These Northern Chinese style beef dumplings with scallions are super flavorful. They’re particularly good when you make your own wrappers and boil the dumplings, which allows you to really appreciate how juicy they are!
Dumplings are a classic Chinese New Year food, representing prosperity due to their resemblance to gold/silver ingots or money pouches. Looking for more good fortune in the upcoming Year of the Rabbit? Try this recipe for your Lunar New Year celebrations!
Finally, A Beef Dumpling!
In our nearly 10 years of blogging recipes, we’ve never created a recipe for beef dumplings before. Quelle surprise, I know. They are generally more common in Northern China, whereas most dumpling fillings where our family is from (Shanghai and Guangdong) are pork-based.
Indeed, we have several pork dumpling recipes, including pork and chive dumplings, the “only dumpling recipe you’ll ever need,” pork & celery dumplings, and our pork & cabbage potstickers. We also have a really delicious recipe for pork dumplings with napa cabbage & mushrooms in our new cookbook!
For those of you who don’t eat pork, there have been vegetable dumplings, chicken and mushroom dumplings, and chicken zucchini dumplings. Today, we finally add a beef dumpling recipe to that list!
Developing Our Beef Dumpling Filling Recipe
Beef has a very strong flavor, with a very different texture than pork or chicken. Here are some quick recipe notes to point out:
- We use scallions to replace 大葱 (dàcōng): A classic beef dumpling filling combination is beef and dàcōng, which are large, thick green onions, with a larger white portion than a scallion has. The onion flavor stands up to and complements the flavor of the beef. While they’re readily available in China, they are very hard (if not impossible) to find here in the U.S. We use scallions instead, which are the closest substitute.
- You’ll soak Sichuan peppercorns in boiling water for flavor: We have talked in the past about how adding liquid to the filling is key to juicy dumplings. In this case, we’re using water that has been infused with Sichuan peppercorns. Don’t worry, Sichuan peppercorn skeptics. This doesn’t create a numbing effect, but it does add an extra dimension of flavor to the filling.
- Consider hand-chopping your meat: You can certainly use ground beef in this recipe (we recommend 80% lean ground beef, as more fat will yield better flavor and texture!). That said, you might consider hand-chopping your meat. This can take quite a bit of time and elbow grease, but it allows you to choose the exact cut (look for a well-marbled piece of beef chuck) and also more finely control the texture of your ground meat. This is how it’s traditionally done in Chinese households!
- Using a stand mixer: Luckily, you don’t have to do everything by hand. You can mix the filling in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. If you don’t have a stand mixer, just mix the old-fashioned way (by hand with chopsticks). But the mixer is a convenient shortcut if you have one at your disposal!
- Try to make your own dumpling wrappers: While we’re normally all for store bought dumpling wrappers, making your own for these northern-style shuǐjiǎo (水饺)—which are meant to be boiled—makes a huge difference. You can also steam or pan-fry these dumplings, but boiling them allows you to really appreciate the subtle mix of flavors in the filling, as well as the juiciness of the dumplings.
- Pair with Northerners’ preferred dumpling condiments! In Beijing and other Northern Chinese cities, the most common accompaniments for dumplings were: black vinegar, and minced raw garlic. You can also serve with our dumpling sauce, but try doing as the Northerners do!
Beef Dumplings: Recipe Instructions
Put the flour in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Gradually add the water to the flour and knead into a smooth dough (either by hand or with the dough hook attachment on low speed). This process should take about 5 minutes. If using a stand mixer, you may need to stop the mixer and bring the dough together with your hands. Knead by hand into a ball, and cover the dough in the bowl with an overturned plate. Allow to rest for 1 hour.
Add the Sichuan peppercorns to a bowl along with the hot water, and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Strain the Sichuan peppercorn water into a measuring cup or bowl, and cool completely.
Now, to the filling. Chop the meat according to our article on how to hand-chop your own ground meat, until the beef resembles sausage meat in texture. This may take up to 30 minutes, so be patient! If using ground beef, skip this step.
Add the meat to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, along with the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, white pepper, five spice powder, and minced ginger. Stir vigorously with a pair of chopsticks for 5 minutes, or on low speed for 2 minutes.
Gradually add the cooled Sichuan peppercorn water to the filling in several batches, making sure the meat absorbs all the liquid before adding the next batch. Mix well, until the meat resembles a paste, about 3-5 minutes. Finally, add the neutral oil, sesame oil, and salt. Mix, and then stir in the scallions.
Next, assemble the beef dumplings. Divide the rested dough into quarters, and work with one quarter at a time, leaving the remaining dough pieces covered so they don’t dry out.
Cut the dough into small pieces (about the size of half a marshmallow); more precisely, the piece of dough for each wrapper should weigh about 15g. Roll the dough out into a 3.5 inch (9cm) circle.
Add about 1 tablespoon of filling to the center, and squeeze the dumpling closed or pleat according to our instructions on how to fold dumplings. Just make sure that the wrapper isn’t too thin in any spots, or it might break during cooking.
At this point, it’s a good idea to taste a few dumplings. Boil them for 5 minutes, and taste for seasoning. Adjust seasoning according to your own tastes (add more wine, sesame oil, etc. to taste). Once you’re happy with the filling, you can assemble the remaining dumplings until you’ve used all the filling/dough. Place the dumplings on a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them apart so they aren’t touching each other.
To cook the beef dumplings, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the dumplings for 5 minutes, and remove them with a strainer to a plate.
Serve with our dumpling dipping sauce or a combination of black vinegar and minced raw garlic!
Freeze any remaining dumplings on the sheet pan. Covering them with clean grocery bags, and transfer to the freezer overnight. Once frozen solid, move them to freezer bags and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Recipe
Chinese Beef Dumplings
Ingredients
For the dumpling dough:
- 6 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups water
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
- 2 pounds well-marbled boneless beef chuck (or 80% lean ground beef)
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
- 1 tablespoon ginger (finely minced)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups scallion (finely chopped)
Instructions
Make the dumpling dough:
- Put the flour in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Gradually add the water to the flour and knead into a smooth dough (either by hand or with the dough hook attachment on low speed). This process should take about 5 minutes. If using a stand mixer, you may need to stop the mixer and bring the dough together with your hands. Knead by hand into a ball, and cover the dough in the bowl with an overturned plate. Allow to rest for 1 hour.
Make the filling:
- Add the Sichuan peppercorns to a bowl along with the hot water, and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Strain the Sichuan peppercorn water into a measuring cup or bowl, and cool completely.
- Now, to the filling. Chop the meat according to our article on how to hand-chop your own ground meat, until the beef resembles sausage meat in texture. This may take up to 30 minutes, so be patient! If using ground beef, skip this step.
- Add the meat to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, along with the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, white pepper, five spice powder, and minced ginger. Stir vigorously with a pair of chopsticks for 5 minutes, or on low speed for 2 minutes.
- Gradually add the cooled Sichuan peppercorn water to the filling in several batches, making sure the meat absorbs all the liquid before adding the next batch. Mix well, until the meat resembles a paste, about 3-5 minutes. Finally, add the neutral oil, sesame oil, and salt. Mix, and then stir in the scallions.
Assemble the dumplings:
- Divide the rested dough into quarters, and work with one quarter at a time, leaving the remaining dough pieces covered so they don’t dry out. Cut the dough into small pieces (about the size of half a marshmallow); more precisely, the piece of dough for each wrapper should weigh about 15g. Roll the dough out into a 3.5 inch (9cm) circle. Add about 1 tablespoon of filling to the center, and squeeze the dumpling closed or pleat according to our instructions on how to fold dumplings. Just make sure that the wrapper isn’t too thin in any spots, or it might break during cooking.
- At this point, it’s a good idea to taste a few dumplings. Boil them for 5 minutes, and taste for seasoning. Adjust seasoning according to your own tastes (add more wine, sesame oil, etc. to taste). Once you’re happy with the filling, assemble the remaining dumplings until you’ve used all the filling/dough. Place the dumplings on a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them apart so they aren’t touching each other.
Cook & Enjoy!
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the dumplings for 5 minutes, and remove them with a strainer to a plate. Serve with our dumpling dipping sauce or a combination of black vinegar and minced raw garlic!
