Jackfruit "Crab" Rangoons

There is something about a lazy movie night that always has me craving Chinese. We have been enjoying a lot of appetizers for dinner recently, but this has quickly become my favorite. I had not realized how long it had been since I was able to enjoy a crab rangoon! Growing up, they were a staple in our take-out order. However, since becoming a vegetarian so many years ago, I have not been able to munch on these savory treats. The jackfruit “crab” and cream cheese filling in these rangoons is so soft and flaky. It will trick vegans and meat eaters alike!

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Level: Medium

Ingredients: 

1-2 cups Vegan Cream Cheese (room temperature)

20 oz Jackfruit, Canned

2 cups Vegetable Broth

1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

1 tsp. Sesame Oil

2 Scallions (ends only, thinly sliced)

Vegan Wonton Wrappers (~22 wrappers)

Sweet Chili Sauce

If frying  on the stove top: 

3-4 cups Vegetable Oil or another frying oil

Directions: 

Make Vegan Cream Cheese:

• Note: I used 5 tbsp of coconut oil in my cream cheese recipe used for these rangoons. This makes for a  thicker, creamier cream cheese that will hold up to cooking better. 
• Note: It’s also okay if the cream cheese does not chill for a full 8 hrs as we need it room temperature!

Cook Jackfruit:

1. Drain canned jackfruit. 
2. Add jackfruit and vegetable broth to a medium-sized sauce pan. Cook over low - medium heat for about 2 hours or until jackfruit is soft and easy to pull apart.
3. Once jackfruit is soft, drain off the vegetable broth (can be saved for something later!)
4. In a small bowl, use two forks to shred jackfruit until it has been pulled apart into small strips.

Prepare Rangoons: 

1. In a small bowl, mix together cooked jackfruit, cream cheese, old bay, sesame oil and scallions. Note: I only used 1 cup of cream cheese as I like a “meaty”, flaky “crab” rangoon. If you prefer a creamier texture, add 2 cups of cream cheese!
2. Separate wonton wrappers and lay them on a flat surface. 
3. Spoon ~2 tsp of the jackfruit mixture into the center of each wonton wrapper.
4. Use a finger to gently wet the edges of the wonton wrapper.
5. Fold each corner of the wonton wrapper into the center, covering the jackfruit mixture. Pinch to seal.
6. Repeat until all of the jackfruit mixture is wrapped into the wonton wrappers.

Air fry:

1. Preheat Air Fryer to 360℉. 
2. Spray the tops/bottoms of each rangoon with cooking spray. 
3. Once preheated, place the rangoons into the air fryer basket. Make sure that rangoons are not touching and that you have room to flip them. 
4. Fry rangoons for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown and edges are crisp.

If you don’t have an air fryer:

1. On the stove top, heat 3-4 cups of vegetable oil in a 3-quart frying pan over medium-high heat. The oil should be about ¼ inch deep. *Note: the oil gets hot pretty quickly (about 5 minutes). Cover the frying pan to ensure you don’t get burned by the hot oil!*
2. While oil is heating, line a baking tray with paper towels. Place cooling trays on top of the lined baking sheet for the rangoons to cool once fried. 
3. Test the temperature of oil by gently dropping one rangoon into the frying pan. If the rangoon immediately begins to sizzle, the oil is ready. 
4. Add the rangoons into the pan until full. Make sure that rangoons are not touching and that you have room to flip them. 
5. Fry rangoons for about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. The rangoons are done when they have a dark golden color.
6. Place cooked jackfruit rangoons on the cooling tray.
7. Repeat until all the rangoons are cooked.

Serve warm with sweet chili sauce and enjoy!