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Better than Takeout Chinese Mushroom Dumplings with Sweet Chili Ginger Sesame Sauce. Easy homemade vegetarian dumplings (potstickers) with caramelized mushrooms, ginger, and sesame-crusted wrappers. Each dumpling is pan-fried until crispy on the bottom, then served alongside a sweet and spicy chili ginger sesame sauce. These are a fun and healthy dinner to make any night of the week…and so much better than ordering takeout.
It might be a new year, but I’m still rolling out the “better than takeout” style recipes…and I am still SO EXCITED about them. In general these recipes are quick and easy to throw together and always come out delicious. And so much healthier than ordering takeout! Plus, where we live in Colorado the takeout situation is pretty much nonexistent unless you want pizza or wings. The Asian cuisine certainly isn’t anything special. So instead of ordering in or going out, I have so much fun creating the recipes like this at home!
Over the years I’ve shared a handful of takeout style recipes. If I had to pick a few favorites, it would be these 20 minute peanut noodles, my spicy dan dan noodles, and my kung pao cauliflower…all so good. But you guys? These dumplings? I think we may have a new favorite.
Again, these are another recipe I made over Christmas break for my family. I don’t think there was a single person out of our twenty-plus crew that did not enjoy these. The combination of the homemade dumplings and the sauce? Just delicious.
Here’s the story.
When the family is in town it’s the ideal time to try out as many new recipes as humanly possible. Basically, I use them as my “testers”. They appreciate all the food…and very much look forward to it. And I greatly appreciate the new inspiration and feedback.
I made these Chinese mushroom dumplings with my brother and sister-in-law in mind. Brendan and Lyn’s are my “adventurous” eaters. They provide me with more inspiration than any other family members. I feel very grateful for those two because they have endless ideas for me. Since they both love Asian cuisine and enjoy mushrooms, I knew I wanted to make mushroom dumplings while they were in town. Well actually, Lyndsie requested them and I happily provided them. Because let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a dumpling? I’ve made chicken potstickers/dumplings before, but I loved the idea of a vegetarian mushroom dumpling (also called potstickers…what do you all call them?).
The family’s verdict? Those who love mushrooms felt they were better than the chicken. It just depends on what you prefer. I’m personally all about the mushrooms, they’re my favorite.
To make takeout style Chinese mushroom dumplings…
Start with the dumpling wrappers. Since we don’t have any Asian markets near us, I like to use Wonton wrappers. These work amazingly well and I tend to keep them in my fridge or freezer to have on hand for quick homemade egg rolls or dumplings. Of course, if you have an Asian market near you, I would recommend picking up fresh dumpling wrappers to use for a truly authentic dumpling.
Once you have your wrapper situation all sorted, make the filling. It’s very simple, but very good. Just some sesame oil, shallots, ginger, and mushrooms. I added a splash of soy sauce for saltiness, and a pinch of pepper for a little kick. The mushrooms themselves have so much flavor, so I didn’t want them to be overshadowed by any other ingredients.
On to assembling. I know this might seem scary, but it’s actually so easy. I chose to make a more classic round dumpling, but you could also fold the dough into half-moons (which I believe would then make these potstickers?). Either way, it’s an easy process. Just spoon the filling into the center of your dumpling wrapper, then lift the edges of the dough up and over the filling, pinching at the top to seal. Please do not stress about making these look perfect. What’s most important is that you have a good seal so that no mushrooms fall out. If you’ve done that, you are good to go.
Finally, brush the bottom of each dumping with water and coat in sesame seeds. This is not traditional, but trust me, it is so very good.
To cook, all you need is a skillet with a lid and some sesame oil. Pan-fry the dumplings until the sesame seeds are toasted, then add a splash of water, cover the skillet and allow the dumplings to steam. That’s it. Simple.
Now that sweet chili ginger sauce.
It. Is. Addicting.
A little sweet, a little spicy, hinted with toasted sesame, ginger, and a touch of garlic too…beyond good. So easy to mix up and perfect pairs with these crispy, salty mushroom dumplings.
A couple helpful notes…
When pan-frying/steaming, it’s important to note that the pan will splatter when you add the water. So please be careful and stand back when doing so.
Making dumplings does take a little effort, you can make them in bulk over the weekend…or whenever you have time. Then just freeze what’s left over for the quickest, easiest lunch or dinner…any day of the week. Once the dumplings are frozen, simply pan-fry as directed, then steam for an additional 4-5 minutes.
So my suggestion? Take some time this week or this weekend to make homemade dumplings. It’s wintertime, so as I said yesterday, that just means more time for spending in the kitchen cooking and baking. These are especially fun to make with others, so grab a few friends, your husband, kids, whoever, and make a fun night out of this. Maybe add a steaming bowl of soup to fully complete the meal.
The perfect January night at home…as said from the girl who really just loves being home.
If you make these Chinese mushroom dumplings with sweet chili ginger sesame sauce, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chinese Mushroom Dumplings with Sweet Chili Ginger Sesame Sauce.
Servings: 32 dumplings
Calories Per Serving: 337 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 4 cups shiitake or cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 2 cups roughly chopped spinach or bok choy
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- black pepper
- 30-34 round dumpling or wonton wrappers
- 1/3 cup raw sesame seeds
- 2 green onions, chopped, for serving
Sweet Chili Ginger Sesame Sauce
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses or honey
- 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes using more or less to your taste
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Instructions
- 1. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallots and cook until fragrant and lightly caramelized, 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, ginger, and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms have cooked down, about 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and large pinch of pepper. Stir in the greens. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms are caramelized. Remove from the heat and let cool. 2. To assemble, spoon 1 tablespoon of filling onto each wrapper. Brush water around the edges of the wrapper. Fold the edges of the wrapper up around the filling and pinch in the center to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.3. Place the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. Brush the bottoms of the dumplings with water and then dredge them in the sesame seeds.4. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the dumplings and cook until the bottoms are light golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully pour 1/4 cup of water into the skillet, it will splatter, so stand back. Immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid. Turn heat to medium-low and let the dumplings steam for 5-6 minutes. Serve warm with sauce (see below) and green onions. 5. To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve alongside the dumplings.Â
Notes
To Freeze: follow the recipe through step 3. Flash-freeze the dumplings on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Once the dumplings are frozen, simply pan-fry as directed, then steam for an additional 4-5 minutes.
Would it work to make them an hour or two ahead of time and fridge them before cooking? Or should they be frozen if made a couple hours ahead?
Hey Hannah,
You could keep these in the fridge. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this last night, once again we were blown away! I used extra ginger because nothing beats freshly grated ginger!
We paired this with your chinese mushroom dumplings with sweet chili ginger sesame sauce. We had a full Asian dinner and it was delightful!
We still talked about it this morning too!
Wow that is so amazing! I am really glad this turned out so amazing for you all! xTieghan
I made this tonight with some wild cauliflower fungus and a few shitakes. DELICIOUS!
You could also make soup jelly (REALLY easy), and add it to make soup dumplings!
Yes! Thank you! xTieghan
I made these tonight and they were absolutely fabulous. I sent hubs to the Asian Market for the ingredients and he came back with gyoza wrappers which were smaller so I did have to make the half moon shape which was a little more time consuming with the folding technique (that I looked up on YouTube ha!) but yielded the same results. They were DELICIOUS. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thank you Jessie! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
The dumplings were AMAZING!!! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe. Definitely will make more!! Salivating just thinking about them.
Thank you so much Amy!! xTieghan
I made these for dinner last night with mostly shiitake mushrooms with about a cup of creminis in there. They were delicious. Next time I’ll probably double the recipe to have more to freeze.
Thank you so much Kristen! I am so happy this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
These look amazing and I want to try today. Do you have a video of how you form the dumplings?
Hey Nancy,
So sorry I do not have a video for these yet, I really just pull up the sides and pinch in the middle to seal. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Question on the recipe; what brand of wonton or dumpling wrappers do you use?
Hey Cara,
I just get mine from Whole Foods or Kroger, no special brand over here just whatever they have! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
My first attempt at making dumplings and they turned out delicious! My husband and I devoured all of them at once (luckily our baby is still too small to eat them). Thanks so much for the recipe!
Thank you so much Anne!! I am SO happy these turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi, I can’t access garlicky chili sauce in Spain. What can I use instead ?
Hi Agnieszka,
Are you able to find spicy chili sauce or sweet chili sauce? Either of those would work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These were so good! I followed the wrapper recipe HBH posted on her instagram with the recipe as I didn’t have in, made it a little more work and they weren’t as pretty but the taste was spot on, and the sauce of course! Yum!
Thank you Ashley!! xTieghan
Made these Sunday night and they were amazing! The seared sesame seeds on the bottom of the dumplings are a game changer! We scarfed these down. Super easy to make, even if you have no experience with dumplings. I could only find square wonton dumplings to use and the worked out great – although not as pretty as the round one’s in the pictures. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you Jess!! It is so great that these turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
Oh my goodness! Can I just tell you I LOVE mushroom dumplings! Alittle bias considers I love anything mushroom. Also, the sauce is on point!
YES!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you Jenny! xTieghan
I am really excited to make these! Just two quick questions: If I need to make the filling a couple days ahead of time, can i freeze the filling and let it thaw the day I plan to make them? Also, how many dumplings does the dough recipe yield (the recipe you added to the comments section)? Thank you!
Hi Adam,
Yes you could pre make the filling. The recipe will make 32 dumplings. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I just want to say my husband and son love these dumplings. I really can’t make them fast enough. As soon as they come out of the pan, they are gobbled up. I’ve made them three times already! Such a great recipe!
Wow that is so great! I am so glad you all have been enjoying these, Lynn! xTieghan