Finally, A Tasty Chinese Chicken Dumpling
With the exception of our vegetable dumplings, most of the dumpling recipes that we’ve posted on the blog thus far—from soup dumplings to wontons—have used traditional pork fillings. Most (if not all) of the Chinese dumplings I grew up eating have been made with some variation of a pork filling, and it’s true that ground pork is invariably the meat of choice when it comes to the dumpling-making arts. While living in China, however, I was introduced to a plethora of new dumpling ingredients, including dumplings made with lamb, beef, and even tofu. I was also introduced to dumplings that were made with chicken, and I immediately wanted to come up with a version of my own, since several of our readers have requested that we post a recipe for Chinese chicken dumplings. This chicken dumpling recipe includes shiitake mushrooms––both fresh and dried––to give them a really deep, meaty flavor. I also included a decent amount of oil in the filling (about 3 tablespoons), to keep the dumpling filling moist, especially if you’re choosing to use lean ground chicken breast instead of dark meat. I have to say, after making these, I’ve decided that chicken dumplings can totally stand up to the taste of traditional pork dumplings. I will be keeping a bag of these in the freezer for the foreseeable future. They’re that good! This will not only improve the flavor of your dumplings (dark meat will taste better than white meat here), the texture of your dumplings will also be better!
Chicken & Mushroom Dumplings: Recipe Instructions
Start by making the dough for the dumpling wrappers. (If using store-bought wrappers, skip this step.) Put the flour in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the water to the flour and knead into a dough. This process should take about 10 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for an hour. In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Then add the chopped fresh shiitake mushrooms and reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms. Once re-constituted, squeeze the excess liquid out of the mushrooms, and trim away any tough stems. Then chop! That mushroom soaking liquid is full of flavor. Use it in place of stock for stir-fries, or add it to soups. Just be sure to avoid any sediment that may have settled to the bottom of the soaking bowl. Cook for 8-10 minutes, and transfer to a bowl, along with the ground chicken, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, Shaoxing wine, and 3 tablespoons oil. Use a pair of chopsticks to stir the filling together in one direction for about 5 minutes. The mixture should have a paste-like consistency. Divide the dough into 48 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into a rough circle about 3 1/2 inches (9cm) in diameter. Add about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling. Pleat your chicken dumplings and ensure that you have a good seal on them. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. For detailed step-by-step photos showing you how to do that, check out our full tutorial on how to fold dumplings (4 techniques, from beginner to advanced). Your dumplings don’t need as many pleats as those shown below. We’ll show you easier methods to start with! Homemade dumpling wrappers are self-sealing, but if using store-bought, you’ll need water to seal the dumplings. Dip your index finger into a small bowl of water, and dab some water around the outer edges of the wrapper before adding the filling and sealing the dumplings. Continue until all the dumplings are assembled. At this point, you can place the dumplings on a parchment-lined tray. Space them apart, so they aren’t touching each other, cover, and freeze solid. Then you can transfer to zip-top bags and store in the freezer. To make pan-fried dumplings (mmm…chicken potstickers!), add a tablespoon of oil to a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the dumplings to the pan, and allow to fry. (Note: if using frozen dumplings, there is no need to thaw before cooking.) When the dumplings are lightly golden brown on the bottom, add enough water to come 1/4 inch up the pan. Cover tightly with a lid. When the water has steamed off, uncover, and allow the dumplings to continue frying until golden brown. Garnish with chopped green onion of desired for a little color, and serve with chili oil, rice vinegar (or black vinegar), and/or our favorite dipping sauce. If you’d rather not fry the dumplings, you can also toss them into a pot of boiling water. Stir gently so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot, and cook for about 7-8 minutes. They’re great both ways! For full details on how to cook dumplings three different ways, check out our tutorial on how to cook dumplings. You’ll learn how to steam them in a bamboo steamer, boil, and pan-fry them! If you want to learn more about dipping sauces, see our post on how to make a traditional dumpling sauce.
