Homemade Chicken and Cilantro Wontons (VIDEO)

Ingredients for Chicken and Cilantro Wontons

This Chicken and Cilantro Wontons is one of my favorite wonton recipes! I love them boiled and lightly tossed in homemade Chinese Chili Oil or in Wonton Noodle Soup.

Wonton Wrappers

• When I make Chicken and Cilantro Wontons at home, I’m usually making a large batch of 40+ wontons – making my own wrappers would not be time conducive.
• I also to use store bought wrappers because they’re so consistent in shape and texture.
• I like the brand ‘Dynasty’ – I find these in the refrigerated section of my local Chinese grocery (99 Ranch). I’m including a photo of the label below so you can look for them the next time you go grocery shopping! I grew up with my grandma using store bought wonton wrappers, so I don’t believe that homemade wrappers are always better.

Other Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken – This recipe calls for ground chicken and is a copycat of the frozen Chicken and Cilantro wontons, but you can easily swap proteins for pork, shrimp, or even turkey!
• 2 oz bean thread noodle (about 2 oz dry) – Bean thread noodles are made from mung bean; they’re almost flavorless and take on the flavors of all of the other ingredients. They come dry and you will need to rehydrate them in water.
  • I get these from my local Chinese grocery – I usually purchase the “Kimbo” brand. If you can’t find them, you can use rice vermicelli noodles.
• 2 cups cabbage chopped
• 3 scallions minced
• 1 cup cilantro chopped
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce – You will need “light” or “all-purpose” soy sauce. Do NOT use dark soy sauce, as it is too intense for a fried rice recipe.
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine – This is one of my favorite Chinese pantry staples. It adds a depth of flavor and complexity to the sauce and truly one of my “secret ingredients” for making restaurant quality Chinese food. If you can’t find it, you can substitute with mirin, sherry, or even chicken broth.
• 4 cloves garlic grated
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp MSG – I like to use MSG in moderation as a flavor enhancer. This is always optional. You can also substitute with chicken bouillon powder.
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper – I love white pepper and it’s used very commonly in Chinese cooking (another “secret ingredient” for cooking restaurant quality Chinese food at home). It has an earthier, less spicy flavor than black pepper. I recommend having some in your pantry but if you can’t find it, you can always substitute with black pepper.
• 1/2 tbsp corn starch
• wonton wrappers I used the brand ‘Dynasty’

Chicken and Cilantro Wontons: Recipe Instructions

1. Rehydrate the Bean Thread Noodles

The first step in making Chicken and Cilantro Wontons is making the filling!

First, you will want to rehydrate the bean thread noodles. Kimbo is the most recognizable brand for bean thread noodles and I find it readily available at my local Asian grocery. See image below for reference:

Place a 2 oz piece of bean thread noodle (they will come in blocks) in a bowl. Add boiling water and let sit; it will need to rehydrate for about 10 minutes or until the noodles are soft and pliable.

Drain the rehydrated noodles of any excess water – this is very important! I will usually squeeze them dry with a paper towel after. Water in your Chicken and Cilantro Wontons filling is the enemy – any excess water will make your wontons soggy.

Use scissors or a knife to cut the rehydrated bean thread noodles into small pieces, 1/2″ long (does not need to be exact).

2. Prepare the Cabbage

Chop the cabbage into small pieces (similar to the bean thread noodles).

In a large bowl, add 1 tsp of kosher salt to the dry cabbage and let sit for 15 minutes – this is to expel any excess water from the cabbage.

After 15 minutes, squeeze the cabbage to ring out any additional water. This is a very important step you don’t want to skip! If you don’t remove the excess water from the cabbage, the filling and wontons will turn out soggy and waterlogged. Once the cabbage is prepared, set it aside.

3. Mix the Wonton Filling

Chop scallions and cilantro. Set aside.

In the same large bowl as the cabbage, add ground chicken, bean thread noodle, scallions, cilantro, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, grated garlic, sugar, salt, optional MSG, and white pepper. Mix in one direction until you see streaks on the bowl (refer to image below).

OPTIONAL – slam the filling down a few times to add extra springiness to your Chicken and Cilantro Wontons filling. My grandma taught me this trick – she called this technique Da Xian 打馅 and swore that it made every wonton filling taste better!

5. Boil the Wontons

My favorite way to cook Chicken and Cilantro Wontons is to cook them in boiling water for 3-4 minutes (5-7 minutes if cooking from frozen) until they float.

Bring water in a pot to a boil. Add the wontons and then bring the water back to boiling before lowering to medium high heat. You want the wontons to cook in a HIGH simmer. This helps the filling cook all the way through but not break the wonton wrappers.

Serve the Chicken and Cilantro Wontons with freshly chopped scallions and chili oil, or serve them in a Wonton Noodle Soup and enjoy!