A recipe for Sichuan Spicy Wonton in Chili Oil (紅油抄手)! Homemade pork wontons are boiled, then served with an aromatic red chili oil sauce.
This Sichuan Spicy Wonton in Chili Oil (紅油抄手, Hong You Chao Shou) brings together such a fantastic combination of flavors with tender pork wontons served in a spicy and aromatic red oil sauce.
After forming the pork wontons, they are boiled until tender, then tossed with a little of the cooking water and a chili oil sauce with Chinkiang vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, and green onion.
Serve the wontons immediately after cooking and tossing with the sauce. If desired, garnish with some thinly sliced green onions and fresh cilantro leaves.
A Few Sichuan Spicy Wonton Tips
If using frozen wonton wrappers, defrost in the refrigerator (unopened) overnight.
After bringing together the pork filling, cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
The dumplings are formed into a crossed-hand shape. To do this, place a small spoonful of the rested pork filling in the center of a square wrapper. Lightly wet the edges with water and fold the wrapper over the filling to form a triangle.
Seal the edges well (make sure to push out any air), then lightly wet the two corners on the long side of the triangle with water. Bring the two corners together to create the crossed hand shape and press well to seal.
Gently boil the wontons in batches to not overcrowd the pot and keep them from sticking. Cook for about a minute after they rise to the surface. For me, this usually ends up being 4-5 minutes in total.
I added just the chili oil to the sauce to keep the spice level a little lower. To bump up the heat, include some of the chili flakes from the oil.
Uncooked dumplings can easily be frozen for future use. Place the filled wontons in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Boil straight from the freezer. A minute or two may need to be added to the cooking time.
Want to add some greens? The Sichuan Spicy Wonton in Chili Oil is delicious paired with bok choy.
Notable Ingredients
Shaoxing Wine is a fermented rice wine originally from Shaoxing in eastern China. I have been able to find it at larger grocery stores and markets specializing in Chinese ingredients. Sherry can be used as a substitution.
Chili Oil (Hot Oil) is a condiment made from infusing a neutral, vegetable-based oil (soybean, canola, etc) with chili peppers and aromatics. It is available in some larger grocery stores and markets with Chinese ingredients. For best results, make a homemade oil. The Woks of Life has a guide for how to make chili oil.
Chinkiang Vinegar (Zhenjiang, 镇江香醋) is a glutinous rice and wheat bran-based vinegar from Zhenjiang that is aged until it becomes dark brown to black resulting in a rich flavor with a hint of sweetness. I have been able to find it in markets with Chinese ingredients and more recently even in larger grocery stores.
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This recipe was originally posted in June 2013 and updated in October 2022.
Sichuan Spicy Wonton in Chili Oil Recipe
Adapted from The Food of Asia
Sichuan Spicy Wonton in Chili Oil
Ingredients
Pork Wontons:
- 50 square wonton wrappers
- 1 pound (450 grams) ground pork
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine Chinese rice wine
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
Chili Sauce:
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) chili oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) Chinkiang vinegar black vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
Garnish:
- Thinly sliced green onion
- Torn cilantro leaves
Instructions
To make the pork wontons:
- In a large bowl, add the pork, egg, Shaoxing wine, ginger, salt, white pepper, and finely chopped green onion.
- Mix together until well combined and the texture is similar to a paste. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Place the wonton wrappers on a work surface and add water to a small bowl. Cover the wrappers not currently in use with a towel. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Place a small spoonful of filling in the center of a wrapper. Fold in half over the filling, pressing the edges together to seal.
- Dip your finger in the water and wet the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling and seal the edges well, pushing out any excess air and forming a triangle.
- Brush the two corners on the long side of the triangle with water and bring together to cross over each other. Push together to seal well. Place the formed dumpling on the parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add filled wontons, a few at a time to not overcrowd, and boil until the wrappers are translucent and the pork filling is cooked through, about a minute after they rise to the surface (around 5 minutes in all).
- Use a large slotted spoon to remove from the water. Repeat with remaining wontons. Reserve the cooking water.
To form the chili sauce:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the chili oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, and green onion.
To serve:
- Divide the cooked dumplings among serving bowls.
- Drizzle about equal parts of the hot cooking water and chili sauce over the cooked wontons. Toss to combine.
- Serve immediately with cilantro and thinly sliced green onions.
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