Pork Chive Dumplings are one of the most traditional dumpling types you’ll find in China. Chinese chives, also called garlic chives, are readily available at most Asian grocery stores, and they’re a snap to grow (really…it grows like weeds!). When they’re available in our garden in the spring and summer, we make these dumplings often.
For this recipe, we wanted to show you how to make your own dumpling wrappers. If you don’t live near an Asian grocery store and can’t find dumpling wrappers, you can use this method for any boiled/steamed dumpling or potsticker recipe. It’s just all-purpose flour and water, and ANYONE can do it!
We recently enlisted the help of my cousin’s husband Willy, who hails from Beijing and has an expert dumpling-making mother, to help us with these pork chive dumplings. Here’s the recipe he makes all the time at home! They’re simply prepared, boiled, and dipped in vinegar. If you want an authentic taste of Chinese home-cooking, give these a try.
You must visit our collection of dim sum recipes where you’ll find a variety of dumplings, pot stickers, and popular dim sum dishes.
Pork Chive Dumplings: Recipe Instructions
Put the flour in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the water to the flour and knead into a smooth dough. This process should take about 10 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for an hour.
While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Start by adding the oil to a small pot over medium high heat. Heat the oil for about 7 minutes and allow it to cool. This “cooking” of the oil is supposed to bring out a nuttier flavor in the filling. This tip comes straight to you from Willy’s mother, a Beijing local, and an authority on dumpling-making!
Once the oil is cooled, add the ground pork to a large bowl, along with the egg…
…sesame oil, soy sauce, and cooked, cooled oil. At this point, you should make and boil a test dumpling and try it to make sure the taste is to your liking. You can then adjust by adding more salt if needed.
Once the filling tastes right to you, begin assembling the dumplings. The best way to do this is to divide the dough into manageable pieces and then roll each piece into a rope. Cut them into small pieces (in a size similar to if you were cutting gnocchi, or about the size of the top part of your thumb).
Using a tapered edge or French rolling pin, roll the pieces out into circles trying to leave the middle a little thicker than the edges…
And add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling to the center (it helps if you have an assembly line going, with one person cutting out the dough pieces, one person rolling it out, and one person filling/folding).
You can then make folds like you see in our tutorial on how to fold dumplings, or you can just fold the circle in half and press them together. Willy’s method is to fold the circle in half, press it together at the top, and then make two folds on either side. Whatever way works for you…they don’t have to be pretty to taste good.
Place the dumplings about a centimeter apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. At Willy’s house, they use this nifty bamboo mat.
When you’re ready to cook, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Carefully drop the dumplings into the water and keep them moving, so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Bring back to a slow boil, and cook until they float to the top and the filling is cooked through (about 5 minutes).
You can also steam or pan-fry these dumplings. For a full tutorial on how to cook dumplings (steaming, boiling, and pan-frying), check out this article.
Serve with vinegar, chili sauce or better yet, make our favorite dumpling sauce recipe!
Pork Chive Dumplings
Ingredients
- 7 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 1/4 lbs ground pork (565g)
- 1 egg
- 7 cups Chinese chives (chopped finely)
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Put the flour in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the water to the flour and knead into a smooth dough. This process should take about 10 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough rest for an hour.
- While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Start by adding the oil to a small pot over medium high heat. Heat the oil for about 7 minutes and allow it to cool. This "cooking" of the oil is supposed to bring out a nuttier flavor in the filling. This tip comes straight to you from Willy's mother, a Beijing local, and an authority on dumpling-making!
- Once the oil is cooled, add the ground pork to a large bowl, along with the egg, chives, sesame oil, soy sauce, and cooked, cooled oil. At this point, you should make and boil a test dumpling and try it to make sure the taste is to your liking. You can then adjust by adding more salt if needed.
- Once the filling tastes right to you, begin assembling the dumplings. The best way to do this is to divide the dough into manageable pieces and then rolling each piece into a rope. Cut them into small pieces (in a size similar to if you were cutting gnocchi, or about the size of the top part of your thumb).
- Roll the pieces out into circles, and add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling to the center (it helps if you have an assembly line going, with one person cutting out the dough pieces, one person rolling it out, and one person filling/folding).
- You can then make folds like you see in our other dumpling post, or you can just fold the circle in half and press them together. Willy's method is to fold the circle in half, press it together at the top, and then make two folds on either side. Whatever way works for you...they don't have to be pretty to taste good.
- Place the dumplings about a centimeter apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. When you're ready to cook, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Carefully drop the dumplings into the water and keep them moving, so they don't stick to the bottom of the pot. Bring back to a slow boil, and cook until they float to the top and the filling is cooked through (about 5 minutes). Serve with our favorite easy-to-make dumpling sauce.
Does it matter as to what type of oil is heated? Would avocado oil be ok to use?
You could certainly use avocado oil, Kay! Any neutral-flavored oil will work.
I made these today but cheated a bit by using the pre-made wrappers. SO SO delicious! And I love that you have step by step instructions for everything from buying ingredients to folding the wrappers. Just amazing, I’m thrilled to have found your website. I was wondering though – this recipe makes a lot – if I wanted to freeze some, would I freeze them before I steam them or after? Thank you!!
Hi Trish, you’d freeze them while they’re still raw! To freeze these, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet as you assemble them, so they’re not touching each other. Cover the baking sheet (clean, regular plastic shopping bags work well for this purpose), and transfer to the freezer. Freeze solid (overnight) and then transfer to an airtight container, like a zip top bag.
I’ve always seen dumplings in chinese dramas and wanted to try them but there are no chinese restaurants in my city and I’ve always been too intimidated to make them myself, but I found your recipe and decided to give it a go. And it somehow worked out. I switched the pork for beef cause I’m muslim but 10/10 recommended and would make it again
Yayyyy! That’s so great. You can also try chicken next time––I think chicken would be better and juicier.
I am definitely going to have to try this but I’m going to have to get a nonstick pan I have a cast-iron and every time I make them they rip apart. 😒
Hi Jenny, you need to read this post and it will solve your problem: The ONLY Technique You Need to Keep Food From Sticking to a Wok or Pan.
The ratio of ingredients felt off! Was hoping to recreate the traditional pork and chive dumpling I grew up eating, but this turned out to be more like a chive dumpling with a bit of pork to hold it all together. 1/4 cup of soy sauce was more than enough seasoning, since Chinese chives are naturally salty.
Thank you for your feedback, Christina. It’s natural that every family would have their own variations. Unclear with what you had growing up, but this is how we like it. Do feel free to increase the pork ratio next time you make these again :-)
Hi! Is there a way to scale down the recipe? Cooking for myself. Do I just cut all measurements in half?
Yes, cut it by half or a quarter. Just know that the cooking time does not change.
Made these about a month ago and my family just loved them. They said they are even better than the ones we get when we go for dim sum!
Hi Barbara, thanks for the glowing review and keep up the dumpling making :)
Hello, I was wondering if I can put shaoxing wine into the filling (mixture) before making the dumplings?
Yes, Amy, that’s how you do it.
How should we fold the dumplings if all we can find are the square dumpling wrappers?
Hi Tida, the square wrappers are for wontons. Check out this post for how to fold wontons: https://thewoksoflife.com/how-to-fold-wontons/.
They can be boiled, steamed, or pan-fried, though note that they will take less time to cook. Also make sure you have a good non-stick pan for pan-frying, as the wrappers are much more thin and delicate.
Are you supposed to heat the 1/4 cup of neutral oil with the 3 tablespoons of sesame oil for 7 minutes?
Just heat up the 1/4 cup neutral oil. You can add the sesame oil directly to the filling mixture without heating.