Crispy Goat Cheese Wontons with Chili Dipping Sauce ~ impossibly crunchy little wontons filled with creamy goat cheese ~ this is the appetizer everybody goes wild for!
I’m going to be visiting my Dad and his wife in North Carolina for a few days, so this will be my last post till early next week. As usual I’m going through the fridge to try and clear it out a little before I leave. I bought the won ton wrappers a while ago, and thought I’d give them a try. We started ordering cream cheese wontons with our Chinese take out when our kids were very little. It was one of the few sure fire things we knew they’d eat. Since then the whole family has become addicted to these crispy little dumplings filled with creamy cheese. I don’t think they’re particularly authentic, but they sure are good. I used goat cheese for a little different flavor, and spiked the dipping sauce with chili.
These fry up in about a minute in an inch or two of hot oil. You can add minced crab, shrimp, or lobster for a special occasion, or just add some scallion or chili peppers to the cheese.
the dipping sauce for fried wontons
Once you have the basic Asian condiments in your kitchen you can throw together all kinds of interesting and varied sauces on a whim. I would say the bare minimum to keep around includes soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, some kind of hot chili sauce, hoisin sauce, and a knob of ginger in the freezer so you can grate a little off any time you need it. My method is to use a little of this and a little of that, tasting as I go. I decided to go spicy with this sauce since the wontons are mild. Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce would go great with these, too.
how to fold your cheese wontons
The wonton wrappers have a wonderful pliable texture which makes them simple to work with. Just place a small amount of filling in the center, and run a wet finger around the edges of the wrapper. Then fold it over, corner to corner and press the edges to seal. The moisture binds the seal.
Then just bring up the two ends and overlap them, sealing with a another dab of water.
how to fry cheese wontons
These crispy cheese wontons fry up in about a minute! And there’s no need for a deep fryer, these can be shallow fried in a couple of inches of oil in a regular pan on the stove top.
more Asian inspired recipes to try
- The Best Copy Cat Panda Express Recipes!
- Chinese Scallion Oil Recipe
- Quick Chili Oil Noodles
- Easy Vegetable Chow Mein
- Weeknight Egg Roll Bowls
- 10 Easy Thai Recipes You Can Make at Home
Crispy Goat Cheese Wontons with Chili Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
For the wontons
- vegetable oil for frying
- wonton wrappers
- goat cheese, or cream cheese
for the Chili Sauce
- 2 parts soy sauce, I always buy Tamari soy sauce
- 1 part rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 part sesame oil
- 1/2 part hot chili sauce
- 1/2 part honey
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- First make the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients together with a whisk. Refrigerate until needed.
- Heat two inches of oil in a 2 qt saucepan to about 350 degrees.
- Put a small dab of goat cheese in the center of each wonton wrapper. Run a wet finger around the edge and fold the wonton in half diagonally. Press with your fingers to seal the dough.
- Bring the two outer corners up and overlap them, sealing with a bit of water. You can also leave the wontons in a triangle shape, if you prefer.
- Drop the wontons in the hot oil and let fry for about a minute to a minute and a half, just until they are golden and crispy. Flip them halfway through. Drain on a paper towel.
- Serve hot with the dipping sauce on the side.
These look amazing! I agree with the question above: might there be a way to bake them instead?
Maybe, we’ll have to experiment.
I wonder if I could bake them, rather than deep fry? Anyone?
I don’t think it would work to bake them, but not sure, I’ll have to try. I wonder, though, if you could pan fry them in a little oil in a frying pan, and then finish off with a little water to steam them, like dumplings.
How clever and easy! These would be a great thing to whip up for friends.
And, I used a saucepan this time for the frying, so the oil heated up really fast, and not a lot of waste.
I just think these look sublime… so delicate!… I can imagine the crunch and the soft creamy cheese melting through… inspired!
Thanks Dom, I think that’s why I like them, and look forward to doing more with these wrappers, they came out surprisingly delicate.
I need you to come to my next party! You make the best bite sized snacks. I love these but never tried making my own. Good one!
It’s funny because I don’t entertain all that often, but it’s my favorite way to eat. I think I need to throw more parties to justify making lots of these 😉
Sue, I’m not real big on frying but I’m thinking for these I could change my mind! They look fabulous! I’m sure the goat cheese is a tasty alternative to cream cheese!
I know, I’ve been frying quite a bit lately, I think because I’ve only just discovered how easy it can be. I think these aren’t for everyday, but would be great for party appetizers.
I’ve never tried cheese wontons but I’m sure they taste very tasty, especially dipped in that sauce!
Thanks so much for your gluten free cake recipe post prior to this post Sue. I’m pinning it to my Gluten Free pinterest folder. My daughter-in-law eats gluten free and I’m always looking for recipes to make for her.
Have a wonderful time in NC!
I hope your daughter in law likes the cake,it’s nice because it’s not as heavy as some.
Sue,
These look amazing! I’ve never even purchased wonton wrappers…why? I know we would love these and they look pretty easy. I think I could in fact make a dinner out of these.
Have a great trip…I remember when you wrote about your visit last year.
xo
annie
I’d never bought them either—which is why I didn’t want to throw them away before trying them. I’m really looking forward to using them again, they were fun to use. I’m already regretting not bring my camera along on this visit…nice to know I have long time readers who remember that far back!
I absolutely adore wontons and we used to order them too when we did Asian takeout. But…you’ve raised the bar with the goat cheese. How deliciously delicious. Have a wonderful visit with your Dad and stepmom!
Thanks Sarah—have a fabulous time dropping your daughter off at college, can’t wait to read all about it.
Sue, these look absolutely delicious! I like the idea of using goat cheese, I might even add a little chive to the cheese ~ yum! Your sauce looks really good too!
Enjoy your vacation!
I would have added something like chives, too, but I was clearing out the fridge and using what I had!