I’m sharing my Homemade Pork Dumplings method and the simple cabbage, garlic, and ginger trick that gives store-bought wrappers a restaurant-style potsticker finish.

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I can’t stop thinking about my Pork Cabbage Dumplings. The combo of ground pork and napa cabbage somehow manages to be juicy and crunchy at once, and I swear this Pork Dumpling Recipe rewrites what takeout taught you to expect.

I call them Homemade Pork Dumplings when I’m feeling proud because every bite surprises me, crisp edges and a savory hit that kinda sneaks up on you. I always mess up the first batch, then learn something dumb and it comes out better next time.

If you’re even a little curious about the sauce or why folks fight over the last one, try them.

Ingredients

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Ground pork: rich in protein and fat, keeps dumplings juicy, adds savory umami.
Napa cabbage: mild leafy crunch, adds fiber and moisture, slightly sweet.
Scallions: fresh oniony bite, brightens filling, small vitamin boost.
Ginger: warm spicy note, aids digestion, brightens pork flavors.
Garlic: punchy savory flavor, antimicrobial perks, pairs with pork.
Soy sauce: salty umami, deepens savory notes and adds color.
Sesame oil: nutty aroma, little goes a long way, very fragrant.
Dumpling wrappers: mostly carbs, provide chewy casing, great for pan fry or steam.
Cornstarch: binds filling, helps retain juices, gives silkier texture.

Ingredient Quantities

1 lb (450 g) ground pork (20% fat recommended)

1 small napa cabbage (about 1 lb / 450 g)

3 to 4 green onions scallions

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp fresh ginger

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 to 2 tbsp cornstarch

1 package (about 40 to 50) round store bought dumpling wrappers

2 tbsp vegetable oil plus extra for frying

water for sealing wrappers

For dipping sauce optional: 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar or Chinese black vinegar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp chili oil or chili crisp, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp chopped scallions, 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

How to Make this

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1. Chop the napa cabbage very fine, sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp salt, toss and let sit 10 to 15 minutes so it releases water, then squeeze out and discard as much liquid as you can.

2. Finely mince the garlic and ginger, chop the scallions, then put them in a big bowl with the ground pork.

3. Add 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce if using, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp white pepper, the squeezed cabbage, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, and 1 to 2 tbsp cornstarch to the pork; mix and knead until sticky and evenly combined, taste a little raw mixture if you want to adjust seasoning.

4. Cover the filling and rest it 10 minutes so the flavours meld and the cornstarch can absorb any excess moisture.

5. Lay out a dumpling wrapper on your palm, wet the rim with a little water, put about 1 rounded tablespoon of filling in the center, fold and pleat the edge to seal; dont overfill, keep unused wrappers covered with a damp towel so they dont dry out.

6. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high, add a thin film of vegetable oil for frying, place dumplings flat side down spaced apart and fry until bottoms are golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Carefully pour in about 1/4 cup water for a batch (more if your pan is bigger), immediately cover the pan and reduce heat to medium low to steam for 5 to 6 minutes until water is mostly gone and dumplings are cooked through.

8. Remove the lid, crank heat briefly to let any remaining moisture evaporate and to re-crisp the bottoms, add a splash more oil if you want extra crisp, then transfer to a plate.

9. Make the dipping sauce by mixing 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar or Chinese black vinegar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp chili oil or chili crisp, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp chopped scallions and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds; serve with the dumplings hot.

10. Tips and hacks: if filling is too wet add more cornstarch, keep wrappers covered so they dont dry, freeze assembled dumplings on a tray until solid then bag them for later and cook from frozen adding a couple extra minutes to the steaming time, and use 20% fat pork for juicier dumplings.

Equipment Needed

1. Cutting board
2. Chef’s knife
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Fine-mesh sieve or colander (for draining cabbage)
5. Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth (to squeeze out cabbage)
6. Measuring spoons and measuring cup
7. Wooden or silicone spatula or mixing spoon
8. Nonstick skillet with a lid
9. Slotted spatula or kitchen tongs (for flipping/removing dumplings)
10. Small bowls (one for sealing water, one for the dipping sauce)

FAQ

Q: How do I stop the filling from getting watery? A: Salt the shredded napa cabbage, let it sit 10 to 15 minutes, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can with your hands or a clean towel. You can also blanch and cool the cabbage first. Less water means less soggy dumplings.

Q: How much filling per wrapper and how many dumplings will this make? A: Use about 1 to 1.5 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of filling per wrapper depending on size. This recipe usually makes roughly 40 to 50 dumplings if you use small to medium wrappers.

Q: What cooking methods work best and how do I pan-fry them? A: You can boil, steam, or pan-fry. For potstickers: heat 1 to 2 tbsp oil in a skillet, arrange dumplings flat-side down, fry until bottoms are golden, add about 1/4 cup water, cover and steam until water evaporates, then uncover to crisp the bottoms again.

Q: Can I substitute the pork or change the seasonings? A: Yes. Ground chicken or turkey work but they will be leaner so add a little oil. You can swap Shaoxing wine for dry sherry, skip oyster sauce if you want, or add a splash of fish sauce for umami. Taste the filling before wrapping if you want to adjust salt and sugar.

Q: How do I freeze and reheat dumplings? A: Freeze them in a single layer on a tray until solid, then transfer to a zip bag. Cook from frozen: boil a few extra minutes, steam about 1 to 2 minutes longer, or pan-fry from frozen using the same method but add a bit more water and time. Frozen dumplings keep well for up to 3 months.

Q: What does the cornstarch do and how much should I use? A: Cornstarch helps bind the filling and hold juices so they dont leak out. Start with 1 tablespoon, add up to 2 if the mix seems loose. It also gives a silkier texture.

Pork Cabbage Dumplings Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Ground pork: swap with ground chicken or turkey (same amount, but add 1 tsp extra sesame oil or a bit of oil since they’re leaner), or use ground beef for a richer taste, or try crumbled firm tofu + chopped shiitakes for a vegetarian version (press tofu, squeeze out water).
Napa cabbage: use green cabbage or savoy cabbage (shred fine and salt then squeeze out moisture like you would napa), bok choy (chop stems and leaves separately, stems cook a bit longer), or frozen chopped cabbage (thaw and squeeze very dry).
Oyster sauce: sub with hoisin sauce, or 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1/2 tsp mushroom bouillon or mushroom soy sauce to mimic the umami, or vegetarian mushroom-based “oyster” sauce if avoiding shellfish.
Cornstarch: use potato starch or tapioca starch 1:1, or all-purpose flour (use about 1.5 times the amount and mix well), or rice flour for a lighter binder.

Pro Tips

1) Squeeze the cabbage until its almost dry, like seriously squeeze, use a clean towel or cheesecloth if you can. If the filling still seems wet add cornstarch a teaspoon at a time until it holds together, but dont overdo it or the filling gets gummy.

2) Use pork with about 20% fat and knead the filling until it’s sticky, then let it rest 10 minutes so flavors blend and the starch soaks up moisture. If you wanna check seasoning, cook a tiny patty in the pan first instead of tasting raw pork, that way you can tweak salt or soy safely.

3) Dont overfill the wrappers, covers any unused ones with a damp towel so they dont dry out. If you plan ahead freeze assembled dumplings on a tray till solid, then bag them, you can cook from frozen just add a couple extra minutes to the steaming time.

4) For crisp-bottom potstickers use a thin film of oil, fry till golden, then add about 1/4 cup water for a normal batch and cover to steam. After the water mostly evaporates take the lid off and crank the heat briefly to re-crisp the bottoms, add a splash more oil if you want extra crunch, and dont overcrowd the pan so every dumpling gets a nice sear.

Pork Cabbage Dumplings Recipe

Recipe by Pho Tsventichi

0.0 from 0 votes

I’m sharing my Homemade Pork Dumplings method and the simple cabbage, garlic, and ginger trick that gives store-bought wrappers a restaurant-style potsticker finish.

Servings

servings

Calories

370

kcal

Equipment: 1. Cutting board
2. Chef’s knife
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Fine-mesh sieve or colander (for draining cabbage)
5. Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth (to squeeze out cabbage)
6. Measuring spoons and measuring cup
7. Wooden or silicone spatula or mixing spoon
8. Nonstick skillet with a lid
9. Slotted spatula or kitchen tongs (for flipping/removing dumplings)
10. Small bowls (one for sealing water, one for the dipping sauce)

Ingredients

1 lb (450 g) ground pork (20% fat recommended)
1 small napa cabbage (about 1 lb / 450 g)
3 to 4 green onions scallions
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh ginger
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 to 2 tbsp cornstarch
1 package (about 40 to 50) round store bought dumpling wrappers
2 tbsp vegetable oil plus extra for frying
water for sealing wrappers
For dipping sauce optional: 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar or Chinese black vinegar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp chili oil or chili crisp, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp chopped scallions, 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Chop the napa cabbage very fine, sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp salt, toss and let sit 10 to 15 minutes so it releases water, then squeeze out and discard as much liquid as you can.
Finely mince the garlic and ginger, chop the scallions, then put them in a big bowl with the ground pork.
Add 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce if using, 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp white pepper, the squeezed cabbage, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, and 1 to 2 tbsp cornstarch to the pork; mix and knead until sticky and evenly combined, taste a little raw mixture if you want to adjust seasoning.
Cover the filling and rest it 10 minutes so the flavours meld and the cornstarch can absorb any excess moisture.
Lay out a dumpling wrapper on your palm, wet the rim with a little water, put about 1 rounded tablespoon of filling in the center, fold and pleat the edge to seal; dont overfill, keep unused wrappers covered with a damp towel so they dont dry out.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high, add a thin film of vegetable oil for frying, place dumplings flat side down spaced apart and fry until bottoms are golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Carefully pour in about 1/4 cup water for a batch (more if your pan is bigger), immediately cover the pan and reduce heat to medium low to steam for 5 to 6 minutes until water is mostly gone and dumplings are cooked through.
Remove the lid, crank heat briefly to let any remaining moisture evaporate and to re-crisp the bottoms, add a splash more oil if you want extra crisp, then transfer to a plate.
Make the dipping sauce by mixing 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar or Chinese black vinegar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp chili oil or chili crisp, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp chopped scallions and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds; serve with the dumplings hot.
Tips and hacks: if filling is too wet add more cornstarch, keep wrappers covered so they dont dry, freeze assembled dumplings on a tray until solid then bag them for later and cook from frozen adding a couple extra minutes to the steaming time, and use 20% fat pork for juicier dumplings.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.