Chinese Pork Dumplings

A blue plate on a wooden charger filled with crispy golden dumplings with chopsticks and soy sauce dipping plates.

5 from 3 votes

Chinese Pork Dumplings

Its easier than you may think to make Chinese pork dumplings at home. Mix together pork, cabbage, green onions, ginger and soy sauce together and wrap in store-bought dumpling wrappers for a make ahead meal that's easy to pull out of the freezer and fry up and way better than from the store, or even most restaurants.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: dumplings

Calories: 46kcal

Author: Lauren Skardal

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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