Crab rangoon pizza is the Chinese fusion of your dreams. All of the flavors of crab rangoon without any of the deep frying all on one convenient flatbread. And it’s gluten free!
This pizza is a sort-of copycat of the crab rangoon pizza from Fong’s Pizza in Des Moines, IA. Theirs has sweet chili sauce instead of sweet and sour and also features imitation crab. So actually this pizza is much more similar to the one you can find at Hy-Vee which is the first crab rangoon pizza I ever tried – but is sadly not gluten free.
Despite the name, this recipe doesn’t include crab. I think it takes away from the fast and easy street food spirit and makes it into something expensive and extravagant (not that extravagant is bad, but I just don’t feel like it belongs here). However, if you want to, you could mix lump crab meat into the filling part of this recipe. It would be delicious, but it’s not what this dish is meant to be (at least for me). Imitation crab is also an option, but it’s hard to find gluten free and personally I don’t like it that much.
This recipe does make a slightly doughy crust, so you can split the crust recipe in half (or make the whole thing and save half of it for later) if you’re more of a cracker-crust type of person. I would also very much recommend properly measuring your flour blend by fluffing it with a spoon and the spooning it into the measuring cup and then leveling it off, otherwise your dough might get more of a “gluten free” taste to it.
I have tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 and Cup4Cup flours and I recommend Cup4Cup because Bob’s seems to have an aggressively gluten free taste here and Cup4Cup tastes more like flour. This isn’t sponsored or an endorsement of Cup4Cup, but I’m just telling you what I used and what I like.
One last note, you could split this recipe into 2 and make 2 round pizzas instead of one square one! But I like grandma-style pizzas because they’re easy and because I don’t have a round pizza pan. The choice is yours.
Ready to give it a go? Here’s the recipe!
Crab Rangoon Pizza
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 packet instant yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water about 110 degrees F
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for coating bowl and baking sheet
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt I used Morton’s
- 3 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend WITH xanthan gum plus more for kneading, I used and recommend Cup4Cup brand
For the “Filling”
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
For the Gluten Free Wonton Strips
- 2 oz fresh uncooked gluten free egg noodles cut into strips
- 1/4 cup peanut oil or other neutral frying oil
To Assemble
- 1 cup sweet and sour sauce or sweet chili sauce see notes
- 2.5 oz fontina shredded
- 2.5 oz asiago shredded
- 4 oz mozzarella shredded
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan
- 1 green onion thinly sliced, for garnish
Instructions
For the Crust
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Combine yeast and warm water and let sit for a few minutes until the yeast starts to look slightly foamy. Then mix in olive oil, salt, and flour (one cup at a time). The dough should be shaggy and not sticky. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10-15 times, until the dough is slightly elastic. Place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for one hour.
For the “Filling”
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While the dough is rising, combine all of your filling ingredients in a small bowl, mixing until well-incorporated. Set aside.
For the Gluten Free Wonton Strips
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Heat the peanut oil in a small skillet until it shimmers. Working quickly and in batches, drop the egg noodle strips into the oil and fry until they are a light golden brown. These burn fast if you aren’t watching. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
To Assemble and Bake
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Preset your oven to 450 degrees F.
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Once dough has roughly doubled in size, pour about 1 teaspoon of olive oil onto a half sheet pan, spreading it with a paper towel and making sure it is completely coated. Turn your dough out onto the baking sheet and spread it all the way out to the edges. Bake for 10 minutes.
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Once your dough is partially baked, spread your filling mixture over the top leaving about 1/2 inch all the way around. Top with shredded cheeses, drizzle with sweet and sour sauce, and finally add your wonton strips and green onion. Bake for another 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
Recipe Notes
Not all gluten free flour blends are created equal. For this recipe I used and recommend Cup4Cup brand, since that is what this recipe was tested with. This is not a sponsored post, I just believe in telling you which brands I use when it makes a difference to a recipe. If you use a different brand, make sure it contains xanthan gum.
I used my Restaurant Style Sweet and Sour Sauce recipe for this, but you can use any sweet and sour sauce you want to, or you can use bottled Sweet Chili Sauce for something a little different!
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