Ingredients
1 c. Napa cabbage, finely chopped
Kosher salt
4 oz. sliced bacon, placed in freezer 10 minutes
8 oz. ground chicken
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 (1/2") piece of ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. toasted sesame oil
Pinch of granulated sugar
25 to 30 dumpling wrappers
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Sliced scallions and dipping sauce, for serving
Preparation
Step 1Place cabbage in a strainer, season with a good pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Let drain over a bowl about 10 minutes.Step 2Meanwhile, chop bacon as fine as you can: Run your knife over bacon until it almost resembles ground meat, about 2 minutes.Step 3In a large bowl, combine bacon and chicken. Knead with your hands until mixture turns into a smooth paste, 1 to 2 minutes.Step 4Squeeze cabbage of any excess moisture. Add to chicken mixture, along with scallions, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, white pepper, sesame oil, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined, then refrigerate until chilled, about 10 minutes.Step 5Place about 2 teaspoons filling in center of a dumpling wrapper. Dip your finger in a bit of water, then run your finger around outside of wrapper. Close dumpling and press 2 sides together into a half moon. Pleat edges to seal, then arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Cover with a slightly moist kitchen towel until ready to cook.Step 6Preheat an air fryer to 370°. Working in batches, brush dumplings with vegetable oil. Cook, turning halfway through, until exterior of dumpling is crispy and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 170º, 10 to 12 minutes. Step 7Transfer dumplings to a platter. Garnish with scallions. Serve with desired dipping sauce alongside.Step 8Make Ahead: Dumplings can be made 2 months ahead. Cover with plastic and freeze, then transfer to a resealable bag and keep frozen. Place frozen dumplings directly into air fryer. Cook 5 minutes, then brush with oil and return to air fryer. Continue to cook, flipping halfway through, 10 to 12 more minutes.
We used bacon to add both up-front smokiness and a background of umami. But you’re free to use all chicken or all pork in this recipe. Salting and draining the cabbage is critical; you don’t want the filling to be too wet. Serve these with a homemade dipping sauce. Or you can elect to make a sauce with a 1:1 ratio of soy sauce and Chinese black vinegar. And of course, chili oil would be totally advised. Oh, and you can toss tradition out the window and dip these in some spicy mayo! Tried this recipe? Let us know how they came out in the comments below!
