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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.
This recipe was outstanding! The flavor was amazing!
Hi Sandra,
I really appreciate you giving the recipe a try, so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xxT
I’ve made this twice now and the family loves it! I have had to triple the recipe because they invite friends to try it. Thank you for a new favorite in our home. I will be prepping and freezing batches of dumplings going forward. The broth has lots of flavor and the dumplings are a perfect compliment. HIGHLY recommend.
Hi Maria,
Awesome! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
I’ve made this twice now and the family loves it! I have had to triple the recipe because they invite friends to try it. Thank you for a new favorite in our home. I will be prepping and freezing batches of dumplings going forward. The broth has lots of flavor and the dumplings are a perfect compliment.
Hi Maria,
Awesome! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
These are delicious and fun to make with family and friends. My kids loved the dumplings and the broth is so full of flavor and warming my family suggested this be the standard broth for our french onion soup recipe! I did increase the amount of broth for the second batch to accommodate the broth lovers. Preparing and freezing a batch of dumplings is also a time saver for busier nights. Recipe is a keeper!
Hi Robin,
Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan
Really good. Cooked it directly as stated and came out wonderfully.
Hey Jerae,
Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan
I made this for lunch today and it was delicious. I used pork instead of chicken and it was thoroughly cooked after steaming the dumpling. I also added a couple green onions I needed to use up in the dumplings. The broth was rich with onion flavor and a nice heat with the crushed red peppers. I would highly recommend.
Hi Mary,
Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan
Just made the mushroom version of this and omg it was delicious! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Hi Ali,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT
Made this for dinner tonight, it was phenomenal. I used smaller wonton wrappers and it made 3 batches of the dumplings and by themselves they were light and delicious. I make French onion soup all the time and this broth was rich and so flavorful. Thank you for a great dinner!
Hey Magda,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best weekend! xT
Is the chicken filling supposed to be cooked before going into the wrapper? That might be a dumb question since the instructions don’t say to cook it, but I noticed the mushroom filling is sautéed first. Just want to make sure I don’t end up eating raw chicken! I can’t wait to try this recipe. It sounds and looks so delish for a cozy night!
no – just tried it with pork and it worked like a charm! my kids loved it
Hey Mel,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
Wondering the same thing! Attempting this tonight…I’ll likely cook the chicken just to be safe.
Hi Kristen,
No need to cook the chicken, it will cook during the steaming of the dumplings:)
Hey Teri,
Nope, the chicken filling will cook when the dumplings are steamed. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
What dumpling dough do you use? I’ve watched the Instagram video a dozen times, and can’t tell. We made these with Anne’s dumplings that we thawed and pinched the seams together, but they were definitely not right. Do you use homemade, or a particular store-bought brand? The flavor of the chicken mixture was there and sooo good!
Hi Laura,
Here is the recipe for my dumpling dough:
2 1/2 cups flour + 3/4 cup water, stir, let sit 20 minutes
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Amazing! Although the french onion soup certainly would not have made enough for 6 in my house. I cut the recipe for the dumpling mixture in half which made 18 dumplings but kept the soup recipe with proportions as listed. It only made two shallow bowls worth. I also used one beef cube and one chicken cube in the stock mixture rather than vegetable/chicken alone which I think added an extra depth of flavor.
Hey Emily,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best week! xTieghan
Smelling delicious over here, can’t wait to try them. I had a quick question. Can we freeze the chicken dumplings? Would love to have those on hand for whenever. And it did take me about 50 mins to make everything. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Karina,
Totally! I would flash freeze them on a baking sheet and then pop them all in a bag. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how they turn out! xTieghan
I made these for New Year’s Eve and they were a hit. The whole family got involved too with making the dumplings. Thank you! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes 🙂
Hey Leanne,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy New Year!? xxT
OMG! This was so good! Perfect for a chilly New Years Day meal!
Hey there,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy New Year!? xxT
They were delicious! But your recipe says 30 minutes of prep!!!! No way! Took me way longer. I also had smaller wrappers so maybe that was it? If I make them again, I would cut down on the spinach.,
Hi Cindy,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Sorry this took you longer than expected:) Happy New Year!? xxT