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Buffalo chicken rangoons or buffalo chicken wontons are a spicy, buffalo chicken variation of the American-Chinese classic, crab rangoon. It’s essentially buffalo chicken dip, stuffed into a traditional wonton and deep-fried!
Buffalo chicken rangoons are the perfect app for a party or big game. Serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing on the side if you want, however, the cream cheese serves as the perfect buffer to the hot buffalo sauce.
I love this recipe because it’s savory, crunchy, and cheesy. The buffalo filling is to die for and they’re really easy to make. While you can get creative with a few different rangoon folding methods, a simple triangle rangoon is easy to master and easy to eat in two bites.
Buffalo chicken isn’t only great in a dip, it also makes a creamy macaroni and cheese.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Boneless chicken breast: you can also use rotisserie chicken as a quick shortcut. Boiling the chicken is always going to make for the easiest shredding.
- Wonton wraps: wonton wraps are small square flat dough wraps made with egg, flour, and water. Eggroll wraps are essentially the same dough but cut larger for eggrolls. Nasoya is likely the most readily available brand in stores (they’re vegan), however Hong Hong and Dynasty wonton wraps are the best options.
- Cream cheese: classic Philadelphia cream cheese is my preferred brand. Be sure to let it warm on the counter so it’s easier to mix. You can use regular or 1/3 fat.
- Buffalo sauce: I like Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo sauce. You can also make homemade buffalo by melting a few tablespoons of butter in regular hot sauce.
- Green onions: you can alternatively use a teaspoon of onion powder.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1.
Add chicken to a medium saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower to a simmer. Simmer for 15-17 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through to a 165°F internal temp. Remove and shred using a fork until fine.
Step 2.
Combine the shredded chicken, cream cheese, buffalo sauce, green onion, and optional garlic powder in a bowl. Mix well until fully combined and creamy.
Step 3.
Place a wonton wrap on a flat surface and spoon a heaping teaspoon of buffalo chicken filling in the center. Using your finger, wet all four edges of the wonton with water.
Step 4.
Fold the wonton over into a triangle (image 4a), pinching the edges to seal the rangoon together around the perimeter (image 4b).
Step 5.
Fill a saucepan with 2 inches of oil and place on high heat until roughly 360°F. Place 5-6 rangoons in the oil at a time, and fry until golden. About 20-30 seconds per rangoon, flipping if necessary to ensure even cooking. They will cook fast so be sure to monitor. The edges will burn quickly and they will brown after being removed from the oil. Remove with a spider strainer or metal slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain and cool.
Expert Tips
- Ensure you have enough oil to fully submerge the rangoons. I use a smaller saucepan and fry in small batches to cut down on oil volume. They will likely float and benefit from flipping however it’s not critical.
- Use two forks to initially shred the chicken. You can use your hands to break larger strands down into fine pieces. You can also quickly shred chicken using your stand mixer’s standard attachment.
- Once your oil reaches 360°F, turn the heat down to low to maintain the temp. This prevents the oil from continuing to heat further.
- You can reuse your oil multiple times if you properly strain it. Let the oil cool and the sediment will settle to the bottom. Fine strain back into its original container for multiple uses.
- Placing the filling in the fridge for 30 minutes before frying stiffens the cheese and improves the final texture.
Make Ahead and Freeze Rangoons
You can make rangoons ahead of time and freeze raw/unfried rangoons. Take them out of the freezer and let them thaw/soften on the counter for 5-10 minutes before frying. They should cook at the same rate as freshly made or room-temperature rangoons.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Enjoy this recipe? If you made this recipe, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!
Buffalo Chicken Rangoons
Ingredients
- 1 boneless chicken breast, fully cooked and shredded
- 12 ounce package wonton wraps
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce, not hot sauce
- 2 minced green onions, white portion only
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
- Vegetable/canola/peanut oil for frying, 24-48 ounces depending on volume and pot size
Instructions
- Add chicken to a medium saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower to a simmer. Simmer for 15-17 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through to a 165°F internal temp. Remove and shred using a fork until fine.
- Combine the shredded chicken, cream cheese, buffalo sauce, green onion, and optional garlic powder in a bowl. Mix well until fully combined and creamy.
- Place a wonton wrap on a flat surface and spoon a heaping teaspoon of buffalo chicken filling in the center. Using your finger, wet all four edges of the wonton with water and fold it over into a triangle, pinching the edges to seal the rangoon together.
- Fill a saucepan with 2 inches of oil and place on high heat until roughly 360°F. Place 5-6 rangoons in the oil at a time, and fry until golden. About 20-30 seconds per rangoon, flipping if necessary to ensure even cooking. They will cook fast so be sure to monitor. The edges will burn quickly and they will brown after being removed from the oil.
- Remove with a spider strainer or metal slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain and cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! I took them to a party, and everyone asked me for the recipe. I will definitely make them again and again I bought cooked chicken only because it was easier for me.
What is the measurement if I use a 12.5 can chunk chicken breast?
you’re looking for roughly two cups of chicken in shredded form. I don’t have a can on hand but if 12.5 ounces is close that’s probably fine.
I made there tonight and the entire family could not get enough of them.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I forgot to mention that I used egg roll wraps instead of the wonton wraps. Not sure if that changes the name or not but they were great!
I love the idea! I would love to know how long to cook these in an air fryer!
I’ve never tried so you’ll have to experiment and let me know.
What other sauce can be used instead of Buffalo -not hot- sauce ?
I think regular hot sauce would be too intense. Buffalo sauce is the way to go in my opinion. If you add melted butter to regular hot sauce, it makes it buffalo sauce BTW. If you want it hotter, add less butter.
Any idea how well they cook in an air fryer?
I’ve never used one before so I’m not sure. Sorry Michelle.