Xiao Long Bao (Chinese steamed soup dumplings) is a famous Chinese dessert. Sometimes you may hear Shanghai Xiao Long Bao, but like Beijing style Zha Jiang Mian, this soup dumpling can be found in many Chinese cuisines. Xiao Long Bao recipe might differ from one cuisine to another. However Shanghai style is the most dedicate and elegant version.
It is not easy to make this little, juicy and yummy soup dumplings at home. Soup dumping usually is featured by its juicy soup filling. There are two different varieties of the pork filling. Some use pork rind jelly while the other one use stock directly. For beginners, pork rind jelly version is much easier since it would be easy to assemble to soup dumplings.
The basic processing should be: prepare the pork meat jelly in the previous day—knead the dough and set aside—Make the filling and set aside—Make the wrapper and assemble soup dumplings one by one.
In a pot, add cold water and pork rinds to cook for around 5 minutes after boiling until the pork skin becomes slightly transparent. Transfer the pork rind out and rinse in running water. Remove impurities and fat layer. Cut the pork rind into small strips.
In a high pressure cooker or pot, add enough water to cover the pork rinds. Add 4 slices of ginger and several green onion sections. Cook for at least 40 minutes for high pressure cooker and at least one and half hour for ordinary cooker. Leave the soup to cool down. Use food processor to blend for seconds. And then filter the soup once. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
Tips about how to make the juicy filling for soup dumpling
In a small bowl, soak minced ginger and green onion with 1/2 hot water for around 10 minutes to make ginger and green onion water.
In a larger mixing bowl, mix the ginger and green onion water prepared in step 1 by three batch. Use your hand to stir in one direction until the water is completely absorbed by the minced pork.Then add all the seasonings. Mix well and set aside for around 10 minutes to 20 minutes for a better absorption.
To assemble the soup dumplings:
Place the wrapper in your left hand. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of your wrapper. Fix the starting point with the thumb of right hand and begin to fold the edge counterclockwise. Move the thumb slowly in the process. Repeat the process until the dumpling is completely sealed. For more details and photos, you can refer to this post: how to fold baozi.
Steam for 8 minutes after the water boils. And here we are! Enjoy!
Juicy filling.
- 2 cups flour
- 150 ml room temperature water +15ml for adjusting
- a small pinch of salt
- 1/4 pound pork rind
- 4 slices of ginger
- 3 green onions
- 1 tbsp. cooking wine
- Water as needed
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 tbsp. minced ginger
- 1 tbsp. minced green onion
- 1 tsp. sugar
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In a pot, add cold water and pork rinds to cook for around 5 minutes after boiling until the pork skin becomes slightly transparent. Transfer the pork rind out and rinse in running water. Remove impurities and fat layer. Cut the pork rind into small strips.
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In a high pressure cooker or pot, add enough water to cover the pork rinds. Add 4 slices of ginger and several green onion sections. Cook for at least 40 minutes for high pressure cooker and at least one and half hour for ordinary cooker. Leave the soup to cool down. Use food processor to blend for seconds. And then filter the soup once. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.
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In a small bowl, soak minced ginger and green onion with 1/2 cup hot water for around 10 minutes.
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In a larger mixing bowl, mix the ginger and green onion water prepared in step 1 by three batches. Use your hand to stir in one direction until the water is completely absorbed by the minced pork.
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Then add all the seasonings. Mix well and set aside for around 10 minutes for a better absorption.
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Mince the pork jelly and mix with the ground pork filling.
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Add flour and water in a mixing bowl and then knead the dough until smooth and stretchy (this process may need 15 to 20 minutes depending on your kneading skill. You can also use a mixer to do this job.) Cover with a wet cloth and reset for 20 minutes. Dust your board and re-knead the dough for around 5 minutes and then further roll into a long log. Cut the log into small sections of similar weight. Press the sections and roll out to a round wrapper. During the process, do remember to cover everything under a wet cloth to avoid drying out.
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Prepare your bamboo steamer; cover the steamer with cloth, zongzi leaves or brushing some oil on the surface so that the dumplings will not be sticky to the steamer.
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Assemble the soup dumplings one by one like this direction. But remember to seal the hole at the very last step. Place the dumpling on the steamer. Remember to leave some spaces between each other.
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Set up the steamer and steam for around 8 to 10 minutes after the water is boiling.
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Serve directly or with Chinese black vinegar.
The Nutrition Facts is based on each single Xiao Long Bao.
I love all of the different tong bao I’ve had. My favorite so far was in Xi’an. Soup dumplings are BY FAR my favorite dumplings. I’ll be saving this recipe for Chinese New Year. If I’m going to be making dumpling for hours, I might as well make the best!
Now, I have a strange question. Are there any soup dumplings made with Chicken stock or veal stock? I’ve never seen them but that doesn’t count for much. I’d love to make a veal version of this with a nice demi or glace de veau. That would be an interesting experiment in French-Chinese fusion that I would love to try! Man, I love soup dumplings.
For Western readers, I’d like to offer up alternative pork stock advice for those who would make the mistake of not trying this recipe because of the pork rind. Make a traditional stock using pork bones (find a simple recipe online). Once you have the stock, reduce it by at least 50% and then refridgerate overnight. The stock will look like a pretty hard Jello – which is exactly what you want.
Anyway, Western readers, try Elaine’s recipes! They’re easy, great and authentic, unlike most of the stuff you’ll find online.
Hi Zhou,
I have soup dumplings from Xi’an city. I have spend my four year university life in the city of Xi’an. There are so many yummy stuff.
Yes you can use chicken stock or veal stock in this recipe as long as the stock can form the jelly. We have chicken soup dumpling named as “鸡汁灌汤包” usually with chicken stock made from chicken bones and chicken feet.
Thanks for much for providing this information, I will list this as a note for other reader.
Thanks again for your lovely recommendation. You guys are the reasons why I continue posting recipes. Enjoy cooking!
Hi, can you tell me what flour is used for the wrappers? Thanks.
Hi Angela,
I use all purpose flour to make the wrappers. But you can use bread flour too. Only cake flour is not recommended.
What happens when you use cake flour?
The wrappers are not supported by enough gluten and quite easy to break.
Craving some Chinese dumplings right now.. these look so incredibly delicious. I have never made dumplings from scratch myself before so you have definitely inspired me to recreate the recipe. Thanks for sharing it!
Thalia,
Making everything at home from starch is really enjoying. Like baker, I am always excited about how my dough turns out finally with seasonings and fillings.
Try it and I hope you like them the same as me.
In your receipt, the dumping wrapper use cold water, you mean ice cold water or room temperature water, because my dumping skin turn out a little bit too hard.
Hi Lai,
It should be room temperature water. If the dumpling skin becomes too hard or too dry, you can slightly add extra 10ml to 15ml water.
they are lovely and tasty! there is just one problem I have experienced – some of them are breaking when I am steaming them and the soup runs away 🙁 and sometimes this happens just after open the steamer. Not all of them though, so I wonder, what I am doing wrong? they are all almost the same, and I love the soup taste 🙂
Hi Maya,
Are you using homemade wrapper or store bought wrapper? You will need to wait for several minutes until the temperature of the steamer drops slightly.
Hi There,it such a great recipe
But is There any subtitute the pork coz i don’t eat pork,is There any other way to make it without pork?thanks 🙂
Hi Tina,
I think you can use chicken to replace pork. Chicken feet can work as a substitute of pork rind.
Can you use store bought round wrappers instead of making them from scratch? I like to add julienned ginger to the black vinegar for dipping. Thank you.
If you do not want to make from starch, you can simply use store bought dumpling wrappers.
Hello!! Any substitute for pork rind?? Cause I’ve never heard of it here in Italy and I guess Itmight be a bit difficult to find…Thank you!
No pork rind in Italy? You can replace it with thickened broth.
Yes There is! I used “cotenna” and it was perfect. I think cotenna and pork rind are the same thing, isn’t it? Today I made these dumplings, but while cooking, in some of theme the soup ran away. Maybe the wrappers were too thin or there was too much filling. I made the wrappers following this recipe. The next time I will make more wrappers, increasing the amount of flour and water. I’ve got a doubt….2 cups of flour weighs 250g?
Thanks for the recipe
Are you referring to raw pork rinds or the fried pork rinds you buy in the snack aisle?
I use raw pork rinds.
I’ve made quite the aspic using chicken feet – think it would work well here.
Sure, it should work fine. Chicken feet contains enough collagen.
Where have you been all this time?! By reading through your instructions, I figured out what I’ve been doing wrong with during my Chinese food preparation. You gave me hope! Thank you! Can’t wait to try your recipes!
You are the most welcome, Sylvia! I hope you will love my recipes and cook yummy Chinese dishes successfully.
This was so much fun to make and we had many successful ones in our batch of like..3 dozen lol!
But a problem we came across a lot- was that the dough at the top (when you pinch it) was too thick once cooked.
Is there something I may be doing incorrectly that is causing this?
Originally when I was steaming these, I had them at High Heat. But I lowered the heat and they seemed to cook better.
I also had to use Chicken Fat instead of Pork, because I keep kosher. So the receipe for the Gel/Stuffing got changed a lot. It all came out delicious! And I replaced everything equally.
But I’m still stuck on the dough and what I may be doing wrong. Do you need to roll these out with a rolling pin? Or is hand pushing them just enough?
How thick should each piece be?
Thanks for your recipe and time! <3
Hi Ora,
The problem is caused by your method of making the wrappers. The wrappers should be rolled out with a rolling pin and more importantly you need to make the edges thinner than the center part by rotating the wrapper during the process, just like make dumpling wrappers. So the pinched top will not be over thick.
Chicken fat is a great substitute for pork for sure and I believe you get the right taste. Good job and continue practicing, you are close to the perfect ones now.
Hi. Would the high gluten flour or lower be most suitable for this recipe? Thanks.
Wow, very clear explanation! It makes me feel “make it now”. Worth reading.
Thanks. Go ahead and it will not disappoint you.
It is 1/2 cup and add by three batches. Thanks so much for the correctness.
If I have left over meat jelly can I freeze it and use it when I make XLB in a couple months?
Yes you can freeze meat jelly for later use. But do not recommend leaving them too long in fridge.
My first encounter of soup dumplings was in Flushing, NY three months ago. DELICIOUS!
I am going to try your recipe for our Chinese New Year Celebration.
What is the size of the 4 slices of ginger which I need to add to the 1/2 of hot water and green onions? Thank you for sharing.
Hi Rhodora,
2 pieces of ginger for cook the pork rind and the mince the left and soak with green onions. Happy cooking! I am sorry for the late reply due to the Chinese Spring Festival Gap.
Hi, I’ve had these dumplings once before and am now In love with them so I’m going to attempt to make them at home. However, I can’t get hold of pork rind for the base. Any recommendations or substitutes that I could use instead???
You can use thicker chicken stock and freeze the filling for a while before wrapping.
Thank you for this Recipe. They taste exactly like the one I had in Hong Kong!
unfortunately mine always stick to the surface or to each other. When they are lifted, they tear open. Any tip?
Hi Sid,
You need to use larger steamer and leave more space between each one. For the opening problem, are you lifting them warm or slightly cooled? I suggest eating this directly after removing from the heat. Water can escape very quickly along with the cooling down process.
How much water do you use when cooking the pork rind down with the ginger and green onion? I don’t have a pressure cooker so doing it on the stove. My water is almost completely evaporated – I put just enough to cover the pork rind… doesn’t seem right to me. Should I be adding more water?
If you using regular pot, the water evaporated very quickly. I recommend the water level should be at least 4 cm higher. Use slow fire after the content boils.