Our Favorite Pork & Shrimp Dumplings

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I want to share one of our favourite at-home date night activities: making pork and shrimp dumplings.

My fiancé and I discovered this recipe a while back, and it’s become our go-to when we want a fun, interactive dinner that’s as enjoyable to make as it is to eat.

There’s something so comforting about the ritual we’ve created around dumpling night.

We’ll put on one of our favourite TV shows in the background (lately it’s been “Star Wars Rebels” LOL), lay out all our ingredients on the kitchen counter, and get to work.

Full Recipe

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the dumplings:

• 1 package dumpling wrappers (about 40-50 wrappers)
• Water for sealing
• Vegetable oil for cooking

For dipping sauce:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp chili oil (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine ground pork, chopped shrimp, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and salt. Mix well.
2. Place a dumpling wrapper on a clean surface. Put about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center.
3. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water. Fold the wrapper in half and pinch the edges to seal, creating pleats if desired.
4. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
5. To cook, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of oil.
6. Place dumplings in the pan, not touching each other. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.
7. Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover immediately. Steam for 5-6 minutes until the water has evaporated and the dumplings are cooked through.
8. Remove from pan and serve hot with dipping sauce.

For the dipping sauce: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

Pork and Shrimp Dumplings

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 20 dumplings

Ingredients

  

For the filling:

• ½ lb ground pork
• ½ lb raw shrimp peeled, deveined, and finely chopped
• ¼ cup finely chopped green onions
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp salt

For the dumplings:

• 1 package dumpling wrappers about 40-50 wrappers
• Water for sealing
• Vegetable oil for cooking

For the dipping sauce:

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp chili oil optional

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl, combine ground pork, chopped shrimp, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, and salt. Mix well until fully combined.
• Place a dumpling wrapper on a clean surface. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper.
• Moisten the edges of the wrapper with a little water. Fold the wrapper in half and pinch the edges to seal, creating pleats if desired.
• Repeat the process with the remaining wrappers and filling.
• To cook, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
• Place the dumplings in the skillet, making sure they don’t touch each other. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.
• Add ¼ cup of water to the pan and immediately cover. Let the dumplings steam for 5-6 minutes until the water has evaporated and the dumplings are cooked through.
• Remove the dumplings from the skillet and transfer to a plate.
• For the dipping sauce, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chili oil (if using) in a small bowl.
• Serve the dumplings hot with the dipping sauce on the side. Enjoy!

What I love about this recipe is how simple yet delicious it is.

The combination of pork and shrimp gives the dumplings a wonderful flavour and texture.

And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good dumpling?

The real fun begins when we start folding. My fiancé and I have turned it into a bit of a competition – who can make the prettiest dumpling? (Spoiler alert: it’s usually not me, but I’m improving!)

There’s something so therapeutic about the repetitive motion of filling and folding each wrapper.

Before we know it, we’ve chatted through our day, laughed at the show we’re half-watching, and created a small army of dumplings ready for cooking.

Cooking them is always exciting. That sizzle when they hit the pan, the anticipation as we wait for them to steam… and then finally, that first bite. It’s always worth the effort.

We usually end up with more dumplings than we can eat in one sitting, which is perfect because they freeze well. It’s always a treat to pull out a bag of homemade dumplings on a busy weeknight.

If you’re looking for a fun cooking project to do with your partner, friend, or even solo, I can’t recommend dumpling-making enough. It’s a great way to spend quality time together, and you get a delicious meal at the end of it.

Have you ever made dumplings at home? What’s your favourite filling?

Let me know in the comments – we’re always looking for new variations to try on our next dumpling night!