Most dumpling recipes have 15 ingredients and three pages of instructions. They're delicious, but they're intimidating if you've never made dumplings before. Here's the simplest possible homemade dumpling recipe — just 5 ingredients, one hour start to finish. Perfect for your first attempt.
The 5 ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (+ extra for dusting)
- ¾ cup (180ml) warm water
- 1 lb (450g) ground pork or chicken
- 4 scallions (green onions), finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
That's it. No exotic vinegar, no Shaoxing wine, no oyster sauce. Just five things you already have or can grab at any supermarket.
Step 1: The dough (10 minutes)
Put the flour in a bowl. Slowly pour in the warm water while stirring with chopsticks or a fork. Once it comes together, dump it on a clean counter and knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Cover with a damp towel. Rest 30 minutes.
Step 2: The filling (5 minutes)
Mix the ground meat, scallions, and soy sauce in a bowl. Stir in one direction with chopsticks for 1–2 minutes until the filling looks slightly sticky. That's done.
Step 3: Shape (20 minutes)
Roll the rested dough thin (~1mm) on a floured surface. Cut into two sheets, big enough to cover your work area.
Place small mounds of filling (1 teaspoon each) on one sheet, 2 inches apart. Cover with the second sheet. Press out air around each mound with your fingers.
Dip a wooden STAMPLING™ dumpling stamp in flour. Press straight down over a filling mound, twist 90°, lift. Perfect sealed dumpling. Repeat for all mounds. See our step-by-step guide if you need more detail.
Step 4: Cook (5–7 minutes)
Boiled: Drop dumplings into salted boiling water. They float when done, about 5–7 minutes.
Pan-fried: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan. Place dumplings flat-side down. Cook 2 minutes until golden. Add ¼ cup water, cover, steam 6 minutes.
Optional 5-minute dipping sauce
Equal parts soy sauce and rice vinegar. Done. For something better, see our classic dumpling sauce recipe.
What to add as you level up
When you're comfortable with the basics, upgrade your filling with:
- Grated ginger and garlic (huge flavor boost)
- Sesame oil (1 teaspoon)
- Salted, drained Napa cabbage (adds moisture and texture)
- White pepper (the Chinese secret weapon)
See our ultimate pork dumpling recipe for the full upgraded version, or our 15 filling ideas for variety.
Freezing
Uncooked dumplings freeze beautifully — make a triple batch on the weekend, freeze, eat all week. See our freezing guide.