Red Oil Wontons (红油抄手) — Sichuan Chili Oil Wontons

Prep:45 min

Cook:45 min

Serves:2–4

Difficulty:Medium

Red oil wontons (红油抄手, hóng yóu chāo shǒu) are Sichuan's answer to Cantonese wonton soup — instead of floating in a clear broth, these silky dumplings are drenched in a fiery, aromatic chili oil sauce that's simultaneously spicy, numbing, garlicky, and slightly sweet. The wontons themselves are the same pork-filled parcels, but the experience is completely different: bold, punchy, and addictive.

Chao shou (抄手) is the Sichuan dialect name for wontons. Red oil wontons are one of Chengdu's most popular street snacks, served at tiny shops and food stalls throughout the city.

Ingredients

• 250g ground pork
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 egg white
• 2 spring onions, minced
• 30 wonton wrappers
• Sauce: 3 tbsp chili oil with sediment, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 tsp sesame paste

Instructions

1
Make filling: combine pork, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, egg white, and spring onions. Stir vigorously in one direction for 2 minutes.
2
Wrap wontons: place a teaspoon of filling in each wrapper, wet edges, fold into triangle, then bring bottom corners together.
3
Mix all sauce ingredients in a large serving bowl.
4
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook wontons for 5-6 minutes until they float and wrappers are translucent.
5
Remove wontons with a slotted spoon and add directly to the sauce bowl.
6
Toss gently to coat. Garnish with extra chili oil, sesame seeds, and sliced spring onions.

Pro Tips

💡The sauce should be at room temperature when you add the hot wontons — the heat of the wontons warms the sauce to the perfect temperature.
💡Use chili oil that has plenty of sediment (the chili flakes and seeds at the bottom) — you want texture, not just heat.
💡Make extra sauce — it keeps for a week and works on noodles, rice, and steamed vegetables.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from regular wonton soup?

The wontons are the same, but instead of a clear broth, they're served in a thick, spicy chili oil sauce. It's a completely different eating experience.