Guys, Keto Crab Rangoons exist now, and I don’t know whether to go up for a high five or apologize, because these may just be TOO good, if you know what I mean!
Crispy on the outside, creamy and fluffy on the inside – these delicious Keto Crab Rangoons are everything you’ve been missing from your fave Chinese takeout place!
Well now you can make Keto Crab Rangoons at home, and they are pretty easy to execute – not to mention guilt free! Unless you eat them all in one sitting and I am taking zero responsibility here because they are totally THAT GOOD and you have been warned.
Ok so I know you’re wondering HOW this is even possible, so I’ll give you the rundown. We’re starting with my Easy Keto Dough, which is my (better) variation of a classic mozzarella dough.
Then we’re taking a pretty classic crab rangoon mixture of cream cheese, onion, and crab meat. You can use the good stuff for great flavor and the least amount of carbs, but even the canned stuff will work here because let’s face it, Crab Rangoons aren’t really about fine dining.
I’d stay away from the imitation crab meat (even though true confessions time I prefer that sweet fake flavor in my crab Rangoons) because it’s loaded with sugar and starches and will significantly increase the carbs in these Keto Crab Rangoons if you use it.
So – you’re making the dough, making the filling, and then pressing out your lil balls of dough into about a 3 inch disc as shown.
Then about a tablespoon of filling goes down. Don’t overfill or they will burst and leak your filling out into the oil.
Then you fold it over and press it all the way around to seal and form a half moon, then gently add it to your hot oil.
Because of the mozzarella and psyllium in the dough, it holds together beautifully during frying.
Finally you take them out when they are golden brown and TRY YOUR ABSOLUTE HARDEST not to eat one immediately or suffer the painful consequences of lava-like cream cheese burn.
Give them a couple of minutes and then have at it – with the added bonus of being able to enjoy them with intact taste buds.
I’m going to make a bold statement and say that I actually enjoyed these Keto Crab Rangoons EVEN MORE than the traditional kind made with wonton skins.
I know. It sounds crazy. But hear me out…
The reason is that this dough gets nice and crispy on the outside, but also has a thin layer of soft chewiness that melts in your mouth along with the crab filling. It’s hard to describe, but it’s almost like the texture of a thin fresh yeast donut – but savory. If that even makes sense. 🤷🏼♀️
The end result is a little more toothsome and satisfying than a typical crab rangoon in my opinion.
Now you’re going to have to make these Keto Crab Rangoons yourselves to see what I mean – and then let us know what you think in the comments!!!
PrintKeto Crab Rangoons
- Total Time: 44 minutes
- Yield: 18 Rangoons (6 servings) 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
Crispy on the outside, creamy and fluffy on the inside – these delicious Keto Crab Rangoons are everything you’ve been missing from your fave Chinese takeout place! Low carb and gluten free!
Ingredients
- 1 batch Easy Keto Dough
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 6 ounces canned or fresh crab meat, cartilage removed
- 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated erythritol
- oil for frying (avocado, peanut, or vegetable if that’s all you’ve got)
Instructions
- Pour oil into a large saucepan to a depth of about 2 inches.
- Heat over medium-high heat until about 375 degrees, or hot enough for a tiny piece of bread or dough to sizzle and bubble immediately when dropped into it. This will take about 5-7 minutes – once it’s hot you can turn it to low to maintain the heat until you’re ready to start frying.
- While the oil is heating, combine the cream cheese, crab, onions, fish sauce, and erythritol in a small bowl and mix well.
- Divide the Easy Keto Dough into 18 balls of about 1 inch in size.
- Press one of the balls into a circle about 3 inches around, and place about a tablespoon of filling on one half of the circle.
- Fold the “naked” half over the filling, and press all the way around to seal the filling inside the dough completely so it won’t leak out during cooking.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Fry them about 3 at a time for 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown and puffed.
- Remove from the hot oil and place on a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool slightly.
- Serve hot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the oven for 10 minutes at 400, or in the microwave uncovered for 45 seconds to 1 minute.
Notes
Approximate net carbs per 3 Rangoons = 5g
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Category: keto appetizers
- Method: frying
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 Rangoons
- Calories: 488
- Fat: 36g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
Keywords: keto crab Rangoons, low carb crab Rangoons, keto appetizers
Susan says
What if you don’t have the fish sauce??
Mellissa Sevigny says
You can use soy sauce or coconut aminos as an alternative.
Kal says
I just love Crab Rangoons and can’t wait to try your recipe, Melissa. I’ve been craving them for quite some time. Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★
k says
I’ve made these several times to great acclaim!
★★★★★
RHONDA GIBSON says
I’ve made these before and they were truly swoon-worthy!
★★★★★
Leslie says
Has anyone used stevia instead of erythritol as a sweetener? I cannot use erythritol
sherry possey says
Can you make these in the air fryer?
★★★★★
Tracy says
I would love to know if you could also
Dawn Gaye says
I need to know this also.
Advice from Melissa would be so helpful!
Almost everyone (at least everyone I know 😉) has an air fryer now. Using a pump spray avocado oil liberally SHOULD work,,,,
Thanks in advance. The post seems to be a few years old and even these comments are well over a year. Maybe update with air fryer instructions?
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
I haven’t tried them in the air fryer but I will add that to my list so I can report back. Meanwhile if you try it before I get to it let us know!
Lara says
Made these subbing onion powder for the diced onion because I have family members with texture challenges… SOOOOOOO good! Thank you for another great recipe!
★★★★★
Jamie says
We had great success making these the first time, so delicious!, but the second and third time they fell apart in the fryer. The only thing that has changed is that we got a new deep fryer (can’t control the temperature) and are using beef tallow instead of lard, like we did the first time. And they are not over filled. Help, please.
★★★★★
Sarah says
Made these just now! Yet another fantastic recipe from Melissa. The recipe came together really fast and easy. *Note on crab my can said it would be 4.25 ounces when drained but when I measured it drained it was only 3 ounces … so be sure to weigh your crab just in case :) the crab issue is nothing against IBIH so nothing negative about this recipe! My family also enjoyed these and they are super picky about things I cook :P This is something I will be making again in the near future! Used a cast iron skillet for frying will try using my electric fryer next time to better regulate the oil temperature. Thanks Melissa!
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
So happy they were a hit with the entire family Sarah!
Lisa says
These were good, and a great splurge. My husband doesn’t each nut seafood so they were all mine. So I reheated some of them the next day in the air fryer, which worked really well.
I used xanthum gum in the dough because I wasn’t patient enough to wait for the husk powder. Dough was easy to make and work with, and the result was flavorful.
Recipe suggests making the dough into 18, 1” balls. I used a scooper to measure out dough and make 1” balls. I ended up w 32 1” balls. Once you press to a 3” disk, you can put about a teaspoon of crab filling in. That’s not much. The result was a bite-size rangoon and an excess of left over crab filling. :/ So if I make these again, I will double the size of each Rangoon.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for the feedback Lisa!
Karina Shecter says
Made these last night for dinner
So easy to make & I couldn’t stop eating them
Fantastic recipe!
Muchas Gracias
Lisa says
Ok, these were amazing! I had a couple of questions: How do you think these would do cooked in the oven rather than fried? Also, have you tried to use a mixer to blend the dough? I find that to be the most difficult part of this recipe, getting everything to blend evenly.
Thanks for a recipe I am sure to make over and over with all kinds of goodies inside.
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Have never tried baking them or using a mixer for the dough. If you experiment with either please do let us know how it turns out!
Lisa says
So I did a few things. I froze half the batch before cooking. I defrosted them in the fridge and then baked half and fried half. The baked ones were ok, a little dry. The fried ones were as good as when they were cooked fresh.
I also used shrimp in place of the crab. I boiled frozen shrimp and then blended up with the cream cheese in place of the crab. They were great.
Lastly, I did use the dough hook on my kitchen aid mixer, and it made making this a breeze (but more clean up).
Em says
The shrimp is a great idea, as crab is SO expensive. Did they really taste like crab Rangoon? Thanks for the idea ☺️
NelleG says
this is going to be one of favorite party dishes. Thank you so much for this recipe, we love it! I also plan on using the dough for empanadas, it is that good!
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
So happy to hear it!!!
Susan says
Wondered if you could make these ahead, refrigerate and fry them later. No more than 12-24 hours. Have your cookbook, love it and love you!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I haven’t experimented with that Susan but I suspect you can refrigerate or even freeze them and still have good results. Let us know if you try it!
Susan says
Thanks! Made these over the last couple of days. I LOVE my air fryer…but not so much for these. Wasn’t thrilled with the results. Tonight I fried them and GIRL, these rocked!!! Brown and crispy and Mellissa, I agree. I love Rangoons, but these were just like you said, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Thank you so very much!
Oh, and I very much think you can make these ahead, and fry them later. Not sure about freezing, I’ll let you know!
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for letting us know how these went in the air fryer, a lot of people have been asking so I really appreciate you posting your results! And I’m really glad you made a second attempt and fried them the real way so you know how good they really are!
Marion says
Do you buy shredded mozzarella or shred your own when making the easy keto dough?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I usually use the pre-shredded whole milk mozzarella for this!
Lisa says
Those look awesome!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Great idea, I think either of those would work just as well as the crab meat if not better!
Lynn says
I’m going to try this. I was wondering, since it’s just me, I would like to freeze the extras and reheat in the air fryer. Should I fry them before I freeze them or can I just freeze them uncooked.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Probably freeze them uncooked, but honestly I haven’t tried it so it’s hard to say.
Erin G says
Cannot wait to try this!! Thank you I love and miss 🦀 crab rangoon!!
Tina says
They look delicious!! Can you cook them in an air fryer?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Not sure, I’ve never used one – but if you try it let us know how it turns out!
Gail Yeatman says
Where is the keto dough recipe
Mellissa Sevigny says
It’s linked in the recipe and in the post. Just click the blue underlined letters that say Easy Keto Dough.
Becky C says
oMG! I love crab Rangoons and cannot wait to try these!
Thank you so very much Melissa for these and all that you do !
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yay! Let me know if you love them as much as we did! Mr. Hungry was just asking this morning when I’m going to make them again!