Steamed Chicken & Veggie Dumplings Recipe

Prepare cabbage

Place the shredded napa cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle with 0.5 teaspoon salt, toss, and let sit 10 minutes to draw out moisture. After 10 minutes, squeeze the cabbage firmly in handfuls over the sink or a colander to remove as much liquid as possible. Measure out the drained cabbage — you should have about 1 to 1.25 cups packed. Discard the liquid.

Mix filling

In a large mixing bowl combine the ground chicken, drained cabbage, grated ginger, minced garlic, white parts of the sliced scallions (reserve green parts for garnish and sauce), soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, 3/4 teaspoon salt, cornstarch, and the egg white (if using). Mix thoroughly with a spatula or your hand, folding and pressing until the mixture becomes slightly sticky and cohesive (about 1–2 minutes). Taste a small amount by steaming or microwaving a teaspoon of filling to check seasoning and adjust salt or soy sauce if needed.

Prepare steamer

Fill a wok or large pot with about 3–4 cm (1–1.5 in) of water (about 1000 ml). Bring the water to a gentle boil. Arrange a bamboo or metal steamer basket over the pot. If using a multi-tier steamer, ensure water will not touch the dumplings.

Prepare liners

If using lettuce leaves, wash and pat dry. Lightly brush each lettuce leaf or parchment round with a little vegetable oil to prevent sticking and place them inside the steamer baskets where each dumpling will sit.

Fill wrappers

Keep wrappers covered with a damp towel so they don't dry out. Place one wrapper on a clean work surface. Spoon about 1 tablespoon (level) of filling into the center of the wrapper (adjust to wrapper size; for larger wrappers use 1.5 tbs). Dip your finger in water and moisten the entire edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper to form a crescent or pleated purse: bring edges together and pleat or press to seal, ensuring there are no large air pockets. Repeat until all filling is used, producing approximately 28–30 dumplings. Place each finished dumpling on the prepared lettuce or parchment in the steamer, leaving slight space between them.

Steam dumplings

Once the water beneath is simmering vigorously, set the steamer basket with dumplings over the pot, cover, and steam for 10–12 minutes for raw ground chicken filling (until internal temperature reaches 75°C/165°F and wrappers become translucent). Avoid lifting the lid during steaming. If steaming in two batches, keep the first batch warm in a low oven (80–90°C/175–194°F) covered with foil.

Finish

After steaming, remove the steamer from the pot carefully to avoid dripping water onto the dumplings. Transfer dumplings to a serving plate, garnish with reserved sliced green scallion. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

While dumplings steam, combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon black or rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon chili oil, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and the sliced scallion in a small bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust balance — add more vinegar for tang, soy for salt, or chili for heat. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds if using.