Savoury morsels of heaven packed with ground pork and fresh chives made from scratch (even the wrapper)! These pork chive dumplings are a great meal, main, side dish or snack. You can also make these with store-bought dumpling wrappers.
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Pork chive dumplings are made of a wheat flour dough wrapper and filled with a ground pork mixture with chives, aromatics and seasonings. They can be pan fried, boiled, or deep fried and I share instructions below!
Most Chinese restaurants will serve these dumplings and they're best enjoyed with a dumpling sauce, red vinegar with thinly sliced ginger or chili oil.
In Chinese culture, dumplings are cooked on Lunar New Year since they have a similar crescent shape to the moon. Dumplings symbolize best wishes for a wealthy year, but they're my favorite Chinese food for other reasons.
My grandma taught my mother and I how to make them from scratch whenever she visited Toronto. Her dough wrappers were perfectly thick and the filling was so flavorful!
My mother and I would spend our weekend evenings making dumplings as we talked about our day. That's what makes this food so special, it brings family together and that's why I love it along with it's taste and texture.
Even though these pork chive dumplings take time to make, it's worthwhile as you can make a large batch at a fraction of the cost, freeze them and they cook in minutes.
They also taste better than store-bought as those often contain additives and the wrappers are always thinner.
I also share other dumpling variations on the blog and here are a few: Pork Cabbage Dumplings or Pork and Shrimp Dumplings.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
Filling
- Ground pork: extra-lean minced pork is recommended. Or substitute with ground chicken, beef or ground turkey.
- Garlic Chives (aka Chinese chives): these are very long and flat green chives and they are not the same as regular chives. They're sold at Asian markets. Or substitute with 4 cups finely chopped napa cabbage but massage 1 teaspoon of salt into it, rest for 5 minutes and squeeze out the excess water in the cabbage before adding to the pork.
- Regular Soy Sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
- White Granulated Sugar: or substitute with cane sugar.
- Cornstarch: to bind the filling together. Or substitute with potato starch or tapioca starch.
- Fresh Ginger: or substitute with ¼ teaspoon ginger powder.
- Garlic
- Chicken Bouillon Powder: this is also known chicken stock powder that adds extra depth to the flavor profile.
- Sesame Oil: for that nutty flavor. If you're allergic to sesame, omit it.
- Cold Water: to add moisture to the filling.
Homemade Dumpling Wrapper
*or substitute with 1 lb / 454 grams or 50 store-bought dumpling wrappers
- All-purpose flour: a general use white wheat flour to create the dough and for flouring the work surface.
- Hot Boiling Water: it must be boiling hot water to activate the gluten in the all-purpose flour.
- Salt
These dumplings are best served with my easy dumpling dip or my Chinese chili oil.
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients or check online stores, like Amazon.
Expert Tips
- Mix the filling in one direction with chopsticks or a fork, which extends the protein strands. This makes the filling more tender and stickier.
- The dough ball should be sticky but not too sticky and almost flakey around the sides. Have extra all-purpose flour available to make it less tacky.
- Make sure to knead the dough after the dough ball comes together.
- Use a well-floured surface to knead the dough ball and to roll out the individual dumpling wrappers or it will stick and tear apart.
- Use a warm clean towel to keep the little dough balls moist as you roll them out to keep them from drying out.
- Do not over fill the dumpling wrappers or they can easily break apart when cooking.
- If you're pan-frying, don't flood the dumplings with water. You only want just enough to cover the base of the pan to help steam them as they fry.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make pork chive dumplings:
- In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients as listed above and mix in one direction with chopsticks or a fork. Mix very well until the meat is broken down and pasty. Cover and set aside.
- Then in a separate large mixing bowl, whisk flour and salt together. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and then pour hot boiling water into it. Then whisk together until it forms a clumpy ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, sprinkle a few more tablespoons of flour over top and knead it into a evenly shaped ball until it's no longer sticky. There's no need to proof the dough.
- Next evenly flour a clean working surface and transfer the kneaded dough ball on it. Then pierce a hole into the middle of the dough ball. Then shape it into a very loose circular "hoop". The hoop should be 1.5 inches thick.
- Then cut the "hoop" or dough in half to form two long logs.
- Next slice the logs into 1 inch wide pieces or until you have 50 equal sized pieces.
- Roll each piece into a little dough ball. Cover the little balls of dough with a clean warm towel so they don't dry out.
- Then re-flour the working surface and roll out one dough ball at a time with a rolling pin into a thin wrapper that is 3-inches wide in diameter. Place the wrappers on parchment paper in a single layer and cover.
- Next place 1 levelled off tablespoon of the pork filling in the center of the wrapper. Do not over fill. Lightly dab cold water on the edges of the wrapper.
- Then fold one side of the wrapper over the filling to create a semi-circle. Seal the edges together, pinch and fold the edge to form a classic dumpling shape.
- Next heat 1 tablespoon or 15 ml vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Place dumplings flat bottom side down. Fry dumplings in small batches, about 12-14 pieces per batch. Pour just enough cold water to cover the base of the pan.
- Then cover with a lid and cook for 12-13 minutes.
- In the last minute, remove the lid and let any excess water evaporate so the bottoms of the dumplings can crisp up until golden brown. Lastly, enjoy hot with dumpling sauce or chili oil.
To Boil
- Bring a large pot of water to boil on medium-high heat. Then add the dumplings in small batches, about 12-14 pieces per batch.
- Reduce to medium heat, stir occasionally and boil until they float, about 6-8 minutes. Strain out the dumplings with a slotted spoon and serve.
To Deep Fry
- Heat 2 cups or 500 ml of vegetable oil or any neutral oil in a large pan on medium heat, around 350 F with a digital instant read thermometer. Once the oil is hot enough, fry dumplings in small batches (about 5-6 pieces per batch) until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Cooked pork dumplings have an internal temperature of 145 F with a digital instant read thermometer.
- Strain the fried dumplings out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil.
Storage
- Leftover cooked dumplings will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheat fried dumplings in a pan with some oil or re-heat boiled dumplings in boiling water for a few minutes until hot.
- Cooked dumplings can be frozen for up to 3 months. First let them cool and store them in a single layer in a freezer-safe bag on a baking sheet. Squeeze out any excess air in the bag before sealing. Remove the baking sheet when dumplings are frozen solid. To reheat frozen cooked dumplings: pan fry them in oil with just enough water to cover the base of the pan, cover and cook for 7-10 minutes OR re-boil them in a pot of water for 5-6 minutes on medium high heat until they float.
- Raw dumplings can be frozen for up to 4-6 months. Place dumplings in a single layer into a freezer-safe bag rested on a large baking sheet. Squeeze out excess air before sealing and freeze. Once dumplings are frozen solid, remove the baking sheet.
Cooking From Frozen
- To pan fry frozen dumplings: Heat 1 tablespoon or 15 ml vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Fry dumplings flat bottom side down in small batches, about 12-14 pieces per batch. Pour just enough cold water to cover the base of the pan. Cover and cook for 12-13 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown and liquids have evaporated.
- To boil frozen dumplings: Bring a large pot of water to boil on medium-high heat. Add dumplings in small batches, reduce to medium heat and boil for 5-6 minutes until they float and are cooked in the center. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- To deep fry frozen dumplings: Heat 2 cups or 500 ml vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat and fry the frozen dumplings in small batches until golden brown on both sides and an internal temperature of 145 F with a digital instant read thermometer. Remove and transfer fried dumplings to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.
Pairing Suggestions
Pork chive dumplings serve well with other Chinese dishes like:
- starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
- white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice, chow mein, lo mein, plain noodles, soup noodles
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
- protein dishes like Orange Chicken, Cashew Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Shrimp Omelet, Soy Garlic Tofu, and more!
FAQ
Can I make dumplings in advance?
Pork chive dumplings can be assembled and cooked up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat boiled, pan-fried or deep fried dumplings: you can microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot.
If you don't have a microwave: reheat in a pan with 1 tablespoon or 15 ml vegetable oil on medium heat if they were pan-fried or deep fried prior. Or re-boil in water in a pot on medium heat until hot if they were boiled prior.
Can I use store-bought wrappers instead of making my own?
Yes, please substitute with 1 lb or 454 grams of store-bought round dumpling wrappings that are about 3-inches wide in dimension.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Pork Chive Dumplings
Savoury morsels of heaven packed with ground pork and fresh chives made from scratch (yes even the wrapper)! Great as a meal, main, side dish or snack for the family. You can also substitute the homemade wrappers with store-bought dumpling wrappers!
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 lb ground pork or ground chicken, lean
- 2 cup garlic chives finely chopped
- 3 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 4 tablespoon water cold
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch/tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tbsp white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ginger peeled and grated
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
Homemade Dumpling Wrapper (or substitute with 1 lb / 454 g / 50 store-bought wrappers)
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup hot boiling water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Prepare Filling
- In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients as listed above and mix in one direction with chopsticks or a fork. Mix very well until the meat is broken down and pasty. Cover and set aside.
Make Dumpling Wrappers (or substitute with store-bought wrappers)
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk flour and salt together. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and then pour hot boiling water into it. Then whisk together until it forms a clumpy ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, sprinkle a few more tablespoons of flour over top and knead it into a evenly shaped ball until it's no longer sticky. There's no need to proof the dough.
- Next evenly flour a clean working surface and transfer the kneaded dough ball on it. Then pierce a hole into the middle of the dough ball. Then shape it into a very loose circular "hoop". The hoop should be 1.5 inches thick.
- Then cut the "hoop" or dough in half to form two long logs.
- Next slice the logs into 1 inch wide pieces or until you have 50 equal sized pieces.
- Roll each piece into a little dough ball. Cover the little balls of dough with a clean warm towel so they don't dry out.
- Then re-flour the working surface and roll out one dough ball at a time with a rolling pin into a thin wrapper that is 3-inches wide in diameter. Place the wrappers on parchment paper in a single layer and cover.
Assemble Dumplings
- Next place 1 levelled off tablespoon of the pork filling in the center of the wrapper. Do not over fill. Lightly dab cold water on the edges of the wrapper.
- Then fold one side of the wrapper over the filling to create a semi-circle. Seal the edges together, pinch and fold the edge to form a classic dumpling shape.
Choose ONE dumpling cooking method below:
- To Pan Fry: Next heat 1 tablespoon or 15 ml vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Place dumplings flat bottom side down. Fry dumplings in small batches, about 12-14 pieces per batch. Pour just enough cold water to cover the base of the pan. Then cover with a lid and cook for 12-13 minutes. In the last minute, remove the lid and let any excess water evaporate so the bottoms of the dumplings can crisp up until golden brown.To Boil: Bring a pot of water to boil on medium-high heat. Then lower the dumplings in small batches, about 12-14 pieces per batch. Reduce to medium heat and boil until they float, about 6-8 minutes. Strain out the dumplings with a slotted spoon and serve.To Deep Fry: Heat 2 cups or 500 ml of vegetable oil or any neutral oil in a large pan on medium heat, around 350 F with a digital instant read thermometer. Once the oil is hot enough, fry dumplings in small batches (about 5-6 pieces per batch) until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Cooked pork dumplings have an internal temperature of 145 F with a digital instant read thermometer. Strain the fried dumplings out with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil.
- Lastly, enjoy hot dumplings with dumpling sauce or chili oil.
Notes
Storage
-
- Leftover cooked dumplings will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheat fried dumplings in a pan with some oil or re-heat boiled dumplings in boiling water for a few minutes until hot.
-
- Cooked dumplings can be frozen for up to 3 months. First let them cool and store them in a single layer in a freezer-safe bag on a baking sheet. Squeeze out any excess air in the bag before sealing. Remove the baking sheet when dumplings are frozen solid. To reheat frozen cooked dumplings: pan fry them in oil with just enough water to cover the base of the pan, cover and cook for 7-10 minutes OR re-boil them in a pot of water for 5-6 minutes on medium high heat until they float.
-
- Raw dumplings can be frozen for up to 4-6 months. Place dumplings in a single layer into a freezer-safe bag rested on a large baking sheet. Squeeze out excess air before sealing and freeze. Once dumplings are frozen solid, remove the baking sheet.
Cooking From Frozen
-
- To pan fry frozen dumplings: Heat 1 tablespoon or 15 ml vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Fry dumplings flat bottom side down in small batches, about 12-14 pieces per batch. Pour just enough cold water to cover the base of the pan. Cover and cook for 12-13 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown and liquids have evaporated.
-
- To boil frozen dumplings: Bring a large pot of water to boil on medium-high heat. Add dumplings in small batches, reduce to medium heat and boil for 5-6 minutes until they float and are cooked in the center. Remove with a slotted spoon.
-
- To deep fry frozen dumplings: Heat 2 cups or 500 ml vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat and fry the frozen dumplings in small batches until golden brown on both sides and an internal temperature of 145 F with a digital instant read thermometer. Remove and transfer fried dumplings to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.
Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
Suggested Equipment & Products
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 670mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 2mg
Judy
Instead of the granulated sugar, I can substitute for 1 tsp chicken boullion powder.
Thank you for sharing!!!
Christie Lai
You're welcome and hope you enjoy my recipe, Judy! Yes, feel free to make that substitution for this recipe.
Yunita
I only made the filling and bought the store bought dumpling wrapper because I was not brave enough.
The filling was really good though! I used 1 tsp of chicken.bouillion instead of 1/2 tsp.
I will try to make the skin myself next time.
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for leaving a positive review, Yunita! So glad you enjoyed it!
Shannan
BEST. DUMPLINGS. EVER. I made these with my 13 year old son and they turned out better than we could have hoped for! The recipe was so easy to follow and I had all the ingredients already! We will be making these again for sure, and more recipes from your site!
christieathome
Woo hoo! So happy to read this and glad you and your son enjoyed my dumplings recipe! This is truly music to my ears and I hope you enjoy my other recipes 🙂
C
Dear Christie, thank you so much for this easy to follow recipe. I made it for the first this evening, and it was my very first handmade dumpling dough as well. The dough was very sticky initially but I powered through. It is so much softer and delicate than wonton and pot sticker wrappers found in the grocery stores. Regardless, it pan fried very nicely and was crisp and lovely! Freezing the rest for later.
I made a huge mess in the kitchen but it was worth it 🙂
christieathome
Thank you so much C for making my recipe! I'm so glad it was easy enough to follow and you enjoyed my recipe! Haha, so glad it was worth the mess too! - Christie
Lauren
What would you suggest to have with these for dinner? They look amazing and I would love to try.
christieathome
Thank you so much! I actually love having them on their own as a meal but you can also pair them with soup noodles 🙂
Mac
I am very much a beginner in the kitchen - I followed this recipe exactly, and the dumplings turned out great! Thank you for making it easier with pictures and video.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Mac! I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Rhea
Your dumplings look incredible! Can’t wait to try the recipe! May I ask about the garnish ingredients in your photos? Looks to be green onions and a chili oil of some sort? And is there some sort of crushed pepper? Love to know the specifics if you wouldn’t mind sharing? They really make the dish visually complete!
christieathome
Thank you so much Rhea! It's just green onions and a homemade chili oil recipe which I've shared here. Hope this helps and hope you enjoy my recipe!
Jasmine
I made these a couple of days ago and I loved them! I do have to ask, is the nutrition value for a single dumpling?
christieathome
Hi Jasmine! I'm so glad you that you enjoyed them! Thank you for making my recipe! Yes the nutritional value is for a single dumpling.
Joy
Thank you for sharing your recipe
christieathome
The pleasure is all mine! I hope you enjoyed it 🙂 Thank you for your kind comment!
Nana
These are so yummy and easy to make
christieathome
Thank you so much Nana! I am happy to hear you enjoyed my recipe.
John
These were very good. I made tonight. Great instructions on making the wrappers. I will modify the recipe next time for the filling in increase the veggie to pork ratio and make some fennel pork dumplings.
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe and glad you enjoyed them!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
I agree, these really are morsels of heaven. So delicious!! Plus, your instruction photos made the recipe so easy to follow. Thank you so much for sharing this yummy recipe!
Rosemary Squires
I ABSOLUTELY love that you added the pictures inside the recipe! Sometimes I am reading a recipe and I can't figure it out! This is going to come in handy when I make... rainbow dumplings!!
christieathome
Haha thanks so much! Glad I could share these how-to pictures! Oh I can't wait to see your rainbow dumplings!
christieathome
Thanks so much Katherine!! I think you'd like these ones. They do take time to make but totally worth it as you can freeze the ones you don't eat.
Taylia
Made these dumplings the other day and they were so delicious! I almost ate the whole batch!
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
We love dumplings at my house, but I've never made them from scratch! It's time to change that!!! You made it so approachable with all the process photos. Thank you Christie!
christieathome
Thanks Tasia! They are really easy to make at home. They do require some time but totally worth it as you can freeze the ones you don't eat.
Letscurry
Christie
Worth spending all your time with mother and grandmother. Great memories. I think food is one of the great connections that establishes bonding. Those dumplings look so well made.Another amazing recipe.
Happy Easter.
christieathome
Absolutely! I totally agree. I love that about food. Thanks so much and I hope you had a great Easter too!