Steamed Chicken and Vegetable Dumplings

Name: Steamed Chicken and Vegetable Dumplings
Prep time: 47 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 7 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) ground chicken (thigh meat preferred), cold, straight from the fridge; 3 cups (250 g) napa cabbage, cored and very finely chopped (pieces about ⅛ inch / 3 mm); 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt; 1 medium (about 3½ oz) (100 g) medium carrot, peeled and finely grated on the small holes of a box grater; 3 whole (40 g) scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced; 1 tbsp (10 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 2 cloves (6 g) garlic cloves, finely grated or minced; 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce; 1 tbsp (15 ml) Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry); 2 tsp (10 ml) toasted sesame oil; 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar; ¼ tsp (½ g) ground white pepper; 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch; 3 tbsp (45 ml) cold water; 36 wrappers (about 11 oz) (310 g) round dumpling wrappers (about 3½ inches / 9 cm), thawed if frozen, kept covered with a damp towel; ¼ cup (60 ml) water, in a small bowl, for sealing wrappers (use separate tap water for the steamer base); 2 tsp (10 ml) neutral oil (such as canola), for lightly brushing the parchment; 3 tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce; 1 tbsp (15 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar (or Chinkiang black vinegar); ½ tsp (2½ ml) toasted sesame oil; 1 tsp (5 g) chili crisp or chili oil, to taste (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Juicy, tender steamed dumplings filled with ground chicken, napa cabbage, carrot, ginger and scallion, served with a simple soy-vinegar dipping sauce. A little water whipped into the filling keeps lean chicken moist.

Prep: 47 min
Cook: 20 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 1 hr 22 min
Makes: 36 dumplings (4 servings of 9)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the filling
1 lb (450 g) ground chicken (thigh meat preferred), cold, straight from the fridge
3 cups (250 g) napa cabbage, cored and very finely chopped (pieces about ⅛ inch / 3 mm)
1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt
1 medium (about 3½ oz) (100 g) medium carrot, peeled and finely grated on the small holes of a box grater
3 whole (40 g) scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
1 tbsp (10 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 cloves (6 g) garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 tsp (10 ml) toasted sesame oil
1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground white pepper
1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch
3 tbsp (45 ml) cold water
For assembling
36 wrappers (about 11 oz) (310 g) round dumpling wrappers (about 3½ inches / 9 cm), thawed if frozen, kept covered with a damp towel
¼ cup (60 ml) water, in a small bowl, for sealing wrappers (use separate tap water for the steamer base)
2 tsp (10 ml) neutral oil (such as canola), for lightly brushing the parchment
For the dipping sauce
3 tbsp (45 ml) soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar (or Chinkiang black vinegar)
½ tsp (2.5 ml) toasted sesame oil
1 tsp (5 g) chili crisp or chili oil, to taste (optional)

Equipment (9)

Large bamboo steamer (10–12-inch / 25–30 cm) with lid, or a metal steamer insert
Wok or wide pot that holds the steamer above 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water
Large mixing bowl
Box grater
Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth for squeezing the cabbage
Parchment paper, cut into rounds to fit the steamer (poked with a few holes)
Rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment, for holding folded dumplings
Instant-read thermometer
Small bowl for sealing water and small bowl for dipping sauce

Steps

Before you start

Use round, thin dumpling wrappers (gyoza or 'dumpling skins', about 3½ inches / 9 cm). Thaw frozen ones in the fridge overnight.
Ground chicken should be cold. Cold filling is easier to mix into a sticky paste and easier to fold.
Plan to steam in 2 batches of 18 unless your steamer is very large. Dumplings must not touch while steaming.
Keep unused wrappers covered with a damp towel while you work, because they dry out and crack within minutes.

1
Salt the cabbage
- Place the finely chopped napa cabbage in a medium bowl and toss with the 1 tsp kosher salt.
- Let it sit for 15 minutes so the salt draws out excess water.
- This prevents a soggy filling and wrappers that tear.
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Ready when: Cabbage looks wilted and a pool of liquid has collected at the bottom of the bowl
Tip: Chop the cabbage small. Large pieces poke through the thin wrappers.
2
Prep the aromatics
- While the cabbage sits, peel and finely grate the carrot on the small holes of a box grater.
- Thinly slice the scallions, and grate the ginger and garlic.
- Keep them in separate piles on your board.
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Ready when: Carrot is in fine shreds and ginger is a wet paste with no stringy pieces
3
Squeeze the cabbage
- Scoop the cabbage into a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth.
- Twist and squeeze firmly over the sink until almost no liquid drips out.
- You should end up with about 1 packed cup (roughly 120 g) of damp cabbage.
- Discard the liquid.
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Ready when: Cabbage feels damp, not wet, and no more drops fall when squeezed
Tip: Don't skip this step. Wet cabbage makes the filling watery and the dumplings hard to seal.
4
Mix the filling
- In a large bowl, combine the cold ground chicken, squeezed cabbage, carrot, scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, 2 tsp sesame oil, sugar, white pepper and cornstarch.
- Add the 3 tbsp cold water.
- Stir hard in one direction only with chopsticks or a sturdy spoon for about 2 minutes.
- The mixture will turn sticky and paste-like and cling to the spoon.
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Ready when: Filling looks cohesive and tacky, and a spoonful holds its shape instead of falling apart
Tip: Optional taste test: microwave 1 tsp of filling for 20 seconds, then taste and adjust salt or soy sauce before folding.
5
Fill and fold
- Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Hold one wrapper flat in your palm and place a heaped tablespoon (about 18 g) of filling in the center.
- Dip a finger in the sealing water and moisten the edge of the top half of the wrapper.
- Fold it into a half-moon, pressing the center together first.
- Then make 4–5 small pleats along the front edge, pressing each pleat firmly against the flat back edge to seal.
- Stand the dumpling on the baking sheet with its bottom pressed flat, and repeat to make 36, keeping the wrappers you aren't using under a damp towel.
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Ready when: Each dumpling is sealed with no gaps, with no filling on the edges, and sits upright
Tip: Overfilling is the most common cause of burst dumplings. If a seam won't stick, wipe off any filling and re-wet the edge.
6
Set up the steamer
- Pour 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water into a wok or wide pot and bring it to a boil over high heat, making sure the water won't touch the bottom of the steamer basket.
- Cut parchment rounds to fit your steamer, poke several holes in each, and lightly brush with the neutral oil.
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Ready when: Water is at a rolling boil with steady steam rising
Tip: Brushing the parchment with oil keeps the wrappers from sticking to it.
7
Steam the first batch
- Arrange 18 dumplings on the oiled parchment in the steamer, leaving about ½ inch (1 cm) between them so they don't stick together.
- Cover and set over the boiling water.
- Lower the heat to medium-high and steam for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, keep the rest of the dumplings on the baking sheet under a damp towel.
- Check that the water hasn't boiled dry.
- Top up with hot water if needed.
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Ready when: Wrappers look translucent and slightly shiny, and a dumpling filling reads 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer
Tip: Don't lift the lid during the first 8 minutes. Steam escapes and cooking slows.
8
Steam the second batch
- Carefully lift the steamer from the pot using dry pot holders or towels and transfer the cooked dumplings to a warm plate.
- Replace the parchment with a fresh oiled round if needed and add the remaining 18 dumplings.
- Cover and steam 10 minutes, with the same cues as before.
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Ready when: Wrappers are translucent and the filling reads 165°F (74°C)
Tip: Cut one dumpling open to check. The filling should be opaque and firm with no pink.
9
Make sauce and serve
- Stir together the 3 tbsp soy sauce, rice vinegar and ½ tsp sesame oil in a small bowl, adding chili crisp if you like heat.
- Serve the dumplings hot, straight from the steamer, with the dipping sauce.
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Ready when: Sauce is evenly mixed and tastes balanced between salty and tangy
Tip: Let the dumplings cool for 1–2 minutes before biting in. The juicy filling is very hot.

Good to know

Tips

Use chicken thigh meat if you can. Breast meat can turn dry and crumbly even with the added water.
Stirring the filling in one direction develops the proteins, which gives it a bouncy, juicy texture.
Dumplings stick if the wrappers dry out. Keep both the wrappers and finished dumplings covered with a damp towel while you work.
No bamboo steamer? Use a metal steamer insert in a covered pot. Wrap the lid in a towel to catch dripping condensation.

Make ahead

Fold the dumplings up to 1 day ahead. Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray, cover loosely, and refrigerate. Or freeze the tray for 1 hour until solid, then bag them for up to 2 months. Steam frozen dumplings straight from the freezer without thawing, adding 3–4 minutes to the steaming time (13–14 minutes total) and checking that the center reaches 165°F (74°C).

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours (food safety). Fridge: store cooked dumplings in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze cooked dumplings in a single layer, then bag, for up to 2 months. Reheat by steaming for 5–6 minutes (8 minutes from frozen) until hot throughout and 165°F (74°C) in the center, or pan-fry in a little oil for crisp bottoms.

Substitutions

ground chicken (thigh meat preferred) → ground turkey or ground pork. Use the same weight. Pork gives a richer, juicier result. Turkey needs the full amount of water to stay moist. Both need to reach 165°F (74°C) in the center.
napa cabbage → green cabbage or finely chopped bok choy. Use the same weight and salt and squeeze it the same way. Green cabbage is firmer, so chop it very small.
Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry) → dry sherry or chicken broth. Sherry is the closest flavor match. Broth works if you avoid alcohol, but the flavor is milder.
unseasoned rice vinegar (or Chinkiang black vinegar) → Chinkiang black vinegar. This gives a deeper, maltier dip. Use the same amount.