Once you can make a basic dumpling wrapper, the fillings are unlimited. Pork-and-chives is the classic, but there are dozens of other combinations that work just as well — savory, sweet, vegetarian, vegan, regional, weird-and-wonderful. Here are 15 dumpling fillings worth trying.
Savory meat fillings
1. Lamb and cumin
Northern Chinese classic. Ground lamb, toasted cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, scallion, soy sauce. Pan-fry for the best texture.
2. Shrimp and pork
The gold standard at dim sum. Half ground pork, half chopped raw shrimp, water chestnuts for crunch, bamboo shoots, ginger.
3. Beef and onion
Russian pelmeni-style. Ground beef (or beef-pork mix), grated yellow onion, salt, pepper, splash of cream. Boil and serve with sour cream.
4. Chicken and mushroom
Ground chicken thigh (don't use breast — it dries out), finely chopped shiitake, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil.
5. Sausage and apple
Unconventional but addictive. Italian sausage out of casing, diced apple, sage, black pepper. Great for fall.
Seafood fillings
6. Shrimp and Chinese chive
Translucent skin dumplings or har gow. Just shrimp and Chinese chives (gau choy), seasoned with white pepper, salt, sesame oil.
7. Crab and water chestnut
Lump crab meat, finely diced water chestnut, ginger, scallion, soy sauce. Steam or pan-fry.
8. Salmon and dill
Russian pelmeni twist. Diced raw salmon, fresh dill, capers, lemon zest, crème fraîche. Boil, serve with butter.
Vegetarian fillings
9. Mushroom and tofu
Hearty and umami. Finely chopped mixed mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, button), pressed firm tofu, soy sauce, ginger, scallion.
10. Ricotta and spinach
Italian ravioli classic — works as a dumpling too. Wilted spinach (drained well), ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg, lemon zest.
11. Potato and cheese
Polish pierogi staple. Mashed potato, sharp cheddar or farmer's cheese, fried onion, butter. Boil, then pan-fry with more butter. See our full pierogi recipe for the proper technique.
12. Pumpkin and sage
Roasted butternut squash, brown butter, fried sage, parmesan. A larger dumpling stamp (60mm) is ideal — these are filling.
13. Cauliflower and curry
Indian-inspired samosa filling. Cauliflower, peas, potato, curry powder, mustard seed, cilantro. Bake or fry.
Sweet fillings (yes, sweet dumplings!)
14. Blueberry and cream cheese
Polish-style sweet pierogi. Fresh blueberries, cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest. Boil, then pan-fry in butter with cinnamon sugar.
15. Nutella and banana
The kids' favorite. A scoop of Nutella and a slice of banana per dumpling. Pan-fry until crispy. Serve dusted with powdered sugar.
The tool that handles all of them
The trick to most of these is a consistent seal — soft fillings, runny sauces, and chunky chops all want to leak unless the wrapper is sealed tight. A handcrafted wooden dumpling stamp with the press-and-twist motion gets a perfect seal every time, regardless of filling.
For dough recipes and the basic technique, see our step-by-step home dumplings guide. For the classic pork version, our ultimate pork dumpling recipe.