Do you love eating dumplings? Let’s be real…who doesn’t? In this post, we’re going to show you how to fold a Chinese dumpling using four different techniques, ranging from incredibly easy up to the classic pleats.
A Note On Our Dumpling Recipes
We have several dumpling recipes on The Woks of Life, all of which have garnered a special place in the hearts of our readers!
Nothing says love like cooking up a batch of dumplings for family and friends, so if you haven’t already, give one of these recipes a try:
- “The Only Dumpling Recipe You’ll Ever Need” (our family’s go-to classic recipe)
- Vegetable Dumplings (for all vegans/vegetarians, though we honestly think they’re just as good as pork or chicken dumplings)
- Pork & Chive Dumplings (another classic, along with a homemade dumpling wrapper recipe to boot)
- Chicken & Mushroom Dumplings (a personal favorite!)
- Chicken Zucchini Dumplings (a great recipe if you can’t get to the Chinese grocery store for specialty ingredients)
- Shandong Pork & Fish Dumplings (a Chinese New Year specialty––it’s coming up in a couple months!)
You can use the dumpling folding techniques in this post with any of the above recipes, or with recipes for your own preferred dumpling filling.
All you need is some water, your filling, and dumpling wrappers, whether they’re store-bought or homemade/hand-rolled.
Finally, A Complete Guide to Dumpling Wrapping!
In our dumpling recipes, we’ve included some instructions on how to fold and wrap them, but this post is by far the most comprehensive treatment of the topic we’ve ever done.
We’ve included step-by-step instructions, photos, AND videos of each technique, so you can see clearly how each is done.
Let’s get to it! We’ll go in order, starting with the easiest method and working our way up to classic dumpling pleats.
Preparing a Dumpling for Folding
All of these methods for how to fold a Chinese dumpling start with the same first two steps.
For that reason, I’ve separated out this “dumpling starting point” below. After you’ve completed these two steps, you’re ready to try any of the four techniques!
To prepare a dumpling for folding:
Dip your finger in a bit of fresh water and moisten the outer edges of half the dumpling wrapper (in a semi-circle).
Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle.
One more quick tip is to keep the wrappers under a damp paper towel, as they tend to dry out quickly, which makes folding more difficult:
Ok, now onto the techniques.
How to Fold a Chinese Dumpling: 4 Techniques!
Dumpling Folding Technique 1: The Half Moon
This technique is exactly what it sounds like. You simply fold the circular dumpling wrapper in half!
This is for the total beginner to dumpling making, or those who want to make a lot of dumplings very quickly. It may seem like a bit of a cop-out, but believe me, even these simply-made dumplings will cook up great. In fact, this is how many frozen packaged dumplings are folded by machine.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Fold the wrapper in half.
2. Thoroughly press the edges together so you get an airtight seal.
(Because there are no pleats in this dumpling, it is especially important to ensure that they are tightly sealed so they don’t come apart during cooking. Make sure your wrappers are under a damp towel and don’t dry out. Dried out dumpling wrappers are difficult to seal!)
3. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the bottom of the dumpling, so it sits upright.
That’s it! Here’s a video showing Technique 1 in action:
Dumpling Folding Technique 2: The 2-Pleat
This method is for those who are ready to try their hand at a beginner pleating technique. It involves just two pleats, and can really up the appearance of your dumplings with a couple simple folds.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Fold the dumpling wrapper in half, pinching it together at the meeting point at the top.
2. Take the side of the wrapper facing away from you, and fold one side of it in towards the middle.
3. Do the same on the other side.
(In the photo below, you can see more clearly what I mean by folding it in towards the middle.)
This is what the dumpling should look like at this point:
4. Finally, press and seal to make sure it’s airtight.
That’s it! Here’s a video showing Technique 2 in action:
Dumpling Folding Technique 3: The One-Directional Pleat
This method is how I’ve been making dumplings for years. It’s how my grandma originally taught me to make them, and I think they’re quite pretty!
Basically, you make several equally spaced pleats, all going in the same direction (left to right, or right to left). As you get better at it, you can put more pleats into your dumplings to make them even more delicate and pretty-looking.
Have your dumpling wrapper ready and moistened, with a spoonful of filling in the middle?
Here’s how to do it:
1. Start by pinching the dumpling wrapper together at one of the bottom corners. (Left or right doesn’t matter, just do what feels natural.)
2. Take the side of the dumpling wrapper facing away from you, and pleat it towards the corner you’ve already sealed.
3. Continue pleating in that direction.
4. When you’ve reached the other end, seal the dumpling completely, making sure that it is airtight. You may need some additional water to ensure that the pleats stay closed.
(Just make sure none of the oily filling or moisture from the filling gets elsewhere on the outside of the wrapper, or it may be difficult to seal.)
That’s it! Here’s a video showing Technique 3 in action:
Dumpling Folding Technique 4: The Bi-Directional Pleat
This looks similar to the one-directional pleating method, but is perhaps a little bit more elegant. Basically, pleats are folded in towards the middle of the dumpling. This means that the folds are going in two directions left to right and right to left (again, with all folds going in towards the middle).
The easiest way to do this is to do two pleats on each side, so you have four pleats total. That said, as you get even better at it, you can create more smaller pleats to make your dumplings look even more professional!
Here’s how to do it:
1. Start by folding the dumpling in half and pinching the wrapper together at the meeting point at the top.
(This meeting point is the “middle” of the dumpling. The pleats will go towards that mid-point, from each side.)
2. On each side of the dumpling, make two pleats starting with the inside (closest to the middle).
3. Then make another two pleats on the outer corners of the dumpling, again towards the middle.
3. Make sure that all seams are sealed.
(You may need some additional water to ensure that the pleats are fully pressed together and sealed.)
That’s it! Here’s a final video, showing Technique 4 in action:
There you have it. Four simple ways to fold a Chinese dumpling, from easy/fool-proof to classic!
If you’re STILL at a loss, and we recently heard about these dumpling making tools (though it’s important to note that the result looks more like a pierogi than a Chinese dumpling, and we’ve never tried one ourselves!).
Have your own folding techniques or dumpling-related memories to share, or additional questions? Let us know in the comments!
How to Fold a Chinese Dumpling: 4 Techniques
Ingredients
- dumpling wrappers
- dumpling filling
- water
Instructions
Preparing the dumpling for folding:
- Start by dipping your finger in a bit of fresh water and moisten the outer edges of half the dumpling wrapper (in a semi-circle).
- Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle.
Technique 1: The Half Moon
- Fold the wrapper in half. Thoroughly press the edges together so you get an airtight seal. (Because there are no pleats in this dumpling, it is especially important to ensure that they are tightly sealed so they don't come apart during cooking. Make sure your wrappers are under a damp towel and don't dry out. Dried out dumpling wrappers are difficult to seal!)
- Use the palm of your hand to flatten the bottom of the dumpling, so it sits upright.
Technique 2: The 2-Pleat
- Fold the dumpling wrapper in half, pinching it together at the meeting point at the top. Take the side of the wrapper facing away from you, and fold one side of it in towards the middle. Do the same on the other side. Finally, press and seal to make sure it's airtight.
Technique 3: The One-Directional Pleat
- Start by pinching the dumpling wrapper together at one of the bottom corners. (Left or right doesn't matter, just do what feels natural.)
- Take the side of the dumpling wrapper facing away from you, and pleat it towards the corner you've already sealed. Continue pleating in that direction.
- When you've reached the other end, seal the dumpling completely, making sure that it is airtight. You may need some additional water to ensure that the pleats stay closed.
Technique 4: The Bi-Directional Pleat
- Start by folding the dumpling in half and pinching the wrapper together at the meeting point at the top.
- On each side of the dumpling, make two pleats starting with the inside (closest to the middle). Then make another two pleats on the outer corners of the dumpling, again towards the middle.
- Make sure that all seams are sealed.
Can you say what brand or kind of dumpling wrappers to look for? or do you make them from scratch? If so is there a tutorial for that?
We use Twin Marquis, generally, which is available locally here in the Northeast. We do also make wrappers from scratch sometimes! Our vegetable dumpling recipe has instructions: https://thewoksoflife.com/vegetable-dumplings/
Thank you so much Sara for this. I was scared to try. Just did 40 dumplings with the Bi-Directional Pleat. Let’s just say my dumpling game needs still needs work, they didnt look as nice as yours.
But practice makes perfect and they tasted great. I had some leftover ribeye and did a play on your Chicken & Mushroom Dumplings only substituted my beef. Got 40 dumplings out of the remains of two rib-eye steaks my wife and I couldn’t finish by blending them with fresh mushrooms.
Now that I have gotten over my fear of dumpling folding I will be trying all kinds of fillings. I am envisioning diced yellowfin tuna with ginger and a touch of soy sauce as the filling…a play on Maguro Tuna sushi in a dumpling. With a ginger/soy dipping sauce.
Used technique 4 and made the most amazing dumplings!!! Thanks!
You’re welcome, Cathy!!
You’re recipes and methods are amazing, you should publish a book
Thank you very much, Chloe! No book in the works quite yet, but we’re thinking about it!
I generally do the one direction pleat – time to branch out!! Also, looking at the amount of filling you use, I am for sure under filling dumplings ……… roll on time off over Xmas / New Year and a day of dumpling making!!!
I also am loving the bi-directional pleat these days, despite the fact that I’ve always done one direction traditionally. Have fun with your dumpling day!
I have the opposite problem….I tend to try and put too much filing in and have to force myself to use restraint :)
Thanks so much for this post! I am a novice at dumplings!
I do have a question about COOKING the dumplings…..mine tend to stick to my pan. :( Do you have any suggestions that would help?
I love this blog and the recipes/instruction/videos that help me out. I can’t tell you how much they are appreciated!
Hi Kelly, yes! I definitely have a tip. Preheat your pan thoroughly before adding the oil and the dumplings. That will prevent them from sticking. Explanation for that can be found in this post: https://thewoksoflife.com/keep-food-from-sticking-wok-pan/
I just bought a little tool that will normally help to obtain a perfect shape ! :D
Ah interesting! Should help with making dumplings super fast!
I know this is off the topic but is meat supposed to smell rotten after velveting/tenderizing?
Definitely not, Sue! I think that means your meat has spoiled.