These days, life is slowly creeping towards normalcy in my corner of the world. It feels like spring, both physically and symbolically, as things reopen, the weather warms, and I feel more confident planning for the future. In fact, I meant to publish this recipe for these (vegetarian, if you want) Beef and Scallion Dumplings weeks ago, but suddenly life kicked into high speed so I got a bit side tracked.
In addition to optimistic vaccine news in the U.S., plus reopening timelines for Washington state, I have some pretty exciting personal news! For starters, last month my family celebrated the birth of my niece! I’ve loved hanging out with this tiny human and, of course, cooking for the new parents.
Secondly, pretty major life update, I’m engaged! My boyfriend (now fiancé) Riley popped the question, so in 2022 we’ll be getting hitched! *cue champagne popping*
None of that has anything to do with this dumpling recipe, but `\_(ツ)_/`
Enough with the life update, let’s get back to business. This recipe for Beef and Scallion Dumplings has been a big favorite in our household recently. The best part of this recipe is, if you prefer vegetarian or vegan options, this dish can be made with Impossible ground ‘beef’ and the result is pretty stellar!
I’ve made this dish several times with Impossible Beef and I’m always super happy with the resulting flavor and texture! Of course you can use other meat alternatives if you’d like. I haven’t personally tried them so I can’t attest to how they’ll work in dumpling form. If you try another meat alternative, let me know how it goes in the comments!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Dumplings might seem ambitious for a weeknight meal, but it’s easier than it looks! Just make the filling and chill briefly to let the flavors meld and marinade. This step is somewhat optional, but I highly recommend it if you have the time.
For assembly, I encourage you to recruit your significant other, kids, or hungry roommates to help you put these guys together. It’s pretty simple (and slightly meditative) once you get the hang of it. Place about a teaspoon or so of the filling onto the center of a wrapper, being sure not to overfill. Then dip your finger in some water, and trace along the edge of the wrapper to wet it. Fold the wrapper, and shape it according to your preference. You can keep things simple with a basic pressed edge, or if you’re feeling more ambitious, try out some of these folding techniques from Red House Spice.
Once the dumplings are all assembled, you could freeze some of the dumplings for future use at this stage. Once you’re ready to cook, you have the option to either steam or pan fry the dumplings. The recipe below has instructions for both options.
Related Recipes
When I make this recipe, I pan fry half of the dumplings, and steam the rest. I serve them alongside my Bok Choy Salad with Sesame Dressing.
For a bright and delicious dessert following these dumplings, try my Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Muffins. This is one of my current favorite recipes, these muffins are so easy to make and totally delicious.
(Impossible) Beef and Scallion Dumplings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Impossible ground beef or regular ground beef
- 35-40 dumpling wrappers
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ tbsp grated ginger
- 6 scallions chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons high heat oil such as avocado or canola
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, soy sauce, sesame oil, chopped garlic, ginger, and scallions. Mix until combined. Optionally, cover and let marinate in the fridge for a couple hours. No worries if you skip this step, but if you have the time I recommend it since it'll make the filling more flavorful.
- When ready to assemble the dumplings, prepare your workspace by having your filling and dumpling wrappers nearby, along with a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet and a small bowl of water.
- Working one at a time, place a generous tablespoon of filling onto a single dumpling wrapper. Dip your fingers in water, and outline the edges of the wrapper with the water. Fold in half, and then form into your desired shape. Here's a useful guide for various ways to fold dumplings: Ten ways to fold dumplings| Red House Spice
- Finish filling and shaping the rest of the dumplings until you're all out of filling. At this point you can either cook or freeze the dumplings. The below cooking times will be longer if using frozen dumplings.
- Pan fry method: To pan fry the dumplings, you'll need a large skillet with a lid. Heat 2-3 tablespoons oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan, in the skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place as many potstickers in the oil, seam side up, so that they are not touching. Cook undisturbed until the bottom starts to turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Pour 3 tablespoons water in the pan, cover with a lid, and shake a bit to disperse the water. Cook with the lid on for 3 minutes, then removing with a spatula or tongs and place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with rest of the dumplings.
- Steam method: Lightly coat the steamer with a bit of oil to prevent sticking. Steam dumplings in a steamer with the lid on for 6 minutes, or until dumpling skin is cooked through.
- Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce. My favorite is spicy chili oil!
Tried beyond beef ground..was great texture and tasted fabulous!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t tried beyond crumbles but I’ll have to give it a try sometime too
Yummy