Cabbage Dumplings (Pork & Napa Cabbage) (Juicy, Steamed, Freezer-Friendly)

Cabbage dumplings are juicy pork and napa cabbage dumplings, folded by hand and steamed until tender, and they are the kind of food that turns an ordinary weeknight into a small celebration. The filling is simple — ground pork, finely chopped napa cabbage, green onion, ginger, and soy — but the flavor is deep, savory, and comforting. Making dumplings at home sounds like a project, but the rhythm is easy once you fold the first few. One person mixes and fills, the filling comes together in minutes, and a batch of 40 dumplings is enough for dinner tonight plus a bag in the freezer for later. Serve them with a quick soy and vinegar dipping sauce, and dinner is done.

Why You’ll Love This Cabbage Dumplings

• Juicy filling every time. Salting the cabbage first pulls out the water, so the filling stays moist without ever getting soggy.
• A freezer staple. Make 40 at once, freeze half, and you have a 10-minute dinner waiting for busy nights.
• Simple, honest ingredients. No special equipment and no hard-to-find items — store-bought wrappers do the job beautifully.
• Fun to make with family. Folding dumplings is the kind of kitchen job kids actually want to help with.
• The dipping sauce takes two minutes and makes the whole plate taste like your favorite dumpling restaurant.

Key Ingredients

• Ground pork, 1 lb (450 g) — Use regular ground pork, not lean, because the fat keeps the filling juicy. Swap: ground chicken or turkey works, but add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to keep it moist.
• Napa cabbage, 3 cups finely chopped (300 g) — Napa cabbage is tender and sweet, and it wilts into the filling perfectly. Swap: regular green cabbage works too, but chop it finer and squeeze it very well.
• Salt, 1 teaspoon, divided — Half for drawing water out of the cabbage, half for seasoning the filling. Swap: fine sea salt or kosher salt.
• Green onions, 3, finely chopped (30 g) — Fresh, mild onion flavor in every bite. Swap: 1/4 cup finely chopped chives.
• Fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon grated (15 g) — Warmth and brightness that lifts the pork. Swap: 1 teaspoon ground ginger in a pinch.
• Soy sauce, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) — Salty depth in the filling. Swap: tamari for a gluten-free version.
• Sesame oil, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) — Nutty aroma that makes the filling taste complete. Swap: leave it out if you must, but the flavor will be flatter.
• Sugar, 1 teaspoon — A small amount that rounds out the salty and savory flavors. Swap: a drizzle of honey.
• White pepper, 1/2 teaspoon — Gentle heat that suits dumplings better than black pepper. Swap: a pinch of black pepper.
• Dumpling wrappers, 40 round — Store-bought wrappers save an hour and fold neatly. Swap: wonton wrappers are thinner and tear more easily, so stick with dumpling wrappers if you can.
• Dipping sauce: soy sauce 1/4 cup (60 ml), rice vinegar 2 tablespoons (30 ml), chili oil 2 teaspoons (10 g), 1 clove garlic minced — Mix and serve alongside. Swap: add a pinch of sugar if you like the sauce sweeter.

How to Make Cabbage Dumplings

1. Put the chopped napa cabbage in a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and let it sit for 10 minutes. Squeeze it very dry in a clean kitchen towel, a handful at a time. You should get about 1/2 cup of water out of it.
2. In a large bowl, mix the ground pork, squeezed cabbage, green onions, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir in one direction with a spoon or chopsticks for 1 minute, until the mixture looks sticky and holds together.
3. Hold a wrapper in your palm and spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center. Wet the edge of the wrapper with a little water, fold it in half, and pinch the top closed. Make 3 or 4 small pleats along one side, pressing firmly to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.
4. To steam, line a steamer basket with parchment or cabbage leaves and arrange the dumplings so they do not touch. Steam over boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, until the wrappers are tender and the filling is cooked through.
5. While the dumplings steam, mix the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the dumplings hot, with the sauce on the side for dipping.

Success Tips

• Squeeze the cabbage really dry. Wet cabbage is the number one reason dumpling filling turns watery and the wrappers split.
• Do not overfill. One tablespoon of filling per wrapper is enough. Overfilled dumplings burst open in the steamer.
• Seal the edges firmly. Press out the air as you close each dumpling, so they do not puff up and pop open.
• Keep the wrappers covered. A damp towel over the stack stops them from drying out and cracking while you fold.

Variations

• Pan-fried potstickers: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet, arrange the dumplings flat-side down, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Add 1/3 cup of water, cover, and steam for 6 to 8 minutes until the water is gone.
• Chicken cabbage dumplings: Swap the pork for ground chicken and add 1 extra tablespoon of sesame oil.
• Spicy cabbage dumplings: Add 1 tablespoon of chili crisp to the filling and serve with extra chili oil in the dipping sauce.
• Vegetarian cabbage dumplings: Replace the pork with 2 cups of finely chopped mushrooms and 1 cup of crumbled firm tofu, cooked down until dry.

Storage, Make-Ahead and Freezing

Make-ahead: The filling can be mixed and chilled for up to 1 day. Folded dumplings can be chilled on a tray for up to 4 hours before cooking.

Leftovers: Store cooked dumplings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat by steaming for 3 minutes, or pan-fry until crisp.

Freezing: Freeze uncooked dumplings in a single layer on a tray until solid, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Cook straight from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the steaming time.

FAQ

Why do my dumplings fall apart when I cook them?

Usually the edges were not sealed well, or the filling was too wet. Squeeze the cabbage dry, do not overfill, and press the edges firmly with no air trapped inside. A little water on the wrapper edge helps the seal stick.

Can I use regular green cabbage instead of napa cabbage?

Yes. Green cabbage is firmer, so chop it very finely and give it the same salt-and-squeeze treatment. You may need to squeeze out a little more water than with napa cabbage.

How do I know when the dumplings are done?

The wrappers turn slightly translucent and tender, and the filling is firm to the touch. After 8 to 10 minutes of steaming, cut one open to check — the pork should be completely cooked with no pink left.

Can I freeze cabbage dumplings before cooking?

Yes, and it works beautifully. Freeze them in a single layer first so they do not stick together, then bag them. Cook straight from frozen with 2 to 3 extra minutes of steaming. Do not thaw them first, or the wrappers will get sticky.

In Short

• Juicy pork and napa cabbage filling, folded by hand in store-bought wrappers.
• Steamed in 10 minutes and served with a quick soy and vinegar dipping sauce.
• Makes 40 dumplings — dinner tonight, and a freezer bag for later.
• A hands-on recipe that is easier than it looks and fun to make together.

Have you made this recipe? Leave a comment and a star rating below — I would love to hear how it turned out for you.

Photo credit: “Dumplings (jiaozhi) (Pork and napa cabbage)” by NeoBatfreak, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.