Simple Fried Cream Cheese Wontons

Let's talk about Asian food. It's all amazing. I could literally eat it every day. And my favorite way to begin any Asian meal is with these Simple Fried Cream Cheese Wontons. So I finally decided to try my hand at frying. That's right, my previous frying experience is next to nil. But the temptation to eat fresh wontons in the comfort of my own home made me do it. I was helpless to resist. I bet you will be too once you see how crazy easy it is!

Simple Wonton Ingredients

• Cream Cheese - I prefer to stick with full fat, quality cream cheese here. The fat helps keep the cream cheese from getting watery and leaking out while frying.

• Shallots - I adore shallots. I replace onions with this sweeter little brother any time I can. They also have a low water content, which helps keep the filling thick.

• Granulated White Sugar - It may seem a bit odd to add sugar, but this is the perfect complement to the tangy cream cheese. The sweetness brings out the flavor of the shallots too.

• Wonton Wrappers - These are often found in the freezer aisle near frozen breads or Asian foods. Make sure to give yourself enough time to defrost the wrappers. They're thin, so they don't take too long.

How to make Dairy Free Wontons

Thanks to all the wonderful dairy free options available, making these wontons dairy free is as simple as swapping the cream cheese with a dairy free cream cheese. I love the Miyokos brand best, made with cashew milk.

How to make gluten free wontons

Finding ready made gluten free wontons has been a challenge, but if you can find them (usually in the freezer section), just use those. However, Gluten Free on a Shoestring has an awesome gluten free wonton recipe using just a few ingredients.

Kids Love Wontons Too!

That's my 2 year old daughters hand dipping her wonton there. I had no clue the kids would like these so much, but they were all chowing down. So there's another reason to make these. AND they can be super cheap to make. AND it's easy to make a ton in no time at all, so they're the perfect party food. That's like a million reasons right there. What more do you need?

How to fry wontons

Look how cute and perfect they came out? This is with no previous experience. I've made them many times now, but I'm still no expert, however this recipe is so easy that they've come out perfect every time! So if you've never fried anything before, don't be intimidated, it's really quite simple!

• In a heavy-bottomed deep pan, pour 3-4 inches of vegetable oil. Heat on medium until 350°F, using a candy thermometer to track the temperature.

• Once oil is hot, use a slotted spoon or frying strainer to gently place 4-5 wontons in at a time and leave for about 1 minute until lightly browned. If they flip or turn, gently coax them so the points are up and the filling stays in.

• Once cooked, remove wontons from the oil and place on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet or paper towels underneath to catch the dripping oil. 

• Repeat with the remaining wontons until they're all fried. Watch your temperature as you fry and adjust your heat as needed to keep it close to 350 degrees F as possible.

A few easy frying tips

• A few oils can be used for frying wontons, but those with a high smoke point are peanut, vegetable or corn oil. I use vegetable oil because it is most readily available and inexpensive.
  
• Just 3 to 4 inches of oil is enough to cover the wontons and this will conserve oil as well as make it easier to keep the temperature steady.

• Use a good candy thermometer to watch the temperature closely.

• These wontons are made to fry completely with the points facing up, so that the bottom and sides fry and help close the pinched edges and keep the filling from falling out. If they turn over, just gently coax them back so the points are up.

Shallots in Wontons

Shallots are my favorite onion. They're so sweet and such a perfect size for smaller recipes. I use these more than any other kind of onion. Like in my Balsamic Fig Sauce and my Quinoa Side Dish with Spinach and Bacon.

After digging around online, I finally found a great explanation why shallots are so amazing. They have an intensified sweet onion flavor but have a much lower water content, so they can be added to fillings and sauces without watering them down.

Yikes, those look amazing! Why don't we all eat Asian food all the stinkin' time? They seriously know what they're doing.

I used a pre-made dipping sauce from Trader Joe's called Sweet Chili Sauce. It did the job just fine, but my next mission is to make an amazing dipping sauce for these babies.

If you love recipes using wonton wrappers, try these Baked Wonton Cups Filled With Sumi Salad. It makes for a delicious and light appetizer that can be made ahead of time!

How to Make Ahead

Uncooked wontons can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Simply place prepared (not fried) wontons on a baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper, being sure they don't touch one another. Then cover the wontons with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out.

When ready to fry, remove from refrigerator and place them straight into the frying oil and proceed with recipe as outlined below.

How to Freeze Wontons

Freezing fried wontons is actually very easy! Once drained and cooled, place fried wontons together into a freezer safe bag and label with date. Place in a safe spot in the freezer where they won't get bumped around too much, since frozen wonton wrappers can become brittle and break. Wontons will keep fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months.