These Chinese Pork Dumplings are made with ground pork, ginger, cabbage, and green onions wrapped in Shanghai-style dumpling wrappers.
Making dumplings at home means that the filling is juicier, the wrappers are starchier, and each one tastes fresher, crunchier (if frying), and more delicious. This recipe is for a large batch which makes about 120 dumplings that you can freeze and use for meals or appetizers throughout the year. You could also divide the recipe and make a quarter which is about enough for one large meal.
Recipe Inspiration
When we lived in Colorado, our friend Ling shared this recipe with us. She and her family would set aside a block of time to make these dumplings together. Once the dumplings were all assembled they would divvy them up and they would each pack some away in their freezer to pull out later for a meal.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Better than Storebought: These dumplings are way better than store-bought dumplings (and there are some good ones out there). Using fresh high-quality ingredients gives you more flavorful, juicier, crunchier dumplings.
Fun Family Project: We have made these as a family for many years, with even our 2 year old getting in on the fun, and our 5 year old has gotten so good he can do them just as fast as us. We've even done this with big groups of cousins and friends. Have an adult make the filling and portion it out on each wrapper and the kids can seal the dumplings. Make sure the kids do not put their hands in their mouths especially when working with raw meat.
Freezer Friendly: These dumplings are great to freeze and will last throughout the year for easy freezer dinners.
Freezer Meal
We tend to make this once or twice a year, usually in January or February. It’s a nice indoor winter activity. We pack them away in quart-size freezer bags of 10-12 each. Then we pull out one to two bags at a time and fry them up either on their own or served with some rice and vegetables. These are one of the staples that we have in our freezer that we can pull out in case we need a quick and easy meal. It’s reassuring to know that in case we don’t have a meal planned and things are getting late we can pull these out and dinner is ready in about 15 minutes.
Shanghai vs. Hong Kong Style Dumpling Wrappers
- We use Shanghai Dumpling wrappers, but you may also find Hong Kong Style Dumpling wrappers at an Asian grocery store. See the two pictures above with the different style wrappers. The Hong Kong Style wrappers are much much thinner. They are more yellow and have a really nice starchy texture. I prefer the Shanghai style (whiter in color and thicker) rather than the Hong Kong style for these pork dumplings since they are heftier and hold up well. They are more manageable and can be less frustrating than the thin ones when making a huge batch.
- I do, however, like using the Hong Kong style wrappers for making Vegetable Dumplings for a single meal, which is actually quicker to throw together than you would expect (30+ minutes for a meal).
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients needed to make Chinese Pork Dumplings.
- Ground Pork: Use 2 pounds of ground pork.
- Cabbage: Choose a small green cabbage.
- Green Onions: Thinly sliced. You'll need a small bunch/handful, about 6 ounces.
- Ginger: Peel the ginger and use the smallest grate of a box grater. Select the fatter pieces as they are easier to grate. Using about 5 pieces of ginger (that you could roughly fit into a quarter cup measuring cup) you should end up with about 1 tablespoon of grated ginger.
- Soy Sauce: Use low-sodium soy sauce. There are so many varieties of soy sauce with plenty of people touting their favorites. Choose your favorite, or go with Kikkoman or Trader Joe's brands which are easy to find.
- Salt: To bring out flavor.
- Chinese Black Pepper: This can be found at an Asian grocery store. Otherwise, use freshly cracked black pepper.
- Sugar: Adds a super subtle sweetness.
- Vegetable Oil: Use vegetable oil only. Do not use olive oil, which I have tried (I love to cook with extra virgin olive oil) but is too strong a flavor and does not complement this dish.
- Shanghai Style Dumpling Wrappers: You'll be making roughly 120 dumplings. So you'll need three packages of dumpling wrappers. The Twin Marquis brand contains 45 wrappers in each package. I have seen this Twin Marquis brand at Asian grocery stores all over the country.
- Flour: For coating the outside of the dumplings in flour which helps to prevent them from sticking when freezing.
How to Make Chinese Pork Dumplings
Below are the step-by-step ingredients and photos for how to make Chinese Pork Dumplings.
Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.
Step 1. Dumpling Filling: In a large bowl combine the pork, cabbage, green onions, ginger, soy sauce, salt, Chinese black pepper, sugar, and vegetable oil.
Step 2. Folding the Dumplings: Fill a small bowl with water. Place a small amount of filling in the center of the dumpling. Dip the tip of your index finger in the water and trace a circle around the dumpling so that the edges are slightly wet (Image 2-a). Fold the bottom half of the circle up and over the filling (Image 2-b) and use your fingers to press the edges together to seal the dumpling (Images 2-c and 2-d).
There are much more intricate and beautiful ways to fold dumplings, but this is a nice easy way that is approachable for everyone, even young kids.
Step 3. Repeat with the remaining dumplings. Place multiple dumpling wrappers on a flat work surface such as a large plate, a cutting board, or a clean countertop. Place the filling in the center of each wrapper and then fold and seal each one.
Step 4. Freezer Prep: Fill a small bowl with the flour. Dip each dumpling in the flour, turning to coat both sides. Place the dumplings on a sheet pan. Then you can choose to either pan fry the dumplings (or cook according to your preference), or place the entire tray in the freezer. Freezer for 1 hour then transfer the dumplings to freezer bags in portions of 10-20.
Step 5. Pan Fry: To pan fry the dumplings bring a large saute pan to medium heat (for an electric stove this would be a setting of 4 out of 1-10). Add a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil and allow to warm through for 30 seconds. Add several dumplings to the pan. Do not overcrowd the pan or they will steam instead of becoming crispy. Leave them undisturbed until golden brown, then flip over and repeat on the remaining side.
Prior to serving I recommend cutting into one of the dumplings to make sure that the pork is cooked through.
If you are using frozen dumplings, you do not need to thaw them first. Just add them directly to the pan.
Tips for Making Chinese Pork Dumplings
- Small Dice: Be sure to do a small dice for the cabbage and thinly cut the green onions so that they are small and uniform. This ensures that they are distributed evenly in the filling and makes it easier to close and seal the dumplings.
- Dumpling Wrappers: Keep it easy and use store-bought dumpling wrappers. You could make your own but with a batch this large that would be quite an ordeal.
- Don't Overfill: Don't overfill the dumpling wrappers, which will make it harder to seal them shut. You'll be able to sort this out quickly with trial and error, but about a tablespoon of filling is perfect for standard dumpling wrappers.
- Sealing the Dumplings: Be sure to trace a circle of water around the edge of the dumpling wrapper and press the bottom over the filling to seal and close the dumpling. This will ensure that they do not split open when you pan-fry the dumplings.
Dumpling FAQs
Yes, store-bought dumpling wrappers work really well and can often be found in the freezer or refrigerator section of an Asian grocery store.
No, you do not need to cook the pork before filling the dumplings. The pork will cook inside the dumpling wrapper when pan-frying, boiling, or steaming the dumplings. Be sure to cut one open before serving to ensure that the pork is cooked through.
Yes, dumplings are an excellent dish to make ahead of time. They freeze well and can be pulled out of the freezer and cooked without thawing first.
If You're Looking for More Asian Inspired Dishes, You May Love These:
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Chinese Pork Dumplings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground pork
- 1 head of cabbage, diced
- 6 oz green onions, thinly slice (1 package at Trader Joe's)
- 5 pieces of ginger (about ¼ cup), peeled and grated
- 6 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1½ tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon Chinese black pepper
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 140 Shanghai Style dumpling wrappers (3 packages: see note and picture)
- ½ cup flour
Instructions
- Filling: Combine the pork, cabbage, green onions, ginger, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, sugar, and vegetable oil in a large mixing bowl.
- Make the Dumplings: To make the dumplings, place about 1 tablespoon of the mixture in the center of a round dumpling wrapper. Lightly brush the outer edge of the wrapper with water. Pick up the wrapper and fold it in half around the filling. Press gently to seal.
- To Freeze: Lightly flour each dumpling and lay flat on a large baking tray. Place in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove and place the dumplings in freezer bags. Do not thaw before cooking.
- To Fry the Dumplings: Add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil or olive oil to a large sauté pan at medium heat. Working in batches, add the floured dumplings (either frozen or fresh) to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook, turning as needed until golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 10-15 minutes. Cut into one to make sure it is fully cooked.
Notes
- Fun Family Project: We have made these as a family for many years, with even our 2 year old getting in on the fun, and our 5 year old has gotten so good he can do them just as fast as us. Have an adult make the filling and portion it out on each wrapper and the kids can seal the dumplings. Make sure the kids do not put their hands in their mouths especially when working with raw meat.
- Small Dice: Be sure to do a small dice for the cabbage and thinly cut the green onions so that they are small and uniform. This ensures that they are distributed evenly in the filling and makes it easier to close and seal the dumplings.
- Dumpling Wrappers: Keep it easy and use store-bought dumpling wrappers. You could make your own but with a batch this large that would be quite an ordeal.
- Don't Overfill: Don't overfill the dumpling wrappers, which will make it harder to seal them shut. You'll be able to sort this out quickly with trial and error, but about a tablespoon of filling is perfect for standard dumpling wrappers.
- Sealing the Dumplings: Be sure to trace a circle of water around the edge of the dumpling wrapper and press the bottom over the filling to seal and close the dumpling. This will ensure that they do not split open when you pan-fry the dumplings.
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