Crab Rangoon Flatbread Pizza

Do you have a favorite food that no matter how often you eat it, you could never get sick of it? For me, that’s my Crab Rangoon Flatbread Pizza!

One fact to know about me is that I am obsessed with Asian cuisine. My whole family is. In fact, I think we have ordered Chinese takeout for Thanksgiving dinner more times than we’ve made a turkey. The star of the show is--naturally--crab Rangoons.

Though the “OG” crab Rangoon is phenomenal in its deliciously fried and folded state, a few years ago I was introduced to crab Rangoon pizza, a delicacy that transforms this appetizer into an acceptable main dish. Inspired by a local restaurant in Oskaloosa and the famous Fong’s Pizza chain in the Des Moines area, I formulated my own recipe for crab Rangoon pizza that will be the talk of your friends, family, and party guests! If you follow my friend, Lauren McDonald, on social media, you are probably well aware of the hype!

As we dive into this week’s recipe and recipes in the future, I wanted to drop a quick note that some ingredients, products, or cooking utensils may be difficult to find if you’re from a rural area and/or shop only locally. You may also be working in a small starter kitchen with limited utensils. We’ve all been there! My suggestion is to build your kitchen little by little. Buy specialty tools and ingredients such as spices as you need them. For that reason, in many posts I embed links to products that may help you better prepare the recipes that I post. This post includes affiliate links for which I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you, should you make a purchase.

And now, Average Chefs, let’s get cooking!

Crab Rangoon Flatbread Pizza

Serves 3-4

Estimated time, start to serve: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 large pieces of Naan bread, 4 “mini” pieces of Naan bread, or one large pre-made flatbread: Naan bread can be tricky to find. The most common brand is “Stonefire,” and it comes in a red and black package. Check the freezer section (Hy-Vee), the deli section (Walmart), the bread section (Fareway) or buy it in bulk and store some in the freezer like I do. This may be the first but definitely not the last time I use Naan bread in this blog!

• 8-ounce block of cream cheese

• 8-ounce pouch of imitation crab meat, finely chopped

• 3 Tbsp. chopped green onions, plus more for garnish (approx. ¼ cup total)

• 1 tsp. garlic powder

• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• ½ to ¾ cup crispy wonton strips: you’ll find it in the salad topping section

• ¼ cup sweet Thai chili sauce: You can find it in the Asian food section of most grocery stores. I buy 2-3 bottles at a time like this one from Trader Joe's since it’s such a delicious, versatile sauce! You could also substitute traditional sweet and sour sauce or a combination of the two for your drizzle

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a small pot over low-medium heat, melt together the cream cheese, imitation crab meat (it’s not as scary as it sounds; the trick is to chop it very finely), garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and 3 Tbsp. of the green onions. The mixture should be completely creamed together after 5-8 minutes or so.

3. Lay Naan bread upside-down (flattest side is on top) on a baking sheet. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture over the flatbreads. In these photos, I used a large, rectangular pre-made flatbread.

4. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top, followed by the wonton strips.

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and both the edges of the flatbread and the wonton strips are starting to turn golden brown.

6. Drizzle the sweet Thai chili sauce on top of the flatbreads, followed by a sprinkle of the last tablespoon or so of green onions that was reserved earlier. (Optional: Drizzle the sweet Thai chili sauce on top before baking.)

7. Use a pizza cutter to cut the flatbread(s) into smaller slices, if desired.

8. Enjoy! This pizza goes great with a salad and side of fresh strawberries.

Want to make this dish for entertaining? I highly recommend buying the Stonefire Naan Dippers and following the same directions above for the perfect bite-sized pizzas! Check out my friend, Emily’s, Instagram post to see how I used this variation as an hors d'oeuvre for a “Galentine’s” Party with my girlfriends last year!

Love this recipe? Snap a picture of your finished product and tag @the.brass.spoon on Instagram to show off your work. Bragging about your cooking skills is half the fun!

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