The Cheesecake Factory Just Released Its Recipe for Crab Wontons

Good news: You can now make The Cheesecake Factory crab wontons at home using an official recipe! The restaurant chain has been releasing some of its most popular recipes online, and the latest to drop is this crowd-pleasing appetizer. The crab Rangoon-style wontons are crispy and crunchy on the outside, with a creamy, perfectly seasoned, crabmeat-stuffed filling loaded on the inside.

One surprising Cheesecake Factory secret? The kitchens make everything from scratch, including the 100 sauces offered on the menu. That’s especially impressive considering the size of the menu, which features everything from creamy cheesecakes to crispy Brussels sprouts, Italian pasta, Southwestern favorites and Asian-inspired treats like these wontons. Plus, it means that the recipes for The Cheesecake Factory’s best dishes are easy to make in a home kitchen—but maybe stick to one or two recipes at a time rather than 200!

The Cheesecake Factory’s Crab Wontons

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 ounce sweet-and-sour chili sauce, homemade or store-bought
• 1-1/2 teaspoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 4 ounces crabmeat, fresh lump or canned
• 2 ounces sliced water chestnuts, minced
• 1 ounce green onions, finely chopped
• 1 ounce mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 ounce fontina cheese, grated
• 1 ounce panko bread crumbs
• 25 small square wonton wrappers (approximately 3-1/2-inch)

Directions

Step 1: Mix the cream filling base

In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sweet and sour chili sauce, mustard, chili garlic paste, lemon juice, and granulated sugar. Fold the ingredients together until they’re thoroughly combined.

Step 2: Add the crabmeat and veggies

Add the crabmeat, minced water chestnuts and chopped green onions to the bowl. Continue folding the ingredients together until they’re thoroughly combined.

Step 3: Fold in the cheese and crumbs

Sprinkle the mozzarella, fontina and panko bread crumbs into the bowl and continue folding gently until the filling is thoroughly and evenly combined.

Step 4: Shape the wontons

Here’s the fun part! Place the wonton skins onto a clean work surface or cutting board. Place a 1/2-ounce scoop of filling onto the center of each wrapper. Lift the bottom and top flat edges of the wrapper up over the filling. Pinch the center sections of the top and bottom edges tightly together. Lift the left and right flat edges of the wrapper up over the filling. Carefully pinch the center sections of the left and right flat edges tightly together with the pinched center section of the top and bottom edges. When done correctly, the edges will remain slightly open at the four corner points, forming a flower-like shape.

Step 5: Fry

Pour a generous amount of vegetable oil (enough to submerge the wontons) into a Dutch oven or deep skillet. Heat the oil to 350°F (you can use a candy thermometer to check the temperature). Carefully place the wontons, a few at a time, into the hot oil and fry them until they become golden brown and crispy.

Editor’s Tip: If you’ve deep-fried at home before, you’ll know: Be careful not to overcrowd the oil, which can make the temperature drop, turning the wontons oily instead of crispy. Remove them from the oil and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels, then repeat until the remaining wontons are cooked.

Step 6: Serve with sauce

Arrange the crispy crab wontons on a serving platter with extra sweet-and-sour chili sauce on the side for dipping.