Chicken Pan Fried Dumplings (6) Recipe

Prepare cabbage

Place finely chopped napa cabbage in a bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, toss, and let sit 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid firmly using your hands or a fine sieve until mostly dry. This prevents soggy filling.

Mix filling

In a mixing bowl combine ground chicken, squeezed cabbage, sliced scallions, grated ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper. Mix thoroughly until sticky and well combined (about 1–2 minutes). Cover and refrigerate 10 minutes if time allows to let flavors meld and filling firm up slightly.

Prepare workspace

Lightly dust a clean work surface with the tablespoon of flour to keep wrappers from sticking. Keep a small bowl of cold water nearby to seal edges.

Portion filling

Divide the filling into 6 equal portions (about 1.5 tablespoons each). Roll each portion lightly between your palms into a compact ball so it sits neatly on the wrapper.

Shape dumplings

Place one wrapper on the floured surface. Put one portion of filling in the center. Dip your finger in cold water and run it around half the wrapper edge to moisten. Fold the wrapper over the filling to form a half-moon, pressing the edges to seal. Optionally create 3 small pleats along the sealed edge for a traditional look. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Keep assembled dumplings on a lightly floured tray, not touching each other.

Heat pan

Use a nonstick or well-seasoned skillet with a lid. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.

Fry dumplings

Arrange the 6 dumplings in the pan in a single layer, flat-side down, leaving small gaps between them. Fry without moving for 2–3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown and crisp.

Steam in pan

Carefully pour 1/4 cup water into the pan (it will sizzle). Immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Steam for 5–6 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated and the dumpling wrappers become translucent and filling reaches 74°C (165°F).

Crisp again and finish

Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high for 30–60 seconds to evaporate any remaining moisture and re-crisp the bottoms. Use a spatula to transfer dumplings to a plate.

Whisk together 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp chili oil (or a pinch of chili flakes), and 1 tsp sliced scallion. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve alongside hot dumplings.