Chicken and Shrimp Fried Wontons

Surprisingly easy to make, these fried wontons are stuffed with tasty chicken and shrimp and are far better than your average Chinese restaurant wontons. You've never had a fried wonton until you've tried a homemade one!

The World's Most Popular Appetizer

Surprisingly easy to make, homemade fried wontons are far better than your average Chinese restaurant wontons. These fried wontons are perfectly crisp on the outside with perfectly seasoned juicy chicken and shrimp in the inside. Pops of carrots, red onion and herbs add layers of flavor. There is absolutely no reason to wait to make these for a formal party - I often make these crispy, savory bites on weekends for the family at home - its great when binge watching movies or watching the Super Bowl with friends!

Ingredients:

A breakdown of the Fried Wonton filling

The secret behind the delicious texture of the chicken and shrimp filling is that it is slightly frozen, then blended into a paste. The mixture is then thoroughly mixed with a variety of herbs and finely chopped vegetables to add layers of flavor and texture. Soy sauce add a bit of umami, green chili and freshly ground black pepper add heat.

• Boneless dark chicken - I prefer dark chicken because it is more flavorful and juicier than white chicken
• Shrimp - the shrimp adds a delicious umami taste and also a little sponginess to the texture. While fresh raw shrimp is always preferable, I use frozen shrimp from the grocery store as it is much cheaper and also easily accessible.
• Egg - acts as a binder . Use only half an egg as directed for both the filling and the dough . I tried making this with a whole egg and the wontons tasted rather eggy. Adding more egg to the filling makes it too watery.
• Red onion, ginger paste and cilantro - add a little crunch and an herby flavor.
• Finely minced carrot adds a delicious pop of sweetness in the savory mix. The easiest way to mince carrots is to use slice a thick carrot on a mandoline on a medium setting, then slice once then across with a sharp knife. Having finely minced carrots really adds to the flavor of this dish.
• Chili or jalapeno - Indo-chinese recipes use green chilis that are similar to small thai chilis - if you do not have this, you can use finely minced jalapeno or crushed red pepper flakes to add some heat. It's an optional ingredient.
• Soy sauce - I use an all purpose dark soy sauce because it gives just enough depth to flavor the stuffing without adding too much liquid.

Fried Wonton Dough

The wonton dough uses only four ingredients: water, flour, salt and egg. The recipe calls for only half an egg, with the other half being used in the filling. I threw in a whole egg once and found that it markedly changed the flavor of the wontons - they tasted too 'eggy' and also had a puffier and less crispy texture.

How do you make Fried Wontons?

Prepare the chicken and shrimp filling

The best way to do this, is to put the chicken and shrimp directly into the freezer for about 30 minutes so that it freezes a little prior to blending. Blending frozen shrimp and chicken does not work because it creates shrimp and chicken flakes which tastes very different. Another option is to blend frozen shrimp with thawed chicken. In a medium sized bowl, add the shrimp and chicken paste and add the remaining Shrimp and Chicken Stuffing ingredients. Mix well then cover and put into the fridge until ready to use.

Make the wonton dough

In a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, and egg. Mix while adding a little water at a time until the dough forms into a ball. Knead for about 8-10 minutes until dough is silky and smooth. If you have a stand mixer, knead the dough at a medium setting for about 8 minutes. Cover the dough in an airtight container and let proof for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into about 3 parts. Roll out each ball until it is about 1 mm thick. If using a KitchenAid pasta roller, this setting is level 6. Cut the dough into 3x3 inch squares. Excess dough can be kneaded and made into more squares or cut into slivers and fried. My daughter loves eating the slivers dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar.

Assemble the wontons

Take the shrimp and chicken paste out of the fridge. Imagining a diagonal going across the square, place ½ teaspoon of filling on one side of the center of the diagonal. Fold the dough over from the corner opposite to the diagonal and press down right next to the two sides of place with the paste to seal it in. Fold the dough over one more time and turn it over. Holding the two rolled end, press the tips together forming the wonton shape. Repeat for the remaining squares.

Fry the wontons

In a small pot, Add about 3-4 inches of oil. Heat the oil at high heat for about 10 minutes or until the temperature reaches at least 350°F. The proper frying temperature is critical to ensure that the fried wontons are light and crispy and not greasy. Add 4-5 wontons. Fry the wontons until golden brown – about 3-4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining wontons.

How do you fold a wonton?

Here are the steps to folding wontons:

Step 1: Place the wonton wrapper in front on you in a diamond shape. Place half a teaspoon of filling middle of one side of the wrapper.

Step 2. Fold over the point of the wrapper towards you to the middle of the wrapper and press down.

Step 3: Carefully, roll over and press down on the sides.

Step 4: Slowly, flip over so the flap faces you.

Step 5. Press the two end together into a point.

What to serve with Chicken and Shrimp Fried Wontons?

I love eating these Fried Wontons with Nuoc Cham - Vietnam's famous sweet, sour, spicy yet refreshingly light dipping sauce. Its also wonderful appetizer by itself or as a side to soup. As a main course, consider our Ultimate Chicken Fried Rice with Chicken Manchurian. Our Mini Blueberry Pies take only 30 minutes so make and paired with ice cream are a wonderful way to end this delicious meal!

Frequently Asked Questions

Finally, if you make this recipe

I'd love to hear how it went - please leave a comment and rate this recipe. Above all, I love hearing from all of you and will do my best to answer each and every comment!

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