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Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings are pretty easy to make and so delicious! They are time-consuming and definitely a labor of love but the results are so worth it! You can fill them with just about anything and it’s hard to mess up. The best part is it freezes really well so you can save them for a quick meal whenever the craving hits!
Instructions for the Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings
Make the Filling
I don’t make pork dumplings often but when I do, it’s always a crowd-pleaser! Since it is time-consuming, I like to buy pre-made circular dumpling wrapper dough to save some time rather than making it from scratch. The pre-made dough can be found at any Asian grocery store in the freezer aisle. As for the filling, you can pretty much add anything you like.
It’s hard to go wrong so feel free to be creative! I usually do a classic mixture of ground pork, mushrooms, cabbage, garlic, ginger, onion, and green onions. Cook a small piece of your filling to taste test and adjust ingredients if needed.
Fold the Dumplings
Once the filling is made, it’s time to fold! Folding takes up a good chunk of time but I find it to be quite therapeutic. Just be sure to turn on a good show to pass the time quicker! The method of folding I prefer is to do 3 pleats on each side.
First, add a small spoonful of the raw meat filling in the center of the dough and mold it into an oval shape. Then, wet the outer edges of the dough with water. Fold the dough in half like a taco and make 3 pleats towards the center on both sides. Push the ends in to seal the corners. Lastly, pinch the tops to seal. Note that the folds are only on the front side of the dumpling and the back side will remain flat.
Don’t worry if the first few don’t come out beautiful, mine never do. Once you have a few to practice on, it will get easier, and become muscle memory. However, if you do find this method to be too difficult, simply fold it in half and pinch the edges to seal. It won’t look the same but will taste just as good! Remember to keep the raw dough covered with a wet paper towel or cloth to prevent it from drying out.
Freeze or Cook?
Once the pork dumplings are all folded, you can either freeze them for later or pan-fry to eat right away. To freeze, simply lay the dumplings flat so they don’t touch and stick together. Once they are hard after a few hours, then place them into a container or bag to store and save freezer space.
To pan-fry, add a drizzle of oil to a pan on medium-high heat. Cook the dumplings for 2 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. Then add just enough water to cover the pan and steam covered for 5 minutes until the water is gone. Sprinkle some green onions and sesame seeds on top. Lastly, serve with soy sauce. I like to add in some fried garlic, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes for a little more flavor!
Did you make this recipe? I would love to see! Tag me on Instagram @feedmi_
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Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings
Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Total Time 2 hours hours
Servings 40 dumplings
Ingredients
DUMPLINGS:
- 1 lb pre-made frozen circular dumpling wrapper
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 shiitake or portobello mushrooms
- 1 cup napa or green cabbage
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 inch piece of ginger
- ⅕ onion
- 3 green onions
- 2 tbs soy sauce
- 1 tbs mushroom or chicken bouillon
- ½ tbs black pepper
- ½ tbs sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
DUMPLING SAUCE:
- 2 tbs soy sauce
- 1 tbs chili oil
- 1 tsp black vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 green onion (green part only)
Instructions
MAKE FILLING:
finely chop mushrooms, cabbage, garlic, ginger, onion, & green onions
in a large mixing bowl, combine ground pork and finely chopped veggies (save 1 green onion to garnish at the end)
season with soy sauce, bouillon, black pepper, & sesame oil
mix everything together until combined
optional: pan fry a small piece of the pork mixture, taste test, and adjust seasonings if needed
FOLD DUMPLINGS:
defrost pre-made dumpling wrappers
place wet paper towel over dumpling wrappers to keep it from drying out while you're folding
add a small spoonful of the filling and place in the center of wrapper dough
mold the meat filling into an oval shape
wet the outer edges of the dough with water
fold wrapper in half
on the frontside of the wrapper, make 3 pleats towards the center on each left and right side (the backside will be flat with no pleats)
push the ends in to seal corners
pinch tops to seal
cover folded dumplings with a wet paper towel to keep it from drying out
To freeze, place dumplings flat on a sheet so they don't touch and stick to each other. Place in freezer until hard then transfer to container or bag to save freezer space.
EASIER FOLD METHOD:
add a small spoonful of the filling and place in the center of wrapper dough
mold the meat into an oval shape
fold wrapper in half
pinch edges to seal
COOK DUMPLINGS:
add a drizzle of oil to a pan
pan-sear dumplings on medium-high heat for 2 minutes until golden brown
add just enough water to cover the pan
steam covered for 5 minutes until water is gone
SERVE:
top dumplings with sesame seeds and the remaining green onions
mix together all dumpling sauce ingredients, adjust to liking, serve, & enjoy!
VIDEO INSTRUCTION IN MY INSTAGRAM HIGHLIGHT–DUMPLINGS
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