Chicken & Cabbage Dumplings - Easy Wrapping Hack

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Chicken & Cabbage Dumplings - Easy Wrapping Hack

Japanese

This is perfect for those days when you're feeling lazy but also craving dumplings. I KNOW... why would you make your own dumplings when you're lazy? 😂 But trust me, try this dumpling wrapping hack and you'll see. It's so quick and simple, yet the dumps still come out looking a lil cute or whateva. Plus, that crispy dumpling skirt? She's the whole reason we've gone through this effort.

Recipe Stats

Cooking time

30 minutes

Serves

2

Difficulty

Easy

Spice

Mild

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Chicken & Cabbage Dumplings - Easy Wrapping Hack

Ingredients

2 servings

for the filling

for the dumpling skirt

for the dumpling sauce

other

Notes

Some secret knowledge

Pixel art illustration of Jess
unlock the secret
Crossed swords

Possible Substitutions

  • Chicken mince: Swap for pork, turkey or a mixture of chicken and pork.
  • Chicken powder: Substitute with MSG or chicken bouillon powder.
  • Oyster sauce: Vegetarian oyster sauce works as a substitute.
  • Rice vinegar: Use Chinese black vinegar for a deeper, slightly maltier flavour.
  • Coriander: Swap for spring onion or just leave it out if you're not a coriander person.
  • Chilli oil: Use crispy chilli oil or your favourite chilli sauce instead.
  • Dumpling wrappers: Gyoza wrappers work perfectly here.
Shield

Things to Keep in Mind

  • Squeeze that cabbage properly! Excess water will make your filling wet and can affect the texture of the dumplings.
  • Mixing the chicken filling until it's paste-like helps give you a juicy, cohesive filling.
  • Keep your unused wrappers covered with a slightly damp tea towel so they don't dry out.
  • Make sure the slurry is mixed immediately before adding it to the pan.
  • Keep the heat around medium when cooking the dumpling skirt. Too high and the skirt can burn before the dumplings are cooked.
  • Be careful when flipping the pan, you want to use a plate that's larger than the pan and hold everything firmly before flipping.
  • The crispy skirt is best eaten straight away while it's still CRISPY.
Fridge

Storage

These are best eaten fresh, but leftover dumplings can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

The dumpling sauce can be stored separately in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Method

prepare the cabbage

Add the minced cabbage to a bowl and sprinkle with a little salt.

Leave for 15 minutes, then squeeze and drain out as much water as possible.

This is important - we don't want a soggy dumpling!

While it's sitting, let's make the filling.

make the filling

Add the chicken mince, cornstarch, chicken powder, mirin, oyster sauce, ginger, light soy sauce, sugar, salt, white pepper, spring onion and sesame oil to a bowl.

Mix everything together until well combined and the mixture becomes sticky and paste-like.

Add the drained cabbage and mix again until evenly incorporated.

Cover and keep refrigerated until you're ready to assemble.

make the dumpling sauce

Add the minced garlic, sugar, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, chilli oil, coriander, sesame oil and minced red chilli to a small bowl.

Mix everything together and adjust to taste.

Set aside until you're ready to serve.

fill & shape the dumplings

Place around ½ tbsp of filling into the centre of a dumpling wrapper.

Here's the hack: instead of leaving the filling in a little mound in the centre, use your finger or the back of a spoon to gently push it into a small log shape, running horizontally across the wrapper.

Wet the edges of the wrapper with a little water.

Bring the two sides together to form a half-moon shape, then pinch the sides together to seal and that's it!

Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers.

pan-fry the dumplings

Heat a drizzle of neutral oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Once hot, arrange the dumplings in the pan, making sure they're sitting close together.

Pan-fry until the bottoms start to brown.

make the crispy skirt

In a small bowl, mix the water, cornstarch and plain flour until smooth.

Give the slurry another good mix right before pouring it into the pan, as the cornstarch will settle at the bottom.

Pour the slurry around and between the dumplings.

Immediately cover with a lid and cook for around 6 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through and the liquid has mostly evaporated.

crisp up the skirt

Remove the lid and continue cooking until any remaining water has completely evaporated.

Let the dumpling skirt continue cooking until it's golden brown and crispy.

flip & serve

Place a large plate over the top of the pan.

Carefully flip the pan so the crispy dumpling skirt is now sitting on top, with the dumplings underneath.

Serve immediately alongside the dumpling sauce or break up the dumpling skirt and spoon over the sauce.

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