Spicy Wonton Recipe

 

Spicy Wontons are a beloved Sichuan street food dish—plump dumplings filled with juicy pork, boiled until tender, then drenched in a fragrant, fiery chili oil sauce. In this recipe, you’ll learn how to make them from scratch at home, and I’ll share one game-changing secret: a simple infused water that makes the filling extra juicy and aromatic. These spicy wontons are shockingly delicious!

Recipe

Makes: 16 pieces
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes

For the infused water:
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
2 tablespoons scallions
3 slices ginger
½ cup hot water

For the filling:
3/4 pound ground pork
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons scallions

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn oil
2 tablespoons chili oil
1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
2 tablespoons scallions

For the wontons:
16 square wonton wrappers
2 tablespoons scallions

Instructions

1. Make the infused water:

• In a bowl, combine the Sichuan peppercorns, scallions, and ginger.
• Pour in the hot water, then gently rub and press the aromatics with your hands to release their fragrance.
• Strain and discard the solids, reserving the infused water.

2. Combine the filling:

• In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork, salt, white pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch.
• Pour in half of the infused water and mix well. Add the rest of the water and stir until fully absorbed.
• Fold in the scallions and mix until the filling is cohesive.

3. Make the sauce:

• In a bowl, combine Sichuan peppercorn oil, chili oil, Chinkiang vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, grated garlic, ginger, and scallions. Whisk until fully combined.

4. Assemble the wontons:

• Brush the edges of a wonton wrapper with water. Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling in the center.
• Fold into a triangle and press to seal. Dab water on one of the bottom corners and press both corners together to form the classic wonton shape.
• Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

5. Boil the wontons and serve the spicy wontons:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the wontons and cook for about 4 minutes, or until they float and are fully cooked.
• Transfer wontons to a bowl with a small ladle of boiling water. Drizzle sauce generously over the top.
• Garnish with scallions and enjoy while hot!

Tips & notes

• Infused water = juicy filling: The Sichuan peppercorn and ginger-scallion water brings depth and moisture to the pork mixture.