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.
Servings: 32 wontons
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!
Video
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
