Free cookbooks for orders over $129 at CookDineHost
Free cookbooks weekend
Hot Wok Offer Sale at CookDineHost
MAKO Black Steel Wok Kit
5-ply cookware
Our Stainless Steel and Non-Stick Range

No-Fold Crispy Dumplings

Video
Go
Recipe
Go
A large round no-fold crispy dumpling pancake on a plate with spring onion and chilli oil.
A large round no-fold crispy dumpling pancake on a plate with spring onion and chilli oil.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

You get all the glory of crispy, juicy, pan-fried dumplings without any of the fiddly folding. This is the recipe for when a dumpling craving hits hard and you just don’t have the patience for pleating. It’s all the flavour, all the crunch, and none of the work.

What are No-Fold Dumplings?

Instead of carefully wrapping each individual dumpling, you scoop the filling directly into the pan, lay the wrappers on top, and use the classic sear-and-steam method. The result is a giant, shareable dumpling ‘pancake’ with a juicy, perfectly cooked filling and a deeply crispy bottom.

What's the deal with the scoop and cover?

Using a small ice cream scoop or a couple of spoons to portion the filling straight into the pan saves a lot of time. By laying the wrappers over the top, you’re essentially creating upside-down dumplings. When you sear and steam them, the filling cooks through and the bottoms of the wrappers fuse together to form a continuous, golden, crispy crust. The reveal when you flip the whole thing is genuinely satisfying.

What's the deal with the crispy skirt?

The secret to the crispy latticework is a simple slurry of flour, cornflour and water. When you pour it into the hot pan around the dumplings, the water creates steam to cook the filling through. As it evaporates, it leaves behind a thin, cracker-like ‘skirt’ that connects everything together. It’s the best part of any pan-fried dumpling.

A large round no-fold crispy dumpling pancake on a plate with spring onion and chilli oil.

Special Ingredient Notes

Gyoza wrappers: These are the round, thin dumpling wrappers found in the fridge or freezer section of most supermarkets. They’re essential for getting that crispy-chewy texture on the bottom.

Pork mince: A good-quality pork mince with a decent amount of fat will give you the juiciest filling. You can also use chicken mince, or crumbled firm tofu with finely chopped mushrooms for a vegetarian version.

Ingredients for No-Fold Crispy Dumplings Recipe

What You Need

Steps

In a medium bowl, mix the pork mince, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, spring onions, ginger and garlic until the mixture is well combined and sticky. This helps ensure the filling stays juicy and tender.

Raw pork mince in a glass bowl with soy sauce, sesame oil, chopped spring onions, grated ginger and garlic before mixing. Mixing pork mince filling in a bowl until sticky and well combined.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large (about 25cm or 10-inch) non-stick frying pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, place scoops of the filling (about 1 tablespoon each) directly into the pan, arranging them in a circular pattern with a little space between each one. Cook for 2-3 minutes without moving them, until the bottoms are lightly browned. Quickly lay the gyoza wrappers over the top of each scoop of filling, pressing down gently so they adhere.

Small scoops of seasoned pork filling placed into a non-stick frying pan with oil, arranged in a circle and searing. Gyoza wrappers pressed over the seared pork scoops in the pan to form no-fold dumplings.

In a jug, whisk together the cornflour, plain flour and water to make the slurry. Pour the slurry all over the dumplings in the pan. It should bubble up immediately. Cover with the lid, reduce the heat to low and steam for 5-7 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through and most of the water has evaporated. Remove the lid, increase the heat slightly and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the skirt is golden and crispy. You can check by gently lifting an edge with a spatula.

Cornflour and flour slurry being poured over dumplings in the pan to create the crispy skirt. Dumplings steaming in bubbling slurry as the mixture cooks and begins to set around them.

Turn off the heat and run a spatula around the edge of the pan to make sure nothing is sticking. Place a large serving plate over the top of the pan. With one hand firmly on the plate and the other on the pan handle, flip the pan over confidently and quickly. Lift the pan away to reveal the crispy dumpling base. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar and chilli oil for the dipping sauce. Drizzle over the dumplings and scatter with spring onion. Serve immediately.

Hand pressing a lid firmly onto the frying pan to steam the dumplings. Frying pan flipped over a serving plate to release the crispy dumpling skirt.
Finished crispy no-fold dumplings drizzled with chilli oil and served with dipping sauce and chopsticks.
Finished crispy no-fold dumplings drizzled with chilli oil and served with dipping sauce and chopsticks.

Storage Tips

These are best eaten straight away while the skirt is at its crispiest. If you do have leftovers, reheat them in a dry non-stick pan over a medium heat for a few minutes to revive some of the crunch.

No-Fold Crispy Dumplings

PRINT THIS

PREP TIME

10 minutes

COOK TIME

15 minutes

SERVES

4

PRINT THIS
Close-up of crispy dumplings topped with crispy chilli oil and spring onion, served with soy and vinegar dipping sauce.

Ingredients

Crispy skirt:

Dipping sauce:

Marion's Kitchen Tip

Confidence is key for the flip. Make sure your serving plate is slightly larger than your pan. And if a small part sticks or it doesn’t come out perfectly, it’s still going to be delicious. Just patch it up on the plate. No one will ever know.

Instructions

1
Make the filling
In a medium bowl, mix the pork mince, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, spring onions, ginger and garlic until the mixture is well combined and sticky. This helps ensure the filling stays juicy and tender.
2
Scoop and sear
Heat the vegetable oil in a large (about 25cm or 10-inch) non-stick frying pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, place scoops of the filling (about 1 tablespoon each) directly into the pan, arranging them in a circular pattern with a little space between each one. Cook for 2-3 minutes without moving them, until the bottoms are lightly browned. Quickly lay the gyoza wrappers over the top of each scoop of filling, pressing down gently so they adhere.
3
Make the crispy skirt
In a jug, whisk together the cornflour, plain flour and water to make the slurry. Pour the slurry all over the dumplings in the pan. It should bubble up immediately. Cover with the lid, reduce the heat to low and steam for 5-7 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through and most of the water has evaporated. Remove the lid, increase the heat slightly and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the skirt is golden and crispy. You can check by gently lifting an edge with a spatula.
4
The big reveal
Turn off the heat and run a spatula around the edge of the pan to make sure nothing is sticking. Place a large serving plate over the top of the pan. With one hand firmly on the plate and the other on the pan handle, flip the pan over confidently and quickly. Lift the pan away to reveal the crispy dumpling base. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar and chilli oil for the dipping sauce. Drizzle over the dumplings and scatter with spring onion. Serve immediately.
Free cookbooks for orders over $129 at CookDineHost

CATEGORIES FOUND IN THIS

RECIPE

Bowl of hand-pulled dumpling wrapper noodle soup with pork, bok choy and chilli oil
EASY WEEKNIGHT DINNERS
One-pan yellow curry dumpling rice bake topped with crispy chilli oil and sesame seeds
ONE-PAN
Spicy Sichuan Wontons served with chilli crisp oil sauce
CHINESE CUISINE
Springy hand-pulled noodles made from dumpling wrappers, topped with spicy Sichuan pork, glossy chilli oil, and fresh cucumber, sesame, and coriander.
DUMPLINGS
Air-fried rice paper prawn chips tossed in chilli oil sauce
CRISPY CHILLI OIL
Finished dirty martini dip topped with stuffed olives, olive oil and chilli oil, served with crispy pressed tater tots.
QUICK & EASY ENTERTAINING
MAKO Hot Wok Offer at CookDineHost
SHOP NOW
Go

Leave your rating and review

​