Traditional Chinese Pork Dumplings
The recipe I am sharing in this post is one that is very dear to my heart. Ever since I can remember, these dumplings have served as a combination of the most familiar comfort food and the most special of treats.
These dumplings are made in China during the Chinese New Year celebrations, or the Spring Festival. During this time, every Chinese citizen travels to their hometown to be with family. While with family, it’s tradition to work together through the preparation and assembly process of these jiao zi, all the while catching up on the latest family news and perhaps partaking in a little gossip. When the dumplings are finally ready everyone sits down together with tired legs, and achy backs to enjoy the fruit of everyone’s labor.
Growing up, my mom would take my sister and I to China to visit her family for about a month in the summer. Without fail, we would all gather to make these dumplings several times during those visits. Jiao zi are not just specific to the holidays, but are all about the gathering of family. Within my family everyone knows which aunt makes the best jiao zi and everyone offers conflicting advice about what methods and ingredients to use. There’s no written recipe or any measurements - these dumplings are the essence of soul food.
These dumplings are not a “quick and easy weeknight meal”. They take time, planning, and dedication. To me, that’s another thing that makes them special, because spending time in the kitchen with people I love is one of my absolute favorite things.
They can also be modified without breaking tradition. Instead of celery, you could use cabbage, bok choy or kale! If a specific flavor is to strong for you, reduce the amount or omit it! Making these dumplings are all about following your gut.
I can’t promise that you’ll love the process, but I can promise you’ll love the result! The dumplings are rich with flavor, crunchy when pan-fried, and so delicious when dipped in the spicy, savory sauce.
Many of the ingredients listed in the recipe cannot be found in a traditional American grocery store. If you live near an Asian supermarket, I encourage you to check out the links to the items below and try and find the same things there! If that’s too daunting (don’t worry, I get it!) the links below take you to Amazon.com where you can pretty much find anything.
The recipe at the bottom of the page offers instructions for making these dumplings, but I would suggest watching the video below as well. It gives much more detail, and you can see me make and fold the dumplings in real time, from start to finish!
Serves: 6 | Prep: 2 hours | Cook: 30 min | Author: Liz Genders
Note: Remember that there’s no hard and fast rules with these dumplings - feel free to adjust amounts or add in your own favorite veggies or other ingredients!
dumpling dough
5 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 - 2 cups water
dumpling filling
1 1/2 lbs. ground pork
3 1/2 cups finely diced celery
4 Tbs. sesame oil
1/2 cup avocado oil (can use any light oil)
2/3 cup shaoxing wine
3 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. minced ginger root
3 tsp. 13 spice blend
1-2 Tbs. salt
dipping sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup black vinegar
2 Tbs. sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
red pepper flakes, to taste
spring onion and sesame seeds for garnish
Begin by making the dumpling dough. Add the flour to a large bowl, then slowly add the water to the flour, stirring with a whisk (or chopsticks). Once the mixture forms a stiff dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
Mix the filling. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well to combine. Take a small chunk of the filling, and fry it in a skillet with a little oil until the pork is cooked through. Taste. Determine if the mixture needs any adjusting - more salt? More seasoning? More sesame oil? (I usually say yes to all three). Keep in mind, the saltiness of the soy sauce in the dipping sauce will add to the overall taste, so keep the salt flavor just under what you would typically do.
Uncover the dumpling dough. Take a small chunk and roll it into a rope shape, about 1 inch thick in diameter. On a large cutting board, cut rounds about 1/2 inch thick using a sharp knife. Turn the dough rope 90 degrees after each cut, so as not to flatten the dough. Flour the dough rounds well, and press flat so they make a perfect circle. Taking a rolling pin in your dominant hand, and a dough round in your other hand, push the pin so you roll the edges of the dough round, and then turn slightly, repeating the process. The goal is to get a circle of dough about 2-3 inches across with the center of the circle being the thickest part. This is why you cannot simply roll the pin across the dough - we don’t want uniform thickness!
Take a small spoonful (a little less than a tablespoon) of the filling, and place it in the center of the dough circle. Pinch opposite sides of the the dough circle across the top, and then fold and pinch each side to create pleats. (See video for helpful tips!) The dumpling should “sit up” by itself if folded properly. Set the dumplings on a floured baking tray.
If not eating right away: place the baking tray with the dumplings in the freezer for about an hour. I then take the dumplings one by one and place them in a sealable plastic bag and store in the freezer.
Cooking instructions
Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet. The skillet must have a lid! When the oil is hot place the dumplings (fresh or frozen) bottom-down in the oil. Let these fry for a few minutes. Then, add water to the pan, enough so that the entire bottom of the skillet is covered in about a 1/4-1/2 inch of water. Cover with a lid. Let the dumplings fry/steam until the water is evaporated. Add a little more water and cook for a few more minutes.
While cooking, prepare the dipping sauce. Combine all ingredients into a Mason jar. Shake well to mix. Pour sauce into individual bowls. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced spring onion.
Remove from the skillet by pouring the dumplings onto a platter. Enjoy hot with family and friends!