Crispy Cabbage Dumplings With Ginger Chili Crisp

These crispy cabbage dumplings pair a juicy shiitake-cabbage center with tender steamed tops and a delicate golden skillet lace. Ginger, scallions, and chili crisp keep the filling bold without hiding the sweet flavor of the cabbage.

Full Instructions

RECIPE CARD

Crispy Cabbage Dumplings With Ginger Chili Crisp

Prep
35 min
Cook
30 min
Total
1 hr 5 min
Yield
24 dumplings

Ingredients

  • 5 cups finely shredded green cabbage
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 24 round dumpling wrappers
  • 4 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
  • 1/3 cup chili crisp
  • 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

Quick Method

Condensed overview. Use Full Instructions for the complete method, timing and doneness details.

  1. Toss cabbage with salt, rest 10 minutes, then squeeze firmly in a clean towel until dry.
  2. Cook shiitakes for 4 minutes. Add cabbage, scallions, ginger, and garlic; cook 5 to 7 minutes until dry. Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil,…
  3. Place 2 teaspoons filling on each wrapper. Moisten the edge, fold into a half-moon, and make five pleats. Keep wrappers covered while working.
  4. Whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet and brown 12 dumplings for 2 minutes.
  5. Add the slurry, cover, and steam 5 minutes. Uncover and cook 3 to 5 minutes until the lace is dry and golden. Repeat with…
  6. Serve immediately with chili crisp, sliced scallions, and black sesame seeds.
Full Instructions

Recipe Snapshot

The recipe makes 24 dumplings in two skillet batches. Allow 35 minutes for filling and folding and about 30 minutes for cooking. Use standard round wrappers measuring 3 1/2 to 4 inches across.

Ingredients

Measured ingredients for cabbage dumplings including wrappers, green cabbage, shiitakes, aromatics, and chili crisp.
Finely chop the vegetables so the filling fits neatly inside a standard round wrapper.
  • 5 cups finely shredded green cabbage
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 24 round dumpling wrappers
  • 4 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
  • 1/3 cup chili crisp and 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds, for serving

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Salt and Squeeze the Cabbage

Toss the cabbage with the salt and leave it for 10 minutes. Transfer it to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly over the sink. Removing this water prevents soggy filling and split wrappers.

2. Cook and Cool the Filling

Green cabbage and shiitake dumpling filling cooked until dry in a dark skillet.
Cook until the spatula leaves a dry trail; wet filling is the main cause of split wrappers.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes. Add the squeezed cabbage, scallions, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until a spatula leaves a dry trail across the pan.

Stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, and pepper. Spread the filling on a plate and cool completely. Warm filling creates condensation inside the wrappers.

3. Fill and Pleat the Dumplings

Cooled cabbage filling on an ivory wrapper beside raw half-moon dumplings with five pleats.
Two teaspoons of cooled filling leave enough wrapper edge for five secure pleats.

Keep unused wrappers beneath a barely damp towel. Spoon 2 teaspoons of filling into the center of one wrapper. Wet the edge, fold it into a half-moon, and press five small pleats into the front edge. Pinch the entire seam firmly.

Set each dumpling on a cornstarch-dusted tray without letting the pieces touch. Cover the finished dumplings while you fold the rest.

4. Build the Crispy Skillet Lace

Cabbage dumplings with steamed tops and golden cornstarch lace crisping in a skillet.
Uncover only after steaming, then let the slurry turn dry, lacy, and deeply golden.

Whisk 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a nonstick or well-seasoned 10-inch skillet. Arrange 12 dumplings flat-side down and cook for 2 minutes.

Whisk the slurry again, pour it around the dumplings, and cover immediately. Steam for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the water is gone and the lace releases cleanly. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

Serving, Storage, and Make-Ahead Tips

  • Serve straight from the skillet with chili crisp, scallions, and black sesame.
  • Freeze uncooked dumplings in one layer, then bag them for up to 2 months.
  • Cook frozen dumplings without thawing; add 2 minutes to the covered steaming time.
  • Refrigerate cooked dumplings for up to 3 days and re-crisp them in a lightly oiled skillet.
  • If the lace sticks, cook 1 minute longer instead of forcing it from the pan.

For more crisp-edged vegetable recipes, try the crispy roasted cabbage steaks, cabbage fritters with dill sauce, or air-fryer radicchio wedges.

Final Check

The filling should be cool and dry, every half-moon should have the same five-pleat seal, and the cornstarch slurry must be whisked immediately before pouring. Those checkpoints produce dumplings that match the crisp, intact results shown throughout the recipe.

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