Photos by Lindsey Johnson
Even though I love to cook, I have very little patience for tedious processes like folding wontons properly. Whenever I make wontons, I fold them in half and that's that. Done! Whenever my husband makes wontons, he takes the time to make sure they're all perfectly shaped and he gives me the side-eye over my lazy wontons, but I've discovered that lazy wontons have a purpose beyond my laziness.
Lazy wontons are the best wontons for baking!
Since they have an even surface and no nooks and crannies, they crisp up pretty evenly in the oven. I've tried baking other shapes of wontons and the ones that are folded in half work out the best by far. It's still a little tedious to prepare them, but the short time in the oven makes up for the longer prep time. If you've never made (lazy) wontons before, here's how you do it:
The filling for these Ginger-Mushroom Wontons is meaty, slightly sweet, and the ginger and white pepper give it a little kick. If you don't have white pepper on hand, don't go out and buy it -- a little freshly ground black pepper will do or just skip the pepper altogether. White pepper is spicier than black pepper, so you may want to start with just a pinch if you're not big on spicy foods and add more to taste.
You'll have leftover wonton wrappers, which is convenient because I just happen to have a dessert wonton recipe too — make it without the coconut caramel sauce and ice cream and all you'll need for that recipe is a ripe banana. I've also been known to chop up stray peanut butter cups and stuff them into wonton wrappers for baking because I'm resourceful like that. I'm pretty much the MacGyver of wontons.
If you're not going to use the leftover wonton wrappers right away, they also freeze well — keep them in the package they came in and tape it shut, then stick them in a small freezer bag before freezing.
Ingredients
Ginger-Mushroom Wontons
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil plus additional for spraying or brushing
- 1 pound white mushrooms diced
- 3 green onions thinly sliced (reserve 1 tablespoon for sauce)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper optional
- 30 wonton wrappers
Sesame Dipping Sauce
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, green onions, garlic, and ginger and cook until the mushrooms have released their juices and the liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the tamari, mirin, and white pepper and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Use an oil mister to spray a large baking sheet with oil (or line a baking sheet with parchment paper if you don't have a mister).
- Fill a small bowl with water. On a dry work surface, lay one wonton wrapper with a corner pointing towards you. Drop ¾ tablespoon of mushroom filling on the bottom half of the wrapper. Dip your finger in the water and brush the edges of the bottom half of the wrapper to dampen slightly. Fold the top half down onto the bottom half to form a triangle and press to seal. Place the finished wonton on the baking sheet and repeat until you've used all of the filling (you should have enough for 25-30).
- Spray or brush the tops of the wontons with additional oil and bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp. While the wontons are baking, whisk together all of the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the wontons with the sauce.
I love this recipe for lazy people like me! I also love baking because it's a healthier and lighter alternative. Great job!
Lazy wontons for the win! Do you have any suggestions for an alternative to mushrooms in the filling? Because for me mushrooms = mega yuck. But baked wontons = mega yum, so I'm in a pickle right now!
I've done crumbled tofu, chopped edamame (I pulse it a few times in the food processor), and cabbage in the past. Basically, if it fits in a tablespoon, you can put it in a wonton. 🙂
As easy as 1,2,3,4! I've always wanted to make wontons but I'm not sure where to get the wrappers in the UK. I think a trip to an asian supermarket is in order, although I know I'll come away with a trolley full! This recipe has got me scheduling in the trip! Thanks Stephanie
They sell them in the produce section at most grocery stores here in the US, but I'm sure an Asian supermarket would have them!
Ohh yuuuuum Kiersten, these look awesome! I've never made wontons before. Didn't realise it was so easy!
This is my kind of appetizer!!
yum! what a fun meal. i would never think to make wontons, but these look so good. love stepping out of the box a little. thanks for the awesome recipe!
These look amazing Kiersten! I can't use the wonton wrapper because they're made with eggs, but I bet a spring roll wrapper would work, especially if I double it up.
I'm going to try making these on Friday for a happy hour appetizer. I'll let you know how they turn out.
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Sort of related - I had this weird idea to put a zucchini stick and a cheese string in an egg roll wrapper as a sort of combined zucchini-mozzarella stick. Delicious idea or horrible idea?
I think that's a delicious idea! It's funny, I had the idea to do that with the string cheese and I was so proud of myself for coming up with the idea, but then literally a week later I saw it on someone else's blog. But adding zucchini, THAT I have never seen before. 🙂
Yum yum yum - these look incredible!
These look so good and tasty!
Yay for lazy wonton wrapping! I'm totes in that club.
Not lazy! Just time-savvy. I fold my wontons like this too- but I've never baked them! What a great idea to minimize the oil.
They're definitely not as pretty folded this way, but it works!
Such a great appetizer, love the sesame dipping sauce!
I made these last night for dinner, LOVE!! I am glad this recipe makes a lot so I can eat more tonight! Thank you for posting!
Woo hoo! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
I just made these and oh so yummy!! One tip is to make sure the mushrooms and diced pretty small. I just used sliced baby bella mushrooms from the package and they were cut too big. So it's harder to fit enough in the wrappers. I used toasted sesame oil to brush them with (despite your warning) and no oil on the inside (to cut calories). And lots of garlic. It worked out fine. They are so crisp and delicious!
Yeah, the pre-sliced mushrooms won't work - they do need to be diced! 🙂 I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Now that I've conquered spring rolls, I think I'm ready to take on the wonton! I like your simple folding method. I hate tedious things and the quicker I can get food in my belly, the better!
Wontons are SOOOOO much easier than spring rolls. I still can't manage spring rolls. They always end up looking like flat squares with stuff bursting out the sides. So much shame.
Love the filling you've put in these. Would you say that they need to be eaten immediately for them to stay crisp?
We've always eaten them immediately, so they've never been around long enough for me to test it out. 🙂 My guess is that the center might soften a little bit, but the edges will stay crisp.
These sound just fab!
we love this recipe!
I'm glad you liked it! 🙂
made this today thank it was perfect
I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the wontons!
I just love this!! Pinned and thinking to make it for hors d'oeuvres during the holidays for my family.
Is there a step that I missed?
My first batch turned out poorly. The wrappers were crispy but still tasted like raw noodle dough.
I tried simmering the next group and then baking them. The dough was less raw but still not right.
When bought the package of wonton wrappers there were white and yellow ones. I selected the yellow ones. Was that my problem?
I want master this recipe because everyone LOVED the filling. Thanks, Kiersten!
I don't know what went wrong! I make baked wontons all the time (not just this recipe, but others too) and I've never had them taste like raw dough, so I'm guessing it may be the brand you used. I believe I usually use Nasoya.
was looking for a vegetarian wonton filling to also use in wonton soup and I think this may be just the thing. Ever tried not baking them? I love all things mushroom, ginger and garlic, so I am already sure this will be a hit. Looking forward to the weekend to try them 🙂
We've never tried any method other than baking with this particular recipe, but I've steamed similar wontons with success. I'm sure you could fry them too if you'd like. 🙂 I hope you enjoy them!
I love this recipe. Recently learned i have to be g.f. Can i substitute spring roll wrappers for the wontons?