In this how to fold wontons guide, I share 6 easy and fun ways to fold wontons for steaming, pan frying, boiling, or adding to soup. Chinese wonton dumplings are beautiful, versatile, and yummy—making them perfect for holiday celebrations or everyday meals.
Learn which shape works best for each cooking style and what type of wrappers are best for each shape—whether you’re using homemade gluten free wonton wrappers or store-bought. I also share my favorite wonton filling ideas and dipping sauces!
6 ways to fold wontons with square wonton wrappers
A wonton is a traditional Chinese dumpling made up of a thin wrapper filled with various meats and veggies. Wontons can be shaped and cooked in several ways. Here you’ll learn how to fold square wonton wrappers into 6 different wonton shapes and how to seal wonton wrappers.
Set-Up
Before you begin wrapping Chinese dumplings, you’ll want to set up your workstation. Your station should include a small bowl of water or egg wash, a bowl of wonton filling, a plate of wonton wrappers, and a large sheet pan lined with parchment to hold the folded wontons.
Folding wontons
Here are 6 ways to fold wontons using square dumpling wrappers.
- Little Boat Shape (Diamond):
To create the Little Boat or Diamond shape, start with a wonton wrap and place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center. Moisten the edges of the wrapper, then fold it in half to form a triangle, carefully pressing out any air bubbles and sealing the edges well.
With the edge with the stuffing on the bottom, dab some water on one of the bottom corners. Gently fold the wrapper bringing the two bottom points (or corners) together at the center and press firmly to adhere. Once you fold the wonton, place it on the parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Golden Money Shape (Bonnet/Ingot):
Begin with a square wonton wrapper and add your filling to the center. Lightly dab the edges with water, then fold the wrapper in half to create a rectangle, ensuring the edges meet neatly. Press gently around the filling, removing any air bubbles, and seal the edges securely.
Holding the rectangle long ways, moisten one of the bottom corners, and carefully bring both bottom corners together at the center of the rectangle, pressing firmly to adhere and create a distinctive bonnet shape.
- Lotus Flower Shape:
Start with a square wonton wrapper and add filling to the center. Moisten a small circle around the filling, then bring one corner of the wrapper up toward the top edge of the square, with the point of the corner you fold sticking up. There will be 4 equal points, almost like a half-star.
Holding the wonton with the tips facing upwards, dab a bit of water on one of the bottom corners. Carefully bring the bottom left corner and right corner together at the center and press firmly to seal them, creating the Lotus Flower shape.
- Money Pouch Shape (Crunch/Bundle):
For the Money Pouch, Crunch, or Bundle shape, begin with a square wrapper and place a small amount of filling in the center. Dab water around the edges. Take hold of 2 opposite points in one hand while forming a ‘C’ shape with the thumb and index finger of the other hand.
Press the center of the wrapper into the cone-like space you created by making a ‘C’ shape, gently forming a pouch around the filling. Carefully pinch the top of the wrapper to secure everything inside and seal the pouch.
- Goldfish Tail Shape:
Start with a square wrapper and a half teaspoon of filling in the center. Dampen the edges, then fold the wrapper in half into a triangle, pressing out air bubbles and sealing well. With the triangle pointing upwards, dab a line of water just above the filling and roll the bottom half upwards once to create a thin, horizontal shape with a triangular top.
Add another dab of water on one side of the filling, fold the corner upwards to meet the triangle at the top, and repeat with the other side. Once the corners meet at the top, pinch them together firmly to form the tail, and gently separate the tail ends to enhance the shape.
- Pyramid Fold (Square Fold Wontons):
The Pyramid or Square Fold starts with more filling in the center of the wrapper. Moisten the edges, then lift two opposite corners to meet above the filling, pinching just the tips together.
Next, lift the remaining corners, sealing them with the already pinched tips to form a gathered top and a unique four-pointed star shape. This method is straightforward and creates a base suitable for frying or pan-searing, holding a slightly larger amount of filling than the other shapes.
Storage, Freeze, Thaw
- How to store wontons: If you’re not cooking them right away, wrap folded wontons on the tray with saran wrap and refrigerate to cook them the next day.
- How to freeze wontons: Flash freeze uncooked wontons on the tray in a single layer until frozen solid. Then transfer to an airtight freezer bag or container. Cook from frozen or thaw first for a shorter cooking time.
- How to thaw wonton wrappers: Store extra wonton wrappers wrapped in saran wrap in the fridge for 1 month or in the freezer for 2-3 months. To thaw, put frozen wrappers in the fridge overnight. You can also use extra wrappers to make air fryer wonton chips!
Wonton folding shapes and best cooking methods
Now that you know how to wrap wontons with 6 different folding techniques, let’s talk about how to cook them. Here’s a rundown of which shapes work best for boiling, adding to soup, steaming, frying, or pan-searing.
Good for boiling, soups, or deep frying
- Little Boat (Diamond): A common and versatile shape, ideal for boiling, adding to soups, or serving with sauces. Its design is perfect for holding onto sauces, like in shrimp wontons.
- Golden Money (Bonnet/Ingot): Resembling ancient Chinese yuanbao, this compact shape with clean lines is excellent for boiling, simmering in soup, or frying.
- Lotus Flower: Similar to the Little Boat but resembling a lotus flower. Its design is effective for holding sauces, making it great for spicy wontons with garlic chili sauce.
- Money Pouch (Crunch/Bundle): Best with thin, Hong Kong-style yellow wrappers and less filling. Ideal for wonton soup or with wonton sauce.
Good for steaming
- Goldfish Tail: Similar to the Money Pouch but with a very small filling amount. Use Hong Kong-style thin wonton wrappers. A delicate shape suitable for steaming.
- Pyramid Fold (Square Fold): It’s easiest to learn how to fold square dumplings. These flat-bottomed wontons are not only great for steaming but also good for deep frying or pan-searing and can accommodate slightly more filling than other shapes. This is also a popular shape for crab rangoon.
How to make ahead, store, and cook
Once you get the hang of how to wrap a wonton dumpling, it’s really a quick and fun process. To make things easier, you can do a bit of prep work ahead of folding and cooking. Here are some tips on prepping, storing, and cooking your wontons.
- Make ahead: Make wonton filling up to a day in advance. If making your own wonton wraps, make these ahead of time as well.
- Storage: Once wrapped, store folded wontons covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to a day. Wontons also store extremely well in the freezer for 2-3 months.
- Cook: Boiling is the most common method to cook wontons. You can, however, also steam, air fry, deep fry, or pan sear. Add about 2 minutes extra if making them from frozen.
