How to Make Beef Dumplings (Potstickers)
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Learn to make beef dumplings 3 different ways: steamed, pan fried, and boiled. I also show you how to wrap beautiful dumplings in 3 easy methods.
Table of Contents
Beef dumplings are one of traditional Mongolian foods. And surprisingly, it’s not just a popular dish in Mongolia.
As it turns out, a lot of countries have a variation of beef dumplings.
Meat Dumplings from around the world
- Mongolia has buuz and bansh (mini version), steamed dumplings often filled with mutton.
- Russia has pelmeni, boiled dumplings filled with chicken or beef.
- China has potstickers, pan fried dumplings with mixture of meat and vegetables.
- Japan has gyoza, pan fried dumplings with mixture of meat and vegetables.
- Korea has mandu, also pan fried dumplings with mixture of meat and vegetables.
- Nepal has momo, and so on…
Today, I’m showing you Mongolian steamed dumplings, Russian boiled dumplings, and Chinese pan fried dumplings, all from my personal experience.
I also included a video tutorial on how to wrap dumplings 3 different ways, so you too can recreate these beauties at home!
Make Ahead Dumplings
Dumplings are a perfect make-ahead freezer meal!
Every few months, I make a big batch of dumplings and freeze them for later. Whenever I’m in rush, or busy, I can just grab a few of the dumplings and cook without any effort. It’s one of my freezer staples for sure! And my kids absolutely love these!
It may seem tedious and time-consuming process, but I assure you it’s fun to make and you’ll have delicious on-demand dumplings stashed in the freezer!
Tip
Call your friends and make a dumpling party! Not only will you have a great time, but you’ll also end up with lots of dumplings for the future!
Beef Dumpling Recipe Ingredients
- All purpose flour – works perfectly to make nice and soft dumpling wraps.
- Egg – adds richness and softness to the dough.
- Milk – also makes the dough rich, but you may substitute water.
- Ground beef – I like to use lean ground beef (90/10), but 80-20 ground beef is totally fine. You can also use a combination of beef and pork, or even ground turkey or chicken as well!
- Onion – You may omit onion, but it adds great flavor.
- Seasoning – Feel free to use any seasoning that you enjoy!
How to Make Beef Dumplings:
We’re making everything from scratch here.
- The dough is so soft and easy to work with. I usually use my stand mixer, but it’s totally not required. You can do it in a bowl and with your hand!
- Beef filling is also quite customizable. I keep it pretty simple, but you can totally add vegetables, like napa cabbage, carrots, spinach…
Tip
Dough: Don’t add all the water at once. You may not need it all. Instead add little at a time, until the dough is soft and not too sticky.
Or you can use store-bought potsticker wraps. It makes the process much faster. (But my kids prefer homemade wrap over store-bought wraps.)
Tip
Adding water makes the filling soft and juicy!
Feel free to add any vegetables in the meat mixture. My favorites: napa cabbage, carrots, spinach.
How to cook Dumplings
There’re 3 different ways to cook dumplings: steam, pan-fry and boil. And here’s how…
How to steam Dumplings
To steam dumplings, you’ll need a big steamer pot. Mine has 2 tiers, which is super convenient to cook lots of dumplings at one.
- Bring pot of water to a boil
- Arrange the dumplings on lightly sprayed steamer baskets.
- Place over boiling water, cover and steam for about 15 minutes for small dumplings, and 25 minutes for big frozen dumplings.
- Off heat, carefully remove the lid and fan with plate.
How to cook Dumplings in Pan
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
- Add oil and then arrange fresh or frozen dumplings in one layer.
- Fry until the bottom of the dumplings are golden, about 2 minutes.
- Then carefully add water into the skillet, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
How to boil Dumplings
You can boil dumplings in a seasoned water, or in a broth.
- Bring a pot of water/broth to a boil.
- Add fresh or frozen dumplings in.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the dumplings float to the top, they’re cooked. Serve with butter and/or sour cream.
How to store Beef Potstickers
- Store cooked potstickers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To freeze uncooked potstickers: arrange the dumplings in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for at least 1 hour, or until fully frozen, then place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Cook frozen dumplings. No need to thaw them!
How to serve Beef Pot Stickers
Serve the beef dumplings with soy sauce, or sour cream, or any dipping sauce you love. The following salads are also great with potstickers:
Beef Potsticker FAQ
Steam the dumplings, fresh and frozen, for 15 minutes.
Boil the dumplings for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until dumpling float to the top and cooked through.
More Favorites from Sweet & Savory
Beef Dumplings
Ingredients
For dough wrap:
- 5 cups (625g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk (Note 1)
- ½ cup water (Note 2)
For beef filling:
- 2 lbs (1kg) ground beef (Note 3)
- 1/4 cup minced yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves grated
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander seed optional
- 1 handful fresh cilantro finely chopped, optional
Russian Pelmeni:
- 1-2 tablespoons butter
- Sour cream
Chinese Potstickers:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce low sodium is the best
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
Instructions
- To make the dough wrap, in a mixing bowl with dough hook attachment, mix together flour, salt, egg, and milk on low speed. Once the mixture is mostly combined, add half of the water.
- Knead the dough until elastic ball forms for about 5-7 minutes, add remaining water as needed. (TIP: You want the dough to be nice and soft.)
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest while you prepare the filling, or for up to 1 hour.
- To make the beef filling, in a medium mixing bowl, add beef, garlic and onion.
- Stir in salt, garlic powder and coriander seed, if using, in water. And add it to the meat mixture. Mix everything well.
- To shape the dumplings, knead the dough and cut a piece of of it. Roll it into a thin circle on a floured surface. Using a 2.5-inch round cookie cutter, cut out round dough wraps. If the dough is sticky, don't hesitate to use flour. (But the dough should be excessively sticky.)
- Place about 1/2 tablespoon of beef filling on each round. (TIP: I use a medium cookie scoop to portion out the beef. About 1/2 scoop per 2.5-inch wrap.)
- Pinch the edges together to create the desired shape. (Watch the video above for demonstration.)
- Place the dumplings on a baking sheet lined with floured wax/parchment paper or silicone mat.
- Continue making dumplings until you run out of beef filling and dough. When the baking sheet is filled, place it in a freezer for at least 3 hours, or until dumplings are frozen completely. Once the dumplings are frozen, transfer them into freezer bags and immediately put it back into freezer.
COOKING DIRECTIONS
1. Boiled Russian pelmeni:
- In a large pot, add a quart of water, couple of bay leaves, a few black peppercorns, and salt. Bring water to a rolling boil. (Alternatively, you can use beef or chicken stock.)
- Add dumplings and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until dumpling float to the top and cooked through. Serve with butter and sour cream.
2. Steamed Mongolian buuz:
- In a large steamer pot, bring about 3-inch deep water to a boil.
- Lightly spray non-stick spray on steamer baskets and arrange dumplings in one layer. Place the filled steamers over boiling water.
- Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Once cooked, transfer the steamer to a counter, uncover and fan the dumplings with a plate. Serve steamed dumplings with a side of vegetables or salad of your choice.
3. Pan-Fried Chinese Potstickers
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add dumplings in one layer. Sear the dumplings for about 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Add ¼ cup of water into the skillet and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover the skillet and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through.
- To make the dipping sauce, mix together soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil. And serve with pan-fried beef dumplings.
Video
Tips & Notes
Nutrition
how much dumplings does this make?
Hi, Linda. About 115 mini dumplings.
Thank you for this recipe. I couldn’t understand about meat. Didn’t you cook meat before put in dough? Are they cooking together meat and dough in pan fried style? Or İs meat cooking pan fried style in a 2 minute? Sorry:))
Hi, Ibrahim! No, I don’t pre-cook the meat. Yes, they’re cooking from raw in pan fried style. Directions say to cook for 2 minutes to brown the bottom, then the next step is to add a little water, cover and cook for 10 more minutes.
Great recipes, I’m about to try them thank you
Thanks, Shan. Hope you enjoyed it!
These are great! 😀
Thank you!! So glad you liked it, Hannah!
This dumbling are so easy to make and so delicious 🙂 great recipe <3
Yay, so happy you like the recipe. Thanks for the feedback, Angelika!
Tonight is my parents 23rd wedding anniversary as well as mother’s day. I want to make this special for them! If I prepare the dumplings can I cook them right away with no freezer time, or do they have to be put in the freezer?
Hi, Jenna. What a special day you’re having!!! Yes, you can totally cook these dumplings fresh. No need to adjust cook time or anything. Happy Anniversary to your parents!!!
I want to say thank you for the recipe <3
You’re very welcome, Blue!
Hi Shinee,
Which seasoning salt do you use for the beef dumplings? Thanks and best regards. Cheryl
Hi, Cheryl. I’ve used Lawry’s seasoned salt, but honestly, you can use any kind of salt and seasonings you like. Hope you’ll give it a try. 🙂 Let me know how they turned out.