Spicy Wontons with Chili Oil
Homemade shrimp wontons are one of my favorite foods and are actually really simple to make. The filling comes together in minutes! Finely chopped shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, Asian chives, green onion, and a simple savory seasoning.
- 2 lb shrimp (peeled, deveined, finely chopped)
- 5 green onions (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup asian chives (finely chopped)
- 4 shiitake mushrooms (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 egg
- 50 wonton wrappers
- water (for sealing)
- chili oil
- green onion (thinly sliced)
- Prep the shrimp: Peel, devein, and finely chop the shrimp into small pieces — a mix of roughly chopped and finely minced for the best texture. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add aromatics and seasonings: Add finely chopped green onion, Asian chives, and shiitake mushrooms to the bowl. Add soy sauce, mirin, oyster sauce, cornstarch, egg, and minced garlic. Mix everything together until well combined and the filling is cohesive.
- Optional test: Fry a small spoonful of filling in a pan to check the seasoning before you start wrapping. Adjust salt or soy sauce if needed.
- Set up your station: Place a wonton wrapper flat on a clean surface. Keep the remaining wrappers covered with a damp cloth so they don't dry out. Have a small bowl of water nearby for sealing.
- Fill: Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrapper — don't overfill or they'll be hard to seal and may burst during cooking.
- Fold: Dip your finger in water and run it along two edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper diagonally to form a triangle, pressing firmly to seal and pushing out any air pockets. Then bring the two bottom corners of the triangle together, overlapping slightly, and press to seal. This creates the classic wonton shape.
- Repeat: Continue until all the filling and wrappers are used — about 50 wontons total.
- Boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Working in batches add wontons and cook until they float to the top and the wrappers look slightly translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Garnish and serve: Transfer to bowls and drizzle generously with chili oil. Top with thinly sliced green onion. Serve immediately.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
All shrimp filling — no pork, just finely chopped shrimp mixed with mushrooms, chives, and aromatics for a filling that’s light, bouncy, and deeply savory.
Asian chives make the difference — their garlicky flavor is more assertive than regular chives and gives the filling that authentic flavor.
50 wontons per batch — make the full batch and freeze half for later
Versatile — boil them, pan-fry them, deep-fry them, or add them to soup.
Shrimp Wontons: A Freezer Worth Stocking
Once you make homemade wontons you’ll understand why people make them in big batches. The filling takes maybe 15 minutes to prep and the folding is genuinely meditative once you get the hang of it. I like to make the full 50 and freeze most of them raw so I always have something good on hand for a quick dinner or late night snack. The shrimp filling stays light and bouncy after cooking. Finish with a pool of chili oil, sliced scallions, and maybe a drizzle of soy sauce and you have something that genuinely tastes like your favorite dumpling spot.
Shrimp Wonton Ingredients
2 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and finely chopped
Small bowl of water, for sealing.
Chili oil, generously
The Shrimp
Finely chopping the shrimp rather than leaving it in chunks is the key to a filling that holds together and has the right bouncy texture. You want pieces small enough that the filling is cohesive but not so fine that it becomes a paste — a mix of roughly chopped and finely minced pieces gives you the best texture. The cornstarch and egg act as binders that hold everything together and help the filling stay plump and juicy inside the wrapper after cooking.
Asian Chives vs Regular Chives
Asian chives, also called garlic chives, are flat, wider, and have a pronounced garlicky flavor that’s completely different from the mild oniony flavor of regular chives. They’re one of the ingredients that makes a dumpling or wonton filling taste authentically like something you’d get at a good Chinese restaurant. Find them at any Asian grocery store! They’re inexpensive and keep well in the fridge. If you genuinely can’t find them regular green onion works as a substitute but the flavor won’t be quite the same.
The Shiitake Mushrooms
Fresh or rehydrated dried shiitake work equally well here. Finely chop them so they blend into the filling rather than creating large chunks. They add an umami depth to the filling that rounds out the shrimp and makes the whole thing taste more complex and savory.
Wonton Folding
There are many ways to fold a wonton and none of them are wrong as long as the filling is sealed inside. The classic nurse’s cap fold, place filling in center, fold into a triangle, then bring the two bottom corners together and press, is the easiest in my opinion and creates that familiar wonton shape that cooks evenly and looks beautiful in a bowl of soup or piled with chili oil. Whatever fold you use make sure to press out any air pockets and seal the edges firmly with a little water so they don’t burst open during cooking.
How To Make Shrimp Wontons
Prep the shrimp: Peel, devein, and finely chop the shrimp into small pieces. I like a mix of roughly chopped and finely minced for the best texture. Transfer to a large bowl.
Freezing Instructions
These freeze beautifully and this is absolutely worth doing with a batch this size.
Storage
Cooked wontons: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in boiling water for 1-2 minutes or microwave covered with a damp paper towel.
Uncooked wrapped wontons: Freeze immediately — do not refrigerate uncooked wrapped wontons as the wrappers will become soggy and stick together.
Filling: If you want to prep ahead make the filling up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate. Wrap just before cooking.
