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These chicken wontons are inspired by my childhood trips to Hong Kong. Growing up in Taiwan, we visited Hong Kong often, and these juicy and aromatic wontons are inspired by our favorite Cantonese-style flavors.
The filling is extra juicy, with sesame seeds for a toasted, nutty touch and gochujang for added depth. The thin, airy wonton wrappers make every bite light and delicious. Paired with a customizable sesame sauce, spicy or not, these family-friendly wontons are guaranteed to be a hit!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
These chicken wontons are made with a highly-requested ground chicken filling, making them a perfect alternative to the traditional pork and shrimp wontons I grew up with. The recipe has three flavorful components: the filling, the sauce, and fresh garnishes.
For the chicken wonton filling:
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- Ground dark meat chicken: Or a mixture of white and dark meat. Dark meat keeps the filling moist and flavorful.
- Aromatics: Fresh garlic and fresh ginger add a depth of flavor and aroma to the filling.
- Soy sauce: Adds saltiness and umami flavor.
- Gochujang paste: Adds subtle spice and umami flavor.
- Substitution: Or make your own with my Paleo gochujang recipe.
- Toasted sesame oil: Adds a hint of nuttiness and authentic Chinese flavor.
- Toasted black sesame seeds: Added to the filling as a garnish for extra sesame flavor and a slight crunch.
- Scallions: Green onions add a burst of freshness and flavor.
- Starch: Used as a binder
- Egg white (beaten): Keeps the filling moist.
- Wonton wrappers
- Substitution: Try my homemade gluten-free wonton wrappers.
For the spicy wonton sauce:
- Chinese sesame paste: Make sure it’s Chinese sesame paste, which is made with roasted sesame seeds.
- Substitution: Tahini works too, but avoid raw tahini as it can taste bitter.
- Oyster sauce: Thickens the sauce and adds deep umami flavor.
- Substitution: You could also use Taiwanese thick soy sauce paste, which is a sweet and salty soy sauce thickened with flour.
- Unsalted peanut butter: For creaminess and nutty undertones.
- Toasted sesame oil
- Coarse sea salt
- Coconut brown sugar for a touch of sweetness to balance the flavors.
- Room temperature water: To thin the sauce to the desired consistency.
- Garlic chili sauce and Cilantro
How to make chicken wontons
Making homemade wontons takes a bit of effort, but there’s no need to be intimidated! We’ll simply mix the filling, fold the wontons, boil, and serve. With a hands-on recipe like wontons, I always like to make extra and freeze them for an easy meal later!
Make the wonton filling
- Mix filling ingredients: Combine all filling ingredients and stir in one direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) for 3-4 minutes until it becomes a sticky and tacky paste.
How to fold wontons
- Wrap the wontons: Set up a workstation with wrappers, filling, and a small bowl of water. Place a scant tablespoon of the chicken mixture on a wrapper. Dab the edges with water, fold it into a triangle, and press firmly to remove any air bubbles. Bring the two points of the triangle together, dab with water, and pinch them tightly to seal. Repeat until finished. See our How To Fold Wontons article for more shapes and styles!
How to cook wontons
- Boil the wontons: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium before adding wontons one at a time, careful not to overfill the pot. Use a chopstick to stir the water—not the wontons themselves. This creates a whirlpool and keeps them from sticking or breaking.
- Brief soak: Shocking your wontons very briefly in a cold bath after boiling will give the wonton skin a smooth, shiny finish with an extra bouncy texture (QQ!).
Garnish and serve
- Make the sesame sauce: In a small bowl, combine sesame paste, oyster sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, salt, and sugar (if using). Add water gradually until smooth and pourable.
- Plating: Spread a few tablespoons of sesame sauce on a plate, add cooked wontons on top, and drizzle with chili garlic sauce. Garnish with extra sesame seeds and fresh cilantro.
Easy variations
- Add to Soup Broth: For a delicious twist, swap the wontons in my wonton egg drop soup recipe with these chicken wontons, using the same flavorful broth to create a comforting wonton soup.
- Swap the Sauce: For classic flavors, pair with my traditional wonton sauce made with fresh garlic, tangy vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and coconut aminos.
Tip
Make-ahead and freezer tips
Homemade chicken wontons are a labor of love, and I always love making a large batch to have frozen wontons on hand. Here are some tips for making them ahead of time and freezing them:
- Make ahead (for frozen wontons): Follow the recipe to prep and wrap your wontons. Flash freeze them (uncooked) on a baking sheet until solid, then store in freezer-safe bags. They freeze well for months and you can cook them from frozen.
What to eat with wontons
Homemade chicken wontons are great as a party food or an appetizer for any meal. They also add a fun and yummy twist to soups! Here are some pairing ideas for wontons:
- Party appetizers: Rice paper egg rolls with vegetables and shrimp and rice paper dumplings with shredded veggies are gluten-free versions of classic Chinese appetizers. My Chinese chicken wings are so crispy and delicious—a real crowd favorite at parties!
- Hot soups: Wontons and soup are a classic combo. Add them to my chicken hot and sour soup, this simple yet fragrant bok choy soup, or this Napa cabbage egg drop soup. Top them with my air fryer wonton chips for added crunch!
Umami Tips
- Use dark meat or a mix of dark and white meat in the filling for a moist texture and rich flavor.
- Avoid overfilling: Wrap each wonton with a little less than 1 tablespoon of filling so they don’t burst during cooking.
- Seal well: Use water to seal the edges of the wrappers and be sure to squeeze out air pockets to prevent them from breaking apart while cooking.
- Boil in gently simmering water (not boiling water) until the wontons float to the top. Stir the water (not the wontons) with a chopstick to keep them from sticking to the pot.
- Cook them in batches as adding too many wontons to the pot can cause breakage or sticking. I cook them 10 at a time.
- Quickly rinse in cold water after boiling the wontons. This gives the wonton skin an extra bouncy mouthfeel and a smooth, shiny finish.
More wonton recipes you might like
If you’re a fan of wontons like I am, here are some must-try recipes with unique fillings that are all bursting with flavor. Give them a go!
- Shrimp Wontons: Juicy shrimp wontons served with a homemade spicy dipping sauce.
- Beef Wontons: Pan-fried to crispy perfection, these are filled with a Sichuan-inspired ground beef mix.
- Shrimp Wonton Soup: A Cantonese-style wonton soup, just like the locals enjoy.
- Wonton Filling Recipe: A popular post featuring a variety of wonton fillings, including a vegetarian option!
Recipe Card
Chicken wonton recipe with (spicy) sesame sauce
These Hong Kong style chicken wontons are inspired by Cantonese cuisine. Juicy, aromatic, and paired with a homemade sesame sauce.
Ingredients
Chicken wonton:
- ¾ lb ground dark meat chicken or a mix of dark and white meat
- 0.3 oz garlic finely minced (1 large clove)
- 0.5 oz ginger finely minced (1 thumb-sized piece)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp gochujang paste or paleo gochujang
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 whole scallions sliced
- 1 tbsp toasted black sesame seeds plus more for garnish
- 2 tbsp starch
- 1 whole egg white beaten
- 32 piece wonton wrappers or gluten-free wonton wrappers
Sesame sauce:
- 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste or tahini—avoid raw tahini
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce or Taiwanese thick soy sauce paste
- 2 tsp unsalted peanut butter
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
- ½ tsp coconut brown sugar optional
- 3-4 tbsp room temperature water to thin the sauce
Garnish
- Chili garlic sauce
- Cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Chicken wonton filling: In a large bowl, mix the chicken, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, gochujang, sesame oil, scallions, black sesame seeds, starch, and egg white. Stir the mixture in one direction for 3-4 minutes until it becomes sticky and tacky. This texture helps the filling bind together.
- Wrap the wontons: Set up a workstation with wonton wrappers, filling, and a small bowl of water. Place a little less than 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Dab the edges with water, fold the wrapper into a triangle, and press to remove any air bubbles. Bring the two points of the triangle together, dab with water, and seal them tightly. Repeat until all the wontons are wrapped.
- Boil wontons: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Add the wontons one at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. About 10 wontons fit well in a medium-sized pot. Use chopsticks or a wooden spoon to gently swirl the water along the edges of the pot to prevent the wontons from sticking to the bottom. Cook for 5-6 minutes, even though they’ll float to the top sooner.
- For extra bouncy (QQ) wontons, briefly transfer the cooked wontons to a bowl of cold water for a few seconds. Drain well and move them to a serving plate.
- To make the sesame sauce, combine the sesame paste, oyster sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, salt, and brown sugar (if using) in a bowl. Add the water gradually, one tablespoon at a time, stirring until the sauce reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
- To plate, spread a few tablespoons of the sesame sauce on a plate using the back of a spoon. Add the cooked wontons on top, drizzle with chili garlic sauce, and garnish with extra black sesame seeds and fresh cilantro leaves. Serve the wontons warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Wonton filling: Use either ground dark meat chicken or a mix ratio of dark and white meat to keep the wonton filling moist.
- Texture: The chicken filling will feel slightly wet and moist, but the flavor is AMAZING!
- Keeping boiled wontons warm: You can keep the wontons warm by placing them in an unheated oven temporarily.
- Why soak wontons in cold water after boiling: This quick soak firms up the wonton skins, giving them a bouncier, toothsome texture (QQ).
- Make-ahead & Freeze: Fold the wontons in advance if making from scratch. Flash freeze them until solid, then store in freezer-safe bags. They freeze well for months and you can cook them from frozen.
- Storage: Store cooked wontons in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave on medium power, loosely covered, for 1 minute or until warmed through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1wonton, Calories: 59kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 115mg, Potassium: 75mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 3IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 9mg, Iron: 0.5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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