Turn Crab Rangoon Into The Ultimate Party Appetizer (Thanks, TikTok)

Crab rangoon is a fusion food icon that's hugely popular in Chinese-American restaurants. Also known as crab puffs, these golden crispy parcels are made by stuffing wonton wrappers with a mixture of crab meat, cream cheese, and seasonings before deep frying. While these bite-sized snacks are scrumptious, making them for a party can be tricky. They can burn easily and need to be monitored on the stovetop. The solution? Taking all the flavors of a classic crab rangoon and stuffing it into larger puff pastry rectangles that are baked in the oven. This awesome, make-ahead move, showcased in a TikTok video by biteswithesther, eliminates the hassle of deep-frying for appetizers that are guaranteed to satisfy.

@biteswithesther

these crab rangoon puff pastries are the perfect holiday appetizer idea that will be the first to be devoured!! 😋🤤 crab rangoon puff pastry: 1 sheet (or 1 and a half sheets) @Pepperidge Farm puff pastry 8 oz @Philly Cream Cheese, softened 8 oz imitation crab, diced 1 tbsp green onion, diced 2 tsp worcestershire sauce 1 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder 1 tsp sugar 1 egg + 1 tbsp water + 3 cloves minced garlic + 1 tsp italian seasoning Bake at 400F for 12-17 mins Serve with sweet and sour sauce #crabrangoon #easyrecipe #appetizers #viralfood #cooking

♬ original sound – biteswithesther

To make these ultimate appetizers, simply mix your filling of real or imitation shredded crab, cream cheese, chopped scallions, and seasonings such as garlic powder and onion powder. Then cut a pre-rolled puff pastry sheet into small rectangles, using a knife to score another rectangle inside it. Leave a 1-centimeter border around the edge. This inner rectangle is where you'll dollop your stuffing. Then, egg wash the border and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 15 minutes or until the sides of the puff pastry rise and become golden. As the pastry puffs up, it will create a buttery, crisp perimeter around the filling that looks inviting and smells delicious.

The beauty of this technique is that there are plenty of opportunity to customize the filling with extras like soy sauce, ginger, chili, or a dash of sugar. You can easily add herbs and fresh garlic or even substitute some of the cream cheese for cottage cheese to make an appetizer that's higher in protein. Another idea is to bake the scored and glazed pastry prior to stuffing it. Once risen and cooled, you can remove the inner portion of the pastry to create a little pocket for the filling (in a similar fashion as French-style vol-au-vents). This move will make your them lighter and give you the flexibility to stuff them with a variety of fillings for guests with different dietary requirements. (You can even cook the pastry shells in advance and store them in an airtight container for up to week.) 

Moreover, since imitation crab is pre-cooked, it doesn't need a lengthy bake and can be quickly warmed through in the oven once your pastry pockets are ready to be filled. Want to nix the puff pastry altogether? Crab rangoon deviled eggs are the answer. To make them, add cream cheese and crabmeat to your regular deviled egg filling and top with baked strips of wonton wrappers for a classy finish.