How to Make Wontons

Wontons are great for people like me who often want a quick and tasty meal with minimal effort. Preparing and folding them takes a bit of time and practice but, once you make a batch and freeze them, whipping up a wonton soup for lunch or dinner literally takes 5 minutes or less!






What you'll need:

• 1 package pre-made wonton skins (1 package typically has about 80 skins)
• 1 small dish (e.g. soy sauce dish) of clean water
• 1 baking pan lined with wax paper
• Wonton filling (see below for ingredients)

Wonton Filling (makes approx. 60 - 70 wontons):

• 1/2 lb lean (>85%) ground pork
• 1/4 lb uncooked shrimp, shelled, washed, and chopped into small (1/4") chunks
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp chopped scallion
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp canola oil

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the filling and mix well.

There are two shapes that wontons can be folded into - the first I call a "nurse's cap" and the second I call a "bishop's hat". Both are explained in the following photos.

If you have skins left over, don't fret, just seal them in a Ziplock bag and put them in the freezer! The next time you are ready to make another batch of wontons, the skins will defrost easily in the refrigerator or on the countertop.

Folding Wontons into a Nurse's Cap Shape

Place a small amount of filling (no more than 1 tsp, less if you are a wonton-folding newbie) onto the center of the wonton skin. Dip your fingertip into the water and moisten the left, top and right edges of the skin. 

Fold the wonton skin in half, and squeeze all the edges together to seal it.

Dip your fingertip into the water again and moisten the lower right corner of the rectangle. Fold the top of the rectangle over. 

Bring the lower left corner of the rectangle to meet the lower right corner of the rectangle which you just moistened, and squeeze them together to make them stick.

Folding Wontons into a Bishop's Hat Shape

Place a small amount of filling (no more than 1 tsp, less if you are a wonton-folding newbie) onto the center of the wonton skin. Dip your finger into the water and moisten the top two edges of the diamond.

Fold the wonton skin in half diagonally,  and squeeze all the edges together to seal it.

Dip your finger into the water again and moisten the lower right corner of the triangle. Fold the top of the triangle over as shown.

Bring the lower left corner of the triangle to meet the lower right corner which you just moistened, and squeeze them together to make them stick.

Place the wontons in a single layer on the wax paper-lined baking pan. Once all the wontons are made, place the entire pan into the freezer for approximately 30 minutes, or until the wontons have hardened. Then put them in a single layer in Ziploc freezer bags for storage.

How to Cook Wontons

There is no need to defrost the wontons before cooking. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Dump frozen wontons in (serving size will vary depending on the person but, I find that 10 wontons makes a good meal for me). Once the water returns to a boil, cook until the wontons float to the top (for 2 servings, or about 20 wontons, this could be as little as 1 - 2 minutes!) Add 1/2 cup of cold water to the pot. As soon as the water returns to a boil, remove from heat, the wontons are ready to serve!

If desired, you can add other ingredients to the pot while cooking. Some common choices include baby bok choy, Napa cabbage, watercress, (just about any leafy green vegetable will work); other ideas include sliced shiitake mushrooms, tofu, shrimp - basically, your imagination is the limit!

In a serving bowl, put 1 - 2 Tbsp of soy sauce, a couple drops of sesame oil, and a pinch of chopped scallions, adjust as needed to taste. Place cooked wontons into the bowl, and add some of the water from the boiling pot as well to make a soup.