Chili Cheese Wontons: The Ultimate Crispy, Cheesy Appetizer for Every Occasion
Looking for the perfect appetizer to wow your guests? These Chili Cheese Wontons deliver the ultimate flavor-packed bite. Imagine crispy, golden wonton wrappers filled with a creamy, cheesy mixture of cream cheese, mozzarella, jalapeños, and green chilies, seasoned to perfection. Each bite is an irresistible combination of creamy, cheesy goodness with a slight kick of heat, complemented by the satisfying crunch of the fried wonton.
These wontons are incredibly versatile, they are perfect for parties, holidays, or game days, they’re guaranteed to disappear fast. Serve them with a spicy dipping sauce, a sweet chili glaze, or a tangy salsa to balance the richness. They are also stress free for partoies- freeze them from before and check notes on how to cook them for a party.
Whether you’re planning a Thanksgiving feast, a Christmas gathering, or a casual snack night, these Chili Cheese Wontons are a crowd-pleasing favorite. Plus, they’re easily adaptable to suit dietary needs—check the recipe notes for tips on how to make them vegan. With their crispy exterior, gooey cheese pulls, and bold flavor, these wontons are the appetizer that everyone will be talking about.
Happy Cooking!
Servings: 16-18 pieces
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 15-20 mins
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
8 oz Cream cheese, softened
1.5-1.74 cups Mozzarella cheese shredded
5-7 small Green chili chopped
1-2 jalapenos finely chopped; deseeded if you like
1 tsp Salt as per taste
3/4 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1-1.5 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
28-30 wonton wrappers
Oil to fry
Best sauce to serve with is a tomato salsa or chili garlic dipping sauce, recipe here.
Directions:
In a mixing bowl add softened cream cheese, chopped chilis, chopped jalapenos, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, sugar, and pepper. Mix it so it’s all combined.
Add shredded cheese and mix till combined. The filling is ready!
Assemble-
Use thawed wonton sheets. Brush water on the sides of the wrapper.
Put about 1/2-1 tbsp filling in the middle of the wrapper, and fold into a triangle, pressing down & sealing the edges. Brush water along the two long ends of the triangle and fold the flaps to seal and shape the wonton. See the video.
Make sure the filling is well enclosed and they are ready.
Let it air dry for 10-15 minutes to let the water dry out.
Once dried place the wontons in ziplock bags without overlapping them. Freeze them for at least an hour. You can freeze them for 3 months,
Cooking- Cook them frozen. It helps the cheese filling stay inside and melt versus ooze out very easily.
Heat oil till warm around 350-375F.
Take the wontons out of the freezer. Do not thaw.
Deep fry at a high temperature till golden brown, flipping over both sides,
To air fry- spray oil and place in a preheated air fryer. Cook at 375F for 9-12 minutes, be sure to flip them over midway.
Serve immediately with dipping sauce and enjoy!
Notes/Tips:
Baking these doesn’t work! It does not work, the cheese bursts and curdles. It doesn’t even get as crispy.
DEEP FRYING IS WAY BETTER THAN AIR FRYING. It can burst out in airfryer!
Use room-temperature cream cheese or it won’t be smooth.
If you don’t want to make the garlic dipping sauce you can skip it but it pairs amazingly. You can use a chili sauce to serve.
Freshly grated mozzarella tastes the best.
Cooking at high temperatures for a shorter time makes it crispy without any cheese oozing out.
Make sure the filling is well encased in the spring roll wrapper so it doesn’t ooze out when frying.
You can freeze these for 2-3 months.
You MUST freeze before cooking or it won’t work.
Make in advance for a party- I deep-fried the wontons a few hours before till about 90% done. Before serving I baked them in a preheated oven at 400F for 6-8 minutes flipping it over midway.
Vegan- I used vegan wonton sheets to make this recipe so that made it easy. Apart from that I used plant-based cream cheese and cheese for making them.
