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.
Recipe by Sarah on October 13, 2013
Prep time: PT120M
Cook time: PT15M
Total time: PT135M
Rating
4.81 stars (97 reviews)
Keywords
dumpling recipe
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
Categories
Appetizers and Snacks
Cuisine
Chinese
Steps
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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).
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 387 kcal
Carbohydrates: 35 g
Protein: 14 g
Fat: 19 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 36 mg
Sodium: 1026 mg
Sugar: 1 g
Reviews
Emile on 2025-10-20 (2 stars): Ok at best. There are much better recipes out there. If I hadn't added ginger and garlic they would have been the blandest dunplings.
Also, a tablespoon is not metric. If you're going to offer the option to use metric (as you should), maybe make it... metric.
Antoinette on 2025-02-03 (5 stars): Delicious. I am making a second batch so I have plenty in my freezer. I had fun making them and don’t plan on buying them from the store anymore.
Anna on 2025-02-01 (3 stars): Generally good recipe but very very salty! I’ve made this twice and the second time cut the salt in half and still very salty. I think the soy sauce is too much.
Wyn on 2025-01-29 (5 stars): I grew up on my mum’s pork and preserved mustard green dumplings and love all varieties (as you can tell from my email) These were so juicy and delicious even though I forgot to add the water and put in a third of the neutral oil. One “mistake” in the recipe - there is no way this serves 16 - we made 3 packets worth (90) tonight and ate every last one between the four of us! Happy new year!
Antoinette on 2025-01-26 (5 stars): These turned out great. Your instructions were easy to follow.
I will be making these again to store in my freezer.
