This fried wonton recipe makes the most munchy, addictive snacks that are perfect for a party. They’re also really easy to make, especially if you’ve got people to help you wrap them! Hey, how about wonton wrapping party? This recipe is a classic street food you can find at many outdoor markets.
To dip, you can simply use the Thai sweet chili dipping sauce which you can make or buy (see my recipe linked below). But the one I recommend is a sweet, spicy, tart chili sauce that’s simply made by combining the sweet chili sauce with sriracha. You might already have both in the fridge, which makes it easy, but if not, they’re easy to buy or you can also make them using my recipes!
There are many fried wonton recipes, but if you look them up in the context of Thai cuisine, they’re most likely going to be pork.You can also do a combination of pork and shrimp, which is quite common in Thailand as well. If you want to use chicken instead, just make sure you use ground chicken with some fat mixed in so you get a moist filling (or grind your own using thigh meat). Beef and other red meat fillings are not usually done in Thailand, and if you want to make something similar to the original, don’t go with beef as beef has a strong flavour. This is not to say that it won’t be good, but it will be significantly different from the classic version.
Tips for making wontons in advance
Fried wontons are perfect party food, but nobody wants to be wrapping wontons day of the party! Well the good news is you can wrap them the day before, and even upto 2 days as long as your pork was fresh. Wrap them well in the fridge, and comes time to serve you simply need to fry them, which takes a mere minute!
Can you freeze them?
Yes, you can also freeze these and fry them from frozen. The only thing to keep in mind is when wonton wrappers are frozen, especially thin ones like the one I like to use, they become super brittle and the edges will break off very easily. So be careful how you store them in the freezer. Place them carefully in a container, maybe add some bunched up paper towel in it to provide some cushioning. And don’t toss the box around once they’re frozen!
Fried Wonton Wrapping Tips
If you’ve seen the 5 Ways to Wrap Wontons Video, I do not recommend “The Ruffled Purse” for frying because that leaves the filling exposed to the oil, and if using “The Pyramid” do not make them fat and chubby like the one I showed in the video, keep the filling to 1 tsp!
Do not overstuff (no more than 1 tsp of filling per piece) as the wrappers only take 30 seconds to 1 minute to fry, so there won’t be time to cook a big ball of filling.
Make sure you get out as much air as possible before sealing the wontons otherwise you will get big bubbles when you fry them! (See video for an example)
Wonton wrappers, you’ll need about 40, so 1 pack is plenty
Dipping Sauce
You can simply dip them in the Thai sweet chili sauce (store bought or use this recipe here), but for something a little tangier, spicier, and less sweet, try this combo!
3 Tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
2–3 Tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (see note)
Instructions
Using a mortar and pestle, grind garlic, peppercorns and cilantro stems or roots into a fine paste.
If your mortar is big enough to mix everything in, you can continue the recipe in the mortar, otherwise transfer the herb paste into a mixing bowl.
Add the pork, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and sesame oil (if using) and mix thoroughly.
Once mixed well, stir in the green onions.
Wrap the wontons, following the video instructions above, or try other shapesas shown in my 5 Ways to Wrap Wontons video. I do not recommend “The Ruffled Purse” for frying because that leaves the filling exposed to the oil, and if using the “pyramid” do not make them fat and chubby like the one I showed in the video, keep the filling to 1 tsp! Wonton wrapping tips: Do not overstuff (no more than 1 tsp of filling per piece) as these only take 1 minute to fry, so there won’t be time to cook a big ball of filling. Make sure you get out as much air as possible before sealing the wontons otherwise you will get big bubbles when you fry them! (See video for an example)
Heat about 1.5-2 inch of frying oil in a pot, heat the oil to 325 °F.
While you wait for oil to heat, mix up the dipping sauce by stirring the two sauces together. Taste and adjust the flavour by adding more of either sauces—more sweet chili sauce for a sweeter sauce, and more sriracha for something spicier and tangier.
Fry the wontons for about 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the wrappers are golden and the bubbling starts to subside (a sign that the wrappers are crispy.) Keep the heat low, if your oil temp is too high the wonton wrappers will burn before the filling cooks.
Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Different brands of sriracha vary in terms of spiciness and tanginess, so start with 2 Tbsp and go from there. If you find the dipping sauce too strong, you can also thin is out with a little water.
Keywords: wontons, appetizer, finger food, fried, party food, street food
