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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.

French Onion Dumplings | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

French Onion Dumplings | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

French Onion Dumplings | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

French Onion Dumplings | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

French Onion Dumplings | halfbakedharvest.com

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!

French Onion Dumplings | halfbakedharvest.com

Looking for other weeknight dinners? Here are my favorites: 

Creamy White Chicken Chili

Ginger Sesame Chicken Potstickers

Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema

Dan Dan Noodles

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

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
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

Broth

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. 
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French Onion Dumplings | halfbakedharvest.com

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Five stars soo delicious!! A must try!! We live in the mountains and couldn’t find wonton wrappers so we easily made them with flour and egg. One note is that at altitude, even covered, the broth really cooked out. We will make this again and will certainly double the broth recipe! A home run!

    1. Hey Chloe,
      Happy Tuesday!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you!🧑‍🎄

  2. 5 stars
    I have made this several times, used pork, ground Turkey and ground chicken. Absolutely love the flavor, it is also a fun one to get the family involved with.

    1. Hey Mary,
      Wonderful!!🎅 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT

  3. 5 stars
    We make half baked harvest recipes a few times a week. Made this one for the second time tonight and WOW it is incredible. The flavour of the broth is so delicious. Not too salty. And the dumplings are amazing. You have to make these.

    1. Hey Eileen,
      Love it!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:) Happy Monday!🎄

  4. Is there anything to substitute the white wine with? I generally don’t drink alcohol so don’t want to buy a bottle if I don’t have to

    1. Hey Becca,
      You can use chicken broth in place of the wine! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx

  5. 5 stars
    Tieghan, I followed this recipe exactly to the letter and it is absolutely amazing. My husband had seconds, and thirds even!! Thank you so much for sharing!

    1. Hey Ali,
      Happy Monday!!☃️ I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was enjoyed! xT

  6. 5 stars
    Just made this for dinner tonight and 10/10 would recommend. I did start the recipe out by starting the onions first to really get them carmelized. From there, I began the rest and boy did it come out good. I almost skipped the anise because it was tough to find but I’m so glad I didn’t. I really felt like it bright so much flavor to the dish.

    1. Hey Farren,
      Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Sunday!🎄

  7. 5 stars
    This recipe is amazing! And it was a fun family project making the delicious dumplings. We added some fresh ginger to the meat and bok choy to the broth. My 19 year old said “this dish is life changing.” Thanks Tieghan, truly delicious!

    1. Hey Amy,
      Fantastic!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, I love to hear that it was tasty! Have a great weekend:)

  8. 5 stars
    The only regret is not doubling the recipe. We have no left overs and everyone kept making comments about how yummy it was. Amazingggg as always!

    1. Hey Savanna,
      Wonderful!!🎄 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xx

  9. This may be a dumb question… but are we cooking the filling before filling the wrappers?

    Im excited to make these!

    1. Hey Sarah,
      Nope, no need to cook the filling first:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx

      1. I saw a question about cooking the filling first and you said no need, but on your Instagram it looks as if you did cook the filling first? Just wondering the best way to go about to 🙂 thanks!

        1. Hi Alex,
          If you are going the chicken filling, you do not need to cook it first, the mushroom filling has different instructions:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx

  10. 5 stars
    LOVED this recipe. The star anise is a great touch if you have it. I also used store bought dumplings (Trader Joe’s) and added some thinly sliced purple kale to the bowl before pouring over the broth. Perfect for a post-Thanksgiving easy, cozy meal.

  11. 5 stars
    Made this for Sunday dinner…doubled the recipe…it was so good!!! A wee bit time consuming (carmelizing double the onions and wrapping double the dumplings) but doubly worth the effort. Only one bowl left over for my lunch Monday! Definitely a keeper and will make it again! PLUS…my picture turned out nearly as well as yours, Tieghan!

    1. Hey Kathryn,
      Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃

  12. 3 stars
    Ok I have several issues with this recipe:

    1.) Balance of flavor between the dumplings and the broth is off. In following the recipe, I found that the dumplings themselves lacked seasoning (salt, maybe ginger) and that the broth was way too salty. I even added a full cup of water to cut down on the soy sauce and used low sodium tamari. You ended up needing this extra cup of water otherwise you’d be left with little to no broth.
    2.) Onion caramelization – typically caramelizing onions takes at least 30 minutes. Expect to take nearly double the time if you’re looking “deeply” caramelized onions as the recipe describes.
    3.) The flavor of the broth isn’t really french onion. If it were, you’d be using beef stock instead of chicken/veg stock and Worcestershire sauce instead of soy sauce.
    4.) Lastly, the calories have got to be off with this recipe as several reviewers have called out. I’m surprised it hasn’t been corrected yet. If it is correct, please don’t promote recipes where the serving size is more cals then what your daily intake should be!

    All in all, this recipe was so so and I wouldn’t make again given the amount of work it was to both assemble the dumplings and caramelize the onions.

    1. Hey Kiki,
      Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback. So sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Please let me know if I can help in any way. I always recommend that if the nutritional information is important to you, you use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! Have a great week! xT

    1. Hey Susan,
      I always recommend that if the nutritional information is important to you, you use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! Hope you enjoy the recipe! xT

    1. Hi Patricia,
      Any other veggie that you enjoy will work here, zucchini would be delicious! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx