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Plate of pan fried and boiled Chinese dumplings on black plates.
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5 from 16 votes

Homemade Chinese Dumplings- Jiaozi 饺子

Homemade Chinese Dumplings (Jiaozi 饺子) made two ways as pan-fried pot stickers and boiled little bundles of pork and vegetables, wrapped into a dumpling and dipped into a Chinese black vinegar sauce. 
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Appetizers/ Snacks
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 48 dumplings
Calories: 58kcal
Author: HWC Magazine

Equipment

  • baking sheet
  • pot or frying pan

Ingredients

  • 48 dumpling wrappers
    (You can find these in the freezer section of asian store or fresh in the wet markets - round small wrapper)- In Japan these are called Gyoza wrappers and these can be used if you cannot find Jiaozi wrappers but they are a little thinner.
  • water to seal the dumplings

Pork filling

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • ½ cup green onions
    minced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
    freshly grated
  • 2 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • salt to taste

Vegetable Filling (optional)

  • ½ cup celery
    finely chopped
  • ½ cup Carrot
    finely chopped
  • ½ cup Chinese Napa Cabbage finely chopped
  • ½ cup tofu firm finely chopped (optional)
  • 2 green onions finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • salt to taste

Dipping Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Chinese Black Vinegar also known as Chinkiang vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

Make the Fillings

  • In a medium bowl combine ingredients for pork filling (pork, scallions, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, white pepper, and salt) and set in refrigerator for at least one hour so that flavors have a chance to mingle.
  • If you would like to make the vegetable dumplings mix the celery, carrots, cabbage, tofu, garlic, ginger, scallions, sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, white pepper and salt together and set in refrigerator for at least one hour so that flavors have a chance to mingle.
  • Take the frozen jiaozi wrappers out of the freezer and let come to room temperature about 10 minutes before time to wrap up dumplings. (Keep jiaozi in package or under damp towel so they do not dry out)
     

Seal and crimp Chinese dumplings

  • Take 1 Jiaozi wrapper from pack and lay flat on your hand.
  • Wet your finger tips with water and run your fingers on the outside of wrapper all the way around (This is to help the wrapper stick so that it stays together during the cooking process)
  • Place about 1 teaspoon of either the pork filling or vegetable filling in the center of wrapper (Less is more in this situation as if too full then jiaozi will not stay sealed)
  • Fold jiaozi in half like a half moon and crimp.
  • Then start at one side and fold the jiaozi wrapper inwards and towards to center and crimp.
  • Repeat process by staying on the same side and fold the jiazi wrapper inwards and towards the center and crimp. Repeat 2-3 times on each side. (FYI: there are many ways to secure these little jiaozi. As long as the jiaozi stays together during the cooking process the "HOW" you get it to look and stay together are all personal preferences)  However you get style points if your dumplings are cute and symmetrical.
  • Set jiaozi aside with a damp towel over if going to use immediately or if freezing dumplings put on a floured baking pan and place in freezer for about an hour until set and then you can transfer to a large sealable baggie and use at another time within the next 2-3 months.

Boiled Chinese Dumplings (Shuijiao)

  • Boil water in large pot. You may add salt to taste and a little oil to prevent sticking if you wish but not required.
  • Carefully drop dumplings in water with slotted spoon (place burner on medium high heat).
  • Very important : For fresh dumplings allow the dumplings to come up to a full boil and and then add one glass of cold water as this brings down the temperature of the water but still allows them to cook more gently.(Perform this step 2 times for fresh dumplings - allow dumplings to come to full boil and then add one cup of cold water)  For frozen dumplings perform the same procedure but allow the dumpling to come up to a full boil for 3 times and add a cup of cold water after each boil as frozen takes a little longer to cook. (Add one cup of cold water after dumplings come to a full boil. Do this 3 times for frozen dumplings) This is a very important step as if you let the dumpling boil hard for 5 minutes straight without letting the temperature of the water reduce it will cause the wrappers and fillings to separate and you will have broken dumplings. This step or process will take about five minutes and the dumplings will float up to the top when cooked. (Advice by Lynn- seasoned jiaozi maker)
  • With a slotted spoon take out dumplings and drain and place on plate and serve with dipping sauces as desired. Garnish with spring onions

Pan-Fried Pot Stickers (FRY-STEAM-FRY)

  • Add 1 tablespoon light tasting oil to a frying pan to medium high heat.
  • Add your Homemade Chinese Dumplings (Jiaozi 饺子)to the pan with the flat side down and the crimp side upright and FRY for about 2 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown. If your jiaozi are frozen it may take about 4 minutes to get golden brown on the bottom.
  • Next add water to cover about ⅓ way up the pot stickers in the pan. Cover and STEAM pot stickers for about 4-5 minutes or until the water evaporates from the pan. If your jiaozi are frozen, this step may take a little longer to cook, maybe 5-8 minutes.
  • Finally, remove lid from pan and FRY one more time for about another minute to crisp up.

Make Dipping Sauce

  • Add soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, sesame oil and minced garlic to a small bowl and mix well.
  • 吃饱吃好  Eat Eat and Enjoy! Dip your boiled or pan fried homemade Chinese dumplings into the dipping sauce and enjoy!

Video

Notes

This recipe makes about 48 dumplings if you make both the pork and vegetable filling. However, if you decide to make just the pork or the vegetable filling it will make 24 dumplings and you will only need about 24 dumpling wrappers.
Very important reminder if making boiled dumplings
  1. For fresh dumplings allow the dumplings to come up to a full boil and and then add one glass of cold water as this brings down the temperature of the water but still allows them to cook more gently.(Perform this step 2 times for fresh dumplings - allow dumplings to come to full boil and then add one cup of cold water)  
  2. For frozen dumplings perform the same procedure but allow the dumpling to come up to a full boil for 3 times and add a cup of cold water after each boil as frozen takes a little longer to cook. (Add one cup of cold water after dumplings come to a full boil. Do this 3 times for frozen dumplings)
  3. This is a very important step as if you let the dumpling boil hard for 5 minutes straight without letting the temperature of the water reduce it will cause the wrappers and fillings to separate and you will have broken dumplings. This step or process will take about five minutes and the dumplings will float up to the top when cooked. 
How to store Chinese Dumplings
The best way to store Chinese dumplings is in the freezer BEFORE you cook them. We like to line a baking tray with a little flour or a sheet of waxed paper and place the freshly sealed jiaozi on top. Please make sure that the dumplings are not touching as they will stick together.
Put the entire baking tray leveled and uncovered in the freezer for an hour or 2 or until jiaozi are frozen solid. Then, take the frozen dumplings and place in a freezer bag or freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Make sure you remove all the air out of the bag before placing in the freezer. If your jiaozi get a little hairline crack in them here or there, do not panic. Generally speaking these little hairline cracks will seal during the steaming process.
Do not store prepared uncooked jiaozi in the refrigerator. Otherwise they will get soggy from the marinated filling and they may burst open during the cooking process. It is best to either freeze your dumplings or cook the dumplings and heat and eat later.
How to Cook Frozen Chinese Dumplings
Do NOT thaw out the frozen dumplings before cooking. You will cook them from their frozen state. The process of cooking fresh and frozen jiaozi is the exactly the same.  Except, frozen dumplings take a little longer to cook.
For example, when boiling jiaozi, you will allow the FROZEN dumplings to come up to a boil three times before adding cool water, instead of two for fresh dumplings. When pan-frying pot stickers, it may take between 2-4 minutes to fry and 5-8 minutes to steam before frying again. Once again, it is just a little more time, but the method remains the same.
Where can you buy Chinese Dumpling (Jiaozi) Wrappers?
You can find them in the freezer section of Asian markets like H-Mart on Instacart, in the fresh wet market stalls and even at Walmart.
How to Make a Gluten-Free Jiaozi Recipe

Nutrition

Serving: 3dumplings | Calories: 58kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 137mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg