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French Onion Dumplings – best for nights when you’re craving steaming hot french onion soup but want something a little heartier too. Easy homemade dumplings made with chicken or mushroom filling, enclosed in sesame-crusted wrappers, and served in a steaming rich french onion style broth. These are a fun dinner to make any night of the week, especially during these cold months. So warming, cozy, and delicious.
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Happy Monday, happy almost Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving week is always so odd. We’re prepping and gearing up for all the food and festivities on Thursday, but at the same time we still have to live a normal like Monday through Wednesday…and get dinner on the table too.
Sometimes we can forget that we’ll be needing dinners this week too! Between friends and family coming, it can all be a lot. But I thought ahead, and I’m bringing you some of the best dumplings.
These dumplings are different, and definitely not traditional, but they sure are delish. A cross between a good bowl of french onion soup (minus the cheesy bread) and crispy bottomed dumplings. Sounds odd, but I promise, these are SO GOOD.
The idea
Honestly, it was kind of simple how this recipe came to be. I was thinking about this week and what would be just the right recipes to share. More appetizers? Desserts? Sides? Nothing seemed perfect, but then I figured that by now your menus are probably pretty much set. So you may just be looking for a really delicious dinner to eat during these days leading up to Thanksgiving.
I love to serve Asian or Mexican meals this week since they’re so different from the traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Dumplings sounded awesome, but then I thought how delicious they could be in a rich french onion broth. And that was that.
The details
Make the filling. It’s very simple but very good. Just some garlic mixed with ground chicken and spinach. I add a splash of soy sauce for saltiness, and a pinch of pepper for a little kick.
I also did a mushroom filling for anyone who prefers no chicken. It’s the same as above, just minus the chicken and plus sautéed mushrooms. Both are really delicious.
Assembling is easier than you’d think. I chose to make round dumplings because I find the assembly easier and I’m able to make them prettier too. You can also fold the dough into half-moons. Either way, it’s an easy process. Simply 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. Don’t stress about making these look perfect. Each little dumpling is unique and cute in its own way!
Brush the bottom of each dumping with water and coat in sesame seeds. I don’t believe this is traditional, but those crispy sesame seeds on the bottom are delicious.
Now the broth
The key to this is to caramelize the onions with a touch of wine just like I do in my french onion soup. They add so much flavor and make the broth feel rich and indulgent. When the onions have caramelized, add the broth, a splash of soy sauce, and then a bay leaf and star anise. The soy sauce, bay leaf, and star anise really create a flavorful broth and help to tie in the Asian flavors too.
Let the broth simmer while you cook the dumplings. I like to pan-fry the dumplings. Then add water to steam and finish cooking. It can be a little messy of a process, but it’s pretty easy. Once the water evaporates, I like to leave the dumplings on the pan another minute to allow the bottoms to get crispy again.
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.
Serve them up
To serve, I like to arrange the dumplings in low bowls. Then spoon the steaming broth overtop and top with fresh green onions for a nice pop of color and flavor.
SO DELICIOUS. Even my dad, who doesn’t love onions, loved this dinner. These were his words, “Damn, these mushroom potstickers are amazing!!”.
Yeah, he called them potstickers, that’s ok, just so he loved them!
Our nights are so much longer these days, so sometimes I find it nice to be able to spend a little extra time in the kitchen making dinner. These are especially fun to make with others, so grab a few friends, your husband, kids, whoever. Then make this into a fun night.
Trust me, everyone is going to love this recipe. It’s surprising but in a good way!
Looking for other weeknight dinners? Here are my favorites:
Ginger Sesame Chicken Potstickers
Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema
Lastly, if you make these French Onion Dumplings, 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!
French Onion Dumplings
Ingredients
Chicken Filling
- 1 pound ground chicken or pork
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 2 cups roughly chopped spinach
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- black pepper
- 24-26 round dumpling or wonton wrappers
- 1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
Broth
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- chili flakes
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise , (optional)
- sesame or olive oil, for cooking
- sliced green onions, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a medium bowl, combine the raw chicken, spinach, garlic, soy sauce, and a pinch of black pepper.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 and around the filling and pinch in the center to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers. Place the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. Brush the bottoms of the dumplings with water and then dredge them in the sesame seeds. *vegetarian mushroom filling in the notes.3. To make the broth. Melt together 2 tablespoons butter and the onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 10 minutes. At this point, you'll want to slowly add the wine, 1/4 cup at a time, until the wine cooks into the onions. Continue to cook another 10 minutes until you've used all wine and the onions are deeply caramelized. Add 1 tablespoon butter, and season with chili flakes and pepper. Add the broth, soy sauce, bay leaf, and star anise. Simmer over low heat, 10 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the dumplings and cook until the bottoms are 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 the heat to medium-low and let the dumplings steam for 5-6 minutes. Remove the dumplings from the skillet to a plate.5. Arrange the dumplings in shallow bowls. Ladle the steaming broth and onions over top. Top with green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Can you demo how you snip the green onions into the little elipses? 😀
Hey Kori,
I just cut them on an angle:) Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
Made this for my daughter and her family, it was delicious! My 7-year old grandson proclaimed it his #3 favorite meal ?
Hey Peggy,
Happy Sunday! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I enjoy the recipes.
Thanks so much Ann!
Hi:)
I would love to try this recipe. Do you have a recipe for the dumpling dough as well?
Love,
Elli
Hey Elli,
I sure do!
2 1/2 cups flour + 3/4 cup water, stir, let sit 20 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
We love this! My dumplings were not as cute, but they were delicious!
Hi there,
Thanks so very much for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
SO delicious! Thank you for the mushroom filling! I was able to make this vegan by using egg-free wonton wrappers & swapping the regular butter with vegan butter. Better than Bouillon has a caramelized onion bouillon flavor and it is so good in this recipe!
Hi Sheila,
Thanks so very much for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Can the dumplings be made in advance and stored in the freezer?
Hey Ellen,
You bet, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Great recipe, flavours are outstanding given the simplicity of ingredients – star anise is a must. Two modification for my liking: 1) more broth; and 2) add green onions into dumpling, otherwise I found them bland on their own.
This was my first HBH recipe and I can tell you it won’t be my last!
Toronto, ON, Canada
Hey there,
Awesome! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Do I cook the chicken filling before putting it in the dumpling?
Hey Amy,
The chicken filling will cook in the dumplings, you can follow the recipe as is:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
The flavors of the dish are incredible! I was concerned the chicken mixture wouldn’t cook in just a short time but it was perfect. The dumplings were fun and easy to assemble. Loved it and will make again! Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Amy,
Seriously amazing! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Your photos are awesome… what kind of camera do you use?
Hey Rosie,
Thanks so much! I use a canon 5d mark iv. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
As I wrote in your latest caramelized onion recipe I love everything that has onions in it. Add dumplings and I think it becomes the perfect dish!!
Miki x
https://www.littletasteofbeauty.com/
I hope you love the recipe!
I would like to sub this recipe for my traditional Christmas dinner meal if FO soup. Could I make the soup ahead and reheat? The onions can take a little time.
Hey Elizabeth,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
That sounds delicious! How do you do the dough for the dumplings? Do you have a recipe for that too? ?
Hey Claire,
Here is my recipe for the dumpling dough:
2 1/2 cups flour + 3/4 cup water, stir, let sit 20 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These look awesome. Could I make the filling and broth a day ahead, do you think- like Tuesday? Then assemble, heat and serve Wednesday?
Hey Klareissa,
You bet, that would work well for you! I hope you enjoy this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
These look great! Could they be frozen after steaming?
Hey Cindy,
I would freeze these before steaming. I hope you enjoy this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
These sound amazing! Would diced up chicken breast be fine to use instead of ground?
Hey Amber,
For best results, I would use ground chicken, also to ensure that the chicken cooks fully. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan