Chicken Pad Thai Wontons
The popular Thai noodle dish tucked into a crispy wonton…for dinner on the run! These tasty treats are bursting with flavor and make eating Pad Thai a lot of fun. The slightly spicy dipping sauce adds even more depth of flavor and makes these perfect for parties!
I’m a huge fan of portable foods. Dumplings, Wontons, Potstickers….you name it…I like things stuffed into little pouches. It’s like a little gift…for your mouth. Sometimes you never know what you’re gonna get, like a box of chocolates. But very rarely am I disappointed with whatever I’ve bitten into. That’s why I jumped at the chance to review Dumplings All Day Wong by Lee Anne Wong. A cookbook about….you guessed it….Dumplings. And all things Dumpling related.
Lee Anne is a native upstate New Yorker who wanted to be a fashion designer and, thankfully for all of us, ended up at The French Culinary Institute. She honed her skills at the famous Aquavit restaurant owned by Marcus Samuelsson and, after many more jobs in the culinary world, later appeared on Bravo’s hit series Top Chef in 2006. Many more television appearances and contributions followed….and then, of course, this book. This amazing book. That, to be honest, I was a little skeptical about. Really, how many ways could one do dumplings. I mean, really.
Well, she has turned the dumpling world on it’s ear with this book. There are infinite possibilities when it comes to these little pouches of heaven. She even goes into the different dough that is used, what makes a potsticker a potsticker and a wonton a wonton. How to fold (this was very helpful since I’m challenged in this area), tools and techniques, stocks, dipping sauces, condiments…the list….it goes on. She even gives an in-depth overview of the asian pantry which is super helpful because sometimes….you just don’t know what people are talking about. Wakame-what???
She shares several unique ways to fill your pockets with love…like these Chicken Pad Thai Wontons. They are amazing. Period. Again, skeptical as I was, I was excited to try my hand at some wonton making. And this was the perfect way to do it because I LOVE Pad Thai. And this was a great way to eat them…stuffed into a wonton and deep-fried??? Hell’s yeah. The filling is super easy to make and, I will be honest, the wonton stuffing session was a little long and tedious but I could see this being fun if you had some helpers. I would have enlisted some of my family but Katie was cleaning her room…which I didn’t dare EVER to interrupt and Landon’s 3. The dog and cats, well, fur. And my husband was occupying Landon.
Once the folding session was over, a quick dip in some hot oil and we were good to go. They are amazing and I can see all of you serving these at your next football party. Really, nobody will remember the terrible game if you serve these. I promise. Chicken Pad Thai Wontons for the win!!!! And if you want a really, totally epic game day spread serve your wontons along side some epically amazing tater tots, THESE grilled nachos and some spicy hot wings!
Get the Recipe: Chicken Pad Thai Wontons
Ingredients
- For the filling:
- 1 ounce rice stick noodles, rehydrated with hot water until al dente and drained
- 1 pound ground chicken breast
- 1 cup raw bean sprouts, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 cup minced scallion, white and green parts
- 3 tablespoons minced cilantro
- 3 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
- 1 large egg, scrambled
- 1 thai bird chile, seeded and minced, or 1/4 teaspoon ground dried chile
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 75 square wonton skins
- For the dipping sauce:
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Sriracha
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Oil for deep-frying
- chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- To make the filling, chop the rehydrated rice noodles into 1/2 inch pieces. Combine the chopped noodles in a bowl with the ground chicken, bean sprouts, scallion, minced cilantro, peanuts, garlic, ginger, scrambled egg and chile. Mix well until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, tamarind and fish sauce until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth. Add this sauce to the filling mixture and combine until well incorporated.
- Form the wontons using the beggar's purse fold. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each wonton skin. Fold the skin diagonally, eliminating any air in the middle around the filling. Gather and crimp the wonton skin from corner to conner, pressing to seat the wonton. Place on a lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the filling and skins are used. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients using a whisk, food processor or blender. Process until smooth and homogenous. Refrigerate until needed.
- Preheat a few inches of oil to 350 degrees. Carefully drop the wontons one by one into the hot oil. Frying in small batches and being sure not to overcrowd the oil. Cook the wontons for 2 minutes, until the filling is cooked and the exterior is golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining wontons until all are cooked, making sure the oil temperature returns to 350 degrees before frying the next batch. Serve immediately with the spicy peanut dipping sauce, topped with chopped cilantro.
- Tip: You can keep the wontons crisp and warm by spreading them on a baking sheet in a single layer and keeping them in a warm oven until ready to serve.
17 Comments on “Chicken Pad Thai Wontons”
This might be a silly question … but at the egg AND the chicken supposed to be cooked before mixing it all together? Can’t wait to take these to an appetizer party.
Not a silly question at all! The egg and chicken do need to be cooked before mixing it all together. I’ll go back and edit this in the instructions so it’s clear.
I love Pad Thai, but this is the first time I’ve seen it made in wontons. I’ll be making it soon. I really enjoy your blog, your recipes and instructions are so easy to follow and your photos are amazing! Thank you.
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the wontons….they’re pretty fabulous. 🙂
Lee Ann is brilliant!! That cookbook has been on my radar for a hot minute – wasn’t sure if I was going to buy it but, after reading this, I know a trip to B&N is in my immediate future! These look scrumptious!
SHOW STOPPER! These look amazing! Why don’t I own this cookbook? Oh, yea… Haven’t purchased it yet. I need to get on that RIGHT NOW!
Pad Thai inside wontons! That is the best combination ever!
Oh, I’ve got to check out that book! Love wontons and so do my kiddos…need to make this soon (the sauce looks awesome!!)
This sounds like such a fun recipe. I am crazy about both pad thai and crispy wontons. Win!
They look perfectly crispy!
My cousin and I were just talking about chicken pad thai the other day, I love it and I bit it’s even more amazing wrapped up in these wontons!
This looks incredibly delicious! What a great cook book!
Whoa! Amazing recipe and I think I will HAVE to buy that cookbook!
I definitely have to make this – Pad Thai is my favorite meal of all time 🙂 I order it every time I’m at a Thai restaurant. Love the wonton twist on it!
Whoa. Just WHOA. Those are AMAZING!
These are gorgeous!!!
My mom used to make dumplings from scratch when I was a kid. And I got to help her! So, they hold a soft spot in my heart. I love all Asian food. These looks amazing – that crispy outer shell! Oh my.