How to Make Pork Dumplings - FeedMi - Food, Recipes, & Travel - Austin, TX (2024)

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Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings are pretty easy to make and so delicious! They are time-consuming and definitely a labor of love but the results are so worth it! You can fill them with just about anything and it’s hard to mess up. The best part is it freezes really well so you can save them for a quick meal whenever the craving hits!

How to Make Pork Dumplings - FeedMi - Food, Recipes, & Travel - Austin, TX (1)

Instructions for the Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings

Make the Filling

I don’t make pork dumplings often but when I do, it’s always a crowd-pleaser! Since it is time-consuming, I like to buy pre-made circular dumpling wrapper dough to save some time rather than making it from scratch. The pre-made dough can be found at any Asian grocery store in the freezer aisle. As for the filling, you can pretty much add anything you like.

It’s hard to go wrong so feel free to be creative! I usually do a classic mixture of ground pork, mushrooms, cabbage, garlic, ginger, onion, and green onions. Cook a small piece of your filling to taste test and adjust ingredients if needed.

Fold the Dumplings

How to Make Pork Dumplings - FeedMi - Food, Recipes, & Travel - Austin, TX (2)
How to Make Pork Dumplings - FeedMi - Food, Recipes, & Travel - Austin, TX (3)
How to Make Pork Dumplings - FeedMi - Food, Recipes, & Travel - Austin, TX (4)
How to Make Pork Dumplings - FeedMi - Food, Recipes, & Travel - Austin, TX (5)
How to Make Pork Dumplings - FeedMi - Food, Recipes, & Travel - Austin, TX (6)
How to Make Pork Dumplings - FeedMi - Food, Recipes, & Travel - Austin, TX (7)

Once the filling is made, it’s time to fold! Folding takes up a good chunk of time but I find it to be quite therapeutic. Just be sure to turn on a good show to pass the time quicker! The method of folding I prefer is to do 3 pleats on each side.

First, add a small spoonful of the raw meat filling in the center of the dough and mold it into an oval shape. Then, wet the outer edges of the dough with water. Fold the dough in half like a taco and make 3 pleats towards the center on both sides. Push the ends in to seal the corners. Lastly, pinch the tops to seal. Note that the folds are only on the front side of the dumpling and the back side will remain flat.

Don’t worry if the first few don’t come out beautiful, mine never do. Once you have a few to practice on, it will get easier, and become muscle memory. However, if you do find this method to be too difficult, simply fold it in half and pinch the edges to seal. It won’t look the same but will taste just as good! Remember to keep the raw dough covered with a wet paper towel or cloth to prevent it from drying out.

How to Make Pork Dumplings - FeedMi - Food, Recipes, & Travel - Austin, TX (8)

Freeze or Cook?

Once the pork dumplings are all folded, you can either freeze them for later or pan-fry to eat right away. To freeze, simply lay the dumplings flat so they don’t touch and stick together. Once they are hard after a few hours, then place them into a container or bag to store and save freezer space.

To pan-fry, add a drizzle of oil to a pan on medium-high heat. Cook the dumplings for 2 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Then add just enough water to cover the pan and steam covered for 5 minutes until the water is gone. Sprinkle some green onions and sesame seeds on top. Lastly, serve with soy sauce. I like to add in some fried garlic, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes for a little more flavor!

How to Make Pork Dumplings - FeedMi - Food, Recipes, & Travel - Austin, TX (9)
How to Make Pork Dumplings - FeedMi - Food, Recipes, & Travel - Austin, TX (10)

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Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 40 dumplings

Ingredients

DUMPLINGS:

  • 1 lb pre-made frozen circular dumpling wrapper
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 2 shiitake or portobello mushrooms
  • 1 cup napa or green cabbage
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 inch piece of ginger
  • onion
  • 3 green onions
  • 2 tbs soy sauce
  • 1 tbs mushroom or chicken bouillon
  • ½ tbs black pepper
  • ½ tbs sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds

DUMPLING SAUCE:

  • 2 tbs soy sauce
  • 1 tbs chili oil
  • 1 tsp black vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 green onion (green part only)

Instructions

MAKE FILLING:

  • finely chop mushrooms, cabbage, garlic, ginger, onion, & green onions

  • in a large mixing bowl, combine ground pork and finely chopped veggies (save 1 green onion to garnish at the end)

  • season with soy sauce, bouillon, black pepper, & sesame oil

  • mix everything together until combined

  • optional: pan fry a small piece of the pork mixture, taste test, and adjust seasonings if needed

FOLD DUMPLINGS:

  • defrost pre-made dumpling wrappers

  • place wet paper towel over dumpling wrappers to keep it from drying out while you're folding

  • add a small spoonful of the filling and place in the center of wrapper dough

  • mold the meat filling into an oval shape

  • wet the outer edges of the dough with water

  • fold wrapper in half

  • on the frontside of the wrapper, make 3 pleats towards the center on each left and right side (the backside will be flat with no pleats)

  • push the ends in to seal corners

  • pinch tops to seal

  • cover folded dumplings with a wet paper towel to keep it from drying out

  • To freeze, place dumplings flat on a sheet so they don't touch and stick to each other. Place in freezer until hard then transfer to container or bag to save freezer space.

EASIER FOLD METHOD:

  • add a small spoonful of the filling and place in the center of wrapper dough

  • mold the meat into an oval shape

  • fold wrapper in half

  • pinch edges to seal

COOK DUMPLINGS:

  • add a drizzle of oil to a pan

  • pan-sear dumplings on medium-high heat for 2 minutes until golden brown

  • add just enough water to cover the pan

  • steam covered for 5 minutes until water is gone

SERVE:

  • top dumplings with sesame seeds and the remaining green onions

  • mix together all dumpling sauce ingredients, adjust to liking, serve, & enjoy!

VIDEO INSTRUCTION IN MY INSTAGRAM HIGHLIGHTDUMPLINGS

MORE RECIPES

How to Make Pork Dumplings - FeedMi - Food, Recipes, & Travel - Austin, TX (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to juicy dumplings? ›

Hand-mincing meat and adding more pork belly results in the juiciest dumplings. Traditionally, some Chinese cuisine uses hand minced meat for their dishes. For example, lots of dim sum items like siu mai, pork buns, beef meatball, and more use hand minced meat to control the texture and fat content of the dish!

How are most dumplings usually prepared? ›

Dumplings are made from a simple dough consisting of all-purpose flour, water, and salt. The shaped dumplings are either fried in a pan until golden brown or boiled in a soup. The fried version is usually served as an accompaniment to breakfast codfish.

What is the best substitute for pork in dumplings? ›

Ground Pork – I like 80% lean ground pork. The 20% of fat will help with the flavor and juiciness of the Pork Dumplings. You can use any ratio of meat to fat that you prefer. If you cannot or do not want to eat pork, you can substitute with another ground meat, such as ground turkey or ground chicken.

How to cook a large amount of dumplings? ›

The Two Easiest Ways to Cook: Boiling and Steaming

To boil dumplings, fill a large pot two-thirds of the way with water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add as many dumplings as can fit comfortably in a single layer in the pot and cook them until they float. Let them cook an additional two to three minutes.

What can I add to the dumplings to make them taste better? ›

A teaspoon of sugar adds an extremely subtle hint of sweetness. It also helps the dumplings retain their moisture through the cooking process and slows gluten development, which ensures tender dumplings. A pinch of salt seasons the dumplings and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.

What are the 3 components of dumplings? ›

What are dumplings made of? The dumpling dough is made of three main ingredients: flour, water and salt.

How long do you need to boil dumplings? ›

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook dumplings in batches of about eight until they are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings to a serving platter. Serve warm with the dipping sauce.

What are Cracker Barrel dumplings made of? ›

The Cracker Barrel dumpling ingredients are very simple: just flour and buttermilk! The use of buttermilk adds a slight tang and a light, fluffy texture that you won't get with regular milk. The sauce, or broth, is a base of chicken stock, flavored with onions, carrots, and celery.

What is another name for pork dumplings? ›

Though considered part of Chinese cuisine, jiaozi are also popular in other parts of East Asia, where a Japanese variety is referred to as gyoza, and in the Western world, where a fried variety is referred to as potstickers.

Are pork dumplings the same as potstickers? ›

Potstickers are a type of dumpling that is pan-fried on one side, giving it a crispy texture. They are typically filled with meat and vegetables and served with a dipping sauce. Dumplings, on the other hand, can be boiled, steamed, or pan-fried and are usually filled with meat or vegetables.

What are those pork dumplings called? ›

Jiaozi (pronounced "jow-zee") are perhaps the most common type of Chinese dumpling. Crescent-shaped and formed with an opaque wrapper made from wheat dough, jiaozi are usually filled with ground pork, cabbage, and scallions, and served with a dipping sauce made of soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil.

Do you cook dumplings with lid on or lid off? ›

Once your water is boiling, let your dumplings cook in the steam for about ten minutes. Don't remove the lid as letting the steam escape will disrupt the cooking process and result in undercooked dumplings, so keep that lid on!

Do dumplings float when done? ›

Cover and bring to a vigorous boil. Add roughly one cup of cold water and return to boil while covered. Repeat this step again. The dumplings will be completely cooked and ready when they float on the surface of the boiling water.

Why do my dumplings fall apart when I cook them? ›

Homemade dumplings can fall apart for a number of different reasons, or any combination of them. Often they burst during cooking because they have too much filling for the amount of dough. Some doughs are too dry, so the dumplings won't stay sealed. Others can be too wet and sticky and end up tearing.

How do you keep dumplings from drying out? ›

Cover up. As you fold your dumplings, keep them covered with a slightly damp kitchen towel. This prevents the dumplings from drying out (dry skins can split when cooked).

How do you keep dumplings from getting mushy? ›

Since excess liquid can make for soggy dumplings, cheesecloth can help drain water from cabbage, fat from pork, or other moisture from the filling ingredients. Place the food in the center of the cheesecloth, wrap tightly, and squeeze until all the moisture is removed. It can be repeated as needed.

How do you fix watery dumplings? ›

Chicken & Dumpling Recipe FAQ

You can thicken this dish by adding more flour, or even cornstarch. Create a slurry with either of these ingredients and milk or water, then stir into your broth base until you get your desired consistency.

Why are my steamed dumplings dry? ›

The amount of filling that goes inside your dumpling wrapper depends on the size of your dumpling wrappers. You want them to be nice and plump, but also be able to seal the dumpling properly. Too much chicken filling in your dumpling, and it won't seal properly and will dry out when steamed.

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