A guide to cook dumplings in three ways – boiling, steaming, and pan-frying. Includes equipment needed and tips to make perfect dumplings every single time.

We almost always have a bag of dumplings in the freezer – either store-bought or homemade ones. They are great for any time of the day, whether it be for breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner or as an appetizer. One of our regulars is classic pork and cabbage dumplings with a simple dipping sauce and chilli oil.

Cooking dumplings is a no-brainer, and the meal comes together in a few minutes. In this post, I’ll walk you through three methods to cook dumplings – boiling, steaming and pan-frying. I have also included a section about how to cook frozen dumplings, so don’t forget to scroll down to the end!

Boiling

Boiled dumplings or Shui Jiao (literally translated as ‘water dumplings’) are the most popular form of dumplings served in Chinese households. If you want to cook a big batch of dumplings in little time, or want to add them to soups or hot pots, boiling is the way to go. Though I do steam and pan-fry dumplings, boiling is what I do most often because of its ease and convenience.

What equipment do we need to boil dumplings?

To boil dumplings, all you need is a deep pot to boil it in. Depending on the number of dumplings you want to cook, choose a medium to large-sized pot.

How to boil dumplings

Fill a deep pot with water, and bring to a rolling boil. Then, drop the dumplings in and stir gently so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil again. Whenever the water comes to a vigorous boil, add a 1/4-1/2 cup of cold water and continue boiling. This is to bring the temperature of water down so as to avoid the wrappers from becoming starchy and overcooked. Adding cold water is an optional step but I recommend doing it at least once – even better if you can do it 3 times! This helps in even cooking of the dumpling as the interior usually takes longer to cook than the wrappers.

You know the dumplings are cooked when they look plump and float on the surface of the water. Drain them using a colander or strainer, and rinse in cold water immediately for a few seconds to stop the cooking process. Rinsing also helps to remove excess starch on the wrappers and keep the dumplings from sticking to each other.

Boiling dumplings for soup / hot-pot

• When cooking dumplings for soup, boil the dumplings in water until cooked through. Meanwhile, prepare soup in another pot. Skip draining in a colander and rinsing with cold water if you plan to add the dumplings into a soup. Using a slotted spoon, remove cooked dumplings from the water and place in a serving bowl for soup. Ladle hot soup over the dumplings, add desired toppings and serve immediately.
• For a hot-pot, add uncooked dumplings directly to the soup base along with other ingredients. If you add cooked dumplings to the hot-pot, they may get overcooked and disintegrate as you wait for other ingredients to get cooked.

Steaming

Steamed dumplings or Zheng Jiao are the most popular kind of dumplings you get in Chinese restaurants and dim sum stalls. They are also the prettiest of the three explained in this post as they retain their shape even after cooking. The outer wrappers are firm, chewy and shiny.

What equipment do we need to steam dumplings?

To steam dumplings, you need a steamer set-up along with liners to prevent the dumplings from sticking to the steamer.

• Steamer: Traditionally, dumplings are steamed in bamboo steamer baskets placed in a wok/pot filled with about 2 inches of water. Bamboo steamers are available in different sizes in Asian stores and on Amazon. Don’t have a bamboo steamer? Fret not! You can cook dumplings using stainless steel steamers as well. Yet another way to steam dumplings is by placing them on a small plate over an inexpensive steamer rack in a larger pot filled with some water, or use a stackable rack if you want to cook a big batch of dumplings. You may also have other vessels or tools you use to steam food in your culture. Give that a try as well. For example, some Indian cooking vessels that you can use to steam dumplings are idli cooker or dhokla steamer. There really is no limit to steamer set-up ideas!

• Liner: With any steamer you choose to use, remember to use a liner because dumplings have a tendency to stick to the steamer. To line the steamer baskets, a readymade perforated parchment paper liner, or poke holes into regular parchment paper. If you like having a reusable option, a breathable steamer cloth or a silicone mesh steamer liner would be good for you. Some vegetables you can use to line steamers are lettuce leaves or napa cabbage like in this video. You can also use slices of carrot as individual liners for each dumpling.

How to steam dumplings

On a lined steamer, place dumplings finger-width apart. In a large wok or pot that can fit the steamer, add about 2 inches of water. The height of water should be such that when boiling, the water does not reach up to the dumplings. Place the steamer in the wok. (Some people wait for the water to boil before placing the steamer in. I don’t do this though, I just leave the steamer in the wok and factor in the boiling time too in the overall cooking time.) Cover and steam the dumplings over high heat till cooked through. Check the water level and add more (if required) to make sure it doesn’t dry up fully.

Pan-frying

Pan-fried dumplings or Jian Jiao are most commonly known as ‘potstickers‘, especially in the western world. They have a tendency to stick to the pans while cooking, hence the name. These dumplings have crispy golden bottoms, but are soft everywhere else. They are partly fried and partly steamed, and require a small amount of oil for cooking.

What equipment do we need to pan-fry dumplings?

All you need is a frying pan or skillet with a flat bottom and a lid! Use a non-stick pan (especially if you are a beginner), or any type of pan that has a thick and heavy bottom (eg. cast-iron, stainless steel, etc.) and is well-seasoned.

How to pan-fry dumplings

Pan-frying dumplings is basically shallow-frying the dumplings to sear their base, steaming them, and frying them again. Heat the pan until hot. Add oil, just enough to cover the pan. I use an oil sprayer for this. Then place the dumplings on the pan and fry till the base of the dumplings become light golden brown in color.

Next, we need to steam the dumplings to completely cook the filling and wrapper. For this, pour cold water into the pan. Oil may splatter when your pour water, so stay at a safe distance while doing so. Cover the pan, and allow the dumplings to cook in the steam until all the water has evaporated. Lift the lid, and continue cooking for 30 seconds or until the bottom part of the dumplings are crispy.

I also like to gently turn the dumplings to the sides and fry for a few seconds to get some golden brown spots on the sides. But, this is completely optional. You can stop cooking when the dumpling bases are crispy.

Tips to cook frozen dumplings

Frozen dumplings can be cooked in any of the ways described above – boiling, steaming or pan-frying. There is no need to thaw them first. Follow the same steps to cook frozen dumplings as you would with a freshly wrapped one. The only difference is in cooking time – prolong it by at least 2 minutes. For example, when you steam dumplings, you’d have to cook them for 8-10 minutes if freshly prepared, while you may need 10-12 minutes if frozen.

More Asian Recipes

• Chinese Pork & Cabbage Dumplings
• Chinese Dumpling Sauce
• Hainanese Chicken Rice
• Thai Fried Rice
• Lamb Rendang