Easy & Simple Pork Cabbage Dumplings

Jump to Recipe Video

Savory dumplings packed with juicy pork and napa cabbage. These easy pork cabbage dumplings are made with simple ingredients. They're restaurant quality saving you money and a great main course, appetizer or sna c k!

Jump to:

Ingredients & Substitutes
Expert Tips
Instructions
Storage
Cooking From Frozen
Pairing Suggestions
FAQ
📖 Recipe
💬 Reviews

These pork cabbage dumplings are made of store-bought dumpling skins filled with minced pork, napa cabbage, garlic, ginger and other seasoning ingredients.

Dumplings are a popular Chinese food that originates from Northern China and you'll find them served at many Chinese restaurants.

They can be pan-fried, boiled, or deep fried in a matter of minutes and serve well with my Dumpling Sauce or Chinese Chili Oil. In addition, they can be assembled and frozen for up to 6 months to enjoy later!

There are many different kinds of dumplings from Pork and Shrimp to Pork and Chive and more! They're so popular that many other Asian nations like Japan, Taiwan, Korea have a version of their own.

In Chinese culture, we make dumplings as a family to bring good luck and fortune for the Lunar New Year! It's a cozy activity to do together as it brings loved ones together.

In fact, my late grandmother is the one who taught my mother and I how to make them. She passed down this recipe to me.

She made the most juiciest dumplings ever! I still remember how they tasted. I will be sharing her tips and tricks so you can make them better than store bought ones.

Ingredients & Substitutes

Please scroll down to the bottom Recipe Card for full measurements.

Dumpling Wrappers: white circular wrappers made of wheat flour and water sold at the Asian grocery store in the refrigerated or frozen section. Or substitute with gyoza wrappers. If you can't find either, wonton wrappers can be used as a last resort but I only recommend the boiling or deep-frying method, as they will easily tear when pan-fried.
Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil or any heavy scented oils with a low smoke point.

Dumpling Filling

Raw Ground Pork: ideally extra lean minced pork and avoid using fatty ground pork. Or substitute with ground chicken or beef. Avoid ground turkey as I find it doesn't compliment the seasonings as well.
Napa Cabbage: or substitute with Chinese cabbage or bok choy to loosen the meaty filling. Avoid regular green cabbage as it's quite thick and not soft enough.
Salt: to drain excess liquid from the cabbage to prevent soggy dumplings.
Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce, light soy sauce, tamari sauce, or coconut aminos.
Sesame Oil: if you're allergic to sesame oil, please omit.
Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch or tapioca starch to bind and retain moisture in the filling.
Garlic
Ginger: for flavor and tenderizes the meat.
White Granulated Sugar: or substitute with cane sugar to balance the salty flavors in the soy sauce.
Chicken Bouillon Powder: aka chicken stock powder for added depth of flavor.
White Pepper: or substitute with black pepper.

Suggested Condiments

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. If you're using a food processor, this will do the work for you.
Cover dumpling wrappers with a clean warm towel or plastic wrap as you wrap each dumpling and only remove one to a few wrappers at a time when you're ready to assemble.
Use two spoons to add the filling to the center of the wrapper to keep hands dry and clean for the sealing part.
Don't over fill the dumpling wrappers or they can easily break apart when cooking.
Pinch and seal the dumplings well so the filling won't leak out as it cooks.
Cook the dumplings in small batches so the stove temperature remains the same throughout.
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 cabbage dumplings:

Transfer finely chopped cabbage to a large bowl. Add salt and massage it into the leaves. Rest for 10 minutes to draw out excess liquid and then rinse cabbage with running cold water. Strain and transfer cabbage to a clean towel to squeeze out as much excess water.

Transfer finely chopped cabbage to a large bowl. Add salt and massage it into the leaves. Rest for 10 minutes to draw out excess liquid and then rinse cabbage with running cold water. Strain and transfer cabbage to a clean towel to squeeze out as much excess water.

Into a large mixing bowl, add cabbage and remaining filling ingredients as listed above. Mix in one direction with chopsticks or a fork until the filling becomes a sticky paste. (Optional: microwave or cook 1 tablespoon of the filling until cooked through and taste test it adjusting the seasoning as needed).

Into a large mixing bowl, add cabbage and remaining filling ingredients as listed above. Mix in one direction with chopsticks or a fork until the filling becomes a sticky paste. (Optional: microwave or cook 1 tablespoon of the filling until cooked through and taste test it adjusting the seasoning as needed).

Prepare a small bowl of cold water nearby. Place dumpling wrapper on a clean working surface or in the palm of your hand. Spoon 1.5 teaspoon of the filling into the middle of the wrapper. With your index finger or a spoon, lightly dab a bit of water on the edges of the wrapper.

Prepare a small bowl of cold water nearby. Place dumpling wrapper on a clean working surface or in the palm of your hand. Spoon 1.5 teaspoon of the filling into the middle of the wrapper. With your index finger or a spoon, lightly dab a bit of water on the edges of the wrapper.

Fold the wrapper over to create a semi-circle. Fold and pinch the edges of the wrapper together. Place folded dumplings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cover with paper towels or a damp towel to keep the dumplings moist.

Fold the wrapper over to create a semi-circle. Fold and pinch the edges of the wrapper together. Place folded dumplings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cover with paper towels or a damp towel to keep the dumplings moist.

To Pan Fry: Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Place dumplings bottom side down in small batches, about 12-15 pieces per batch. Fry for 1 minute and then pour 5-mm water or just enough to cover the base of the pan, cover and cook for 7-9 minutes until the water has fully evaporated.

To Pan Fry: Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable in a large non-stick pan on medium heat. Place dumplings bottom side down in small batches, about 12-15 pieces per batch. Fry for 1 minute and then pour 5-mm water or just enough to cover the base of the pan, cover and cook for 7-9 minutes until the water has fully evaporated.

Uncover and check the bottoms if they're golden brown, if not fry for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan. Enjoy with suggested condiments!

Uncover and check the bottoms if they're golden brown, if not fry for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan. Enjoy with suggested condiments!

To Boil

Bring a large pot filled halfway with water to boil on medium-high heat. Add the dumplings in small batches. Reduce to medium heat and boil for 5-7 minutes or until they float to the top and an internal temperature of 145 F with a digital instant read thermometer.
Remove the boiled dumplings with a slotted spoon and transfer straight into a large serving bowl. To prevent them from sticking to each other, drizzle a bit of oil over top and mix the dumplings together.

To Deep-Fry

Remove the fried dumplings with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack or a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil.
Heat 2 cups or 500 ml of vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat, around 330-350 F with a digital instant read thermometer. Fry dumplings in small batches until they're golden brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes, with an internal temperature of 145 F with a digital instant read thermometer.

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 cabbage dumplings serve well with:

starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, wontons, 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?

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.

They can also be frozen but please see Storage section above for more information.

Can I use a food processor to make the filling?

Yes, but I would manually mix in the drained cabbage at the end and do not process it.

Are dumplings gluten-free?

Unfortunately, dumplings are not gluten-free because the dumpling wrapper is made with wheat flour, which contain gluten. The soy sauce also contains gluten as well.

📖 Recipe