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Homemade Chinese Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) Recipe

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4 from 15 reviews

This recipe teaches you how to make authentic Xiao Long Bao, also known as soup dumplings, from scratch including the flavorful chicken broth jelly, delicate wrappers, and savory pork filling. The process involves roasting chicken backs to make a rich broth which sets into gelatin, preparing an elastic dough for wrappers, and assembling the dumplings with a special pleating technique. The dumplings are then steamed to perfection and served with a classic dipping sauce of Chinese vinegar and ginger.

  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings (approximately 20 dumplings)

Ingredients

For the Broth and Jelly

  • 2.5 to 3 lbs chicken backs and necks
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 inches fresh ginger, sliced
  • 4 green onions, chopped into 3 inch (8 cm) pieces
  • 1/4 cup water (for roasting)

For the Dough Wrappers

  • 120 g all purpose flour (2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 35 g hot water (2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon)
  • 25 to 30 g cold water (about 2 tablespoons)

For the Filling

  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger
  • 8 oz fatty ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 4 teaspoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
  • 4 green onions, finely minced
  • Chicken jelly (prepared from broth as described)

For Serving

  • Chinkiang vinegar (Chinese black vinegar)
  • Fresh ginger, very thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Prepare the chicken broth and jelly (1 day ahead): Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Heat vegetable oil in a medium dutch oven or roasting pan with lid inside the oven for 5-10 minutes. Carefully add the chicken backs, spread ginger slices and green onions on top, add 1/4 cup water, cover tightly and roast for about 50 minutes until broth has formed. Remove chicken backs and strain broth through a mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl. Let cool completely, then refrigerate overnight until broth gels into a jelly.
  2. Make the dough for wrappers: Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Slowly add hot water while stirring to fully absorb, then drizzle cold water gradually, mixing to form dough flakes. Start pressing and kneading with your hand, adding remaining water if needed, until a semi-soft dough forms with no dry flour. Transfer to a working surface and knead for 15-20 minutes until smooth and elastic. Rest dough covered with plastic wrap for 45 minutes. You may refrigerate overnight if preparing ahead.
  3. Prepare the filling: In a small bowl, mix grated ginger with 1/4 cup hot water and let steep. Remove the cooled chicken broth jelly from fridge, scrape off and reserve fat. Dice the jelly into small cubes and mince finely. If less than 120 g, add chicken fat to reach 120 g. In a separate bowl, combine ground pork, ginger water, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, salt, sugar, white pepper and beat with spatula about 5 minutes until mixture becomes sticky. Fold in minced chicken jelly cubes and green onions. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, no longer than a few hours.
  4. Form the buns: Prepare a steamer lined with napa cabbage leaves or parchment paper. Roll rested dough into a 1-inch diameter log, cut into 20 equal pieces, cover with wet paper towels. Working with small batches, shape one piece into a round disk and roll out thinly to about 4.5 inches diameter. Place 22 g (approx 1 tablespoon) filling in the center. Pleat and pinch wrapper edges to seal, leaving a small opening at the top for steam release. Arrange dumplings on steamer, spacing about 2 inches apart, cover with wet towels.
  5. Cook the dumplings: Prepare dipping sauce by mixing 1 tablespoon Chinese vinegar with thin ginger strips in a small plate per serving. Bring water to boil in a pot and place steamer rack over boiling water. Cover with lid and steam dumplings over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes until cooked through. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
  6. Eating tip: Use chopsticks and a soup spoon to transfer dumplings carefully to the spoon to avoid breaking. Bite a small hole to release steam and enjoy the flavorful soup inside before eating the entire dumpling.

Notes

  • Use fatty ground pork for juicier filling.
  • Leaving a small opening on top of dumplings while sealing allows steam to escape and prevents bursting during cooking.
  • If you do not have Shaoxing wine, dry sherry is a good substitute.
  • The dough should be soft but not sticky. Kneading well is key to developing elasticity.
  • The jelly filling is what creates the signature soup inside the dumplings.
  • Steaming time may vary slightly depending on number of dumplings and steamer size.
  • Store dough wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge if not assembling immediately.
  • Author: Olivia
  • Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Steaming
  • Cuisine: Chinese

Find it online: https://yourdailycook.com/homemade-chinese-soup-dumplings-xiao-long-bao-recipe/