The Complete Guide To Using Wonton And Egg Roll Wrappers

Whether you’re new to using wonton and egg roll wrappers – or whether you’re a seasoned pro – you’ll be sure to learn something new here. This is the complete guide to working with wonton and egg roll wrappers. Keep reading to learn more + get 15 recipes!

One of my favorite foods to make are snacks and appetizers made from wonton or egg roll wrappers.

Making wontons or egg rolls may seem like an intimidating process.

But it shouldn’t be.

Wonton wrappers and egg roll wrappers are extremely easy to work with. Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about making delicious and affordable wonton appetizers.

Learn How To Cook With Wonton And Egg Roll Wrappers

If you like crispy fried appetizers with a delicious filling, then you should know how to cook with wonton and egg roll wrappers.

Once you learn how to use the wrappers, you can start making all sorts of delicious appetizers at home – similar to restaurant apps like cream cheese wontons, potstickers, and even egg rolls.

What Are Wonton Wrappers?

Wonton wrappers are thin dough sheets commonly used in Asian cooking.

They’re typically made from a simple mix of flour, water, and salt. These wrappers are vegan. Some wrappers contain egg, giving them a slightly more orange color.

These versatile wrappers are perfect for creating delicious dumplings, spring rolls, and other appetizers, with their delicate texture and ability to hold a variety of fillings.

They are available in square and round shapes. Either will work for most recipes.

Wonton vs. Egg Roll Wrappers

In the grocery store, you’ll see the wonton wrappers right next to the egg roll wrappers.

Wonton wrappers are typically about 3-inches square, while egg roll wrappers are typically about 7-inches square.

The only difference between wonton wrappers and egg roll wrappers is the size. They are made with the same ingredients – but ingredients may vary from brand to brand.

Can I Substitute Egg Roll Wrappers For Wonton Wrappers?

Due to their size difference, wonton wrappers are used to make smaller, bite-sized appetizers. Egg roll wrappers are used to make – you guessed it – egg rolls and other larger appetizers.

If all you can’t find wonton wrappers, you can cut egg roll wrappers down to be the size of a wonton wrapper using a kitchen scissors.

How Are Wontons Cooked?

There are a few ways to cook filled wontons.

• Deep frying: This is probably the most popular way to cook a wonton wrapper and the way that is most familiar if you’ve had wontons at an Asian restaurant. The wrappers are filled, sealed, and completely submerged in hot oil until crispy and browned.
• Pan frying: Deep frying can be messy and requires a lot of oil. My preferred method of making wonton appetizers at home is by pan frying. This involves heating a smaller amount of oil (1 to 2 tablespoons) in a frying pan or cast iron skillet, and frying the wontons on each side until crispy and browned.
• Baking: If you want to avoid frying, wonton snacks can be baked. You’ll want to grease a large sheet pan, coat the outside of the wonton wrappers with oil, and bake at 375F until crispy.
• Steamed: Wonton wrappers are also used to make steamed dumplings. The cooking process involves browning the wrappers in a bit of oil, adding water to the pan, and covering the pan to steam the dumplings.

How Are Wonton Wrappers Sealed?

Sealing wonton wrappers is really easy. You simply brush the edge with a bit of water (or dip your finger in water and rub it on the edge of the wrapper), fold the wrapper over, and press down on the edge to seal.

How Do I Avoid The Wrappers Drying Out?

The most efficient way to make wontons or egg rolls is to fill them all at the same time and then fry them in batches.

But remember, the wrappers will dry out if left on the cupboard.

The trick to avoiding having your wrappers dry out is to cover them with a damp paper towel while you continue to fill all of the wrappers.

What Are Wonton Wrappers Filled With?

There are so many filling options for wonton and egg roll wrappers! A lot of them are filled with a cream cheese-based filling. This works well because the filling is thick and won’t seep out of the wrapper.

But don’t stop with cream cheese.

I encourage you to get creative when coming up with different filling options. Once you get the hang of filling and frying wontons, you can start to experiment with different ingredient combinations.

Just remember to avoid fillings that are too watery. A thick, paste-like filling works great – or a meat-based filling for egg rolls.

Where Do I Buy Wrappers?

Both wonton and egg roll wrappers are readily available in most supermarkets in the United States. They are usually found in the produce section of the grocery store, typically near the mushrooms.

Look for any of the following brands: Nasoya, Frieda’s or Melissa’s brands.

Recipes Using Wonton Wrappers

Here is a selection of appetizer recipes using wonton wrappers:

1: Buffalo Chicken Wontons

The filling for these wontons is made with shredded cheese, cream cheese, buffalo sauce, and spices. These taste similar to buffalo chicken wings. Serve with a creamy, spicy dip on the side, or ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Get the recipe: Buffalo chicken wontons

2: Mango Chicken Wontons

The filling for these wontons consists of shredded chicken, cream cheese, mango, and spices. These taste great served with a spicy mango dipping sauce.

Get the recipe: Mango chicken wontons

3: Turkey And Cranberry Wontons

This recipe makes creative use out of two Thanksgiving leftovers: Turkey and cranberry sauce. These have a nice sweet-savory balance. Cream cheese serves as the “glue” to hold the filling together.

Get the recipe: Turkey and cranberry wontons

4: Crab Rangoons

Arguably the most popular wonton wrapper appetizer is the cream cheese wonton, or its cousin, crab rangoons. The filling for cream cheese wontons consists of cream cheese and simple spices. For crab rangoons, minced crab meat is added.

In this recipe, imitation crab is used to keep it affordable: Crab rangoons

5: Asparagus-Cream Cheese Wonton Fries

This recipe is slightly different from the rest, because the wonton wrapper isn’t sealed all the way. Rather, an asparagus spear is wrapped, folded up and sealed leaving the edge of the asparagus spear exposed.

Get the recipe: Asparagus-cream cheese wonton fries

6: Mozzarella Sticks

You can use either wonton or egg roll wrappers to make homemade mozzarella sticks. If you’re using a whole mozzarella stick, use the larger egg roll wrapper.

7: Japanese Potstickers (Gyoza)

Homemade Japanese-style potstickers contain a pork-based filling. Potstickers are cooked by first browning in oil then steamed to cook the filling.

Get the recipe: Gyoza

8: Wonton Crackers

Did you know wonton wrappers can be made into crunchy crackers? Believe it! These crackers end up costing about 7 cents each. I make these often for parties – they’re much cheaper than regular boxed crackers.

Get the recipe: Wonton crackers

Egg Roll Wrapper Recipes

These recipes use the larger egg roll wrappers as the vessel:

1: Homemade Egg Rolls

Master the art of making homemade egg rolls at home. They are so much cheaper than buying them at Chinese takeout, and cheaper than buying them frozen.

Get the recipe: Homemade egg rolls

2: Ham And Pickle Roll Up Egg Rolls

These egg rolls are a spin on “Minnesota Sushi”, which consist of a slice of ham spread with cream cheese wrapped around a pickle and sliced. If you’ve never tried it, you should. And if you know, you know.

Get the recipe: Ham and pickle roll up egg rolls

3: Shrimp And Cream Cheese Firecrackers

These apps are filled with shrimp, cream cheese, and some spicy ingredients. Dip in sweet chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce.

Get the recipe: Shrimp and cream cheese firecrackers

4: Cheesy Hot Dog Egg Rolls

Just as it sounds, these snacks are filled with a hot dogs and cheese. A fun spin on a traditional hot dog.

Get the recipe: Cheesy hot dog wontons

5: Banana-Nutella Egg Rolls

Can you turn an egg roll wrapper into dessert? Absolutely! These treats are honestly one of my favorite desserts ever. Luscious Nutella and banana slices are wrapped inside an egg roll wrapper, deep fried, and dusted with powdered sugar. TRY THESE!

Get the recipe: Banana-Nutella egg rolls

6: Deep-Fried Candy Bars

This over-the-top dessert is inspired by a treat that’s popular at the Minnesota State Fair. A candy bar (in this case, Snickers) is wrapped in an egg roll wrapper, deep fried, and drizzled in chocolate.

Get the recipe: Deep-fried candy bars

#7: Apple Pie Egg Rolls

These apple pie egg rolls feature apple pie filling and cream cheese in the middle. These ingredients are wrapped in an egg roll wrapper, fried, and served with caramel dipping sauce on the side.

Looking For More Wonton Filling Recipes?

Check out this post highlighting dozens of ideas and recipes for wonton fillings.

These Wrappers Make Delicious, Affordable Appetizers

I cannot stress enough how great these wrappers are if you’re looking for cheap appetizer, snack, and even dessert recipes:

• A package usually costs less than $4.00 and contains about 50 wonton (or 20 egg roll) wrappers
• They can be filled with so many different things – many of which are cream cheese based (another affordable ingredient)
• A little filling goes a long way

So consider the humble wonton or egg roll wrapper the next time you’re looking for party apps – or anytime you need to feed a crowd.