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30 Dumpling Recipes That Are Easy Enough to Make at Home

From gyoza to shumai

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dumpling recipes: shrimp shumai with soy sauce for dipping
Spoon Fork Bacon

It doesn’t matter if we’re coming up on Lunar New Year or any old day of the week: We always have dumplings on the brain. BTW, the Chinese word for dumpling represents the exchange between the old and new year—that’s why they’re common at new year celebrations. Dumplings also symbolize wealth, since they’re traditionally shaped like silver ingots, an imperial Chinese currency. That said, there are tons of different types of dumplings from China and beyond to sink your teeth into, some of them easy enough to prepare at home. Here, 30 dumpling recipes to whip up for the Year of the Dragon (or any weeknight dinner), from traditional pork potstickers to shrimp shumai to unexpected sausage-and-egg breakfast dumplings.

15 Traditional Chinese New Year Foods to Make to Ring in the Year of the Dragon


How to Make the Best Dumplings at Home

Assembling potstickers may feel intimidating at first, but these tips will make the experience easier (and more successful).

  • Keep the dough moist. The drier the dumpling skins get, the tougher they'll be to manipulate. Help them stay pliable and prevent tears by keeping a damp towel over the dough or wrappers as you work.
  • Don’t overstuff them. Even if you get the dough to seal, an overstuffed dumpling will likely split open once it’s in the pan. Only fill each skin about two-thirds of the way, so the dumplings stay intact—and so you have plenty of dough for creating Insta-worthy pleats.
  • Chill the filling before wrapping. If you’re working with meat, chilling it first will ensure a juicier final product. The fat won’t render as quickly if it’s cold when it hits the pan, meaning your wrappers will be less likely to tear or turn soggy, and the juices will stay inside the dough instead of seeping out. (Your filling should also be sturdy and bound together so it doesn’t fall apart in the wrapper—you should be able to squeeze a little mound of it together in your hand without it breaking, like a meatball.)
  • If you’re frying the dumplings, make them as crispy as possible. Leave the crispy sides up in the pan and serve them that way, too. You should also never cover the skillet they’re in, since steam will turn them soggy. Fry the dumplings in a nonstick skillet that’s roomy enough for them to cook without touching or overlapping. Let them cook, undisturbed, over medium to medium-high heat for a few minutes so the bottoms brown evenly.
  • Draw the moisture out of your veggies. Whether you’re using cabbage, bok choy or cucumbers, sweating any watery veggies with salt before adding them to the filling will keep excess moisture from affecting your dumpling recipe. Just thoroughly salt the vegetables and let them sit for about half an hour. Then, wrap them in a towel and squeeze out the excess moisture. Some cooks also use cornstarch or breadcrumbs to soak up extra water in the veggies.
  • Make them as flavorful as possible. Slightly over-salt the filling so it can hold its own against the unseasoned dumpling skins. (You can even cook a bit of the filling first so you can ensure it tastes good before spending time wrapping it.) Substitute chicken stock for water for both fried or steamed dumplings for a richer taste.
  • Choose the right wrapper. Whether you use store-bought or homemade, round wrappers are best for pleated potstickers since they give you more dough to work with, while square ones are ideal for wontons. Be sure to seal them as tightly as possible to avoid air bubbles in the dumplings, which can cause them to split open in the pan.

Read on for our 30 favorite dumpling recipes to make at home.

1. Gluten-Free Crystal Dumplings

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: vegan, gluten-free, make ahead

Not only is this dumpling recipe gluten-free (the wrappers are made with tapioca and potato starches instead of the usual wheat), it’s also freezer-friendly to boot. And the zingy dipping sauce? *Chef's kiss.*

2. Pork and Shrimp Dumplings

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, beginner-friendly

In this dumpling recipe, the filling is simple yet packed with flavor. The bites are easy to freeze, and you can cook them with just about any method: pan-frying, boiling or, our favorite, steaming.

3. Pork Potstickers

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, kid-friendly, make ahead

The best part about making potstickers at home? They freeze like a charm. Just place the uncooked dumplings in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze them overnight, then transfer them to freezer bags to prepare on a busy night.

4. Japanese Gyoza

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly

These dumplings stuffed with pork, cabbage, garlic and ginger won’t disappoint. (But we’d be lying if we said we weren’t most excited about the three-ingredient chili oil dipping sauce.)

5. Chinese Mushroom Dumplings

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegetarian, beginner-friendly

Complete with sweet chili ginger sesame sauce for dipping. The secret to these vegetarian gems’ crispy bottoms? Dredging the dumplings in sesame seeds before frying.

6. Jiaozi Chinese Pan-Fried Potstickers

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: gluten free, low carb, Paleo-friendly

Yup, paleo dumplings are a thing—and they’re delicious. Instead of carby dough, these are wrapped in rounds of daikon radish. (Don't worry, they still freeze like a charm.)

7. Sesame Chicken Potstickers

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: kid-friendly, high protein, beginner-friendly

We have a feeling your kids will be all over this sweet, sticky appetizer stuffed with their go-to takeout order. Freeze an extra batch so you’re always prepared for busy weeknights.

8. Vegetable Potstickers

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, vegetarian

Bring on the fresh produce for a plant-based take on dumplings that's sure to satisfy. These dumplings boast bell peppers, button mushrooms, cabbage, scallions, garlic and onion.

9. Spicy Chili Oil Wontons

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, dairy free

Sink your teeth into heavenly pillows of shrimp and ground pork, dunked in savory homemade garlic-chili oil. Go ahead and make a second batch of the sauce while you're at it; it'll taste divine on fried chicken, pizza, vanilla ice cream and everything in between.

10. Shumai (Chinese Steamed Dumplings)

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, beginner-friendly

If you don’t have a bamboo steamer, a regular stove steamer will work fine. Go the extra mile by topping them with flying fish roe, if you're feeling fancy.

11. Pork Dumplings

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, beginner-friendly

Assembling these cuties is as simple as putting a rounded tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper, folding it over to create a triangular pouch and pressing the edges together. How easy is that?

12. Shrimp Potstickers

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, high protein

Tender, mild shrimp is just the match for punchy grated ginger and herbaceous fresh cilantro. Diced shiitake mushrooms also offer meaty texture to every bite.

13. Miso Dumpling Soup with Autumn Squash

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, beginner-friendly

This ground turkey dumpling recipe has a delicious secret: red curry paste. Not only does it turn the flavor up a notch, but it keeps the meat nice and moist as well. As for the broth, it gets its umami-laced flavor from white miso paste.

14. Sesame Chicken Dumplings in Spicy Broth with Garlic Crisps

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

We seriously wouldn’t blame you for skipping the dumpling recipe altogether and noshing on the fried garlic-panko sesame seeds instead...but why deprive yourself?

15. Pan-Fried Dumplings

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, beginner-friendly

Don’t worry about cooking the pork filling through before stuffing the wonton wrappers. The meat will cook to juicy perfection in the pan once the dumplings are fried.

16. Paleo Shumai

  • Time Commitment: 1 hour
  • Why We Love It: keto-friendly, low-carb, gluten free

This dim sum favorite can be made low-carb by trading traditional wrappers for sweet cabbage leaves. The recipe also calls for gluten-free coconut aminos in place of soy sauce in the dipping sauce.

17. Chicken Potstickers

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly

Feel free to add extra veggies to the filling of this dumpling recipe, like mushrooms, bell peppers or broccoli. Chopped water chestnuts would be a great crunchy addition, too.

18. Pork-Shiitake Mushroom Potstickers

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, beginner-friendly

Dumplings 101: Don’t overfill the wrappers. If they’re excessively stuffed, you'll miss out on the impressive pleats and they'll likely fall apart when cooked. Presentation is everything, no?

19. Ginger Sesame Chicken Potstickers

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, beginner-friendly

Four words: Sweet. Chili. Pomegranate. Sauce. Need we say more? This dumpling recipe isn’t traditional, but it’s oh-so delicious (and packed with protein).

20. Chinese Pan-Fried Dumplings

  • Time Commitment: 55 minutes
  • Why We Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

You can find gow gee pastry wrappers at your local Asian market. Once the dumplings are assembled, they can be steamed, fried or boiled in your favorite broth—all paths lead to deliciousness.

21. Spicy Chicken Potstickers

  • Time Commitment: 30 minutes
  • Why We Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, make ahead

The chicken dumplings themselves are pretty tame; it's the hot chili oil sauce on the side that you need to watch out for. But if you want the filling to be spicy too, add a drizzle or two of sriracha to the chicken as well.

22. Paleo Har Gow Dumplings

  • Time Commitment: 25 minutes
  • Why We Love It: gluten free, Paleo-friendly, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes

This type of dumpling recipe is famous for its translucent wrappers, which allow you to see the pink shrimp and green scallions nestled inside. The wrappers are made from sweet potato and tapioca starches.

23. Crispy Sesame Ginger Potstickers with Chive Chili Sauce

  • Time Commitment: 45 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, vegetarian

BRB, going for a swim in the toasted sesame-chili oil alongside roasted peanuts and fresh chives. The filling stars zucchini, kale and fresh ginger.

24. Easy Dumpling Soup

  • Time Commitment: 20 minutes
  • Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly

Homemade soup in 15 minutes of cooking? You’d better believe it. (The key is starting with frozen potstickers instead of a from-scratch dumpling recipe—your secret is safe with us.)

25. Chinese Pork Dumplings

  • Time Commitment: 2 hours (includes resting time)
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, beginner-friendly

Water and flour are all you need to make dumpling dough from scratch. Warm water aids in gluten production, which is key for soft, stretchy dough.

26. Shrimp Shumai

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, special occasion-worthy

The addition of chopped lemongrass gives this dumpling recipe a bright, citrusy, aromatic je ne sais quoi. If you make the shumai ahead to cook from frozen, let them steam for an additional five minutes.

27. Shanghai Soup Dumplings

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes (plus chilling time)
  • Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, make ahead

There's a reason you head to your favorite soup dumpling spot to get your fix—these savory poppables are a labor of love. But TBH, you'll feel so accomplished if you make these at home. They're stuffed with chicken aspic, ground pork, vermicelli, lemongrass and ginger.

28. Pork and Kimchi Potstickers

  • Time Commitment: 40 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, <10 ingredients

Juicy, savory ground pork meets punchy, sour kimchi for an impeccably balanced bite. To make a batch ahead for future busy weeknights, place the uncooked potstickers on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze overnight. Then, transfer them to freezer bags and store.

29. Smash Gyoza

  • Time Commitment: 50 minutes
  • Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients

Want to get your gyoza on without a moment of folding? These open-face, pan-fried delights are just the ticket. Top them with rice and kimchi, then fold them with your chopsticks (sort of like a taco) to dip in soy sauce, sriracha or chili crisp.

30. Sausage-and-Egg Breakfast Dumplings

  • Time Commitment: 35 minutes
  • Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly

Wanna know a secret? You can stuff just about *anything* into a dumpling wrapper, cheddar cheese and breakfast sausage included. Pass the sriracha ketchup, please.


taryn pire

Food Editor

Taryn Pire is PureWow’s food editor and has been writing about all things delicious since 2016. She’s developed recipes, reviewed restaurants and investigated food trends at...