I didn’t grow up eating dumplings, well that’s not entirely honest, I grew up on soup dumplings. Dumplings were never a snack or made with the absence of soup. But once I figured out that a dumpling is really just a seasoned meatball wrapped in a spring roll and steam-cooked in broth, I couldn’t get enough. Then when I found out they could be fried. Because this? This is not hard. And it is absolutely worth every single pinch of ginger you put in it.
These homemade chicken dumplings are made with ground chicken, fresh vegetables, a whole lineup of bold spices, and wrapped in spring roll wrappers — seared on the bottom, then finished in chicken broth until they’re tender and done. Serve them next to a bed of jasmine rice and you’ve got a dinner that feels like you tried way harder than you did. Which is my favorite kind of dinner.
Blanket Chicken Dumplings
Ingredients
Equipment
Notes
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~270–310 |
| Protein | ~14–17g |
| Carbohydrates | ~38–42g |
| Fat | ~5–7g |
| Sugar | ~1–2g |
| Sodium | ~550–750mg |
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~75–90 |
| Protein | ~5–7g |
| Carbs | ~7–9g |
| Fat | ~2–3g |
| Sugar | ~0g |
Per small dumpling:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~38–45 |
| Protein | ~3–4g |
| Carbs | ~4–5g |
| Fat | ~1–2g |
| Sugar | ~0g I only used about a quarter of a standard package of ground chicken — which gave me 7 large dumplings and left me with enough to make spring rolls or another batch another day. Don’t feel like you have to use the whole thing. |
Let’s Make It
The Rice First
I always start my rice first because it runs on its own clock once you get it going. Add your jasmine rice and water to a pot — for every 1 cup of rice, you’re using 1¾ cups of water. Bring it to a boil. The second it starts boiling, drop the heat down to a 2 or 3, cover it, and leave it alone. The steam does the rest. No peeking, no stirring. Just let it work.
I use 2 cups of rice when I make this because I meal prep. Tomorrow’s lunch, day-after-tomorrow’s dinner — it all starts with extra rice in the fridge.
The Dumpling Filling
In a mixing bowl, combine your ground chicken, minced celery, minced garlic, shredded cabbage, and minced carrot. Add in your garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, meat seasoning, and ginger. Add a drizzle of sriracha, a pour of soy sauce, and a splash of rice vinegar. Mix everything together until it’s fully combined and smells like it means business.
Portion Your Meatballs
Grab an ice cream scoop or a small measuring cup and portion your filling into meatball-sized rounds. Set them to the side — this is your dumpling filling, your little bundles of flavor waiting to get wrapped.
Wrap Them Up
Take a spring roll wrapper and lay your chicken meatball in the center. Fold the wrapper up and over like you’re tucking it in for the night. Before you seal it, wet the edges of the wrapper along the entire perimeter — this is what keeps it from coming apart on you. Pinch the wrapper along the bottom of the meatball so the filling stays centered and the seam is secure. You’re blanketing the meat, not mummifying it — just enough to hold.
Sear and Steam
Heat a frying pan and drizzle in enough oil to coat the bottom. Place your dumplings seam-side down and let them sear for about 5 minutes until the bottoms are golden. Don’t move them around — let them sit and get that crust.
Once they’re seared, pour in your chicken broth — enough to come up about halfway — and cover the pan. Let them cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is cooked through and the wrappers are soft and tender.
Plate your dumplings beside your jasmine rice and bless your life.
A Pinch of Scripture
“And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.”
— Mark 6:31 (KJV)
Even Jesus told His disciples to step away and eat. Not to rush through it. Not to skip it. To sit down, rest, and be fed. This meal is that kind of moment. The world will still be there after dinner. The notifications will wait. The dumplings won’t. Pull up a chair, feed your people, and let the table be a place of peace tonight.
Stay faithful, stay seasoned, and stay loyal.
With love and fire,
V.S. Beals
Servant. Disciple. Woman of the Word.
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