Jiaozi Dumplings（饺子）
Classic Chinese jiaozi dumplings with a juicy pork and napa cabbage filling, wrapped in homemade wheat wrappers and boiled until tender.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Homemade Dumpling Wrappers
- 3 cups all-purpose flour about 360 g
- ¾ to 1 cup hot water 180–240 ml, as needed
- Extra flour for dusting
- Or use 40–45 store-bought round jiaozi wrappers
Filling
- 1 lb ground pork 70–80% lean
- 2 cups napa cabbage finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt for salting cabbage
- 2 scallions finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons water or stock
For Cooking
- Water for boiling
Instructions
Instructions
Make the Dumpling Wrappers
- Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add hot water, stirring with chopsticks or a fork until shaggy.
- Knead until a smooth, firm dough forms, about 8–10 minutes.
- Cover and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each into a rope and cut into small pieces (about 10 g each).
- Flatten each piece and roll into a thin circle, thicker in the center and thinner at the edges.
- Keep wrappers covered while working to prevent drying.
Make the Filling
- Toss chopped cabbage with salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture.
- In a bowl, combine pork, cabbage, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, and water or stock.
- Mix in one direction until cohesive and slightly sticky.
Assemble and Cook
- Place a small spoonful of filling in the center of each wrapper.
- Lightly moisten the edge, fold into a half-moon, and seal firmly.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Add dumplings and stir gently to prevent sticking.
- When dumplings float, cook for 2–3 minutes more until wrappers are tender and filling is cooked through.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and serve hot.
Notes
Chef Notes
Homemade wrappers should be slightly thicker in the center to prevent bursting.
Mixing the filling in one direction improves structure and juiciness.
Do not overfill — sealing matters more than pleating.
Storage
Fresh dumplings: Cook the same day.
Frozen dumplings: Freeze uncooked on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Boil directly from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes.
Cooked dumplings keep refrigerated for up to 2 days.
