned meat into a microwave friendly bowl. Cook it in the microwave for 30 seconds up to a minute until the meat is cooked. Then taste it and decide what it is missing. Salt? Sugar? Garlic? You get the point.
How to fill and wrap Wonton dumplings
Remove Wonton wrappers from package and place on counter or clean cutting board next to filling. While making wonton dumplings, keep a clean hand towel covered over the wontons to prevent them from drying.
For me, using a butter knife is easiest to scoop and transfer the meat filling to the wrapper; however, you can choose any tool you’re comfortable with (ie. a teaspoon). With a few tries, you will get the hang of scooping the same amount of meat for your dumplings. Keep the filling to approximately the same size for even cooking.
- place a wrapper into the palm of your hand, with the corner facing your index finger
- ‘scrape’ the meat together to form into an approx. 1 inch meatball and place meatball in the center of the wrapper.
*Optional* Lightly brush a little water or egg wash on the edges of the wrapper before folding for an extra seal (I skip this step since the filling keeps my wrapper sealed well enough). - fold the bottom corner up into a triangle
- remove excess air (if present) and press together firmly
- place your left and right thumb on each side of the meatball filling
- make sure your fingers on the back of the dumpling are also placed on each side of the filling
- with your thumbs and fingers holding the wrapper in place, pinch the wrapper together in an inward motion to create a pleated dumpling (careful not pinch too hard as that may cause wrapper to tear)
- press the center seal once more to make sure it is closed
- the resulting dumpling will look plump with pleated sides, kind of like a money bag
- place on a tray lined with parchment paper and cover with a hand towel. Repeat steps 1 to 9 until all of the wrappers are filled. If you have filling left over, you can freeze it for later use or make meat balls to add to soup.
Tips
- While you work, cover the wrappers you are not using with a clean hand towel to prevent them from drying out quickly
- Use plain water or a beaten egg mixed with a teaspoon water and lightly brush the edges of your wrapper to help seal your folds. Do not over-wet the edges since that will make them soggy and harder for you to seal your Wontons
- For easy access while frying and to prevent Wontons from sticking to each other, place wrapped Wontons on a tray lined with parchment paper in a single layer. Cover wrapped Wonton dumplings with a clean hand towel
- Whether deep or air frying, never over crowd your pan to ensure ultimate crispiness
How to deep fry Wontons
When you are ready to deep fry, pour enough cooking oil such as Vegetable or Canola into a large sauce pan to fill half way up the pan. You want enough oil in order to be able to submerge the dumplings. Heat oil on medium high heat. If you have a food thermometer, heat oil until it reads 350°C (177°C). Alternatively, use a wooden chopstick or the long handle part of a wooden spoon to dip into the oil. If the oil bubbles then your oil is ready. Carefully drop about 8 or 10 Wontons into the oil making sure not to over crowd your pan. At first, the dumplings will sink to the bottom and as they cook they will start to rise to the top. Flip dumplings occasionally. Wontons are done when you no longer hear a lot of ‘sizzling’ noise and the dumplings are golden brown. Place cooked Wontons on a wire rack with a tray underneath to catch the oil. Allowing Wontons to cool this way ensures ultimate crispiness thanks to an all-around air flow.
Serve with dipping sauce
One of my favourite ways to serve fried Wontons is with Thai sweet chili sauce. Alternatively, you can mix 1/2 cup mayo, 1 Tablespoon Sriracha, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon honey for a tangy dipping sauce.
Easy Crispy Fried Wontons
Ingredients
For the wontons
- 2½ pounds lean ground pork
- 1 Tablespoon kosher or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2½ Tablespoons white sugar
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1½ Tablespoons garlic (3 cloves), pressed or minced
- 1 cup green onions, trimmed & finely chopped
- 2 packages wonton wrappers
For frying
- 6 cups canola or vegetable oil
For the dipping sauce
- ¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the filling and wrap Wontons
- In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until well combined.
- Place a Wonton wrapper into the palm of your hand, with the corner facing your index finger. ‘Scrape’ the meat filling with a butter knife to form into an approx. 1 inch meatball and place meatball in the center of the wrapper.
- *Optional* Lightly brush a little water or egg wash on the edges of the wrapper before folding for an extra seal (I skip this step since the filling keeps my wrapper sealed well enough).
- Fold the bottom corner up into a triangle and remove excess air (if present). Press together firmly.
- Place your left and right thumb on each side of the meatball filling. Make sure your fingers on the back of the dumpling are also placed on each side of the filling. With your thumbs and fingers holding the wrapper in place, pinch the wrapper together in an inward motion to create a pleated dumpling (careful not pinch too hard as that may cause wrapper to tear).
- Press the center seal once more to make sure it is closed tightly. The resulting dumpling will look plump with pleated sides (kind of like a money bag).
- Place on a tray lined with parchment paper and cover with a hand towel. Repeat steps 1 to 7 until all of the wrappers are filled. If you have filling left over, you can freeze it for later use or make meat balls to add to soup.
To fry Wontons
- Heat oil in a large sauce pan (deep enough for wontons to submerge) until it reaches 350°F (177°C) or until oil is bubbling when a wooden chopstick is dipped into the oil.
- Carefully drop about 8 or 10 Wontons into the oil. Do not over crowd pan. Wontons will sink to the bottom at first, then float to the surface and are done frying when golden brown (and you hear less sizzling). Cool Wontons on a wire rack with a tray underneath to catch oil.
- Serve Wontons with Thai sweet chili sauce
