DIY Perfect Chinese Dumplings at Home

I’d like to show you the secrets to making the most delicious Chinese dumplings at home. No one has ever told you these, and I will guide you through every step of the way! You can make the best Chinese dumplings ever! Let’s get started!

Recipe

Serving 24
Prep time: 1 hour
Rest time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

For the infused water:
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
2 stalks scallions
3 slices ginger
1 ½ cups warm water

For the filling:
1 pound ground pork
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups cabbage, minced
2 stalks scallions, minced
2 tablespoons oil

For the dumplings:
24 dumpling wrappers
1 cup water, for sealing

For the dipping sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
2 tablespoons chili oil

Instructions

1. Make the infused water:

• • In a bowl, add the Sichuan peppercorns, scallions, and ginger. Pour in the warm water and let it infuse for about 15 minutes. Remove the aromatics. (This infused water will make our filling super juicy and aromatic.)

2. Make the filling:

• In a large mixing bowl, add the ground pork, salt, white pepper, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch. Pour in about half of the infused water. Mix well. Pour in the rest of the infused water and mix until well combined.
• In another mixing bowl, add the cabbage, scallions, and oil. (The oil is going to seal the juice of the cabbage and scallions inside while wrapping.) Whisk.
• Toss the cabbage and scallions into the filling. Mix together.

3. Wrap the dumplings:

• Place a wrapper flat and brush a ring of water around it. Add about 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center. Fold in half, pinching the edges together. Repeat with the rest.

4. Make the dipping sauce:

• In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, and chili oil.  Whisk.

5. Boil the dumplings and serve:

• In a large pot of water over high heat, bring it to a boil. Add the dumplings inside in batches. Stir gently with the back of a ladle.
• Cover the lid to cook the wrappers and bring back to a boil. Uncover the lid to cook the filling.
• First, add 1/2 cup of water to the pot. (We add the water to prevent the wrappers from breaking apart before the filling is cooked through.)
• Then, bring it back to a boil, and add another ½ cup of water. Lastly, bring it back to a boil one more time, and add the last ½ cup of water. The total cooking time is about 8 minutes.
• Serve with the dipping sauce!