Chicken dumplings get less love than pork dumplings, but they shouldn't. They're leaner, lighter, faster to make, and arguably more versatile for weeknight dinners. This recipe takes 30 minutes from start to plate — no hour-long marinades, no exotic ingredients.
Why chicken dumplings are better for weeknights
- Chicken cooks faster than pork. No need for the long mix-and-rest period.
- Lighter filling means thinner wrappers work. Store-bought wrappers are fine.
- Leftovers reheat better. Chicken doesn't get rubbery the way pork can.
- Kid-friendly. Less assertive flavor — kids who don't love pork will eat these.
The 30-minute recipe
For the filling:
- 1 lb (450g) ground chicken (thigh meat preferred for flavor)
- 1 cup Napa cabbage, finely chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach, finely chopped
- 3 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the wrappers:
Use 1 package store-bought round dumpling/gyoza wrappers (about 50 wrappers). Or make your own with our basic dough recipe.
Step-by-step (30 minutes)
Minute 0–5: Prep the vegetables
Finely chop the cabbage and spinach. Salt the cabbage with ½ tsp salt, let sit while you do everything else. Chop scallions, grate ginger, mince garlic.
Minute 5–10: Mix the filling
Squeeze the salted cabbage hard to drain water. Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl. Mix in one direction until uniform and slightly sticky — about 2 minutes by hand or with chopsticks.
Minute 10–25: Shape the dumplings
Lay out 6 wrappers. Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of each. Wet the edge with water. Fold in half, press to seal, then crimp the edges (or press straight down with a wooden STAMPLING™ stamp for an even cleaner seal). Repeat until all wrappers are used.
Minute 25–30: Cook
Pan-fry: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a non-stick pan. Place dumplings flat-side down. Cook 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup water, cover, steam 6 minutes. Uncover, cook 1 minute to crisp.
Boil: Drop dumplings into boiling water. Cook 5–6 minutes until they float and the chicken is cooked through.
Steam: Line a steamer with cabbage leaves. Steam 10 minutes over boiling water.
Quick dipping sauce
Soy, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili crisp, slivered ginger. For more variations, see our complete dumpling sauce guide.
Variations
Buffalo chicken: Use Frank's RedHot in the filling, dip in ranch.
Curry chicken: Add 1 tbsp curry powder, raisins, and lemon zest to the filling.
Mushroom-chicken: Replace half the chicken with finely chopped shiitake mushrooms.
Lemongrass chicken: Add 2 stalks finely minced lemongrass for Vietnamese-style.
Freezing
Uncooked chicken dumplings freeze for up to 3 months — see our complete freezing guide. Cook from frozen, add 2 extra minutes.
More dumpling recipes
Try our ultimate pork dumpling recipe for the classic, our Japanese gyoza recipe for crispy potstickers, or our 15 filling ideas for more inspiration.