Pan Fried Chicken Dumpling Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Finely chop the napa cabbage and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Let sit 5 minutes, then squeeze out excess moisture using a towel. This prevents a watery filling.

Combine the drained cabbage, ground chicken, chopped scallions, grated ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix until uniformly combined — using chopsticks or a rubber spatula, turn the mixture over repeatedly until slightly sticky (about 30 seconds).

Taste a small pinch by cooking a teaspoon of the mixture in a skillet until fully cooked; adjust seasoning if necessary (add a little more soy sauce or salt). Let filling rest 5 minutes.

Set out a clean work surface and stack the dumpling wrappers. Keep them covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.

Place about 1 rounded teaspoon (roughly 12–15 g) of filling in the center of each wrapper — you should get about 24 dumplings. Dip your fingertip in the bowl of water and moisten the edge of each wrapper.

Fold the wrapper in half to create a half-moon shape and press the center to seal. For gyoza-style pleats: starting from one side, make 3 small pleats on one half of the edge while pressing them onto the flat edge to seal firmly. Ensure there are no air pockets.

Place finished dumplings on a lightly floured tray or parchment-lined sheet, spaced so they do not touch. Cover lightly with a damp towel until ready to cook.

Heat a large nonstick skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons neutral oil and swirl to coat the bottom.

Arrange dumplings in the pan flat-side down (work in batches if necessary) so they sit snugly but not touching. Cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.

Carefully pour 1/2 cup water into the pan (stand back — it may sputter), then immediately cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid to trap steam. Reduce heat to medium-low and steam for 5–6 minutes, or until the filling is cooked through and wrappers are translucent.

Remove the lid and increase heat to medium-high to evaporate any remaining water and re-crisp the bottoms for 1–2 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer dumplings to a serving plate, browned side up.

Whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili oil (or flakes) and chopped scallion in a small bowl. Taste and adjust: add more vinegar for tang, chili for heat, or a pinch of sugar if you prefer sweeter.

Serve the sauce alongside the hot dumplings for dipping.