Beef Wontons Recipe (a #FabFam Family Favorite!)

My stuffed wontons feature seasoned ground beef wrapped in wonton skins and fried until golden crisp, yielding an irresistible savory bite.

I still remember standing on a stool next to my mom as we folded tiny parcels, laughing and spilling filling. Those fried treats became my go-to and over the years I adjusted the filling until it matched what our family wanted.

This Beef Wontons Recipe is a #FabFam favorite, the kind of thing that makes you look up How To Fry Wonton Wrappers and then forget the instructions because the smell takes over. Using ground beef and crisp wonton wrappers keeps them meaty and crunchy.

If you search Wonton Wrapper Recipes Ground Beef you’ll see why we never get enough.

Ingredients

• Ground beef: rich in protein and iron, adds savory depth, can be fatty if overused
• Wonton wrappers: mostly carbs, give crispy or chewy textures when fried or boiled
• Green onions: mild onion flavor, adds freshness and fiber, brightens heavy meat
• Garlic: pungent, boosts flavor and health benefits, small amount goes a long way
• Fresh ginger: warm spicy zing, aids digestion and cuts richness
• Soy sauce: salty umami, brings savory depth, a bit sweet sometimes
• Sesame oil: strong nutty aroma, used sparingly to finish and enrich
• Egg and cornstarch: binders that add moisture and help fillings hold shape

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 pound ground beef 80/20
• 1 package wonton wrappers about 50 to 60
• 3 green onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce optional
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Vegetable or canola oil about 2 cups

How to Make this

1. Finely mince the 3 green onions (reserve a few for garnish), mince 2 cloves garlic and grate 1 tablespoon fresh ginger.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high, add the 1 pound ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned; season lightly with salt and black pepper. Drain off most of the fat but leave a little for flavor.

3. Add the garlic, ginger and most of the chopped green onions to the beef and cook 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce if using, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon sugar.

4. Mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with a teaspoon of water, stir into the pan to bind and thicken slightly, then remove the filling from heat and let it cool until just warm.

5. Beat 1 large egg in a small bowl; reserve about 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg for sealing the wrappers, and stir the rest into the cooled filling to help it hold together. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

6. Lay out a wonton wrapper, keep the rest covered with a damp towel so they do not dry out. Put about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of filling in the center (don’t overfill), brush the edges with the reserved egg, fold into a triangle or bring corners together and press firmly to seal, pushing out any air. Repeat until wrappers are used.

7. Pour about 2 cups vegetable or canola oil into a heavy skillet to give roughly 1 to
1.5 inches depth and heat to about 350 F. If you don’t have a thermometer drop a small piece of wrapper in; it should sizzle and brown in about 10 seconds.

8. Fry wontons in batches so they do not touch, about 1 to 2 minutes per side or until golden and crispy. Turn once with a slotted spoon so they brown evenly.

9. Drain on paper towels, garnish with reserved green onions and serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce. Tip: you can freeze assembled wontons on a tray then bag them; fry from frozen adding 30 to 60 seconds to the cooking time.

Equipment Needed

1. Cutting board and chef’s knife for mincing the green onions and garlic, and trimming if needed
2. Microplane or fine grater for that 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
3. Large skillet for browning the 1 pound ground beef
4. Deep heavy skillet or small Dutch oven for frying (about 1 to 1.5 in oil depth)
5. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to break up the beef and stir in sauces
6. Small bowl and fork for beating the egg and reserving a tablespoon to seal wrappers
7. Measuring spoons (tsp and tbsp) and a teaspoon for mixing cornstarch with water
8. Slotted spoon or spider plus tongs to turn and lift wontons from hot oil
9. Paper towels and a plate or wire rack to drain and cool fried wontons (keep a damp towel handy to cover wrappers so they dont dry out)

FAQ

Beef Wontons Recipe (a #FabFam Family Favorite!) Substitutions and Variations

• Ground beef: swap for ground pork (juicier), or ground turkey (use 85-90% and add 1 tbsp oil if it seems too lean), or try plant-based crumbles for a vegetarian twist.
• Wonton wrappers: use gyoza/dumpling wrappers or square egg-roll wrappers (cut into smaller squares), rice paper will work too if you steam instead of fry.
• Soy sauce: use tamari for gluten-free, or coconut aminos for soy-free — note coconut aminos are milder so you might want a little extra or a pinch of salt.
• Fresh ginger: powdered ground ginger in a pinch — about 1/4 tsp ground for 1 tbsp fresh grated, or just bump up the garlic a tad if you have no ginger.

Pro Tips

1) Drain most of the beef fat, but leave about a tablespoon for flavor, then pat the meat a bit with paper towel so the filling isnt greasy and the wontons fry crisp.

2) Let the filling cool until just warm before stirring in the egg, otherwise the egg will scramble and make the texture weird.

3) Use a small spoonful of filling, brush the wrapper edge lightly with egg, press out all the air and seal firmly—overfilling is the main cause of leaks.

4) Fry in small batches at steady heat, test oil with a scrap of wrapper (it should sizzle and brown in ~10 seconds), and drain finished wontons on a cooling rack or paper towel briefly so they stay crunchy.