Chili Oil Wontons

Chili Oil Wontons is an easy and delicious dish consisting of cooked wonton dumplings enrobed in aromatic and spicy chili oil. A quick appetizer or anytime snack!

What are wontons?

Wontons 雲吞 (also wantan or wuntun) are a boiled or fried Chinese dumpling with a savory meat filling.

They are typically served in hot broth or soup (with or without thin egg noodles), or deep-fried.

Are wontons the same as Chinese dumplings?

Wontons are a type of Chinese dumpling, made with a thin, delicate square dough wrapper, also known as wonton skin.

The wonton skin dough wrapper consists of flour, egg, water, salt and lye water, which gives it its signature chewy texture. Cornstarch is usually dusted in between each wrapper to prevent it from sticking.

Chinese dumplings 餃子 (jiao zi) are made with a circular, round dough wrapper that is slightly thicker.

When wontons are boiled, the skin becomes very smooth and silky, with wrinkles.

What type of filling is used in wontons? 

Ground pork and shrimp is the most common wonton filling, however there are many variations using other proteins and vegetables.

Why you'll love this recipe

This recipe for Chili Oil Wontons is:

Super easy to make: boil the wonton dumplings, and drizzle with your favorite chili oil -- it's that easy!

Delicious: it's a simple recipe that spice lovers will love! 

Versatile: make the wontons and add them to a soup, or add the chili oil to dumplings.

Enjoyable anytime: eat it as a snack, appetizer, or pair with scallion oil noodles for a light meal.

Ingredients you'll need

• homemade wontons: or you can use frozen store-bought wontons; or you can use Chinese dumplings
• chili oil: you can use homemade or store-bought; use one that you enjoy; I like to use one with Sichuan peppercorns, one of the predominant ingredients in mala spice

Garnish: (optional)

• green onions: chopped
• cilantro: chopped
• sesame seeds

You can find these ingredients at your local supermarket or Asian grocery stores.

How to make

Bring a pot of water up to a boil.

Add wontons to the water and cook until they float to the surface, about 4-5 minutes (if cooking from fresh), or  6-8 minutes (if cooking from frozen).

Remove wontons with a slotted spoon into a bowl.

Drizzle chili oil over the the cooked wontons while warm.

Add chopped green onions and cilantro, and sesame seeds if desired.

Mix well and serve immediately.

How to serve

Serve the chili oil wontons while still hot.

Add the wontons to Malaysian-style kolo mee, dan dan noodles, cumin lamb noodles, or scallion oil noodles to make it a more substantial meal.

Serve the chili wontons in noodle soup for a spicy version of wonton noodle soup.

If enjoying the wontons as a snack, pair with green onion pancakes, spring rolls, or Taiwanese popcorn chicken.

How to store & reheat

You can store cooked Chili Oil Wontons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat chili oil-covered wontons in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, until warmed through.

Expert tips & substitutions

You can change it up and use Chinese pork dumplings to make chili oil dumplings instead.

Feel free to double or triple the recipe to make more servings.

If you can't tolerate too much spice or heat, use less chili oil. Temper the heat with a little sesame oil in its place.

For more tangy flavor, add a touch of Chinese black vinegar (chinkiang vinegar).

Add garlic chips if you like a little additional crunch. 

Other delicious recipes you may like

Homemade Wontons

Vegetable and Turkey Dumplings with Black Vinegar Dipping Sauce

Chinese Dan Dan Noodles

Sesame Biang Biang Noodles (Kudai Mian)

Spicy Cumin Lamb Noodles

Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Chili Oil Wontons

Chili Oil Wontons is an easy and delicious dish consisting of cooked wonton dumplings enrobed in aromatic and spicy chili oil. A quick appetizer or anytime snack!

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Asian, Cantonese, Chinese

Servings: 2

Calories: 258kcal

Author: Michelle

For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.

Ingredients

• 8-10 homemade wontons
• 2 tablespoon chili oil increase or decrease the amount to your taste
• 1 stalk green onion chopped
• few sprigs cilantro chopped

Flavored chili oil variation:

• 2 tablespoon chili oil or to taste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or to taste
• 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• ½ tsp granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• sesame seeds

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water up to a boil.
• Add wontons to the water and cook until they float to the surface, about 4-5 minutes (if cooking from fresh), or  6-8 minutes (if cooking from frozen).
• Remove wontons with a slotted spoon into a bowl.
• Drizzle chili oil over the the cooked wontons while warm.
• Add chopped green onions and cilantro, if desired.
• Mix well and serve immediately.

Flavored chili oil variation:

• Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and drizzle over the cooked wonton dumplings.

Notes

You can adjust the chili oil/sauce to your taste. Add less chili oil if you prefer less spice. 

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 373mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.

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