These pork and chive dumplings have a tasty, authentic Chinese filling of pork, Chinese garlic chives, fresh ginger and a few of your favorite Chinese sauces and seasonings. They are juicy and delectable – a favorite in our house – and I’m excited to share this recipe along with a few tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way.
Dumplings are a staple in Chinese cuisine that come from northern China. You’ll find as many variations as there are families in (and out) of China, in addition to regional variations of dumpling recipes. And, much like mac and cheese or cinnamon rolls or whatever it is that defined your childhood, each version will proclaim to be ‘the best.’ I won’t do that to you. After all, I didn’t grow up eating dumplings. But these are damn good. And they are the dumplings my 12 year old has grown up eating. I’ve been making versions of this recipe since he was 3 and we lived in China. Dumplings in general are one of his favorite food groups (I said what I said), and I think this recipe might be the reason why.
Jump to:
- Here’s What You’ll Need to Make Pork and Chinese Chive Dumplings
- How to Make Chinese Pork and Chive Dumplings
- How to Achieve the Perfect Dumpling Filling
- Working with Store-Bought Dumpling Wrappers vs. Homemade Wrappers
- Working With Homemade Wrappers
- How to Cook These Chive Dumplings
- How to Serve Dumplings
- Go Forth… And Host a Dumpling Party!
- Storage
- 📖 Recipe
Here’s What You’ll Need to Make Pork and Chinese Chive Dumplings
- Dumpling wrappers: See my notes below on the pros and cons as well as some tips for
- Ground pork
- Chinese chives: Are flatter, taller, and more potent than regular chives. These are easily found in most asian grocery stores.
- Green onions
- Oyster sauce: A rich, savory seasoning that is thick, sweet, salty and lightly fermented. It’s delicious in sauces!
- Light soy sauce: Used for seasoning
- Dark soy sauce: Dark soy sauce is less salty, slightly sweeter and a little thicker than light soy sauce. Here we’re using it to give the dumplings a nice depth of flavor.
- Sesame oil: Just a little bit goes a long way, but adds a nice nutty flavor to these dumplings.
- Ginger: My recipe uses slightly more ginger than you might find in a lot of Chinese recipes. I like the fresh zing it gives to these dumplings.
- Sugar
- Water: Due to the emulsification process the meat undergoes, adding water helps increase the juiciness of our final dumplings.
- Ground white pepper: For flavor, although you could swap for black pepper if you don’t have.
- Ground Sichuan peppercorn: This is optional, and in this recipe, I use it in extreme moderation, but I love finding ways to incorporate that slight numbing tingle to my food and it goes lovely with the chili crisp I drizzle over the dish when I serve it.
- Salt: Although you can omit salt in the pork mixture, I don’t recommend it. I find in most Chinese dishes soy and salt (or MSG) are both used as seasoning. You won’t need a lot, but using a little helps enhance all of the other seasonings in the meat filling.
How to Make Chinese Pork and Chive Dumplings
- Add ground pork, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, water, white pepper, sichuan peppercorn, salt, chopped garlic chives, grated ginger, and scallion to a medium mixing bowl.
- Using a pair of chopsticks or a fork, whisk vigorously in one direction until the the ingredients are not only combined, but the texture of the meat changes and looks almost like a paste.
- To create your dumpling making station, set up a sheet of parchment paper, a small bowl of water, the bowl of filling with either a spoon or pair of chopsticks, and wrappers. If using store bought wrappers, remember to cover wrappers with a damp paper towel.
- Wet the outer rim of a wrapper with warm water using your finger. Then either using chopsticks or a spoon, add approximately 1 tablespoon of filling to the center of the wrapper and seal, making sure to remove air pockets. Transfer prepared dumpling onto a sheet of parchment paper until ready to cook.
- Repeat until all of the filling or all of the wrappers have been used.
How to Achieve the Perfect Dumpling Filling
In order to get a springy, juicy filling, the key is to whip the meat filling until its texture actually changes and looks more like a paste than ground meat. Most Chinese home cooks will tell you that to achieve this texture, it’s important to whip the meat rapidly and in one direction.
What you’re after is emulsification to help bind the proteins together into a sort of ‘net’ if you will. This net traps moisture, creating springy, juicy dumplings. Using your chopsticks to whip your filling in one direction definitely helps create the momentum you need to achieve the right consistency. (Although the jury is out as to whether it is the only way to emulsify the filling.)
Working with Store-Bought Dumpling Wrappers vs. Homemade Wrappers
When I have the time, I prefer to use homemade dumpling wrappers vs store-bought ones because they are easier to use. Homemade wrappers are more pliable and they aren’t as dry, which means you can:
- Increase the filling to dough ratio.
- Make more elaborate creases.
- Close them without cracking the dough.
I have included a recipe for dumpling dough in this post.
However, I default to using store-bought dumpling wrappers probably about 50% of the time. If you are new to dumpling making or don’t have much experience with dough, in general, I think using premade wrappers feels less daunting. It’s also a great option if you’re looking to save some time. At the time of writing this post, you’ll need two packages of approximately 30 wrappers to use up all of the filling. No matter what type of wrappers you choose, I promise you’ll still end up with delicious dumplings.
Here are some tips for working with store-bought dumpling wrappers:
- Once you open the package of wrappers, keep a damp paper towel over the stack so they don’t dry out.
- Keep a pinch bowl or small cup of warm water by you and moisten the rim of the wrapper to soften the dough again and make it easier to work with.
- Although you can fill store-bought dumplings with a heaping tablespoon of filling, if you are struggling to close them, you can try decreasing the amount to approximately 2 teaspoons. Less filling gives you more dough to work with.
- If you find the dough doesn’t soften right away, be patient. I’ll sometimes moisten the rims of up to three dumplings at a time. I will also sometimes moisten the rims of both sides of the dumpling.
- After you finish creasing your dumplings, you can go back and press along their edges, especially if you see any openings. Once they’ve been sitting for a while, it will be easier to press them back together.
- If you find working with store-bought dumpling wrappers to be truly difficult, don’t worry about adding additional creases to the dumpling. Simply fold them over into half moons and seal that way. The dumplings will still taste delicious!
Working With Homemade Wrappers
I do love making my own dumpling wrappers when I have extra time. Homemade wrappers are easier to close and won’t dry out as fast as store bought wrappers. They’re also more forgiving if you’re new to dumpling making, and by that, what I mean is I think people have the tendency to try to overfill dumplings, and with homemade wrappers, you’ll have some wiggle room (this also means more meat to wrapper ratio and I’m down with that.).
The biggest thing to remember is that perfecting dumpling wrappers may take a bit of practice, so don’t get discouraged if your first attempts are not perfect. Enjoy the process – and delicious results.
Here are some tips for working with homemade dumpling wrappers:
- Achieving the right consistency for the dough is crucial. It should be soft and pliable but not too sticky. Adjust the water or flour as needed.
- You will probably want to divide the dough into larger portions than you need the first time you make dumplings by hand. Each portion of dough will end up being approximately half the size of a golf ball, if that.
- Use ample flour to roll out the wrappers. Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking. Once you flatten the wrapper, you may also need to dust the dough with a bit of flour as well.
- To close the dumpling won’t be as hard as closing it with a store bought wrapper, but you may need to lightly wet the outer edge of half of the wrapper (vs. the whole rim) to close.
How to Cook These Chive Dumplings
Boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the dumplings to the boiling water and boil for 8-10 minutes.
Steam: You’ll need a steamer basket to cook dumplings with this method. Make sure there is at least a cup of water at the bottom of the pan. Place dumplings in steamer basket and place steamer basket over water. Steam for 8-10 minutes.
Pan fry: In a large pan, coat the bottom of the pan with a generous glug of vegetable oil, then layer the dumplings in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat. Reduce to medium heat, cover, and cook for 5-7 minutes. Then uncover and let cook until the water evaporates and the bottoms turn golden brown another minute or two.
How to Serve Dumplings
There are a lot of different sauces you can use to dip your dumplings into. In China, the most common way to eat dumplings is with chili oil and black vinegar, which are usually kept on tables at noodle restaurants. When we eat dumplings at home, I like making my own dipping sauce with chili oil, black vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and cilantro. You’ll find the recipe for it in the recipe card. If you can’t find black vinegar, you can use rice vinegar instead. Even though the flavor profile is nothing alike, the sauce will still be very good.
Go Forth… And Host a Dumpling Party!
Chinese dumplings are actually pretty easy to make. They just take a little time. For that reason, I recommend enlisting the help of your loved ones, big and small. My 12 year old son has been helping me with the task since he was 7; he started simply by sealing the dumpling without any fancy creasing techniques. Today, he often looks up a folding video on YouTube to see which shapes he likes best.
And if you’re feeling social, host an entire party dedicated to making dumplings. When guests make their own plate of food and everyone is enjoying themselves, time flies by. It is, in fact, extremely commonplace to do this in China, especially around the Lunar New Year.
Storage
Freezing: Doubling your batch of pork and chive dumplings and freezing the extras is a great idea to really maximize dumpling night! To do this, freeze the dumplings on a baking sheet, taking care to make sure the dumplings aren’t touching (so they don’t stick together). Once frozen, remove from freezer, place individual dumplings into freezer bags, and stick back in the freezer for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen, adjusting cook time by 2-3 minutes.
📖 Recipe
Pork and Chive Dumplings
Ingredients
Pork & Chive Filling
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1½ teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon sichuan peppercorn freshly ground if possible
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon salt I used ½ teaspoon
- 2 cups Chinese garlic chives finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- ⅓ cup scallion roughly chopped
Dumpling Wrappers (approximately 45-48)
- 400 grams flour
- 208 grams water
Dipping Sauce
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons black vinegar zhenzhiang vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon chili oil chili crisp
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 clove garlic chopped
Instructions
- Dumpling Wrappers (If Making)
- In a mixing bowl, add water to flour gradually. Mix with a spatula until combined. Knead into a smooth dough.
- Cover and rest for 10-30 minutes.
- Cut into 45-48 pieces.
- Roll out into discs on a well floured surface.
Pork & Chive Filling
- Add ground pork, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, water, white pepper, sichuan peppercorn, salt, chopped garlic chives, grated ginger, and scallion to a medium mixing bowl.
- Using a pair of chopsticks or a fork, whisk vigorously in one direction until the the ingredients are not only combined, but the texture of the meat changes and looks almost like a paste.
- To create your dumpling making station, set up a sheet of parchment paper, a small bowl of water, the bowl of filling with either a spoon or pair of chopsticks, and wrappers. If using store bought wrappers, remember to cover wrappers with a damp paper towel.
- Wet the outer rim of a wrapper with warm water using your finger. Then either using chopsticks or a spoon, add approximately 1 tablespoon of filling to the middle of the wrapper and seal, making sure to remove air pockets. Transfer prepared dumpling onto a sheet of parchment paper until ready to cook. Repeat until all of the filling or all of the wrappers have been used.
- Cook your dumplings in preferred method:
- Steam for 8-10 minutes. Or
- Boil for 8-10 minutes. Or
- Or pan fry (potstickers). To pan fry, coat a non-stick pan with a generous glug of vegetable oil. Heat. Place dumplings in a circle to fill the pan. Fry on medium heat until the bottoms are browned, 2-3 minutes. Then fill with ½ cup water and cover. Cook for 6-7 minutes. Uncover and finish cooking until all the water has cooked off.
- Dipping Sauce
- Combine all dipping sauce ingredients and stir. Adjust seasoning to personal preference. Spoon over dumplings or dip dumplings directly into bowl. Optionally serve with more cilantro and chili oil/crisp.
