Chinese Beef Dumplings (Jiaozi)

Chinese beef dumplings are one of the most popular dumplings in China. It is tender, juicy, and super delicous. Beef dumplings in China is equivalent to hamburgers in the U.S.. If you are a beef lover, try this recipe and let us know how it goes in the comments below, or on our YouTube channel.

What Kind of Ground Beef is Best for Chinese Beef Dumplings?

The fattier the ground beef the better taste is. Try not to use the extra lean ground beef. It would make the dumplings taste chewier. If you have to use it, add an egg in the filling per pound of ground beef, it will soften the filling.

What to Serve Chinese Beef Dumplings with?

It is perfect to serve with yellow pickled radish, cucumber salad, or seaweed salad. Vinegar (LaBa Vinegar) as a dipping sauce is a must have. If you love spicy, add hot sesame chilli oil to the vinegar.

Ground beef and onion is my all time favourite beef dumplings. There was a dumpling store close by home when I was a teenager, and I remember my mom use to get the beef onion dumplings from there every Friday for dinner. It is so tender and juicy. I can never forget the tasty dumplings we use to have. So many good memories come with it.

The key to this recipe is to chop the onion finely and make sure all the onion juices are saved for the filling, no waste. The onion juice is the best when mix with ground beef. Once the fillings are marinated a little bit, add the sesame oil the last to seal the juice and flavours into the meat. Moreover, the best dumplings are made with the fresh handmade wrappers. The combination is just tastes so real, fresh, and much better!

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

All purpose Flour: 2 cup
Warm Water: 3/4 cup

For the Filling:

Ground Beef: 1/2 lb
Onion: 1 medium size
Cooking Wine: 1 tbsp (Shaoxing Wine)
Dark Soy Sauce: 1 tbsp
Sesame Oil: 1 tbsp
Ginger: 1 tsp finely chopped (optional)
Salt: 1 tsp
Pepper: 1 tsp

Prep Time: 30 Mins
Cooking Time: 15 Mins
Total Time: 45 Mins
Servings: 2-3

Instruction:

Dough:

1. In a medium bowl, add 2 cups of flour, then slowly add 3/4 cup warm water a bit at a time. Once the flour becomes flaky, then knead it to a dough.
2. Once the dough becomes smooth on the surface, place it back into the bowl, then cover with a plastic wrap. Let it set aside for 20 mins to half an hour.

Filling:

1. Add the ground beef into a medium bowl, then add cooking wine and dark soy sauce to the ground beef. Mix well. I prefer to use dark soy sauce. It has more flavour and less salt. 1 tbsp is enough. Add salt to adjust the taste if needed.
2. Add finely chopped ginger. This is optional. Ginger is healthy, but we want the onion to shine in this recipe.
3. Add finely chopped onion, and mix it in one direction until all ingredients incorporated well. If some of the ground beef are loose, then keep stir in one direction until all ingredients combines together.
4. Last, add 1 tbsp sesame oil. As mentioned earlier, this will seal all the juice and flavour into the meat. Plus, the sesame oil provides such a good aroma.
5. Once all ingredients are well combined, set it aside, then make the dough into wrappers.

Dumplings:

1. On a large cutting board, dust some flour. This is to prevent the stickiness.
2. Take the dough out of the bowl, then place it on the cutting board. Divide it into 4 equal portions, then place 3 of them back in to the bowl, cover with the plastic wrap. This is to prevent the dryness of the dough.
3. Roll the 1/4 dough into a long rod shape, then cut it into 1 inch long pieces equally.
4. Flatten each piece to a plate, then use a rolling pin to flatten it to a wrapper. The key is to roll the bottom part of the plate, and the keep rotating it to make it round.
5. Place 1/2 tbsp filling to the centre of the wrapper, then fold the bottom part of the wrapper up to make it  a half moon shape. Seal the edges after.
6. Repeat the process, and complete all the dough and fillings.

Tips for Making Chinese Beef Dumplings:

• Make the dough first.
• Once the dough is made, let is set aside for a bit. It will have a better texture, and easier to make into a wrapper later.
• Dark soy sauce is flavourful, but if you do not have it, use regular soy sauce instead and adjust the salt amount.
• Make the wrappers by sessions, this is to avid the dough comes dry, and also avoid the wrappers becomes sticky before making the dumplings.
• If the filling is try, add an egg into the mixture before add sesame oil.

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Chinese Beef Dumplings

Serves: 2

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Level: beginner

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• All purpose Flour: 2 cup (For the Dough)
• Warm Water: 3/4 cup (For the Dough)
• Ground Beef: 1/2 lb (For the Filling)
• Onion: 1 medium size (For the Filling)
• Cooking Wine: 1 tbsp Shaoxing Wine (For the Filling)
• Dark Soy Sauce: 1 tbsp (For the Filling)
• Sesame Oil: 1 tbsp (For the Filling)
• Ginger: 1 tsp finely chopped (optional) (For the Filling)
• Salt: 1 tsp (For the Filling)
• Pepper: 1 tsp (For the Filling)
• Pepper: 1 tsp (For the Filling)

Instructions

Dough:

1. In a medium bowl, add 2 cups of flour, then slowly add 3/4 cup warm water a bit at a time. Once the flour becomes flaky, knead it to a dough.
2. Once the dough becomes smooth on the surface, place it back into the bowl, then cover with a plastic wrap. Let it set aside for 20 mins to half an hour.

Filling:

1. Add the ground beef into a medium bowl, and add cooking wine and dark soy sauce to the ground beef. Mix well. I prefer to use dark soy sauce. It has more flavour and less salty. 1 tbsp is enough. Add salt to adjust the taste.
2. Add finely chopped ginger. This is optional. Ginger is healthy, but we want the onion to shine in this recipe.
3. Add finely chopped onion, and mix it in one direction until all ingredients incorporated well. If some of the ground beef are loose, then keep stir in one direction until all ingredients combines together.
4. Last, add 1 tbsp sesame oil. As mentioned earlier, this will seal all the juice and flavour into the filling. Plus, the sesame oil provides such a good aroma.
5. Once all ingredients are well combined, set it aside, then make the dough into wrappers.

Dumplings:

1. On a large cutting board, dust some flour. This is to prevent the stickiness.
2. Take the dough out of the bowl, then place it on the cutting board. Divide it into 4 equal portions, then place 3 of them back in to the bowl, cover with the plastic wrap. This is to prevent the dryness of the dough.
3. Roll the 1/4 dough into a long rod shape, then cut it into equal 1 inch long pieces.
4. Flatten each piece to a plate, then use a rolling pin to flatten it to a wrapper. The key is to roll the bottom part, and the keep rotating to make it round.
5. Place 1/2 tbsp filling to the centre of the wrapper, then fold the bottom part of the wrapper up to make it  a half moon shape. Seal the edges after.
6. Repeat he process, and complete all the dough and fillings.