Jiaozi: Chinese Beef and Ginger Dumplings
- Total Time: 80 minutes
- Yield: 30 dumplings
Description
These beef and ginger dumplings are a flavorful and satisfying dish, combining tender minced beef with aromatic ginger and fresh coriander, all encased in a crispy, golden wrapper.
Ingredients
For the Dumplings
- 30 round dumpling wrappers
- 250g minced beef
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tsp (10 ml) finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) freshly chopped coriander
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) rice wine
- Vegetable oil, for frying
For the Dipping Sauce
- 25g sugar
- 100 ml vinegar
- 25ml soy sauce
- 2 peeled slices of ginger
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
- 2 slices of fresh red chili
Instructions
Dumplings
- In a large bowl, combine the minced beef, shallot, garlic, ginger, and coriander. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Place a dumpling wrapper on a clean surface. Spoon about 1 tsp of the beef mixture into the center of the wrapper.
- Dip your finger in water and run it along the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the filling to create a half-moon shape, pressing the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the dumplings in a single layer, seam side up, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Add 1/4 cup of water to the skillet and cover with a lid. Allow the dumplings to steam for 5-7 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and the dumplings are cooked through.
- Remove the lid and continue to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to re-crisp the bottoms. Serve hot with the dipping sauce (recipe below).
Dipping Sauce
- Melt the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until lightly golden and caramelized.
- Add the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and chili; stir to combine.
- Add the vinegar and bring to a boil, then reduce until the liquid has reduced by half.
- Strain out the ginger, chili, and garlic, and let the sauce cool completely before serving.
Notes
- For best results, ensure the dumpling wrappers are sealed tightly to prevent filling from leaking during cooking.
- Dumplings can be frozen before cooking; lay them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag.
- Cook from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the steaming time.
- Serve with soy sauce, vinegar, or chili oil for dipping.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 dumpling
- Calories: 70
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 8
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 10
Ok, here's the deal, you're not going to be able to fold thirty dumplings quickly. You will have to invest some time, and that's just how it works with jiaozi, so you may as well hear it now instead of halfway through the pile. Jiaozi are the Chinese dumplings you have surely met in a restaurant as potstickers: they basically consist of a round wrapper, a teaspoon of filling in the middle, folded into a half moon and pinched shut along the curve. It's not difficult, once you get the hang of it.
For this version, the filling is ground beef with fresh ginger, garlic, shallot and coriander, loosened with soy sauce, sesame oil and a splash of rice wine. It is savory and warm and gingery, and it is one of the best things you can eat in the world (in my not so humble opinion).
A little tip; wet the rim of each wrapper with a finger before folding. If you skip it they will open in the pan and give you a skillet of loose beef, which will still be tasty, but not the dinner you planned.
You start by frying the bottoms in oil for two or three minutes until they are golden. Pour a quarter cup of water in, put the lid on, and give it five to seven minutes of steam. This cooks the beef through and softens the top of each wrapper. Then the lid comes off for a final minute or two and the bottoms crisp back up. Done!
Make the full batch even if you are cooking for two. Uncooked dumplings freeze perfectly on a tray, put them into a bag once they are solid, and cook straight from frozen with a few extra minutes under the lid. Having thirty of these in the freezer is a life saver for a weeknight when you really don't have time to cook.
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Ginger Soba Beef Bowls
- Pork Dumplings and Chili Oil Sauce
- Stir-Fried Hoisin Beef Bowl
- Grilled Sesame-Ginger Eggplant with Fried Rice
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the dumplings first pan-fried, then steamed, then crisped again?
This three-stage method (2–3 minutes to brown the bottom, then 5–7 minutes of covered steaming with 1/4 cup of water, then 1–2 minutes uncovered to re-crisp) is the classic potsticker technique. The first fry creates a golden crust; the steam cooks the filling and the top of the wrapper through; the final uncovered minute restores the crisp bottom that the steam softened.
Can these dumplings be frozen, and how do I cook them from frozen?
Yes — lay the assembled, uncooked dumplings on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Cook them directly from frozen using the same pan-fry-and-steam method, just add a few extra minutes to the steaming step.
How do I seal the dumpling wrappers so the filling doesn’t leak?
Dip your finger in water and run it along the edge of the round wrapper before folding it into a half-moon shape and pressing the edges firmly to seal. Tight sealing is essential to prevent the filling from leaking during cooking.
