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Verna Gao's crispy pan-fried dumplings

• Verna Gao

Published: August 27, 2025 at 5:30 PM

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Makes 20 dumplings

A little effort

Prep: 1 hr

Cook: 30 mins

plus 1 hr resting and proving

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Food content creator Verna Gao (aka @vernahungrybanana) shares her recipe for golden, pan-fried Chinese dumplings with a juicy pork mince and cabbage filling

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Want to make authentic Shanghai sheng jian bao? Content creator and recipe developer Verna Gao (aka @vernahungrybanana) shows us how to achieve dumpling perfection at home – crispy and golden on the bottom with a steamed pork mince and cabbage filling. Try her recipe below then discover more Chinese recipes and dumplings recipes from around the world.

Verna says, "This is how to make my favourite Shanghai sheng jian baos – they're totally worth the time and effort, so juicy and delicious. I did the half-yeasted version, which means it doesn’t fully double in size as it proofs, but is still more fluffy than a usual dumpling dough. Save this recipe for when you're next in need of some proper comfort food. For the filling you can make lots of different varieties, but for this I chose a basic pork one."

Watch the full recipe video below. Find more of Verna's food and travel content over on olive's Instagram where she shares her favourite foodie destinations, including the best places to try local dishes and recipes to make at home. Keep an eye out for her next video on Korean BBQ...

Crispy pan-fried dumplings (Shanghai sheng jian bao) recipe

Ingredients

Nutrition

• oil, for frying

DOUGH

• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp instant dried yeast

FILLING

• 250g pork mince

• bunch of spring onions

  finely chopped

• ¼ Chinese cabbage

  finely chopped (then salted to remove excess water)

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• pinch of white pepper

• pinch of sugar

• 2 garlic cloves

  grated

• 1 tsp ginger

  grated

• ½ tsp salt

• 250ml chicken stock jelly

  (optional)

TO SERVE

• spring onion

  chopped

• black sesame seeds

• black vinegar

• chilli oil

Nutrition: per dumplinh

• kcal77
• fat2g
• saturates1g
• carbs10g
• sugars1g
• fibre1g
• protein4g
• salt0.3g

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Method

• step 1

  Combine all the dry dough ingredients, slowly adding 140ml of lukewarm water as you mix them together. Once a shaggy dough is formed, knead for 5-10 mins before covering with a damp tea towel and leaving to prove for 1 hr.

• step 2

  While the dough proves, make the filling by combining all the ingredients together along with 1/2 tsp of salt. Mix and stir in the same direction, as this helps the protein strands develop – soon, the
  mince will change texture to become something more suitable for a dumpling filling.

• step 3

  Knock back the dough and knead again for 5-10 mins until smooth. Divide into 20 equal pieces, then roll out each using a rolling pin.

• step 4

  Add a spoonful of filling to each piece, then seal to enclose the filling and make the dumpling. Don’t worry too much about the pleat, as they’re cooked seam-side down.

• step 5

  Heat a drizzle of oil in a non-stick lidded frying pan over a mediumhigh heat. Working in batches, arrange the dumplings in the pan, slightly spaced out and seam-side down, and cook until the bottoms are deep golden brown and crisp. Add a generous splash of water, cover with the lid, reduce the heat to medium and steam for 6-7 mins – the dumplings are ready when all the water has evaporated.

• step 6

  While there’s still some steam left, sprinkle over some chopped spring onions and sesame seeds. Carefully turn over the dumplings, then serve with black vinegar and chilli oil or chilli crisp.

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Authors

Verna Gao

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