Pork and Shrimp Wontons

5 from 34 votes

My grandmother's recipe for Pork and Shrimp Wontons are THE BEST. They're juicy and springy and go perfect with my homemade chili oil!

Prep Time1

Cook Time10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: wontons

Author: Chris Joe

Ingredients

1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb shrimp chopped to a rough paste
3 scallions chopped
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 inch ginger chopped
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp msg optional
wonton wrappers I used the brand 'Dynasty'

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add the shrimp to a large mixing bowl with ground pork, then add garlic, ginger, scallions, white pepper, kosher salt, sugar, MSG, sesame oil, shaoxing wine, and light soy sauce. Mix in one direction until the filling is combined and you can see streaks along the edge of your bowl. Pick up the filling and throw it down a couple times (Da Xian) to create additional springiness and texture in the filling.
Optional but recommended step: At this point, you can fry a little bit of the filling to taste test and adjust seasoning to your preference if needed! I always do this before folding my wontons - there is nothing worse than spending the time to fold to find out the seasoning is off to your preference.
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. Plate in a bowl and serve with chili oil, fresh scallions, and sesame seeds!

Notes

I like 80% lean ground pork. The 20% of fat will help with the flavor and juiciness of the wontons! You can use any ratio of meat to fat that you prefer. If you cannot or do not want to eat pork, you can substitute with another ground meat, such as ground turkey or ground chicken.

Use any size raw shrimp; it doesn’t matter the size because you’ll be roughly chopping the shrimp into a paste that will go inside the dumpling filling.

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.

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 Pork and Shrimp 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).

Da Xian 打馅 - My grandma's SECRET to her Pork and Shrimp Wontons is a technique called Da Xian 打馅! Da Xian 打馅 basically involves slamming down the mixed filling a couple times - my grandma swore this helped provide springiness and additional texture! (Added bonus - it's a great stress reliever!)

Taste Your Filling BEFORE Wrapping - The worst thing to do is fold all of your Pork and Shrimp 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) or 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 Pork and Shrimp Wonton filling, it's time to wrap your wontons!

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 Pork and Shrimp 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 Pork and Shrimp 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 wonton so they do not stick together.
Place the baking sheet with the wontons in the freezer for AT LEAST one hour.
After one hour, you'll notice your wontons are frozen. You can now transfer them into a freezer safe bag (they can be laid on top of each other / touch each and will not freeze together).
To cook the wontons from frozen, drop the frozen wontons into boiling water. Adjust the heat to a low boil and cook for 5-7 minutes until the wontons float.

Nutrition