Chinese Dumplings

chopsticks dunking pork wonton into dipping sauce

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Skip the takeout and make these scrumptious Chinese Dumplings at home! They’re soft and tender filled with perfectly seasoned pork, shrimp, and water chestnuts, then served with an easy yet delicious dipping sauce.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Total Time40

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: Asian appetizers, Chinese dumplings, pork dumplings

Servings: dumplings

Ingredients

3/4 pound ground pork
1/4 pound shrimp , thawed if frozen, deveined, finely diced
3 scallions , finely diced
3 tablespoons finely diced water chestnuts
1 clove finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or dry sherry)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 & 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 & 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
40 round wonton wrappers
dipping sauce , for serving (below)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, using your hands, gently mix together all the filling ingredients for the dumplings.
Place about 1 heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of each wonton wrapper.
Dip your finger in a bowl of water and run it along the edges of the wonton wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the meat mixture to form a triangle. Seal the wet edges together. Then fold the two bottom corners in and seal them with water pressing firmly. (See photos above for visual help.) Cover with a damp paper towel and repeat the steps to form all 40 wontons.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then reduce to a gentle bubble. Place 6-8 dumplings at a time into the simmering water and cook for a few minutes or until they float to the top (you can open one up and check the inside to make sure the meat is fully cooked.)
Gently remove them using a plastic or metal strainer and transfer them to a shallow bowl coated with nonstick spray or oil. Drizzle with a touch of soy sauce and sesame oil to prevent sticking.
Repeat the cooking process with the rest of the stuffed wontons until they're all cooked.
Combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauce and serve with the dumplings.

Notes

Dipping sauce. Combine 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup mirin, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 2 finely chopped scallions, and 1 tablespoon minced ginger.

Add more flavor. You can add a tablespoon of hoisin sauce or oyster sauce for more sweet-salty flavor. If you want the dumplings to have some heat, drizzle in a bit of sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Omit the shrimp. If preferred, you can replace the shrimp with more ground pork for a 100% pork dumpling.

Keep the wontons from drying out. Since this recipe makes 40 dumplings, you'll want to cover the ones you've already formed with a damp paper towel as you work on the rest to prevent the wontons from drying out.

Don't overcrowd the pot. I don't recommend boiling more than 6 to 8 at a time (even less if your pot is very small), to prevent them from sticking together as they cook.

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