These are deep-fried wontons filled with ground chicken, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, and a little heat from red pepper flakes. The whole thing — filling, folding, and frying — takes 35 minutes, and you only dirty one wok and a sheet of paper towels.
The short version of why this works
Two things matter here. First, you cook the filling in the wok before it goes into the wrappers. Raw ground chicken inside a sealed wonton can stay undercooked at the center even when the wrapper looks golden — pre-cooking guarantees the chicken hits the safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) before it ever touches the frying oil. Second, oil temperature. At around 370°F the wrapper crisps fast without soaking up oil, and the sealed edges hold. Drop below 350°F and the wontons turn greasy and may split before they brown. A kitchen thermometer removes the guesswork entirely.
Smart swaps
- Peanut butter: Smooth works better than chunky here — chunky can tear the wrapper when you seal it. Any natural or commercial smooth peanut butter is fine.
- Red pepper flakes: The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of minced or finely chopped red pepper flakes, which is on the spicy side. Cut it to 1 teaspoon if you want mild heat, or swap in a teaspoon of green Thai curry paste stirred into the filling off the heat.
- Wonton wrappers: Square and round wrappers both work. If yours are large (about 4 inches), use 8 and treat them all as the ravioli-style sandwich — easier to seal than scrunching oversized wrappers.
- Vegetable oil: Any neutral high-smoke-point oil works — canola, sunflower, or peanut oil. Avoid olive oil for deep-frying.
If something goes sideways
- Wontons burst open in the oil: The seal wasn’t tight enough, or the filling was still warm when you wrapped. Let the filling cool fully and press the moistened edges firmly together — run a fingernail along the seam.
- Filling is watery and the wrappers go soggy before frying: Ground chicken releases moisture as it cools. If the mixture looks wet, drain it briefly in a fine-mesh strainer or blot with a paper towel before filling the wrappers.
- Wontons stick together in the oil: Slide them in one at a time and don’t crowd the wok. Fry in batches of three or four maximum. They stick when they touch before the crust sets.
- Wrapper is brown but filling tastes bland: Peanut butter mutes salt. Taste the cooked filling before you wrap — add a small splash more soy sauce or a squeeze of lime if it needs it. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish.
- Oil temperature drops sharply after adding wontons: The wok is too small or the batch too large. Use a wide wok or a deep saucepan and keep batches small so the oil recovers quickly between additions.
Keeping and reheating
Cooked wontons keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container, but the wrapper softens overnight. Reheat them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes per side, or in an air fryer at 375°F for about 4 minutes — both methods bring back most of the crunch. Avoid the microwave; it steams them soft. Uncooked assembled wontons freeze well on a parchment-lined tray for 1 hour, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Fry them straight from frozen at 370°F, adding an extra 1–2 minutes to the cook time, and confirm the filling reaches 165°F (74°C) before serving.
Crunchy Deep-Fried Peanut Chicken Wontons
Ingredients
8 ounces ground chicken (minced chicken)
3 tablespoons carrots - shredded
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic - finely chopped
2 teaspoons lime juice- 3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 sprigs green onions (scallions or green shallots)
1 ½ teaspoons sugar (white sugar)- 2 tablespoons green onions (scallions or green shallots) - finely chopped
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes - minced or finely chopped
16 small wonton wrappers
3 tablespoons vegetable oil - for frying
Instructions
- Heat a wok over high heat, then add 2 tablespoons of oil. Stir fry the garlic, green onion and shallots briefly, then add the chicken and stir-fry until it is almost cooked through. Stir in everything else except the wonton wrappers, then take the wok off the heat and let the filling cool.
- Divide the cooled mixture between the wonton wrappers, then wet the sides of the wrappers and scrunch up the tops. Alternatively, you can divide the filling between 8 wonton wrappers, wet the outside edges and apply the other 8 on top. Hence, you have ravioli shapes, or put 8 diamond ones on top of 8 square ones (so rotate them a bit) and fold the pointy edges around each other. You can choose whichever wonton shapes you prefer.
- Heat a couple of inches of oil to about 370 degrees Fahrenheit and deep-fry a few wontons at a time, sliding them into the oil carefully so it doesn’t spatter. Deep-fry them until golden, then drain on paper towels.
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I use ground turkey instead of ground chicken?
Yes — ground turkey works as a direct swap at the same weight. The safe internal temperature is the same: 165°F (74°C). Lean ground turkey can be slightly drier than chicken, so don’t skip the peanut butter, which keeps the filling moist.
How do I know the oil is hot enough without a thermometer?
Drop a small scrap of wonton wrapper into the oil — it should sizzle immediately and float to the surface within a second or two. If it sinks and sits there, the oil is too cool. A thermometer is more reliable if you have one.
My wonton wrappers keep tearing when I fold them. What am I doing wrong?
Wonton wrappers dry out fast once the package is open. Keep unused wrappers covered with a slightly damp paper towel while you work. If they’ve already dried at the edges, they’ll crack — there’s no fixing that batch, so work quickly.
Can I make the filling a day ahead?
Yes, and it actually helps. Cooked filling stored overnight in the fridge is fully cold and firm, which makes it easier to portion and seal into wrappers without tearing. Store it covered and use it within 24 hours.
What dipping sauce works best with these?
Sweet chili sauce is the most practical option — it’s widely available, requires no preparation, and the sweetness cuts through the peanut butter. Plum sauce or a simple mix of soy sauce and a few drops of rice vinegar also work well.
More mince recipes to try
- Crispy Pork Dumpling Delight
- Chicken Macadamia Sausage Rolls
- Colombian Chicken Cheese Empanadas
- Savory Pork Noodle Stir-Fry
