This recipe for chicken zucchini dumplings is perfect for first-time dumpling making. Not only is the filling tasty, it uses a combination of ingredients that you can find from your local grocery store. No specialty vegetables needed!
Note: this recipe was originally published in August 2017. We’ve updated it with clearer photos and instructions, metric measurements, and nutrition information. The recipe itself has not changed. Enjoy!
A New Use for Zucchini
It’s time to talk about a summer crop that’s you’re probably scratching your head over what to do with every year. We successfully germinated more zucchini seeds than we needed, and are unable to let perfectly good young plants go to waste, so we expect zucchini and summer squash to be bursting out of the garden later this summer.
Having grown zucchini in the past, we know that sometimes, it’s hard to keep up with the bounty!
Of course, there’s always zoodles and zucchini bread, but I have a recipe that uses zucchini in a different way than you’re probably used to…chicken zucchini dumplings.
I’ve grown really fond of the combination, and the filling is actually quite simple to throw together with ingredients you probably already have on hand if you’ve been cooking with us—white pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, and Shaoxing wine.
MORE KEY RESOURCES & Recipe Notes
Just a few notes before we get on with the recipe!
- I used store bought wrappers for these chicken zucchini dumplings. If you’d like to make wrappers from scratch, our homemade dumpling wrappers.
- If you need a more detailed refresher on how to fold a dumpling, see our full post on how to fold dumplings 4 ways!
- I actually ground my own chicken using dark meat chicken thighs for this recipe. Often, the ground chicken you buy at the store is made from the breast meat, which I think is too lean for dumplings. So I simply bought chicken thighs, de-boned them, and then used a cleaver to chop up the meat. Check out my mom’s post on how to grind meat without a grinder.
- I also ended up with the chicken skin, which (upon my dad’s kooky request) I fried up in a pan, chopped up, and added to the filling. It did add a certain buttery, flavorful quality to the filling! You can feel free to skip that step all together, and just buy ground chicken from the store, of course. But where’s the fun in that?
- Don’t forget the dipping sauce to serve these with! Try my perfect dumpling sauce recipe.
Chicken Zucchini Dumplings: Recipe Instructions
Take the shredded zucchini, put it in a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze out as much water as you can. Add it to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
In a wok or cast iron skillet over medium low heat, add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and the minced ginger. Allow the ginger to fry in the oil until fragrant, 2 minutes.
Add to the bowl of zucchini along with the ground chicken.
To the bowl, add the vegetable oil, white pepper, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Mix well, stirring vigorously in one direction for about 5 minutes, until it resembles a paste. (You can also do this with a stand mixer!)
After that, you can stir in the crispy chicken skin, if so inclined…
Here’s a photo of me cooking the chicken skin––along with the ginger.
Grab your dumpling wrappers, wrap the dumplings. If you’re not sure how to pleat them, check out our article on how to fold dumplings. It has 4 techniques, from beginner to advanced.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, so that the dumplings are not touching each other too closely.
You can fry them right away, or cover the dumplings with plastic wrap or clean plastic grocery bags (which can be rinsed, dried, and reused) and freeze them on the tray.
Once frozen solid, you can transfer them to freezer bags and store for up to 3 months.
To fry the dumplings, add a couple tablespoons of oil to a cast iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the dumplings to the pan.
Once the bottoms of the dumplings are golden brown, fill the pan with a little less than a centimeter of water, and cover immediately.
Turn the heat down to medium-low, and allow your chicken zucchini dumplings to steam.
Once the water has evaporated, remove the cover and let the dumplings continue to fry until the bottoms are crisp.
You can also steam or boil these dumplings. Check out our full tutorial on how to cook dumplings (steaming, boiling and pan-frying).
Serve these Chicken Zucchini Dumplings with Chinese black vinegar, chili oil, and/or soy sauce or try out our dumpling sauce recipe.
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Recipe
Chicken Zucchini Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini (1 pound/450g = about 2 medium or 3 small; seeds removed and shredded)
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil (or other neutral oil; divided)
- 2 tablespoons ginger (minced)
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry cooking sherry)
- 2 packages dumpling wrappers (or make your own)
Instructions
- Take the shredded zucchini, put it in a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze out as much water as you can. Add it to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a wok over medium low heat, add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and the minced ginger. Allow the ginger to fry in the oil until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add to the bowl of zucchini.
- To the bowl, add 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, the ground chicken, white pepper, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Mix well, stirring vigorously in one direction for about 5 minutes, until it resembles a paste.
- Wrap the dumplings and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, so that the dumplings are not touching each other. You can fry them right away, or cover the dumplings with plastic wrap and freeze them on the tray. Once frozen solid, you can transfer them to freezer bags and store for up to 3 months.
- To fry the dumplings, add a couple tablespoons of oil to a cast iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add the dumplings to the pan. Once the bottoms of the dumplings are golden brown, fill the pan with a little less than a centimeter of water, and cover immediately. Turn the heat down to medium low, and allow the dumplings to steam. Once the water has evaporated, remove the cover and let the dumplings continue to fry until the bottoms are crisp. Serve with black vinegar, chili oil, and/or our dumpling dipping sauce.
