Chicken Dim Sum Recipe: Crispy Deep-Fried Chicken Wontons
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This chicken dim sum recipe is for fried chicken wontons that are crispy and delicious. They’re best when they’re piping hot and the wrappers are really crisp. The filling is chicken, water chestnuts and green onions with soy sauce and black pepper, and the water chestnuts give the filling a little crunch.
I typically have sweet and sour sauce with fried wontons, although my wonton dipping sauce and fresh plum sauce are tasty alternatives. The simple triangle shape also gives you a good ratio of crisp wrapper to chicken filling.
Chicken Dim Sum Recipe at a Glance
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Main ingredients: Chicken breast, wonton wrappers, water chestnuts and green onions
- Best cooking method: Deep-fry at 350°F (180°C)
- Storage: Refrigerate cooked wontons within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days
What Kind of Dim Sum is This?
These are fried chicken wontons, one of the many small dishes that can be served as part of dim sum. Square wonton wrappers are filled with chicken, folded into triangles and fried. They’re different from steamed dumplings or wontons served in broth because the wrappers crisp up in the hot oil.
What Makes These Chicken Wontons Different
- Water chestnuts: They add a little crunch to the chicken filling.
- Triangle fold: It’s straightforward and doesn’t require an elaborate wonton shape.
- Deep-fried wrapper: Frying gives you crisp edges and a completely different result from wontons cooked in broth.
Fried Chicken Dim Sum Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken breast: Chop or mince it very finely so you can fit enough inside each wrapper without overfilling it.
- Water chestnuts: Dice them finely so they’re evenly distributed through the chicken.
- Green onions: Also known as scallions, these add onion flavor without large pieces in the filling.
- Wonton wrappers: Use square wonton wrappers and keep the unused ones covered while you work because they dry out quickly.
- Soy sauce: A small amount seasons the chicken without making the filling too wet.
- Cornstarch: This helps the chicken mixture hold together.
- Egg: Lightly beaten egg helps seal the edges of the wrappers.
How to Fold Chicken Wontons
Put a wonton wrapper in front of you like a diamond and some chicken filling in the center. Brush the edges lightly with beaten egg, then fold the bottom corner up to meet the top corner. Press around the filling to remove trapped air and pinch the edges firmly together. You should end up with a sealed triangle.
Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers. Keep the unused wrappers and finished wontons covered with a moist kitchen towel until you’re ready to fry them.
Tips for Crisp Fried Wontons
- Don’t overfill them: Too much chicken makes the edges difficult to seal and increases the chance of a wonton opening in the oil.
- Keep the wrappers covered: Wonton wrappers dry quickly when exposed to air and dry edges are more likely to crack.
- Seal the edges firmly: Press out trapped air before pinching the wrapper closed.
- Watch the oil temperature: Keep it close to 350°F (180°C) and let it recover between batches.
- Fry in small batches: Cook 8 to 10 at a time rather than crowding the pan.
- Check the chicken: The filling should reach 165°F (74°C) in the center.
What to Serve with Chicken Wontons
Sweet and sour sauce is my first choice with fried chicken wontons. My wonton dipping sauce works well if you want something soy-based, while fresh plum sauce gives you a fruitier dip. You could also put them out with spring rolls, steamed dumplings or a simple cucumber salad if you’re serving several small dishes.
Substitutions and Variations
- Ground chicken: You can use ground chicken instead of finely chopping chicken breast. Keep the amount the same.
- Ground turkey: I’ve made them with ground turkey before and it works well in place of the chicken, as the texture and flavor are very similar. Make sure you cook the filling to 165°F (74°C) whichever you’re using.
- Air fryer dim sum: Lightly brush or spray the wontons with oil and arrange them in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Air fry at 375°F (190°C) flipping halfway through. Start checking them at about 7 minutes and continue until crisp and the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C). Air fryer cooking times vary.
- Instant Pot dim sum: If you have an Instant Pot Duo Crisp or another Instant Pot with an Air Fry function, use the air fryer method rather than pressure cooking them. The pressure cooking setting won’t give you crisp fried wonton wrappers.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free wonton wrappers and replace the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari. Check the cornstarch label too if cross-contamination is a concern.
- Dairy-free: The chicken filling’s already dairy-free. Check the wonton wrapper package if you need to avoid dairy completely.
- Spicier wontons: Add a little finely chopped fresh chili to the chicken filling or serve the wontons with chili sauce. I put a little sambal in my last batch of this chicken dim sum recipe.
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate cooked chicken wontons within 2 hours and keep them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat them in the oven or air fryer if you want the wrappers crisp again. Heat the chicken to 165°F (74°C).
- Freezing: Cooked wontons can be frozen, although the wrappers don’t stay as crisp after thawing and reheating. Freeze them in a single layer first, then transfer them to a freezer container.
- Make ahead: You can mix the chicken filling a day ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Keep the wonton wrappers sealed in their package until you’re ready to assemble them.
Crispy Chicken Dim Sum Recipe FAQs
No. The chicken goes into the wrappers raw and cooks while the wontons fry. Check that the center reaches 165°F (74°C) before serving.
Yes. Thaw them according to the package directions before separating them, then keep them covered while you assemble the wontons. I’ve tried separating frozen ones and managed to tear most of them, so don’t do that! When I buy fresh wontons, I often separate them into portions and put parchment paper between each one, so I can thaw out only what I need.
Wonton wrappers are the better choice here. Spring roll wrappers are larger and behave differently when folded and fried, so they aren’t a direct replacement for the square wonton wrappers in this recipe. Don’t use rice paper either. You need small square wonton wrappers.
No, you don’t. A wok or deep, heavy skillet works too. Just add enough oil to give you about 1 ½ inches (4 cm) depth and use a thermometer to keep it around 350°F (180°C).
Overfilling, trapped air or poorly sealed edges can all cause a wonton to open in the oil. Use a small amount of filling, press out the air and pinch the egg-brushed edges firmly together to minimize the chances of this happening to yours.
Serve the Wontons Hot
Get the dipping sauces onto the table before you start frying so the first batch can be eaten while the wrappers are crisp. If you want another wonton recipe afterwards, try my ground chicken wontons, which are served in broth instead.
Chicken Dim Sum Recipe: Deep-Fried Chicken Wontons
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) chicken breast
- 3 water chestnuts, finely diced
- ¼ cup (25g) green onions (scallions), chopped
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 pound (450g) wonton wrappers
- Oil for deep frying, as needed
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Small pastry brush
- Wok, deep heavy skillet (frying pan) or deep fryer
- Instant-read thermometer
- Spider strainer or slotted spoon
- Paper towels
- Plate or tray
Method
- Remove any skin or bones from the chicken, then mince or finely chop it. Mix the chicken with the water chestnuts, green onions, soy sauce, cornstarch, salt, black pepper and 2 teaspoons vegetable oil.
- Keep the unused wonton wrappers covered with a moist kitchen towel. Put 2 teaspoons of the chicken mixture in the center of each wrapper.
- Brush the edges lightly with beaten egg. Fold one corner diagonally over the filling to meet the opposite corner, making a triangle. Press out any trapped air, then pinch the edges firmly to seal.
- Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
- Heat about 1 ½ inches (4 cm) oil in a wok or deep skillet to 350°F (180°C). A deep fryer can also be used.
- Fry 8 to 10 wontons at a time for about 3 minutes, flipping them a few times, until crisp and golden. Check that the chicken has reached 165°F (74°C).
- Lift the wontons from the oil with a spider strainer or slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with sweet and sour sauce or another dipping sauce.
Notes
- Don’t overfill the wrappers. The 2 teaspoons quantity makes them easier to close securely.
- Let the frying oil return to 350°F (180°C) before adding the next batch.
- Chicken should reach 165°F (74°C) in the center before serving.
- For the air fryer, lightly oil the wontons and air fry at 375°F (190°C), flipping halfway through. Start checking at about 7 minutes.
- An Instant Pot Duo Crisp or another Instant Pot with an Air Fry function can use the same air fryer method.
- Refrigerate cooked leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days.
