I’ve met few people who dislike fried wontons. They are irresistible: they fry up to a wonderful light crispness, staying true to their Cantonese name, which literally means “swallowing clouds.”

Wrapping the filling in a thin skin is the secret to generating such an ethereal quality. Most commercial wonton skins are, sadly, on the thick side and turn a bit chewy after frying. For better results, look for Hong Kong–style thin wonton skins at an Asian market or, better yet, make your own at home. Fried wontons are most often enjoyed dipped in sweet and sour sauce, but they can also be served in a bowl covered by hot broth; the skins turn chewy and contribute a delightful richness to the soup.

Watch Andrea Nguyen demonstrate how to fold a wonton in her CHOW video.

This recipe was featured as part of our Chinese New Year Dishes photo gallery. For more Cantonese-inspired cuisine, see our easy ginger chicken congee recipe.

  • Yield: 48 wontons, serving 6 to 8 as a snack

Ingredients (10)

For the filling:

  • 1/3 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into pea-size pieces (4 1/2 ounces net weight)
  • 1/4 pound ground pork, fattier kind preferred, coarsely chopped to loosen
  • 1 scallion (white and green parts), finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch of black or white pepper

To form and cook:

  • 48 small square wonton skins
  • Canola or peanut oil, for deep-frying
  • 1 cup Sweet and Sour Sauce (see recipe intro)

Instructions

  1. To make the filling, combine the shrimp, pork, scallion, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl and use chopsticks or a fork to mix well. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes before using, or refrigerate for up to a day in advance. You should have about 1 cup.
  2. Before assembling the wontons, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with cornstarch. Fill each wonton skin with about 1 teaspoon of the filling, creating triangles, flower buds, or nurse’s caps. As you work, put the finished wontons on the prepared baking sheet. When all are made, loosely cover with a kitchen towel to prevent drying. The wontons also can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for several hours; let them sit at room temperature to remove the chill before frying.
  3. Put a wire rack on a baking sheet and place next to the stove. Pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into a wok, deep skillet, or 5-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat to about 325°F on a deep-fry thermometer. (If you don’t have a deep-fry thermometer, stick a dry bamboo chopstick into the oil; if it takes about 2 seconds for bubbles to rise and encircle the chopstick, the oil is ready.)
  4. Working in batches of 4 to 6, slide the wontons into the hot oil and fry for about 1 minute on each side, or until golden brown. Use a skimmer to transfer to the rack to drain.
  5. Arrange the wontons on a platter and serve hot as finger food along with the sauce for dipping.