Discover how to wrap wontons like a Chinese chef. Wonton wrappers come in different shapes and sizes but 3 inch square ones are possibly the most common variety. The following video shows you how to fold a wonton (or how to wrap wontons) for perfect results. You can then poach or deep-fry your wontons.
How to Wrap Wontons in Different Ways
Choose from triangles, flower buds or nurse caps – your wontons will look really professional and hold together perfectly in the broth or oil as they cook. If you are baking or steaming them, you have more options because you can arrange them on top of lettuce or cabbage leaves in your steamer and expect them to stay upright. The same applies if you are baking them.
If you are tossing them in hot oil though, or making potstickers which need to fry and be steamed in the same pan, but flipped halfway through, then choose a shape which has the wonton skin completely sealed around the filling so it doesn’t come out.
Making Wontons is Easy
Grab your wonton skins and ensure they are thawed out if they’ve been frozen (yes you can freeze wonton wrappers!) Gently peel them apart from one another and cover them with a moist clean towel (a tea towel or similar) to stop them drying out. It is best to grab one wonton wrapper, add the filling and then seal it, forming it into your chosen shape.
Leave the rest under the towel while you do this. Then when you are ready you can go ahead and grab the next one. Repeat until all your wontons have been made and you are happy with them. Yes, it’s that easy learning about how to wrap wontons!
I usually make the triangle shaped wontons if I am going to be deep-frying them or the moneybag shape if I’m going to steam them. But you can mix and match. Just because a recipe tells you to make half-moons or pinch in all four corners, if you prefer another wonton shape go ahead and make your own choice.
The exception to this is if you are leaving the wonton open (perhaps because it’s going to be baked in the oven and you want the filling to crisp in the middle) but then you decide to deep-fry. Then the filling would run out of the wrapper.
How to Wrap Wontons: Different Wonton Wrapper Shapes
Perhaps you want to know how to fold a gyoza wrapper, and that is like a wonton wrapper but round rather than square. These are typically folded into half moon shapes but you can do other things with them such as pinching up the outside all around the filling, leaving the filling exposed.
This is a common wrapping method if you plan to steam them, since you will be able to see the filling in the finished dim sum so it looks attractive, and the steam cooks the whole thing evenly.
If you are making a closed one though, always ensure you press the edges together with wet fingers (just run them under the tap) because this really helps them hold together. Oh, and make sure you squeeze any excess air out before sealing – nobody wants an exploded wonton!