A steakhouse-style take on Crab Rangoon with a creamy crab filling, crisp wonton shells, and balanced seafood flavor that feels indulgent without being heavy.
Photo by jeffreyw
Copycat McCormick & Schmick’s Crab Rangoon
McCormick & Schmick’s Crab Rangoon is a classic steakhouse-style appetizer with a creamy crab filling, crisp wonton shells, and just enough richness to feel indulgent without being heavy.
Make McCormick & Schmick’s Crab Rangoon at home with this copycat recipe that recreates the creamy interior, crisp fried exterior, and balanced seafood flavor that made the restaurant version a menu staple.
Here is a quick snapshot of what makes this recipe work so well at home.
Quick Recipe Overview
- Best For: Party appetizers, steakhouse-style starters, seafood nights
- Flavor Profile: Creamy, savory, lightly sweet, crisp
- Skill Level: Standard
- What Makes It Like the Restaurant: Balanced crab flavor with a rich but not heavy cream cheese filling and crisp wonton shells
About McCormick & Schmick’s
McCormick & Schmick’s is best known as a polished American seafood and steakhouse brand that blends classic fine-dining technique with broad, approachable appeal. Founded in Portland, Oregon, the restaurant built its reputation on fresh seafood, prime steaks, and a menu that balanced familiarity with just enough indulgence.
Over the years, McCormick & Schmick’s became a go-to choice for business dinners, celebrations, and upscale casual nights out, particularly in major cities. The menu leaned heavily on well-executed classics rather than trends, which helped the brand maintain consistency across locations.
Appetizers like Crab Rangoon fit perfectly into that philosophy. They were recognizable, crowd-pleasing, and elevated just enough to match the restaurant’s polished atmosphere without straying too far from comfort food territory.
Why Steakhouse Crab Rangoon Hits Different
Crab Rangoon is often associated with American Chinese restaurants, but versions like McCormick & Schmick’s reflect a more steakhouse-driven interpretation. The focus shifts from heavy sweetness to a richer, creamier filling with a more pronounced seafood presence.
In this style, the wonton wrapper is crisp and clean rather than bubbly or greasy, and the filling leans savory instead of sugary. The result feels more refined while still delivering the same familiar crunch and creamy bite people expect.
Steakhouses and seafood restaurants adopted dishes like Crab Rangoon as a way to offer something approachable at the start of the meal. It bridges casual comfort food and upscale dining, making it an easy choice for sharing and an ideal lead-in to heavier entrées.
McCormick & Schmick's Crab Rangoon Recipe
McCormick & Schmick's Crab Rangoon presents a gourmet twist on the classic appetizer, featuring delicately crafted wonton wrappers filled with a sumptuous blend of crab meat, cream cheese, and aromatic seasonings, served with a delectable sweet and sour sauce for dipping. Make our McCormick & Schmick's Crab Rangoon Recipe at home. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your Crab Rangoon will taste just like McCormick & Schmick's.
Yield: 24 Crab Rangoon
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Cream Cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/2 pound Crabmeat picked over
- 1 tablespoon A1 Steak Sauce, store bought or homemade, of choice (See "Spotlight Recipes" below for a Link to our Homemade A1 Steak Sauce Recipe)
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground Black Pepper
- 24 Wonton Wrappers
- 2 Egg Yolks mixed with 2 tablespoons Water
- Vegetable Oil enough to fry wontons
- Sweet and Sour Sauce, store bought or homemade, of choice (See "Spotlight Recipes" below for a Link to our Homemade A1 Steak Sauce Recipe)
Instructions
- Place cream cheese in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer until soft and smooth.
- Add crab meat, A1 Steak Sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Fold into cream cheese until smooth.
- Place a wonton flat on a clean work surface.
- Place a generous spoonful of the crab/cream cheese mixture onto the middle of the wonton.
- Moisten the edges of the wonton with the egg mixture. Fold the wrapper over onto itself, corner to corner to form a triangle. Pinch the two opposite corners to form the Rangoon shape. Make sure the seams are sealed tightly.
- Repeat with all remaining wontons.
- Place on a plate and cover. Place in refrigerator and chill for 1 - 2 hours.
- Pour oil into a deep pan. Place over medium high heat and heat to 350°F.
- Carefully drop rangoons into hot oil. Fry rangoons until wontons are crisp and golden, about 2 - 3 minutes.
- Serve with sweet and sour sauce.
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Questions People Ask
- Can I make these ahead? Yes. Assemble them ahead of time and refrigerate, then fry just before serving.
- How do I store leftovers? Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven for best texture.
- What is the best substitute if I cannot find real crab? Imitation crab works, but real crab gives the most authentic flavor.
- How do I keep them crispy? Fry in properly heated oil and avoid overcrowding the pan.
Related Recipes
Trader Vic’s Crab Rangoon – The Original
Trader Vic’s Crab Rangoon is the dish that started it all, combining real crab, cream cheese, and savory seasonings inside crisp wonton wrappers for a rich, addictive bite that became a restaurant legend.
This is the original Crab Rangoon recipe as it was served at Trader Vic’s, where the dish was first created and made famous. If you want the authentic flavor and texture, this is the version to make.
Click HERE Now to Make Trader Vic’s Original Crab Rangoon at Home
McCormick & Schmick’s Lump Crab Tower
McCormick & Schmick’s Lump Crab Tower is a refined seafood starter built in clean, vibrant layers of sweet lump crab, creamy avocado, fresh mango, and crisp cucumber, finished with a bright remoulade that balances richness with freshness.
Make our McCormick & Schmick’s Lump Crab Tower Recipe at home. This copycat version recreates the restaurant’s elegant presentation and clean, coastal flavors with simple techniques that make it surprisingly easy to assemble.
Click HERE Now to Make McCormick & Schmick Lump Crab Tower at Home
Spotlight Recipes
Carrabba’s Italian Grill Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Carrabba’s Italian Grill Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce highlight tender, crab-forward cakes with minimal filler, paired with a smooth roasted red pepper sauce that adds a subtle sweetness and Mediterranean warmth.
Make this Straight-From-the-Restaurant Carrabba’s Italian Grill Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Recipe at home. This copycat version captures the light texture, clean seafood flavor, and signature sauce that made the dish a longtime Carrabba’s favorite.
Click HERE Now to Make Carrabba’s Italian Grill Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce at Home
Photo of “Mmm… Crab Rangoon” is by jeffreyw and is used by permission under the Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode. Photo of “20070604 McCormick & Schmick’s” is by Tom Spaulding and is used by permission under the CC BY-NC 2.0 Deed Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/legalcode.en. Thank you, jeffreyw and Tom. Great Pictures. Photos may be “representative” of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Recipe is our adaption of several recipes formally widely-circulated on the internet – courtesy of the Wayback Machine. Additional Information is from original research done by SCRR and/or courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.
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