The Daily Plate

Homemade Cabbage Dumplings

Cabbage is the vegetable of 2026 — and these juicy, gingery dumplings are the best way to celebrate it. A savory pork-and-cabbage filling wrapped in pleated wrappers, pan-fried until golden and crisp on the bottom. Make a big batch; they disappear fast.

Steamed cabbage dumplings arranged in a bamboo steamer basket with a bowl of soy-chili dipping sauce, scallions and sesame seeds
Prep time30 min
Cook time20 min
Total50 min
Yield24 dumplings
CuisineChinese-inspired
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🧺Ingredients

  • ½ medium green cabbage (about 1 lb), finely shredded
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ lb ground pork
  • 2 scallions, finely minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • ½ tsp white pepper
  • 24 round dumpling wrappers
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil, for pan-frying
  • ⅓ cup water, for steaming

👩‍🍳Instructions

  1. Salt the cabbage. Toss the shredded cabbage with 1 tsp salt and rest 15 minutes. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible with your hands or a clean kitchen towel. (This is the secret to juicy, not soggy, dumplings.)
  2. Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the pork, scallions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, and white pepper. Stir vigorously in one direction until tacky, about 2 minutes — this builds the springy texture.
  3. Add cabbage. Fold the squeezed cabbage into the pork mixture until evenly distributed. The filling should hold together when pressed.
  4. Fold. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Wet the edge with water, fold in half, and pleat one side 5–6 times, pressing firmly to seal. Don't stress about perfection — rustic folds taste the same.
  5. Pan-fry. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange dumplings flat-side down and fry 2–3 minutes until deeply golden on the bottom.
  6. Steam. Add ⅓ cup water, cover immediately (stand back from the steam!), and cook 5–6 minutes until the water evaporates and the filling is cooked through.
  7. Crisp and serve. Uncover and crisp 1–2 more minutes. Serve hot with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, black vinegar, and a drizzle of chili oil.

💡 Make-ahead tips

Freeze uncooked dumplings on a floured tray until solid, then bag them — cook straight from frozen, adding 2 extra minutes of steaming. The filling also works as a weeknight stir-fry if you run out of wrappers.

Close-up of a steamed cabbage dumpling lifted with chopsticks from a bamboo steamer, steam rising, with dipping sauce
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