Red-Oil Wontons (Hongyou Chaoshou)

Hongyou chaoshou, or red-oil wontons, are Sichuan’s favorite way to eat wontons: boiled until tender, then buried under a spicy, nutty sauce. They are sold everywhere from night markets to sit-down restaurants, every household has its own version of the sauce, and the name chaoshou, crossed hands, comes from the way the wrappers are folded. In Sichuan, a bowl of red-oil wontons is considered the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

Tender wontons in a sauce you will memorize

The wontons are silky and light, made with a simple pork filling, and the sauce is where the personality lives. Chili oil, soy, vinegar, and a spoonful of the cooking broth come together into something fiery, tangy, and hard to stop eating. A pinch of sugar rounds out the heat without making it sweet, and the best part is the last spoonful, when the sauce has soaked into the wrappers and everything tastes even better, so serve them in deep bowls with plenty of sauce to spoon over.

Craving more? Explore all Sichuan Kitchen recipes.

This dish leans on the condiments covered in Beginner’s Guide to Asian Sauces & Seasonings.

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