Skip ordering takeout; these Asian Chicken Dumplings are so easy to make and freeze for a quick meal later! They're packed with a savory, moist ground chicken and veggie filling and cook up in about 8 minutes on the stovetop.
These dumplings are great for an appetizer, lunch or dinner option. Filled with seasoned ground chicken and thinly shredded veggies, they are then pan fried until crispy on the bottom before steaming to get that perfectly chewy exterior.
One of my favorite freezer-friendly meals, I love to make a large batch and then store them in the deep freezer. They can cook straight from frozen in about 10 - 12 minutes!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving (6 dumplings): $1.47
- Total Cost (about 60 dumplings): $14.69
- Those Other Guys: $9.99 per serving
Ingredients
- Ground Chicken - Lean and easy to impart with a ton of flavor, these Asian dumplings are made with a ground chicken filling.
- Cabbage & Carrots - Slice these really thin before mixing into the seasoned ground chicken.
- Herbs, Sauces, & Spices - For flavor in every bite, we use a combination of soy sauce, ginger and garlic, sesame oil, a hint of sugar for sweetness, vinegar, and salt + earthy white pepper.
- Cornstarch - To keep everything moist, especially since ground chicken doesn't naturally have a ton of fat.
- Dumpling Wrappers - I normally buy these from my local Asian market. They freeze really well! They are sometimes also labeled gyoza or potsticker wrappers.
Variations and Substitutions
Veggies: I've used shredded brussels, chopped mushrooms, or even crushed zucchini in my filling. Get creative with your favorite vegetables!
Other Proteins: You can use thoroughly minced shrimp, lean beef, or ground pork.
Dipping Sauces: I love to serve these with a side of Garlic Honey Soy Sauce - it's the perfect balance between sweet, savory, and salty!
How to Make Chinese Dumplings with Ground Chicken
Step 1: To begin, add all of your filling ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
Be sure to thinly shave your more hearty vegetables like carrots and cabbage.
Step 2: Mix well; longer than you think you need to. It should become an almost paste-like texture.
Step 3: Wrap each dumpling (I include a photo tutorial on wrapping below). If you're enjoying some now, set those aside to cook and then follow my freezing instructions to freeze the remaining dumplings without them sticking to each other.
Step 4: Cook to your preference (boiling, steaming, pan-frying, etc.). The recipe instructions below pan fries the bottoms and then steams the pan to get the best of both textures.
Serve with a dipping sauce and sesame seeds. That's it!
How to Wrap Homemade Dumplings
Wet the bottom half of the dumpling wrapper with a little bit of water. (Image 1) Add a tablespoon of filling to the center (Image 2) before folding the bottom half of the wrapper to the top and pressing to seal. Gently push down any rogue filling to ensure you have a nice edge. (Image 3)
Place your left pointer and thumb on the center of the half moon top. Use your right pointer and thumb fingers to create a pleat in the dumpling wrapper by folding it from right to left. (Image 4)
The first fold should look like (Image 5). Repeat that same process of folding to finish up the right side; I usually do 2 - 3 folds. (Image 6 & 7) Do the same folding technique on the left, to create a fully sealed dumpling. (Image 8)
Recipe Pro Tips
- Mix the filling well. Mix the filling (I recommend using a gloved hand!) more thoroughly than you think; this helps prevent a watery dumpling inside.
- Taste test after a few. Wrap one or two dumplings and then cook them to taste the filling. If you want to adjust any seasonings or mix-ins, you can do so before wrapping the entire batch.
- Freeze extras! Make a large batch and freeze so you can have dumplings ready to go when the craving hits.
Recipe FAQs
Instead of using ground chicken, you can substitute for ground or crushed chicken thighs for more moisture in the filling.
The cornstarch helps a lot with juiciness as well!
After wrapping, place them on a parchment-lined sheet tray then freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen dumplings to a freezer-safe bag or container and store.
This two-step freezing technique prevents them from sticking to one another!
You can! Ground turkey, pork, shrimp, or even tofu works really well.
Other Asian Recipes You'll Crave!
If you tried this Juicy Chicken Dumplings Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Juicy Chicken Dumplings
Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Spoon
- Sauce Bowl
- Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Small Skillet (with lid)
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 2 ounces shredded cabbage
- 2 ounces shredded carrots
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons granulated white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 count green onion (chopped - for filling)
- water (for wrapping & cooking)
- 60 count dumpling wrappers
- vegetable oil (for searing)
- 1 count green onion (chopped - for garnish)
- sesame seeds (for garnish)
- chili oil (for garnish)
Instructions
Dumpling Filling and Wrapping
- To a large mixing bowl, add all of the filling ingredients (besides the green onion reserved for garnish and cooking oil) and mix well.You want the bowl to almost have a paste-like texture; it should be very smooth.2 pounds ground chicken, 2 ounces shredded cabbage, 2 ounces shredded carrots, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoons ginger paste, 2 teaspoons garlic paste, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons granulated white sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons rice wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon white pepper, 1 count green onion
- Pour some water into a small sauce bowl.water
- Grab a dumpling wrapper. Using your fingertips, wet the edge of the bottom half of the wrapper.60 count dumpling wrappers
- Place a little under a tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom half over the top to create a half-moon shape and press the edges together to seal.
- Gently press down the filling to the bottom of the half moon shape to create a clear edge.Next, create 2 - 3 pleats on each side of the dumpling. I like to start by folding on the right side first, holding the center of the dumpling using my other hands, then repeat the same on the left side. If any of the edges start to come apart, use a little water to squeeze them back shut.See my recipe photos above for a visual aid on how to fold perfect dumplings every time!
- Place the completed dumpling on a parchment-lined tray or plate. Gently press down so the bottoms are flat.I wrote instructions for if you would like to freeze them to heat later or cook right away. If you're ready to enjoy, skip to the Cooking Instructions section.
Freezing Instructions
- Place the fully wrapped, uncooked dumplings on a parchment-lined sheet pan or tray.
- Place the entire tray in the freezer for about 30 - 45 minutes, until they are completely solid. This prevents them from sticking to each other.
- Transfer each frozen dumpling to a freezer-safe bag. Store for up to 3 months. When you're ready to enjoy, follow the cooking instructions below and add a few extra minutes of cook time if necessary.
Cooking Instructions
- Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a skillet on medium heat.vegetable oil
- Place the dumplings into the hot oil with the bottoms flush to the pan. Sauté for 3 - 4 minutes until the bottoms are crispy and golden brown.
- Carefully pour in water until it's about ¼-inch tall. Turn the heat to medium low, cover the skillet with a lid, and steam the dumplings for another 3 - 4 minutes.
- Once the dumplings turns translucent, remove the lid and allow any excess water to cook off.
- Plate and serve with chopped green onion, sesame seeds, and your favorite chili oil. Enjoy!1 count green onion, sesame seeds, chili oil
Notes
- Your actual nutritional facts will vary based on the brand of dumpling wrappers used, the type of soy sauce, and how lean your ground chicken is.
- The total yield will depend on how much filling you put in each wrapper (and how large or small your wrappers are.) I usually get about 62 out of this recipe, but rounded down to 60 for any errors.
- I recommend making one or two dumplings and then cooking them to taste test. This helps you see if you want to adjust anything in the filling.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think!