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4.8 from 288 votes

The ONLY Dumpling Recipe You’ll Ever Need

We’ve been making this dumpling recipe for a long time. A LONG time. I remember sitting on a stool in my grandmother’s kitchen making this dumpling recipe.

Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
mins
Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 16
Calories: 387 kcal
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs green leafy vegetable (like shepherd’s purse, baby bok choy, or napa cabbage)
  • 1 ½ pounds ground pork (can substitute ground chicken or beef, as long as they aren’t too lean)
  • 2/3 cup Shaoxing wine (or dry cooking sherry)
  • ½ cup neutral oil (such as canola, vegetable, or avocado oil)
  • 3 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper
  • 2/3 cup water (plus more for assembly)
  • 3 packages Dumpling wrappers

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Wash your vegetables thoroughly and blanch them in a pot of boiling water. (1 minute for delicate leaves like Shepherd's purse, or 2 minutes for a more robust vegetable like napa cabbage or baby bok choy.) Cool by transferring to an ice bath or a colander under cold running water. Ring out all the water from the vegetables and chop very finely.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the vegetables, meat, wine, oil, sesame oil, salt, soy sauce, white pepper, and water. Mix vigorously for 6-8 minutes (or even up to 10 minutes), until very well-combined and paste-like.
  3. To wrap the dumplings, dampen the edges of each circular wrapper with some water. Put a little less than a tablespoon of filling in the middle. Fold the circle in half and pinch the wrapper together at the top. Then make two folds on each side, until the dumpling looks like a fan. Make sure it’s completely sealed.
  4. Boil a couple dumplings to taste test them, and adjust seasoning if needed. Finish assembling the dumplings, placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet so they are not touching.
  5. To freeze: wrap the baking sheets tightly with plastic wrap and put the pans in the freezer. Freeze overnight, then transfer the dumplings to freezer bags, and transfer back to the freezer for later.
  6. To boil: bring a large pot of water to a boil, drop the dumplings in, and bring back up to a boil. Simmer for 6-8 minutes (shorter for fresh dumplings, longer for frozen).
  7. To pan-fry: heat 2 tablespoons oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place the dumplings in the pan and allow to fry for 2 minutes. Pour a thin layer of water into the pan, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow dumplings to steam until the water has evaporated. Remove the cover, increase heat to medium-high and allow to fry for a few more minutes, until the bottoms of the dumplings are golden brown and crisp.
  8. To steam: place dumplings in a steamer basket lined with damp cheesecloth, perforated parchment paper, or thin cabbage leaves. Bring water in a steamer to a simmer, and steam over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes (shorter for fresh dumplings, longer for frozen).

Notes

  • Find the dumpling skins fresh at the Asian grocery store. Look for the white, round ones. If they start to dry out, wrap them in a damp paper towel and put them in a sealed plastic bag for a couple hours to soften back up.
  • Freeze any unused dumpling wrappers in an airtight sealed plastic bag for later, or try this recipe. 
  • Serve with our dumpling sauce, chili oil, Chinese black vinegar, or your favorite dipping sauce! 
  • Recipe makes about 7-8 dozen.

Nutrition Information

Calories 387kcal (19%) Carbohydrates 35g (12%) Protein 14g (28%) Fat 19g (29%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Cholesterol 36mg (12%) Sodium 1026mg (43%) Potassium 178mg (5%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 3795IU (76%) Vitamin C 38.6mg (43%) Calcium 127mg (13%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 387

% Daily Value*

Calories 387kcal 19%
Carbohydrates 35g 12%
Protein 14g 28%
Fat 19g 29%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 36mg 12%
Sodium 1026mg 43%
Potassium 178mg 4%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 3795IU 76%
Vitamin C 38.6mg 43%
Calcium 127mg 13%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.