Fried Shrimp Wontons with Water Chestnuts
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These fried shrimp wontons, or fried prawn wontons, have crisp, blistered wrappers enclosing a shrimp and water chestnut filling. Ginger, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil and chili oil give the shrimp filling plenty of wonderful flavor, and the water chestnuts add a little crunch.
The filling’s cooked briefly before the wontons are assembled, then thickened with cornstarch so it is easy to spoon into the wrappers. Once they’re folded and sealed, you can fry them until golden and serve them with an easy homemade sweet chili sauce.
Fried Shrimp Wontons at a Glance
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 3
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
- Main ingredients: Shrimp, water chestnuts, wonton wrappers, ginger, chilies, rice vinegar and green onions
- Best cooking method: Deep frying
- Storage: Refrigerate cooked wontons for 3 to 4 days or freeze assembled uncooked wontons for up to 2 months
Why Fried Shrimp Wontons are So Good
- Crisp, bubbly wrappers: The wontons fry quickly and develop that blistered restaurant-style crunch.
- Plenty of shrimp in the filling: Shrimp’s the main ingredient rather than something used sparingly among lots of filler.
- Pleasing texture contrast: I love how the chopped water chestnuts give the filling some crunch.
- They can be made ahead: Assemble the wontons in advance and freeze them before frying. I sometimes devote a whole afternoon to make a whole bunch of these!
- They only need a short time in the oil: Each batch fries in about two minutes once the oil’s nice and hot.
Crispy Shrimp Wonton Ingredients
- Shrimp (prawns): Use raw peeled shrimp and chop them finely enough to fit neatly inside the wrappers. Frozen shrimp works fine once completely thawed and drained. If I’m using thawed prawns, I always make sure I thaw them completely because they can hold onto a surprising amount of liquid!
- Water chestnuts: Drain them well before chopping. Canned water chestnuts are convenient and you only need a small amount for this recipe.
- Wonton wrappers: Square wonton wrappers are easiest for the folding method I used. I always try to remember to keep unused wrappers covered, otherwise they can dry out while I work.
- Ginger and green onions: Chop both finely so you aren’t leaving any large pieces that can make the wontons difficult to seal.
- Sesame oil: You only need a small amount ofsesame oil in the filling. I find a little goes a long way because it’s got quite a strong flavor.
- Cornstarch: Mix it with water before adding it to the cooked filling. It thickens the liquid so the mixture’s easier to wrap.
How to Make Fried Shrimp Wontons
Cook the ginger and green onions briefly in oil, then add the shrimp and water chestnuts. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and chili oil before adding the cornstarch mixture. Let the filling cool before spooning it into the wrappers.
Seal each wrapper carefully and keep the prepared wontons covered with a damp cloth while you finish the batch.
Heat the frying oil to 375°F (190°C), then fry the wontons in batches until crisp and golden. If you want to try a different shape, my guide to folding wontons shows several ways to do it.
Sweet Chili Sauce Ingredients
- Rice vinegar: Gives the sauce its tangy base and balances the sugar.
- White sugar: Sweetens the sauce and helps give it the familiar glossy consistency.
- Fresh red chilies: Add the heat. Use one for a milder sauce or two if you want it hotter. If you really don’t like spice, you can omit the chilies.
- Garlic: Adds a little more depth to the sauce.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce so it sticks better to the wontons.
- Water: Used both in the sauce and to mix the cornstarch before it is added.
How to Make Sweet Chili Sauce
Add the rice vinegar, sugar, water, red chilies and garlic to a small saucepan. Heat until gently simmering, then cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Mix the cornstarch with some water, then stir it into the sauce. Cook for another minute or two until slightly thickened. Take the pan off the heat and let the sauce cool while you make the wontons. Don’t worry if it still looks thin. It’s going to thicken a little more as it cools.
How to Stop Wontons Opening While Frying
- Don’t overfill them: Too much filling makes it difficult to get a firm seal around the edges.
- Press out trapped air: Air inside the wrapper expands as it heats and can force the wonton open.
- Seal the edges firmly: Moisten the wrapper lightly with water and press the joined edges together well.
- Keep the wrappers covered: Dry wrappers are more likely to crack when you fold them.
- Fry in batches: Adding too many wontons at once drops the oil temperature and makes even cooking harder than it needs to be.
Tips for Frying Wontons
- Heat the oil properly: Bring it to 375°F (190°C) before adding the first batch. A thermometer is more reliable than judging the temperature by eye.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot: Give the wontons enough room to move so they fry evenly.
- Watch the color: Remove them once the wrappers are golden brown.
- Drain them well: Transfer the fried wontons to paper towels or a wire rack.
- Serve them promptly: Keep in mind the wrappers are going to soften as they sit, so they’re best served while still hot and crisp.
What to Serve with Fried Shrimp Wontons
Soy sauce is an easy choice for dipping, but I prefer the sweetness and mild spice of sweet chili sauce. My wonton dipping sauce is another homemade option. If you’re making a wonton platter, add crab and cream cheese wontons for a different filling using the same type of wrappers.
Equipment
- Skillet: Cook the shrimp filling.
- Heavy pot: Deep-fry the wontons in batches.
- Deep-fry thermometer: Check the frying oil temperature.
- Spider strainer: Lift the wontons from the oil.
- Baking sheet: Hold the assembled wontons; check this extra-large sheet fits your workspace.
- Small saucepan: Simmer the dipping sauce.
- Small bowl: Mix the cornstarch with water.
- Wire rack: Drain the fried wontons.
- Measuring cups and spoons: Measure the sauce and filling ingredients.
- Chef’s knife: Chop the shrimp, vegetables and aromatics.
- Cutting board: Prepare the filling ingredients.
- Instant-read food thermometer: Check the shrimp filling as it cooks.
How to Store
- Storage: Refrigerate cooked wontons in a covered container and eat within 3 to 4 days.
Fried Shrimp Wontons FAQs
Yes. Thaw the shrimp completely, drain it well and pat it dry before chopping. Excess water can make the filling looser.
Overfilling, trapped air and poorly sealed edges are common causes. Use a modest amount of filling, press out the air and moisten the wrapper edges lightly before sealing them firmly. I’m guilty of trying to overfill mine and it never ends well!
You may see very similar recipes described as shrimp wontons in the US and prawn wontons in the UK. For this recipe, use raw peeled shrimp or prawns suitable for cooking. You might also see it spelled as fried wantons or fried wontons. They’re all the same thing.
More Wonton Ideas
Once you have the filling made, your main job’s sealing each wonton firmly and keeping your oil at the right temperature. The shrimp, ginger and soy sauce give you plenty of flavor and the chopped water chestnuts add crunch to the filling. If you have wrappers left over, see my guide to freezing wonton wrappers and homemade wontons rather than letting the rest of the package dry out.
Crispy Fried Shrimp Wontons with Water Chestnuts
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped water chestnuts
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions (spring onions)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- ½ pound (227g) raw shrimp (prawns), peeled and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon chili oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 12 wonton wrappers
- Vegetable oil, as needed for deep frying
- ¼ cup (60ml) rice vinegar
- ¼ cup (50g) white sugar
- ¼ cup (60ml) water
- 1 or 2 fresh red chilies, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (cornflour)
- 2 teaspoons water
Equipment
- Wok or skillet
- Heavy-bottomed pot for frying
- Small saucepan
- Deep-fry thermometer
- Spider strainer or slotted spoon
- Small bowl
- Baking sheet
- Wire rack
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Instant-read food thermometer
Method
- Add the rice vinegar, sugar, ¼ cup water, chilies and garlic to a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water. Stir this into the sauce and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and let it cool. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the ginger and green onions and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the shrimp and water chestnuts and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp is opaque and reaches 145°F (63°C), about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and chili oil.
- Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. Stir this into the shrimp mixture and cook briefly until the liquid thickens. Transfer the filling to a plate and let it cool enough to handle.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of a wonton wrapper.
- Moisten the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Fold it over the filling, press out any trapped air and press the edges firmly together to seal.
- Add the finished wonton to a baking sheet and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
- Heat the frying oil to 375°F (190°C).
- Fry the wontons in batches for about 2 minutes per batch, or until crisp and golden brown.
- Remove the wontons with a spider strainer or slotted spoon and drain them on a wire rack.
- Serve the fried shrimp wontons hot with the sweet chili dipping sauce.
Notes
- I like to keep the unused wonton wrappers covered while I work so they don’t dry out.
- Don’t overfill the wrappers! Press out trapped air before sealing the edges firmly.
- Adjust the amount of fresh chili in the dipping sauce according to how spicy you want it.
- You can freeze the assembled uncooked wontons for up to 2 months.
