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5 from 2 votes

Pork Dumplings Recipe

Make our juicy, savory pork dumplings recipe with store-bought wrappers for a delicious and easy appetizer, dinner, or late night snack.
Servings 50 dumplings
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

Pork Filling

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • ½ tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon powdered ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
  • 2 medium scallions minced
  • 1 pinch salt

Folding

  • ½ cup water
  • 50 prepackaged dumpling wrappers

For steaming dumplings:

  • Water

For pan-frying dumplings:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions

  • Combine all pork filling ingredients in a large bowl: ground pork, egg, brown sugar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, minced garlic, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, onion powder, white pepper, powdered ginger, mustard powder, scallions, and salt.
    Mix well until the filling is thoroughly and evenly combined and has a smooth, almost puree-like texture.
  • Set pork filling aside and prepare your workstation. Lay out a large sheet of parchment paper to work on, leaving enough room to set wrapped dumplings aside. Additionally, line a baking sheet with parchment paper if you plan to freeze some (or all) of the dumplings. Then, fill a small bowl with room temperature water and set within reach.
    Set the pork filling within reach, along with a small spoon or meatball scoop.
  • Open the package of dumpling wrappers and set the stack on your work surface. Dampen a paper towel and wring it out, then lay it over the stack of dumpling wrappers. This will keep them from drying out as you work.
  • To fold the dumplings:
    Start by placing a single dumpling wrapper flat in front of you on the parchment paper. Dip a finger in the bowl of water and wet around the edge of the wrapper.
    Scoop about a tablespoon of the pork filling into the center of the wrapper.
    To fold the dumpling the "classic" way: take up opposite sides of the wrapper, like you're making a taco. Then pinch together in the middle to begin the seal. Hold this point with one hand, and with the other hand gently push from one end of the wrapper to fold it over itself, working from the middle outwards. Gently pinch between your fingers as you work to create a tight seal, then repeat the pattern on the other side of the dumpling until complete.*
  • Continue working on folding one or two dumplings at a time, setting them aside after they are wrapped. Every once in a while, dampen and wring out a paper towel to lay over a batch of wrapped dumplings to keep them from drying out.
  • Once all the dumplings have been wrapped, leave out as many as you wish to cook at this point. For the remaining dumplings, lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for at least 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer to a freezer-safe resealable bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Steaming Dumplings

  • To steam the fresh dumplings, fill a wok with about 2 inches of water so that the water level is just below the steamer basket when placed over the wok.
  • Place the steamer basket over the wok and heat over medium-high until the water is lightly boiling.
  • Place dumplings in the steamer basket with a little space between them, cover, and steam for about 4 to 6 minutes or until cooked through. Serve immediately.

Pan-Frying Dumplings

  • To pan-fry the fresh dumplings, heat about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Place dumplings in the pan and fry until the bottoms turn golden, about 4 minutes.
  • Turn the heat to low, then add ¼ cup water to the pan and cover. Steam for about 4 more minutes, or until the tops are soft and dumplings are cooked through. Serve immediately.

Notes

Scooping pork filling into dumplings: The larger the scoop, the harder it will be to fold the dumpling! It might feel silly, but start super small if you are new to dumpling-making, and then work your way up. Check out the images in our post above to see approximately what a "normal" size scoop looks like.
Folding dumplings: Folding dumplings can be challenging, and it's especially difficult if you've never seen it done before. Watch this video to see how it's done, and learn about different types of folds.
Cooking the dumplings: We recommend either steaming or pan-frying these homemade dumplings. Choose whichever method you prefer, or have the equipment for. Both are delicious!
Serving suggestions: These dumplings taste even better with a side of the sauce from our Spicy Udon Noodle Vegetable Stir-Fry recipe! We recommend making a half batch of sauce for about 5 or 6 dumplings.
You can also make these to use in our spicy Szechuan dumpling soup recipe, or to serve with other Asian dishes like General Tso's chicken and garlic noodles.
Cooking from frozen: You can heat up these dumplings straight from the freezer - no defrosting required! Just increase the cooking time by about 3 to 4 minutes for each step, whether steaming or pan-frying.
Author: Alex
Calories: 54kcal
Course: Appetizer, Appetizers, Side Dish, Sides, Snack, Snacks
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Keyword: brown sugar, chili garlic sauce, dumpling wrappers, dumplings, egg, hoisin, pork, scallions, sesame oil, soy sauce, steamer

Nutrition

Calories: 54kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 11IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.4mg