When a dumpling craving hits on a weeknight, I’m usually one to turn to a bag of frozen. Making dough and then folding or crimping it around a flavor-packed filling for homemade dumplings is a project that requires dexterity and patience. These skills are worthwhile to hone when you have the time, but it’s not an after work activity.
But there’s a way you can achieve the flavor and texture of homemade dumplings with only a little bit more effort than pulling a bag out of the freezer — making so-called blanket dumplings.
What are blanket dumplings?
Blanket dumplings are what they sound like: a ball of filling blanketed, rather than encased, in a wrapper. Simply prepare a simple mixture of ground meat and seasonings, roll into small meatballs, place in a skillet and cover with a wonton wrapper. No need to fold, wrap or crimp.
Steaming in skillet is fastest way to cook blanket dumplings
While some blanket dumpling methods call for a two-stage cooking method, I’ve found that the best (and quickest) method is to simply assemble the dumplings in a cold skillet, add water, cover and steam until the filling is cooked through.
Many recipes online will add a second step after steaming: continuing to cook the dumplings uncovered until the bottom has browned and crisped. This sounds appealing, but I’ve discovered that it turns the filling dry. This is because the dumplings aren’t sealed — any moisture released from the meat while cooking will evaporate if you attempt to crisp the bottoms. Instead, keep things simple with a quick steam and serve the dumplings straight from the pan.
Cumin, scallions, red pepper flakes bring earthy, spicy flavor
The blanket dumpling method works with any filling that can form a cohesive ball — choose your own ground meat or meat-alternative and play with whatever seasonings you’d like. The recipe below takes light inspiration from stir-fried cumin lamb, but swaps the lamb for more affordable ground beef. Finely chopped scallions, toasted sesame oil, ground cumin and red pepper flakes form the backbone of flavor in the dumpling mix, then a final flurry of even more scallions after steaming gives the final dish color and a hint of brightness.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Blanket Dumplings
- 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
- 3 scallions, finely chopped, divided
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 20 to 25 wonton wrappers
- ¼ cup water
- In a large bowl, combine the beef, about two-thirds of the scallions, the oil, cumin, salt and pepper flakes. Mix thoroughly. Form the mixture into 20 to 25 walnut-sized balls and place in a 12-inch nonstick skillet.
- Place a wonton wrapper on top of each ball of meat, pressing the wrapper around the ball to cover. The skillet will be quite full, with the edges of the wrappers touching or slightly overlapping. This is OK. Carefully pour the water into the skillet around the dumplings. Cover the skillet and place over medium-high heat. Once the water comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the meat is cooked through and the wrappers are tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Top with the remaining scallions and serve straight from the skillet.
Serves 4.
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