13 Chinese Dumpling Recipes Worth Mastering

Dumplings — an integral part of Chinese cuisine and a true "comfort food." These recipes include both traditional and modified versions. But all are based on the distinctive flavors and time-tested cooking techniques that make Chinese dumplings so beloved.

Siu-mai

No dim sum table is complete without siu mai, open-topped dumplings. While the filling recipe varies from restaurant to restaurant, pork and shrimp siu mai are particularly popular. Soaking the pork belly and shrimp in a baking soda solution helps achieve the perfect filling texture. Hand-slicing the pork belly also adds a unique texture to the dish, but in a pinch, ground pork can be substituted.

Recipe: Siu-mai

Dumplings with a crispy "skirt"

Crispy-skirt dumplings are essentially pan-fried dumplings with a thin, crispy outer layer. They're popular at izakayas across Japan, where they're called hanetsuki gyoza (gyoza with wings), and at Chinese restaurants, where they're sometimes called binghua jianjiao (fried ice flower dumplings). This recipe offers a foolproof way to make crispy skirts. Traditionally, it's made with a slurry of just flour and water, but if the proportions aren't right, the skirts will be sticky rather than crispy. Therefore, it's best to make the slurry with cornstarch and vinegar.

Recipe: Dumplings with a crispy "skirt"

Xiao Long Bao Dumplings with Pork

Molly says, "Xiao long bao, or broth dumplings, are Chinese steamed dumplings filled with soup. They're absolutely delicious! As a child, I ate them with my family at our favorite restaurant in Chicago's Chinatown. Later, I learned to make them by combining a family recipe with a secret ingredient: a jelly made from the broth that melts into soup inside the dumplings."

Recipe: Xiaolongbao: Soup dumplings with pork

Wontons in soy-oil sauce

During the New Year, the Chinese eat a huge amount of dumplings, which symbolize wealth for the coming year: pieces of dough filled with meat and vegetables resemble small money purses. These wontons, dressed in a thick soy-butter sauce, are instantly gone. The scallop and jalapeño filling makes them especially delicious. The sauce isn't traditional, but the butter mixed with chili flakes and salty soy sauce perfectly complements the natural sweetness of the scallops. Remember: the more dumplings you eat, the richer you will be!

Recipe: Wontons in soy-oil sauce

Jiaozi dumplings with chicken and dipping sauce

These chicken dumplings are a Molly Yeh family favorite. She seasons the filling with fresh ginger and green onions and serves them with a classic dipping sauce.

Recipe: Chinese Guotie Dumplings with Chicken and Dipping Sauce

Shumai with pork and mushrooms

Elegant, beautiful and absolutely delicious, these dumplings are hard to beat.

Recipe: Open dumplings "Shumai" with pork and mushrooms, steamed

Har-go

Har gow is a popular dim sum dish in China. These shrimp dumplings are known for their slightly chewy, translucent dough, orange shrimp filling, and numerous tiny folds, which are considered a reflection of the chef's skill: the more folds and the more translucent the dough, the more skilled the chef. The shrimp are pre-soaked in a baking soda solution. This technique helps make them crispier. The gradual mixing of wheat starch with boiling water creates the signature translucent dough.

Recipe: Har-go

Dumplings with pork and shrimp

Long before Sandy Shea became the executive chef at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel and casino, she learned cooking techniques from her mother. These dumplings, which Sandy makes with homemade dough, are one of her go-to recipes. "I cut the shrimp in half for a more vibrant texture," she says.

Recipe: Chinese dumplings with pork, shrimp and fragrant onions

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Steamed shrimp dumplings

Before filling the dough, it needs to be chilled: place it in the refrigerator an hour before cooking.

Recipe: Steamed shrimp dumplings

Wontons with pumpkin and shiitake mushrooms in pomegranate syrup

Ming fills wonton dough with kabocha squash and shiitake mushrooms—a dish where East meets West. To serve, drizzle the wontons with rice vinegar syrup and pomegranate.

Recipe: Wontons with shiitake and pumpkin in pomegranate-vinegar syrup

Fried dumplings with pork

Instead of store-bought dumplings, make the dish from scratch using ground pork and dough. A simple ponzu dipping sauce is the perfect accompaniment.

Recipe: Dumplings with meat and cabbage with Ponzu dipping sauce

Pelmeni "Xiu Mai"

Jet says, "Dim sum literally translates as 'touch the heart.' I absolutely love this Cantonese breakfast! Dim sum originated in small teahouses in southern China, where they served a selection of fried and steamed snacks to accompany tea. It's a modern version of a culinary flea market. People compete to snag the freshly prepared delicacies, which are carried around on carts. These are my favorite type of dumpling. They resemble drums, filled with pork and shrimp—they're the best."

Recipe: Shu-mai dumplings







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