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–+ servings

Korean Dumplings (Mandu)

Easy homemade Korean dumplings (mandu) with a savory pork-and-veggie filling featuring napa cabbage, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and chewy mung bean noodles. Steam, boil, or pan-fry for your favorite texture.
Amanda
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Soak time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Serving Size 6 servings

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Knife and cutting board
  • Small bowl of water
  • Clean kitchen towel
  • Baking sheet or tray
  • Large skillet with lid (for pan-frying)
  • Steamer basket (optional)
  • Large pot (optional, for boiling)
  • Slotted spoon

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 cups napa cabbage finely chopped (squeeze dry if watery)
  • 1/2 cup Asian chives or regular chives minced
  • 1/4 cup dangmyeon (mung bean noodles) soaked and finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
  • 35 mandu skins or dumpling wrappers store-bought; 30–40 (wonton wrappers also work)
  • water for sealing wrappers
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar for dipping sauce
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce for dipping sauce
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil for dipping sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (gochugaru) optional, for dipping
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil for pan-frying (if using gun-mandu)
  • 1/3 cup water for steaming in pan (if pan-frying)

Instructions

  • Soak noodles: Soak dangmyeon (mung bean noodles) in warm water until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and chop finely.
  • Make filling: In a large bowl, combine ground pork, chopped napa cabbage, chives, chopped dangmyeon, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until well blended.
  • Set up: Keep wrappers covered with a damp towel so they don’t dry out. Place a small bowl of water nearby for sealing.
  • Fill and seal: Place a wrapper in your palm and add about 1 tablespoon filling in the center. Moisten the edges with water, fold in half, press out air, and seal. (Pleat if you like for a traditional look.)
  • Pan-fry (gun-mandu): Heat 1–2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add dumplings in a single layer and cook 2–3 minutes until the bottoms are golden.
  • Steam in pan: Carefully add about 1/3 cup water, cover, and steam 6–7 minutes until dumplings are cooked through and water evaporates. Uncover and cook 1 minute more to re-crisp the bottoms.
  • Or steam/boil: Steam in a lined steamer basket 12–15 minutes, or boil in gently rolling water 6–8 minutes until they float, then cook 2 minutes more.
  • Dipping sauce: Stir together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and optional gochugaru. Serve dumplings hot with dipping sauce.

Notes

Variations: For kimchi mandu, add 1 cup well-drained chopped kimchi. For yachae (vegetable) mandu, swap pork for 2 cups crumbled firm tofu and add mushrooms or extra veggies.
Freezing: Freeze uncooked dumplings on a parchment-lined baking sheet until firm, then transfer to freezer bags for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen—add a few extra minutes.
Wrapper tip: Round mandu skins are most traditional, but square wonton wrappers work—just don’t overfill and seal well.

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcal | Protein: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 860mg