These better-than-Chinese take-out Cream Cheese Wontons are filled with cream cheese, chicken, Pepper Jack, and a perfect blend of spices. These bite-size crispy treats are a little more economical than crab rangoon and a cinch to make.
Are you planning a party? We also love to serve these Sweet Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites and Quick and Creamy Crab Stuffed Mushrooms.
Well, the entertaining season is upon us, and there are so many things to get done at one time. No worries!! With easy delicious recipes like this, you can get it all done. As a matter of fact, these Pepper Jack Chicken Cream Cheese Wontons are so simple your tween could help you with them. You can prepare the filling ahead of time, and with a simple 30-second lesson, your tween or teen will be an expert wonton stuffer. Then, you can keep multitasking, all the while congratulating them on hitting yet another accomplishment in their life.
You don’t even have to break out the deep fryer. These Cream Cheese Wontons are petite enough that about one inch of oil in a heavy stockpot will suffice. You will need to devote your complete attention when frying them so they don’t burn because they fry up golden brown in less than a minute. You can serve them with Asian Dipping Sauce, sweet and sour sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, or spicy mustard.
Recipe tips
- If you don’t have a food processor mix the cream cheese mixture in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon. Be sure to soften the cream cheese first.
- To fry in an air fryer, spray the assembled wontons with cooking spray or olive oil and air fry in a single layer with space between them for 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees.
- To bake in the oven, spray the assembled wontons with cooking spray or olive oil. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes.
- For a change of pace, substitute cooked crab meat or imitation crab for the cooked chicken.
- For a little kick, add 1 teaspoon of sriracha or hot sauce to the chicken mixture.
How to make Cream Cheese Wontons
In a large food processor, add the cream cheese, Pepper Jack, garlic powder, onion powder, green onions, and cooked chicken. Pulse just a few times until it combines. Then place one heaping teaspoon in the center of the wonton wrapper and pull up the sides and pinch to seal. Lightly moisten your fingers with cold water and pinch again. Press down gently on a plate to get their bottoms flat so that they will stand up properly. Keep the extra wonton skins covered with a lightly moistened paper towel while you work. Repeat until all of the wontons are full. Cover filled wontons with lightly moistened paper towels while you are working and while heating the oil.
Heat about one inch of vegetable oil to 375 degrees in a Dutch oven or heavy skillet. A cast iron skillet works as well. Working in small batches, fry the wontons for about one minute or until golden brown. Use tongs to brown on both sides if they fall over. Drain on paper towels. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, water, mirin, and sesame oil. Serve warm wontons with sauce.
How to fold Cream Cheese Wontons into triangles
Hold the wrapper in one hand with one of the points towards you, and dip the index finger of your free hand in cool water. Now moisten the edge of the half of the wrapper that is furthest from you.
Now place a rounded teaspoonful of the cream cheese mixture in the middle of the wrapper. Fold the wonton over and gently seal one end to the other, creating a triangle. Next, tightly press the wrapper together to close, squeezing out any air bubbles. If desired, bring the opposite corners together and press.
Can these be made ahead of time?
For best results, prep them and flash freeze them. Put them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper in a single layer, not touching. Once they are frozen, you can safely put them into a freezer zip-lock bag, and they will not stick together. Don’t forget to line the cookie sheet, or they will stick to the metal pan. This can be done from a day to a few weeks in advance. Drop them into the oil frozen.
What are wontons and where can I purchase them?
Wonton skins are small square sheets of dough made from flour, egg, and water. Egg roll skins and potstickers skins are made out of the same dough. However, egg roll skins are larger, and potsticker skins are almost the same size as wontons skins, except they are round.
Both wonton skins and egg roll skins can be purchased at most grocery stores, including some Walmarts. Potstickers skins are more difficult to find. For this recipe, you are in search of wonton skins.
Put these easy Cream Cheese Wontons with Chicken and Pepper Jack on your to-try list. They are perfect for movie nights, game days, neighborhood parties, and holidays. Don’t fret, my friends. Entertaining can be done in a jiffy, and you will be so glad that you got to see your friends and family!!
Other appetizer recipes you will love!
Cream Cheese Wontons
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese 1 box
- 1 1/2 cups Pepper Jack cheese grated
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 4 green onions sliced
- 1 cup finely diced COOKED chicken
- 1 package wonton wrappers 12 ounce
- vegetable oil or canola oil for frying
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- In a food processor, add the cream cheese, Pepper Jack, garlic powder, onion powder, green onions, and cooked chicken. Pulse just a few times, just enough to combine.
- Place a heaping teaspoon in the center of each wonton, pull up the sides, and pinch. Lightly moisten fingers with cold water and pinch again. Press down gently on the plate to get their bottoms flat (so they will stand up). Keep extra wontons skins covered with a lightly moistened paper towel while you work. Repeat until all wontons are full. Cover filled wontons with a lightly moistened paper towel while you are working and heating the oil.
- Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil to 350 - 375 degrees in a heavy skillet. Working in small batches, fry until golden brown, less than 1 minute. Use tongs to brown on both sides if they fall over. Drain on paper towels.
- In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, water, mirin, and sesame oil. Serve warm wontons with sauce.
Video
Notes
- If you don't have a food processor mix the cream cheese mixture in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon. Be sure to soften the cream cheese first.
- To fry in an air fryer, spray the assembled wontons with cooking spray or olive oil and air fry in a single layer with space between them for 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees.
- To bake in the oven, spray the assembled wontons with cooking spray or olive oil. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes.
- For a change of pace, substitute cooked crab meat or imitation crab for the cooked chicken.
- For a little kick, add 1 teaspoon of sriracha or hot sauce to the chicken mixture.
Nutrition
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https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Joy
Do they have to be served immediately or can they be warm in the oven?
Beth Pierce
Do you have an air fryer? They warm up great in just a couple minutes in the air fryer.
Joy
i don’t have an air frier.
Beth Pierce
You can keep them warm in the oven set at 250 degrees. Ideally they would be in a single layer on a wire rack over a baking dish to stay crisp and warm. Make sure the wire rack is oven safe.
Farah
Can I make this ahead of time? and fry them when I’m ready
Beth Pierce
Yes. But I think I would flash freeze them so they do not become soggy. Then I would fry from frozen.
Sam
Can these be air fried?
Beth Pierce
Yews but I am unsure of the cooking time. I would spritz or brush with vegetable oil first.
Jane
My cousin shared this recipe on Facebook, so just had to make them. We used two cans of tiny, deveined shrimp (found near tuna at grocery). Also rubbed egg white around all 4 edges before filling and sealing. Shredded one 8 oz block of pepper jack cheese which seemed to be enough. Brushed with oil all around and placed on oil sprayed air fryer tray for convection oven with air fry baking. Baked at 375, pre-heated, until done – just under/about 10 minutes. They were delicious!!
Beth Pierce
Awesome! Thanks for the tips Jane. They do sound delicious!
Heidi
Will they stay crispy warming in a Nesco after fried for a couple of hours? I’d like to serve them at an event in which I would have to make them at least 4 hours ahead of time. Thanks!
Beth Pierce
I am not familiar with a Nesco enough to answer this! Maybe one of the readers will know the answer!
Kristi
Can these be baked instead of fried?
Beth Pierce
Yes you can but they are not going to get as crunchy. Do you have an air fryer? They get them crispier than the oven.
Susie Meiers
Any idea how long and at what temp for an air fryer?
Beth Pierce
Make sure they are well sealed with water when you fold them. I would first lightly brush with a little bit of vegetable or canola oil. In an air-fryer at 390 degrees, single layer with a little bit of space between them. 8 minutes, then turn and 4 more minutes. I would put the first 1 in by itself and run it as a test run just in case you need to increase or decrease those times by a minute.
Christina
I made the recipe tonight and it was a big hit …..everyone loved it thank you for sharing the recipe. ???
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Christina! So glad that you and your family liked them!
Toni
Do you happen to have nutritional information? They sound amazing.
Beth Pierce
The nutritional information on this recipe is out there.
Wilhelmina
These are so easy and yummy! This is one to keep in the recipe box!
Cheryl S
These will be a big hit at Bunco!! Thanks
Julia
I just wish I had a plate of those crispy wontons in front of me right now but they disappear quickly, don’t they?!
Ashley F
Cream cheese wontons are my favorite! I am dying over how good these were with the pepper jack cheese! Yum!
Trang
Yummy! I love cheese wontons!
Kristy
Also another one of my favorites for this is rotessarie chicken, cream cheese and buffalo sauce. I put them in air fryer. Or use blue cheese crumbles instead of cream cheese.
Beth Pierce
Fantastic ideas! Thanks for sharing them!