Plump and juicy, packed with diced shrimp and ground pork! Our Shrimp and Pork Wontons are a tried and true family classic. Best served in wonton soup.
You know how much we love wontons.
Every month I make a big batch and freeze them! Think 150-200 wontons.
They come in handy all the time. Last minute breakfast and lunch and dinner. We add it to noodle soup for make wonton mein. We serve them boiled in chicken broth for a nourishing bowl of wonton soup.
And we enjoy it, "dry style," which means boiled and eaten hot, just as is...maybe with a little chili oil, green onions, and sesame seeds on top. Or tossed with a simple sauce like sesame sauce or spicy sauce.
Basically, make a ton of wontons. Eat some the day of. And freeze the rest, at least 100!
Wonton Wrappers / Wonton Skins
Good wrappers / skins are KEY to good wontons! Get fresh wrappers if you can.
In Honolulu, we buy fresh wonton wrappers from Yat Tung Chow Noodle Factory in Chinatown (150 N King Street) and Young's Noodle Factory in Kalihi (1635 Liliha Street).
Make sure to get the square wrappers and ask for the thinnest wrappers they have. The thin wrappers are usually called, "Hong Kong wonton (or wuntun) pi."
If you can't find fresh wrappers, get good quality frozen ones. You can find them in the freezer section at all Asian markets. I like the Twin Marquis brand. Look for their square wonton wrappers labeled, "Hong Kong Style."
Ingredients for Shrimp and Pork Wontons
Here's what you'll need:
- Shrimp - peeled and chopped
- Ground pork - fatty pork preferred
- Green onions
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- White pepper
- Sesame oil
- Oyster sauce
- Square wonton wrappers
Step by Step Directions
Let's get cooking!
Mix the filling.
Combine the shrimp, ground pork, and green onions in a large mixing bowl. Use a spatula or your hands (I like to wear gloves) and mix until evenly combined
Then add the cornstarch, salt, white pepper, sesame oil, and oyster sauce to the bowl. Mix well.
Let rest.
Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes to let everything combine.
Prep folding station.
In the meantime prep your wonton folding station.
On a table, lay out a stack of the wonton wrappers, a small bowl of water, and a plate/board to put all the wrapped wontons.
Remove the filling mixture from the refrigerator.
Wrap wontons.
Now it's time to wrap the wontons! Put a small spoonful (about 1-2 teaspoons) of the filling in the center of the wrapper.
Dip your finger in the water dish and moisten the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half to form a triangle.
Dip your finger in the water dish again and moisten one of the bottom corners. Bring the two bottom corners together and press to seal.
You can also reference this how to fold wontons post for photos and more details.
Cook wontons.
Set aside the wontons you plan to eat right away. Freeze the rest (more on that in the next section below).
To cook: just boil the wontons for three minutes and then drain. You can serve it dry style with a dipping sauce or use it for wonton soup!
How To Freeze Wontons
Freeze the rest of the wontons that you don't plan to eat right away.
Here's how: place the wontons in a single layer on a tray/plate. Make sure the wontons do not touch eat other.
Stick that tray in the fridge for 30 minutes (the wontons should be partially frozen at that point).
Remove the wontons from the tray and place them all in a big ziptop bag. Store it in the freezer and pull out as many wontons you need each time.
Top Tip
Do a test batch to make sure the filling is "right."
Once you're done mixing the filling, take a spoonful (or several 😉 to make small patties. Pan fry the mini patties on medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side.
This way you can test to make sure the filling is "right" before you wrap a lot of wontons!
I like doing this because if you find the filling not salty/flavorful enough, you can add seasonings. And if it's too salty/flavorful, then you can add more shrimp or pork to balance it out.
Bonus is that the mini patties are super delicious ^_^
FAQ
If you plan to eat them the same day, you can keep them in the fridge for up to 3 hours. Place them on a plate (make sure the wontons don't touch each other) and cover with plastic wrap.
Do not keep wrapped wontons in the fridge overnight. This is because the moisture from the filling will make the wrappers soggy. If you plan to eat the wontons more than 3 hours after wrapping, please freeze the wontons.
Frozen wontons are good for up to 2 months in the freezer. This is why I like to make really big batches of wontons and freezing them. Perfect for last minute meals, and everyone loves it!
Here's our recipe for juicy pork wontons. You can use those pork wontons to make wontons with sesame sauce or make spicy wontons.
Here's how to fold wontons!
This is a classic and easy wonton soup recipe that we make all the time.
If you're in the mood for dumplings, try Pork and Chive Dumplings or Pork and Cabbage Dumplings.
If you run out of wonton wrappers but still have extra wonton filling left, make pan fried patties.
Form the leftover filling into patties, any size you like. I like smaller 2-inch round patties. Pan fry until golden on both sides.
My son actually enjoys eating the patties more than the wontons! It's so good with a big bowl of rice and chicken broth on the side.
Shrimp and Pork Wontons Recipe
Shrimp and Pork Wontons
Ingredients
- 2 pounds shrimp peeled and chopped
- 2 pounds ground pork fatty pork preferred
- 1 bunch green onions finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons white pepper
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 150 pieces square wonton wrappers
Instructions
- Combine the shrimp, ground pork, and green onions in a large mixing bowl. Use a spatula or your hands (I like to wear gloves) and mix until evenly combined
- Then add the cornstarch, salt, white pepper, sesame oil, and oyster sauce to the bowl. Mix well.
- Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes to let everything combine.
- In the meantime prep your wonton folding station. On a table, lay out a stack of the wonton wrappers, a small bowl of water, and a plate/board to put all the wrapped wontons.
- Remove the filling mixture from the refrigerator. Now it's time to wrap the wontons! Put a small spoonful (about 1-2 teaspoons) of the filling in the center of the wrapper.
- Dip your finger in the water dish and moisten the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half to form a triangle. Dip your finger in the water dish again and moisten one of the bottom corners. Bring the two bottom corners together and press to seal.You can also reference this how to fold wontons post for photos and more details.
- Set aside the wontons you plan to eat right away. Freeze the rest. Here's how: place the wontons in a single layer on a tray/plate. Stick that tray in the fridge for 30 minutes (the wontons should be partially frozen at that point). Remove the wontons from the tray and place them all in a big ziptop bag. Store it in the freezer and pull out as many wontons you need each time.
- To cook: just boil the wontons for three minutes and then drain. You can serve it dry style with a dipping sauce or use it for wonton soup!
Kehau
can we fry this recipe?
Kathy
Yes, definitely can deep fry! 🙂
Kathy