Pork Dumplings with Crisp Golden Bases and Tender Pork Filling
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Pan-frying the bottom side of dumplings browns the crust. Steam cooks the pork filling inside the dumplings. Unlidded pan-frying makes the dumplings' bottom crust crisp again. Pork dumplings consist of a soft dough wrapper containing ground pork, cabbage, ginger, and sesame oil.
The filling contains ground pork, shredded cabbage, garlic, green onions, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ground ginger, salt, and pepper. Wet the edges of the wrapper to help the half-moon seal hold during cooking. Gently press the dumplings down on a baking sheet before cooking to create a flat surface that will cook evenly in the pan.
Cook dumplings in multiple batches to avoid having them cook stacked in the pan. Indicators that dumplings are fully cooked include a browned bottom before adding water and no remaining liquid in the pan after cooking. Dumplings can become overcooked as additional batches are added to the pan. Lower the heat level if the bottoms of dumplings are cooking more quickly than the filling.
Serve dumplings with soy sauce and green onions and sesame seeds. Make extra dumplings to freeze by freezing them separately, then storing them in an airtight container. Dumplings stored frozen can be cooked the same way as fresh dumplings, with a bit more cooking time, one or two minutes extra.
Why we keep this one around
- The flat bottom of the dumplings allows for more contact with the pan they are cooking in. This helps the dumplings' wrappers brown more evenly than rounded dumplings would.
- Steam from frying finishes cooking the filling. The wrapper softens on top but crisps on the bottom, and the pork and cabbage cook while wrapped in the wrapper.
- A 30-second cooking period after removing the lid dries the pan after steaming and restores the quality of the browned surface that would otherwise be lost with the lid on.
- Soaking the wrapper fully ensures a closed dumpling shape and keeps half-moon-shaped dumplings from opening while the filling cooks in batches.
- Cooking six to eight dumplings per cooking session gives them room to cook instead of steam. The bottoms of the dumplings will brown.
- Freezing dumplings one at a time keeps them from sticking together before freezing. Later, you can cook the dumplings without them sticking.
Ingredients
- •1 pound ground pork
- •2 cups shredded cabbage
- •4 cloves garlic (minced)
- •3 stalks green onion (thinly sliced)
- •2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- •1 teaspoon sesame oil
- •½ teaspoon ground ginger
- •kosher salt (large pinch)
- •fresh cracked pepper (large pinch)
- •36 dumpling or potsticker wrappers (round)
- •2 tablespoons vegetable oil (2-4 tablespoons, plus more as necessary)
- •¼ cup water (per batch for steaming)
- •sliced green onion (for garnish)
- •sesame seeds (for garnish)
- •soy sauce (for serving)
Instructions
- 1
Add the ground pork, cabbage, garlic, green onion, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ginger, salt, and pepper to a large bowl.
- 2
Mix until well combined.
- 3
Fill a small bowl with water.
- 4
Lay out a dumpling wrapper and use a water-dipped finger to wet the entire edge.
- 5
Scoop about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper.
- 6
Fold the wrapper in half and press the edges together to seal it into a half-moon shape.
- 7
Place the dumpling on a baking sheet and gently press it down so the bottom flattens and it can stand on its own.
- 8
Repeat with the remaining dumplings.
- 9
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
- 10
Working in batches of 6 to 8, add dumplings flat-side down and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the bottoms are dark golden brown.
- 11
Carefully pour 1/4 cup water into the pan and cover immediately.
- 12
Cook covered for 3 to 4 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed.
- 13
Remove the lid and cook for about 30 seconds, until the bottoms are crisp again.
- 14
Repeat with the remaining dumplings, adding more oil as necessary to keep the bottom of the pan coated in a thin layer of oil.
- 15
Serve with soy sauce and garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
141
Calories
8.6g
Protein
9.1g
Fat
5.4g
Carbs
Reviews
Pin this recipe
Tap an image to save it to Pinterest.
