Chicken and Cilantro Wontons (Video)

Chicken and cilantro wontons on a plate with chili oil.

5 from 4 votes

Chicken and Cilantro Wontons (Video)

I LOVE the frozen Chicken and Cilantro Wontons I see at the supermarket but they never have quite enough filling for me! They're the small mini wontons but I've recreated a version that you can make at home quite easily! They're so full of flavor, cook quickly, and the best part is, they freeze perfectly! You can keep these in the freezer to pull out for an easy meal ANY TIME!

Prep Time1

Cook Time5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: wontons

Author: Chris Joe

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken
2 oz bean thread noodle (about 2 oz dry)
2 cups cabbage chopped
3 scallions minced
1 cup cilantro chopped
3 tbsp light soy sauce low sodium
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
4 cloves garlic grated
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp MSG can sub chicken powder/accent/etc
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tbsp corn starch
1 package wonton wrappers Ensure the package comes with about 50

Instructions

Rehydrate bean thread noodles by placing them in a bowl and soaking them in hot water until soft and drain & pat dry to remove as much water as possible. Cut into small sections.
Chop cabbage and add about 1 tsp of salt directly to the dry cabbage and mix thoroughly. Let rest for 15 minutes until water is pulled out and squeeze out as much water from the cabbage as possible.
In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, bean thread noodle, drained cabbage, scallions, cilantro, soy sauce, shaoxing wine, grated garlic, sugar, salt, MSG, and white pepper.
To make your wonton, place 1/2 tbsp of filling in the center of your wrapper. Wet two adjacent sides of your wrapper with water, then fold over into a triangle and seal, making sure all air escapes from the inside of the wrapper. Then wet the two long corners of your wonton and connect them together to form a tortellini-esque shape.
Cook for 3-4 minutes on a high simmer (medium high) until the dumplings float. You do not want a rapid boil, otherwise the dumplings wrappers may break.
Serve with chili oil, fresh scallions, and cilantro!

Notes

KEY TIPS

Da Xian 打馅

This is optional but my grandma swore this was the secret to the best wonton filling - slam the filling down a few times to add extra springiness to your Chicken and Cilantro Wonton filling. She called this technique Da Xian 打馅 and swore that it made every wonton filling taste better!

Dry Filling is the Secret to Great Wontons

Making sure that the filling is as "dry" as possible, and removing any excess water is the most important key to making great wontons. Filling ingredients like cabbage and rehydrated bean thread noodles contain a lot of water, so making sure these ingredients are as dry as possible is the key to making sure your wontons don't turn out soggy and break apart!

Taste Your Filling BEFORE Wrapping

The worst thing to do is fold all of your Chicken and Cilantro Wontons to discover after the fact that you did not season the filling properly! That is why I recommend you taste your filling BEFORE you start filling. Once your filling has been mixed, take 1 tbsp and

Cook it in the microwave for 30 sec - 1 minute (depending on your microwave)

Pan fry it on the stove for 1 minute

Taste your cooked filling and adjust any seasoning, if needed. Once you're happy with the seasoning of your Chicken and Cilantro Wonton filling, it's time to wrap your wontons!

It's OK to Use Store Bought Wrappers!

I grew up watching my grandma using store bought wonton wrappers, so I firmly believe it's OK to use store bought 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).

How to Freeze Extra Wontons

I never make wontons for just one meal - I always like to make at least 40 and freeze them for the future. However, improper freezing can lead to your Chicken and Cilantro Wontons sticking together - when you cook wontons that are stuck together, they usually break. Therefore, follow my steps to freeze these correctly so you can enjoy them in the future:

Once you've folded your Chicken and Cilantro Wontons, take a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.

Lay the wontons on the baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure there is room in between each Chicken and Cilantro Wonton so they do not stick together.

Place the baking sheet with the Chicken and Cilantro Wontons in the freezer for AT LEAST one hour.

After one hour, your wontons should be frozen. You can now transfer them into a freezer safe bag or airtight container (they can be laid on top of each other/touch each other and will not stick together).

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