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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.
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
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 2038 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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
Mushroom Filling: 1. Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 chopped shallots and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add 3 cups finely chopped mushrooms and 2 cloves chopped garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms have cooked down, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cloves chopped garlic, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and a large pinch of pepper. Stir in 2 cups chopped spinach. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms are caramelized. Remove from the heat and let cool.
So tasty! All the flavors came together perfectly. We both wanted seconds and thirds
Hey Breanna,
I love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
This recipe is delicious! I made it tonight and what a hit! Thanks HBH!
Hey Julie,
I love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
This recipe is AMAZING! This is going in our hall of fame recipes. We did double the soup portion (and potentially will triple it next time), but the flavors were delicious. The dumplings were a perfect compliment to the soup. One of our favorite HBH recipes to date!
Hey Christie,
I love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
Do you cook the ground chicken before forming the dumpling?
No need! Just fill the dumpling wrappers and then the meat will cook when you steam the dumplings in the pan 🙂
Hi Megan,
No need to cook the chicken first, it will cook in the dumpling. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I made this tonight. Delicious!
Hi Kristen,
I love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
One of my favorite meals we’ve made this year – this was soo good.
Hi Hannah,
I love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
You are without a doubt one of the best in the business, Tieghan. I have followed numerous recipe blogs over the years and yours is by far my favorite. I have yet to come across a recipe of yours that has not been a smash hit. Thank you for taking us to flavor town every. single. time. Your talent and palate is beyond. Xo
Hey Katy,
I love to hear that you liked this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Thanks so much for your kind message:) xTieghan
These look soooo good, any chance you think adding some cheese to the dumplings or on top would work? I just love that melty cheese part of the soup in general!
Hi Jessica,
I would probably add cheese to the top of the soup. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Tieghan you had me at Onion Soup, but you WOWed me with the addition of Dumplings! Two of my favorite things in the world! I love your creativity and your website is cozy and inviting. Keep up the great work, I look forward to spending more time on your site in the search of more delicious recipes.–Nina
Hey Nina,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Okay, dumb question here because I’ve never made dumplings. Do you not cook the chicken filling before scooping into the wonton wrapper? There is a picture of sautéed chicken with the spinach at the top of the page, however, your directions start with mixing the raw chicken with the other filling ingredients in a bowl then scooping onto the wrapper. I don’t see a sauté instruction for the filling. Wondering if this was inadvertently skipped.. or if you’re supposed to fill with uncooked chicken mixture. Thanks!!
Stacy,
I had the same question but scrolled through the comments and she said no cooking needed. The sautéed picture is of the mushroom version.
Hey Stacy,
No need to cook the chicken first, it will cook in the dumplings in step 4, the picture you are referring to is the mushrooms if you decide to go that route. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks delicious! Can I use veg stock/ any other non alcoholic substitute instead of white wine?
Hey there,
You bet! Veggie or chicken stock would both work well here. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Delicious!
This recipe takes more time than I typically like to spend in the kitchen. But the flavor of the soup with the dumpling is soooo— good!
My store did not have ground chicken , so I used ground turkey along with chopped Napa cabbage. I also made the mushroom filling and did both types of dumplings. Thanks for the creatively delicious recipes!
Hey Jackie,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Made this with my daughter. Wish I had read reviews first. Delicious but yes, two changes. Chicken filling needs more seasoning; a little bland otherwise. And double the broth recipe. So yummy but not enough to serve 6. Can’t wait to try the mushroom recipe. Thanks.
Hi Patty,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
I’m new to your recipes and this was my first one. It was absolutely delicious! And, now I am adding to my recipe box on your website.
Hi Catherine,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
This was so good, and a great change of pace from Thanksgiving leftovers! When I told my husband I was making French Onion Soup, he was disappointed too find there was no cheese. Oh well! It doesn’t need it and wouldn’t fit with the soy sauce.
I would definitely add more broth, we were dumpling rich! And, add more time to the recipe. This was my first time making dumplings and it definitely took me about 1.5 hrs. I wouldn’t consider this a weeknight meal. Overall, I’m inspired and would definitely make this again!
Hey Abbie,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan