My mom’s secret recipe for creating the best pork dumplings. The dumplings are juicy, tender and taste so good even without any dipping sauce!
Dumplings are one of the most important foods in northern Chinese cuisine. Unlike potstickers served in Japan and in the US, dumplings are a staple for us and we enjoy them as a meal instead of appetizer. The other difference is we always cook with freshly made dumpling dough instead of frozen dumpling wrappers. Even when you buy dumpling wrappers at a vegetable market you will certainly find small packs of freshly machine-made dumpling wrappers that come in small plastic bags.
I have been spoiled with great homemade dumplings ever since I was a kid. My grandma was a northern lady who loved cooking and sharing food. And, she was really good at it! Preparing and making dumplings was one of her favorite tasks, and my dad learnt all the secrets from her, passing the the skill to my mom.
My grandma’s secret weapon to making great pork dumplings was fresh shrimp. In traditional pork dumpling recipes, home cooks usually use rehydrated dried shrimps to increase flavor. But my grandma insisted on using fresh shrimp. Not only does it add umami and depth of flavor, the texture of the dumplings will be perfect when you use fresh shrimp, producing some of the best dumplings I’ve ever had.
I remember the first time my cousin tried dumplings at my parents’ place. He was astound how great a pork dumpling can taste. He was still in middle school. Back then it’ was a luxury thing to use expensive fresh shrimp in the dumplings because dumplings are considered a common daily staple, like rice, and should be cheap to make. When he went back home and insisted on using shrimps in the dumplings, my uncle scolded him saying it’s a crazy thing to do. When my mom told me the story, I suddenly realized how special these dumplings are, and I’ve been eating them all the time.
Today I’m sharing this family recipe with you. It is simple, elegant, and fresh. You can use store bought dumpling wrappers as well. But if you’re into Chinese food, I highly recommend you to make the dumpling dough from scratch. To make the task easier, you can make steamed dumpling dough instead of boiled dumpling dough. Either way, these dumplings will turn out juicy, tender, and with great texture.
As I mentioned in my previous post, great dumplings emphasize the freshness of the filling and dough. By using homemade dumpling dough, not only do you create a soupy dumpling filling, you can make bigger dumplings that taste (and are more) satisfying. You’ll see my recipe has a very simple ingredient list. Once you’ve tried fresh dumplings, you’ll be surprised how flavorful they are. You’ll never go back ready made dumplings.
These dumplings are very satisfying and you can serve them as a main dish. You can add a simple appetizer, such as cucumber salad, wood ear mushroom salad, spinach salad, or you can serve the dumplings with millet congee and quick pickles. That’s exactly what we do in China.
For more filling recipes for dumplings, check out my favorite lamb dumpling recipe, vegetarian dumplings, and pork mushroom dumplings.
Cooking video
I recorded a short video to show you how easy it is to cook this dish. Find more videos to learn Chinese cooking on my YouTube channel!
Happy cooking!
Mom’s Best Pork Dumplings with Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 grams) ground pork (at least 20% fat)
- 1/2 pound (250 grams) shrimp (about 16 medium-size shrimp) , peeled and deveined and chopped to small pieces
- 1 tablespoon ginger , freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or regular soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 pound (450 grams) napa cabbage
- 4 green onions , finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 package frozen dumpling wrappers (or homemade steamed dumpling wrappers OR homemade boiled dumpling wrappers)
Instructions
Prepare filling
- Combine ground pork, shrimp, ginger, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, salt, and white pepper in a large bowl. Stir with a spatula until the ingredients are well combined and form a sticky paste. Thorough mixing is essential here, so your dumpling filling will stay together when you wrap dumplings. Cover with a plastic wrapper and allow to marinate in fridge until you’re ready to wrap the dumplings.
- Cut 6 to 8 pieces napa cabbage leaves (just enough to line the steamer) and keep for later. Cut the rest of the cabbage into small cubes and set aside.
- Sprinkle 2 pinches of salt onto the cabbage and mix well with your hands. Allow this to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Use a few layers of cheesecloth or paper towel to squeeze out extra water.
- Just before wrapping dumplings, add the napa cabbage, green onion, and sesame oil into the pork mixture. Stir to mix well.
Wrap
- Work on the dumplings one by one. You can watch this video if you’re using frozen dumpling wrappers. Or watch this video if you’re using homemade dumpling wrappers.
- Scoop about 1 to 2 tablespoons (depends on the size of dumpling wrapper you use) of dumpling filling and place it in the center of the wrapper. If you’re using pre-made dumpling wrappers, dip your finger into a small bowl of water and wet the outer edge of the dumpling wrapper. Fold both sides into a half-moon shape and pinch the middle points together. Hold the dumpling with one hand and start sealing the edges into pleats with the other hand. Once you have sealed the dumpling, firmly press the pleated side with your fingers to make sure the dumpling is well sealed. If you put in too much filling and have trouble sealing the dumpling, remove extra filling and fold the dumpling again.
- If you plan to cook the dumplings immediately, place dumplings onto a well-floured cutting board about a finger width apart.
- If you plan to freeze the dumplings, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place dumplings on top.
Cook
- Line the bamboo steamers with napa cabbage leaves. Place dumplings into the steamer a finger width apart. Add two inches of water into a wok or a large pan that can comfortably fit your steamer. Place the steamer into the wok making sure the water doesn’t touch the dumplings when it begins to boil. Cover the steamer and cook over high heat for 10 minutes.
- You can also check this post for boiled dumplings for this post for cooking potsticker.
- Serve immediately.
Store
- Store the wrapped, uncooked dumplings in the freezer for up to 1 month. To freeze properly, seal the baking sheet tight with plastic wrapper and allow the dumplings to freeze completely. To save freezer space, transfer the frozen dumplings into large containers or a gallon bag. Be careful not break them when you stack the dumplings and do not place other things on top of your dumplings bag.
- To cook the frozen dumplings, steam directly from the freezer without thawing. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to cook through.
Going to try this soon! Just wondering what the timings/ cooking instructions would be if I were to pan fry these? You have a couple different recipes for dumpling wrappers, which would work best for pan frying, or would store bought be ok? Thanks!
Hello Miss Zhu, my name is Sophie, I go to a school in Hong Kong and I have an assignment about making Chinese food. This recipe has helped me so much. Thank you for this amazing dish recipe!
Love Sophie
These were fantastic!!
I’ve never cooked anything like this before and they turned out perfect. Prep and cooking went as described in the recipe and the flavor was incredible!
I will definitely be making these again.
I have made this recipe about five times now; it is just wonderful. I’ve also used your recipe for dough; it is excellent but very time consuming. If I’m in a hurry (I usually am), I just buy dumpling or wonton wrappers from the grocery store, but I love love love this filling. I make a batch, freeze them on a cookie sheet overnight in my deep freeze, then put them in a freezer ziploc bag and pull out as many as I want for steaming or soups.
Maggie,
I am allergic to all fish and seafood, can I substitute an equal amount of pork for the shrimp or is there something else I should try instead? These look amazing and I really want to make them as authentic as possible. Growing up my best friends’ Mom was from Northern China and she would make us boiled or steamed pork dumplings after school, I can almost taste them just thinking about it! Thank you for all of your amazing recipes!
Sincerely,
Eryn
Hi Eryn, yes, you can totally use an equal amount of pork to replace the shrimp. Actually that is the way that most restaurants do. My family version is fancier because the shrimps add a rich umami to the dumplings. But you can get a very good result even without the shrimps.
I made these dumplings for my mother who really loved them. I thought they were outstanding. I will definitely be making them again. I like that you can prepare then freeze to steam another day. Very nice flavor.
Hi Maggie, I noticed in the pork mushroom filling recipe you had a tip about adding lots of water into the pork to lock in moisture. This isn’t mentioned here, should we do the same or does the napa cabbage produce a lot of water when cooking so it’s not necessary to add water into the filling mixture?
Hi Vera, you’re right about the napa cabbage. It will release a lot of liquid and the dumplings will be juicy at the end.
This recipe uses a lot of veggies, so you don’t need to add water to the pork.
Happy cooking and can’t wait to hear your feedback! 🙂
Since moving to Las Vegas from the east coast, I haven’t found a decent pork dumpling in 8 years., Your recipe is the closest I’ve come. Thanks so much!! But 1 problem I always seem to have is the pork feels tough. Am I cooking them too long? Working the meat too much? Any ideas??
Hi Janet, to get very tender pork, the best way is to use fatty ground pork (e.g. 30% fat). I think learn pork will usually yield a tougher result. And yeah, it might be a result of overcooking, since the steaming time is largely affected by the dumpling size.
These were delicious, just what I wanted!
Hi! I made dumplings, but the meat mixture ended up being a bit dry, like a dry meatball. Do you have a suggestion for how to make the meatball more “springy”? I think the issue may be that I did not mix them long enough? Would that help?
Hi Melissa, yes, you should mix the pork long enough so it becomes sticky, which adds the springy texture. Also if you want the filling more juicy, you should use fattier ground pork (like 30%).
Thank you so much for sharing your family recipes, they are great!
Is it ok to skip the prawns? If so how many grams of pork should I use?
Hi El, it’s OK to skip the prawns and use about 7 oz (200 g) more pork (just slightly less than 1/2 lbs).
Thanks to your reply for no prawns, so 200g extra mince. What about if no wine or set sherry, can I use mirin? If so, how much?
I would try to find rice wine (Japnese sake) since they are more available than Shaoxing wine. I wouldn’t use mirin because it’s too sweet.
I would love to try your recipe, however I am allergic to shrimp. Would you substitute it with anything such as fish sauce or mushrooms, or should I just omit it altogether?
Hi Jean, you can skip the shrimp all together (or add same grams of pork or mushrooms).
Would I be able to sub the pork with ground turkey? If so would I need to add something to up the fat content? Thanks!
I believe you can! I would use ground turkey that’s slightly fattier (15% fat).
Hi Maggie, today I will do your wonderful dumplings for the third time! I would like to cook them tomorrow night, do you advise me to freeze them today or can I keep them in the refrigerator for a whole day? I would not want the pastry to become sticky.
Many thanks for your wonderful blog, I managed to cook excellent Chinese recipes with your help, even though I am Italian
Hi Francesca, I recommend to freeze the dumplings today. Once seasoned, the napa cabbage will start to seep out liquid that makes the dough soggy. Happy cooking and I hope you enjoy the dumplings 🙂
These are awesome. My daughters who rarely try anything different, loved them. Two thumbs us from me. 👍 👌
Such a delicious recipe! Authentic taste and definite crowd-pleaser. Thanks for the recipe!
Can I just leave out the shrimp or should I extra of something else in its place? My kids don’t like it.
Thank you so much. I’m excited to try!
Hi Katherine, you should replace the shrimp with extra ground pork so it will be seasoned correctly.
Me and my partner made these for Valentine’s Day and it made for the perfect date night. They were so fun to make and were literally perfect. Don’t change anything in this recipe, it’s perfect as is!