Make your dumplings saucy and hot with sweet soy sauce and red chili oil. If you already have ready-made dumplings, this recipe will be a breeze since you just need to pour the Chinese-flavored sweet soy sauce over the cooked dumplings. You can also make your own homemade dumplings with my sample recipes below.
All About Szechuan Dumplings (Zhong Dumplings)
You can’t leave a dim sum restaurant without eating a plate of dumplings. It has been a beloved dish around the world, popular for its soft or crunchy dumpling skin and juicy filling. Every cuisine has its own type of dumpling, such as Japanese gyoza and Korean mandu.
One of the most popular dumplings in Chinese cuisine is Szechuan dumplings or Zhong dumplings (钟水饺). It is a fusion of your favorite dumplings and Sichuan food. Szechuan dumplings often use dumplings shaped like a half moon.
The dumpling flavor commonly used for this dish is pork, but you can choose any flavor you prefer such as chicken or seafood dumplings. For the Chinese-flavored sweet soy sauce, I mixed brown sugar, water, light soy sauce, star anise, cassia cinnamon, bay leaves, and fennel seeds. To make it hot and spicy, I combined it with chili oil made with chili flakes, white sesame, and hot oil.
Enjoy the slightly sweet and salty flavors of the aromatic sauce. It has notes of licorice with star anise and fennel seeds, as well as spicy and slightly bitter with cassia cinnamon. Although this sauce is available in Asian supermarkets or on Amazon, nothing beats the freshness of a homemade sauce made with quality and natural ingredients.
How To Use The Chinese-Flavored Sweet Soy Sauce
The best thing about this recipe is its versatile spice-infused Chinese-flavored sweet soy sauce.
I provide a simple version in this recipe, but for a more authentic taste, you can refer to my recipe for Chinese-flavored sweet soy sauce.
Not only is it the perfect sauce for the dumplings, but for other Sichuan recipes as well. If you have leftover Chinese-flavored sweet soy sauce, you can use it as a sauce for grilled or fried pork, beef, chicken, noodles, stir-fried vegetables, and fried rice.
You can use it as an ingredient sauce for bao buns and spring rolls such as Chicken Bao Buns and Beef Bao Buns. It is a great addition to one of my Four Dumpling Sauces to serve with dumplings. This also works well as a marinade for various meats or veggie options like tofu and vegetables.
What Dumplings To Use For Szechuan Dumplings?
Ready-made dumplings may be easily bought in grocery stores, but there is nothing like making your own dumplings with fresh ingredients. It simply just tastes better with your chosen ingredients and spices. Making dumplings for this Szechuan dumpling recipe is great for beginners since shaping it into a half-moon is super easy.
Check out my guide on 7 Ways To Fold Dumplings, which includes pictures and a tutorial video to guide you every step of the way. To get started making dumplings, you will also need dumpling wrappers. You can buy dumpling wrappers in Asian supermarkets or grocery stores with an international section, but I recommend making your own using only flour, potato starch, salt, and egg whites.
Learn how to make dumpling wrappers by following my recipe, How To Make Dumpling Wrappers. Once you have assembled the dumplings, you can cook them by steaming, boiling, deep-frying, or pan-frying. For the filling recipe, here are some dumpling and wonton dishes you can refer to:
- Rice Paper Dumplings (Gluten-Free)
- Crispy Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace)
- Gluten-Free Dumplings (Taro Dumpling Skin)
- Ham Sui Gok 咸水角 (Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings)
- Shrimp Wontons
- Pork And Shrimp Wontons
- Air Fryer Minced Meat Wontons
- Beef Wontons
How To Serve Szechuan Dumplings
Szechuan dumplings pair perfectly with other Chinese dishes, from salads to noodles and dumplings. It is ideal to serve it with lightly seasoned stir-fried dishes and soups to complement the spices of the Chinese-flavored sweet soy sauce. Serve it with Stir-Fried Shrimp Mei Fun, Bitter Melon Stir-Fried With Egg, Stir-Fried Bok Choy And Mushrooms, and Green Bean Dessert Soup.
You can eat Szechuan dumplings as is with its sweet and spicy sauce alone. For a complete meal, enjoy it with a side of steamed plain rice or fried rice like Traditional Chinese Egg Fried Rice (蛋炒饭) or Yang Chow Fried Rice (Yangzhou Fried Rice 扬州炒饭).
I typically like to add more flavor and variety to my dumplings with a dipping sauce from my Four Dumpling Sauce Recipe, including garlic-flavored dipping sauce, chili-infused dipping sauce, sesame dipping sauce, and hot wasabi dipping sauce. However, for Szechuan dumplings, you don’t really need a dipping sauce anymore since it is drenched in Chinese-flavored sweet soy sauce and chili oil already.
Storage Suggestions For Uncooked Dumplings And Sauce
Whether you are planning to put it in the fridge or freezer, always store the dumplings in an airtight container to retain their quality and texture. Cooked dumplings can last up to three days in the fridge. You can make a large batch of the dumplings and store the uncooked dumplings in the freezer for a longer period.
To store uncooked dumplings in the freezer, follow these steps:
- Place the uncooked dumplings in a single layer on a tray lined with parchment paper. Lining it with parchment paper helps prevent the dumplings from sticking to the surface.
- Freeze until the dumplings are completely frozen.
- Once they are frozen, transfer them in an airtight freezer bag. In this way, you can stack the dumplings without them sticking together to avoid tearing.
- When you are ready to cook them, boil straight from the freezer without needing to thaw.
For the Chinese-flavored sweet soy sauce, you can store it in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks. It is also possible to keep it longer for up to 3 months in the freezer. Use a spice jar or an airtight container to store the sauce.
Ingredient Tips And Alternatives
The ingredients needed are quite special. I highly recommend using the same ingredients, but if you have no choice, I listed some closest alternatives to consider. Here’s what you need to know about each ingredient’s flavor contribution to the sauce:
- Dumplings: Use any type of dumplings you prefer. Follow my dumpling recipes outlined above or buy store-bought dumplings. In this recipe, I cooked the dumplings by boiling them in water.
- Chinese-flavored sweet soy sauce: I boiled the sauce ingredients over high heat and simmered until it thickens. You can find a detailed recipe for my Chinese-flavored sweet soy sauce on my blog. The sauce ingredients are the following:
- Brown sugar: The sauce is sweetened with brown sugar. The sugar will balance out the saltiness of the light soy sauce. You can use any type of sweetener, including white sugar, cane sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, or coconut sugar.
- Light soy sauce: Light soy sauce is the base of the sauce. It is salty and umami and is diluted with water. You can use dark soy sauce as a substitute, but you may have to play around with the quantity and adjust its taste. Aside from light and dark soy sauce, you can use tamari, liquid aminos, coconut aminos, or gluten-free soy sauce.
- Whole star anise: Star anise is a star-shaped spice loved for its licorice-like taste and strong aroma. Its taste is warm, woody, and sweet. You can substitute star anise with anise seeds, Chinese five spice, allspice, fennel seeds, and cloves. Learn about these alternatives and the amount to use with my guide: The Best Star Anise Substitute | Top 5 Substitutes.
- Whole cassia cinnamon: Cassia cinnamon is spicy and slightly bitter. It is a common ingredient for Chinese Five Spice Powder. Some closest alternatives to cinnamon are nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon powder, and Ceylon cinnamon.
- Bay leaves: Bay leaves add a hint of thyme and oregano flavors. The best leaf substitutes for bay leaves are dried oregano, thyme, and basil.
- Fennel seeds: Fennel seeds are similar to star anise with their licorice-like taste. It is sweet, bold, zesty, and earthy. The best substitutes for fennel seeds are star anise, cumin, licorice root, and cardamom.
- Water: You will need water to dilute the soy sauce and bring it to a boil.
- Chili oil: Follow my chili oil recipe with complete ingredients. Alternatively, you can make a quick and easy version of this with the recipe below:
- Chili flakes: Chili flakes are spicy, sweet, and smoky. Alternatively, you can use chili peppers instead of chili flakes. You need 1 chili pepper for every 1/4 tsp of chili flakes. Aside from chili flakes, you can swap it with red pepper flakes, chili powder, blended dried red chili peppers, and cayenne powder.
- White sesame seeds: White sesame seeds have a nutty flavor and a crunchy texture. You can swap this with black sesame seeds, which are more potent than white.
- Hot oil: Use cooking oil with a high smoke point to reduce the amount of oil oxidized and to suit better for cooking at high temperatures. Oils with a high smoke point are avocado, peanut, canola, and corn oil. You can also use other types of oil, such as olive oil, sesame oil, or soybean oil. Heat the oil until hot enough that it sizzles.
- Garnish: After pouring the sauce over the dumplings, top it with chopped peanuts and chopped green onions. Use cooked peanuts, such as boiled, roasted, or salted. You may find different types of peanuts like Runner, Spanish, Valencia, and Virginia. Green onions add a mild sweetness and oniony taste. Substitute this with chopped chives, shallots, white onions, yellow onions, or red onions.
- Optional ingredients: Other ingredients to consider for the sauce are chopped fresh ginger, fresh or Crispy Fried Garlic, Shaoxing wine, Szechuan peppercorns, rice vinegar, and Chinese Five Spice Powder. Adjust the amount according to your liking.
Prepare These Ingredients And Kitchenware
Prepare a pot to boil the dumplings and the sauce. You will also need a heat-resistant bowl to make the chili oil with hot oil. Here are the ingredients you need:
- 8-10 pieces of dumplings
- Chinese-flavored sweet soy sauce
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup of water
- 2 cups of light soy sauce
- 2 pieces of star anise
- 2 pieces of cassia cinnamon
- 2 pieces of bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon of fennel seeds
- Chili oil
- 1 tablespoon of chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon of white sesame
- Hot oil (about half a bowl)
- Chopped peanuts (optional for garnish)
- Chopped green onions (optional for garnish)
Follow These Detailed Steps To Make Szechuan Dumplings
I divided the recipe into three main parts: Making the sauces, cooking the dumplings, and assembling the Szechuan dumplings. Watch the steps in my tutorial videos on Instagram or TikTok. If you are finished making these dumplings, let us know how it went by leaving a comment and tagging me @kitchenmisadventures.
Make The Sauces
- In a cooking pot, combine brown sugar, water, light soy sauce, star anise, cassia cinnamon, bay leaves, and fennel seeds. Mix well.
- Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat.
- Once it boils, simmer on low until it thickens.
- Next, make the red chili oil. For a quick and easy version, place the chili flakes and white sesame seeds in a heat-resistant bowl.
- Heat oil in a pan until it sizzles.
- Carefully pour the hot oil to heat the chili flakes and white sesame seeds. You will know the oil is hot enough when the chili flakes and sesame seeds sizzle. Alternatively, you can also follow the in-depth version of my chili oil.
Cook The Dumplings
- Cook the ready-made dumplings in boiling water for about 6 to 8 minutes. Do not overload the pot with too many dumplings to cook them evenly and prevent them from sticking together.
- If you are making your dumplings, you can also follow the pork filling I used from my dumpling skirt .
- To make the filling of the dumpling skirt recipe, mix the minced pork, chopped shiitake mushrooms, corn kernels, green onions, and ginger. Season with salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken bouillon powder, and oil.
- Mix the filling thoroughly.
- Make the dumpling wrappers or use store-bought wrappers.
- Place the filling in the center of the wrapper and fold it into a half-moon shape. Make sure to seal the ends well by pinching. You can also refer to my guide on 7 Ways To Fold Dumplings, which includes images and videos for better understanding. If it is not sealed properly, the dumplings will burst open while boiling.
- Cook the dumplings in a pot of boiling water and boil for 6 to 8 minutes or until they float.
Combine The Sauce And Cooked Dumplings
- Place the dumplings in a serving bowl and pour the spiced sweet soy sauce and red chili oil over the dumplings.
- Top it off with chopped peanuts and green onions.
- Serve it with hot rice, noodles, or on its own!
Szechuan Dumplings Recipe (Zhong Dumplings)
Ingredients
- 8-10 pieces of dumplings
- Chopped peanuts optional for garnish
- Chopped green onions optional for garnish
Chinese-flavored sweet soy sauce
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup of water
- 2 cups of light soy sauce
- 2 pieces of star anise
- 2 pieces of cassia cinnamon
- 2 pieces of bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon of fennel seeds
Chili oil
- 1 tablespoon of chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon of white sesame
- Hot oil about half a bowl
Instructions
Make The Sauces
- In a cooking pot, combine brown sugar, water, light soy sauce, star anise, cassia cinnamon, bay leaves, and fennel seeds. Mix well.
- Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat.
- Once it boils, simmer on low until it thickens.
- Next, make the red chili oil. For a quick and easy version, place the chili flakes and white sesame seeds in a heat-resistant bowl.
- Heat oil in a pan until it sizzles.
- Carefully pour the hot oil to heat the chili flakes and white sesame seeds. You will know the oil is hot enough when the chili flakes and sesame seeds sizzle. Alternatively, you can also follow the in-depth version of my chili oil
Cook The Dumplings
- Cook the ready-made dumplings in boiling water for about 6 to 8 minutes. Do not overload the pot with too many dumplings to cook them evenly and prevent them from sticking together.
- If you are making your dumplings, you can also follow the pork filling I used from my dumpling skirt .
- To make the filling of the dumpling skirt recipe, mix the minced pork, chopped shiitake mushrooms, corn kernels, green onions, and ginger. Season with salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken bouillon powder, and oil.
- Mix the filling thoroughly.
- Make the dumpling wrappers or use store-bought wrappers.
- Place the filling in the center of the wrapper and fold it into a half-moon shape. Make sure to seal the ends well by pinching. You can also refer to my guide on 7 Ways To Fold Dumplings, which includes images and videos for better understanding. If it is not sealed properly, the dumplings will burst open while boiling.
- Cook the dumplings in a pot of boiling water and boil for 6 to 8 minutes or until they float.
Combine The Sauce And Cooked Dumplings
- Place the dumplings in a serving bowl and pour the spiced sweet soy sauce and red chili oil over the dumplings.
- Top it off with chopped peanuts and green onions.
- Serve it with hot rice, noodles, or on its own!
