Fried Vegan Mushroom Wontons with Sweet Chili Sauce
One bite of these crispy wontons dipped in sweet chilli sauce will have you wondering why you’ve never made them before. Vegan mushroom wontons boast crisp, golden pastry and an umami-loaded filling that has to be savoured to be believed.
Am I the only one who instantly gravitates toward appetizers whenever I eat Chinese food? I adore plain soy sauce fried chow mein and egg-fried rice as much as the next person, but there’s something special about those deep-fried, crispy treats that I can’t resist. Not long ago, I would have listed vegetable spring rolls as my go-to choice, but after tasting these vegan mushroom wontons, I think that has to change …
The filling for these delicacies is super simple. It’s just sweetly delicate and aromatic shallots sautéed in oil along with garlic, ginger, and a mix of umami-packed mushrooms. With a dash of rich soy sauce, a sprinkle of white pepper, and some shredded napa cabbage, you’ve got yourself a delicious mixture to fill the wontons. And trust me when I say that once the little parcels come out of the fryer as crispy, golden-brown, bubbly, and crunchy treats, you’ll barely be able to keep your hands off them.
If you can get hold of frozen wonton wrappers, this recipe is actually ready in less than 30 minutes. Plus, (and this is a big plus!) you can make them in advance and freeze them, ready for those nights you just don’t feel like cooking at all. Or eat them straight away … with the most moreish sweet chilli dipping sauce that’s glossy, fiery, and honey-rich.
Are Fried Mushroom Wontons Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, and Nut Free?
These fried mushroom wontons aren’t just delicious — they’re also vegan and nut-free. You can also adapt the recipe to be soy-free!
It’s important to note that most commercially made wonton wrappers aren’t vegan, as they typically contain egg white powder. It’s possible to find vegan-friendly brands, although they vary depending on the store and country. I recommend searching your local Asian supermarket (or ordering online) and checking the ingredient lists. Otherwise, you can always make homemade wonton wrappers from a few essential ingredients.
To make the recipe soy-free, simply swap out the soy sauce for coconut aminos, a healthy alternative made from fermented coconut palm sap. It’s slightly sweeter than soy sauce — you’ll have to use less sugar in the sweet chili dipping sauce — but generally makes for an excellent option.
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to make gluten-free mushroom wontons without making your gluten-free wonton wrappers. As far as I’m aware, they aren’t widely available to buy.
How to Fold Wontons Wrappers Easily
There are a couple of different ways to fold wontons. In this recipe, I’ve stuck to one easy method illustrated in the step-by-step photos below.
- Lay the wonton wrapper on a clean, flat surface and place a small portion of filling in the middle. Point one of the corners towards you, as shown in picture 1.
- Dip your finger into the flour-water mixture and spread it over the two sides closest to you.
- Fold the wonton wrapper in half over the stuffing. It will make a triangle.
- Add a dot of flour-water paste to the bottom right-hand corner of the triangle, and fold the two corners into each other so they slightly overlap (see picture 4).
And that’s it! Although it can be slightly intimidating if you’re inexperienced in wrapping wontons, take each step slowly, and you’ll be a master in no time! The most important thing is to ensure all the sides are sealed shut, so no oil leaks into the wontons during frying.
How to Make the Best Fried Mushroom Wontons?
- Use a mix of mushrooms. This recipe is really adaptable, but I highly recommend using an exotic mix of mushrooms. Fresh shiitake mushrooms and oyster mushrooms are the optimum choices, but if you have limited options, the classic cremini tastes scrumptious too.
- Turn up the aromatics. Shallots, ginger, and garlic really add a lot of depth to this recipe. The stuffing is very simple, so these aromatics really shine. It’s important to not skimp or omit any of these components, although shallots can be replaced with the white part of green onions.
- About the napa cabbage … It’s a nice way to bulk out these wontons. I love the taste of napa cabbage, but if you can’t find any locally available, just add lettuce (yes, really!), or replace it with more umami-packed mushrooms.
- Cover those wonton wrappers. It might take you a little bit of time to stuff and fold all of the wontons. While you’re working, make sure to cover any wonton wrappers you’re not using, in addition to the wontons you’ve already finished, with a clean cloth. If they’re not covered, they’ll get dry and hard.
- Fry in batches. As always when deep frying, it’s important that you don’t crowd the pan. If too many things are in the pan at once, it’s dangerous, and the wontons won’t cook evenly. Depending on the size of your pan, fry 3-5 wontons at once.
What is the Difference between Wontons and Dumplings?
Dumplings is an umbrella term that can refer to a number of different dishes across various cuisines. Consider Nepali and Tibetan momos, Japanese gyoza, Polish pierogi, British Norfolk dumplings, and Chinese wontons, amongst many others. There’s no standard definition of a dumpling, but it generally consists of some kind of simple dough usually wrapped around a savoury (or less commonly, sweet) filling, then steamed or fried.
To put it in simple terms: all wontons are dumplings. Not all dumplings are wontons! It’s correct to call wontons dumplings, but they’re not synonymous.
This Recipe Is …
- Better than takeout
- Vegan, Vegetarian and Nut-Free
- Crispy and crunchy but not greasy
- Bursting with umami flavour
- Perfect for parties or potlucks
- Easily adaptable
Crispy Fried Mushroom Wontons Recipe
Ingredients
- 25 square vegan wonton wrappers
- 1 litre oil for deep-frying
For the Mushroom Filling
- ½ teaspoon oil
- 40 g shallot minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Inch ginger minced
- 300 g mushrooms minced
- 60 g napa cabbage minced
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- white pepper to taste
- sea salt to taste
For the Water-Flour Paste
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon water
For the Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce
- 50 ml water
- 1 red birds eye chilli finely minced
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon cornflour cornstarch in the U.S.
- 1 teaspoon water to dilute the cornflour
Instructions
Make the Mushroom Wonton Stuffing
- In a frying pan, heat ½ teaspoon oil over low-medium heat. Once the oil is hot, sweat off 40 g shallot, 2 cloves garlic, and 1 Inch ginger (all minced), for around 30 seconds.
- Next, add 300 g mushrooms (minced). Let the the mushrooms gently cook until the water releases, and they start to caramelise. At this point, add 60 g napa cabbage (minced) and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Season with white pepper and sea salt to taste. Stir to mix well, then turn off the heat and set aside.
Make the Flour-Water Paste
- In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon water. Whisk together until smooth. We'll use this to seal the wontons later.
Fold the Wontons
- Take one of 25 square vegan wonton wrappers and lay on a clean, flat surface. Place a small portion of the mushroom filling in the centre. Point one corner of the wonton wrapper towards you (so it's making the shape of a diamond, not a square).
- Dip your fingers into the flour-water mixture and spread it over the two sides closest to you.
- Fold the wonton wrapper in half over the stuffing, so it makes a triangle. Add a dot of the flour-water paste to the bottom right-hand corner of the triangle, and fold the two corners into each other, so they slightly overlap. Check the post above for the image instructions.
- Tip: While folding the wontons, be sure to cover any wrappers you haven't used yet, in addition to the wontons you have already filled and folded, with a cloth to avoid drying out.
Fry the Wontons
- In a large wok, saucepan, or deep-fat fryer, heat 1 litre oil at 200℃ (392℉). Once the oil comes to temperature, carefully add a few wontons into the oil and fry until bubbly and golden-brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain any excess grease on kitchen paper. Repeat until all wontons are fried.
Make Sweet Chilli Sauce
- In a small saucepan over low heat, add 50 ml water, 1 red birds eye chilli (minced), 1 clove garlic (minced), 1 lime, juiced, 1 pinch sea salt, 2 tablespoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. Simmer the ingredients and bring the sauce to a gentle boil.
- In a small bowl, stir ½ teaspoon cornflour and 1 teaspoon water until smooth.
- Carefully whisk the cornflour-water paste into the sauce, to thicken. Continue to cook for one to two minutes, until thickened to your desired consistency.
- Serve the mushroom wontons with sweet chilli sauce and optionally, garnish with spring onions.
Equipment
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions:
Wonton wrappers typically contain egg white powder, meaning that they are not suitable for vegans. However, you can buy vegan wonton wrappers in specialist stores or make your own.
Wontons can be steamed, boiled, or fried. This crispy mushroom wonton recipe is deep-fried for extra crunch.
Vegetarian wontons are a tasty appetizer stuffed full of nutritious vegetables. However, this wonton recipe is deep-fried. To make it healthier, you can air-fry or bake these wontons.
Vegan wontons can be made from many different ingredients. This recipe is made from vegan wonton wrappers stuffed with umami-rich mushroom and napa cabbage filling.
Yummy food. I shall endeavor to make this recipe soon. Thanks
Let me know if you have any questions when you make the vegan mushroom wontons, Richard!
Love the tip about flour water paste! Now they seal perfectly.
The sweet chili sauce sounds amazing! I think it would be something my husband would love and I’d love the wontons, thanks for sharing this. I will save this recipe.
The sweet chili sauce is so moreish! It pairs well with so many recipes, but my favorite thing to serve it with is definitely mushroom wontons. I ate so many! I’m sure you and your husband would love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any questions and update me.
These sound amazing! Not only are we vegetarian, but I love mushrooms. And a dipping sauce recipe too! Definitely giving this a try.
Thank you so much! Let me know how it goes — it’s a hard call, but these wontons are definitely one of my favorite vegan mushroom recipes.
Wow! This wonton dish looks amazingly delicious and very yummy! The crispy texture makes it so enticing and very tempting! An instant favorite by many!
Thank you Gervin!
These vegan mushroom wontons are a taste sensation! Crispy and flavorful, they pair perfectly with the sweet chili sauce. The recipe’s simplicity and clear instructions make it a winner. A delightful dish that’s sure to impress both vegans and non-vegans. Delish!
Thanks so much for the wonderful review!
Oh wow, this vegan mushroom wonton is sooo good! It can impress anyone.
This is so yummy, I don’t think this is something I tried before but would love to try it. Love your pictures of this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
I really appreciate that! Please let me know how it goes.
There’s just something about those crispy, deep-fried appetizers that always seem to draw me in whenever I’m eating Chinese food. And these vegan mushroom wontons sound absolutely delicious! The combination of shallots, garlic, ginger, and umami-packed mushrooms is making my mouth water, and the fact that they’re ready in less than 30 minutes is a huge plus. I can’t wait to try them out with that sweet chilli dipping sauce – it sounds like the perfect finishing touch to these little parcels of goodness!
Ooohhhh…this is a very intriguing mushroom recipe! I will take you up on your word that it is better than takeaway and give it a shot!
I specialise in better-than-takeout recipes and this is no exception! Please let me know how it goes.
This looks like an awesome recipe! I’m sure my husband will enjoy this meal.