These easy to make, juicy and flavorful Steamed Shrimp Dumplings, served with sesame dipping sauce are a restaurant quality appetizer. This is a quick an easy version of an authentic Asian dumpling.

You might also like to try some of my other Asian appetizer recipes. Chicken and shrimp wontons and classic egg rolls are delicious too.

steamed shrimp dumplings on a plat with a bowl of dipping sauce

Since steaming doesn’t require any oil, these shrimp dumplings are a fairly healthy choice for an appetizer. They’re a good source of protein, and they are low in calories. Steaming helps preserve the nutrients (and you don’t get the excess fat from frying).

Ingredients Needed:

Soy Sauce: Use reduced-sodium soy sauce.
Rice Vinegar: Be sure to look for “seasoned” rice vinegar.
Green Onions: You’ll be using both white and green parts of the green onion.
Sesame Seeds: Toast them. To toast sesame seeds, place them in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, shaking the pan and stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes
Shrimp: You’ll need medium, raw, peeled shrimp with the tails removed (fresh or frozen thawed).
Water Chestnuts: Canned water chestnuts (whole or sliced) will be just fine.
Fresh Ginger: It’s easiest to peel and mince ginger when it’s frozen.
Dry Sherry: Substitutes for dry sherry include dry vermouth or a dry white wine. A non-alcoholic sub would be sherry vinegar.
Oyster Sauce: Look for this in your market’s Asian products aisle.
Dark Sesame Oil: This can also be found in the Asian products aisle.
Garlic: You’ll need minced garlic. Use a fresh garlic clove to mince.
Egg White: This is a binder for the filling. It will help it all stay together.
Wonton Wrappers: Look for these in the refrigerator case or produce section of your grocery store. They’ll either be square or round.
Cornstarch: This is just used for a non-stick dusting.

four photos showing making filling for dumplings and then stuffing dumplings

How to make Steamed Shrimp Dumplings:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

Make the dipping sauce. Just whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and then set it aside.
Next, make the filling. You’ll need a food processor. Add all of the other ingredients except the wonton wrappers and cornstarch to the bowl of the food processor. Process until smooth.
Lay the wonton wrappers on a flat surface (I like to use parchment paper). Add a teaspoon of the filling to the center of each won ton wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrapper with water, then fold the wrapper over the filling to make a triangle or half-circle (depending on the shape of your wonton wrappers). Press the edges to seal. You should be able to make about 36 shrimp dumplings.
Place all of the prepared dumplings on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper and lightly dusted with cornstarch. Place some damp paper towels over the dumplings to help prevent them from drying out.

three photos showing steaming shrimp dumplings and bowl of sauce

Set a steamer basket in a saucepan over 1-inch of boiling water. Add some dumplings to the steamer basket, making sure not to add too many at once. Put the lid on top and steam for about 7 minutes, until cooked through. If a toothpick inserted into the dumpling comes out clean, they’re done. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce!

Recipe Tips

Don’t use cooked shrimp.
There are recipes out there for making the wonton wrappers homemade, but it’s not really necessary. The store bought wrappers work just fine. Recommended wonton wrapper brands are Wyzen or Dynasty.
Be creative with your dumpling filling. Another good combination is shrimp combined with ground pork. Ground chicken can be used too.
Don’t overstuff the wrappers.
You can use either a bamboo steamer or a metal steamer insert.
Make sure you don’t overcrowd the steamer with the dumplings. They may stick together if there are too many.
Chili oil can also be used as a dipping sauce.
Steamed shrimp dumplings should be eaten when they’re made. They aren’t as good eaten as leftovers or re-heated.

steamed shrimp dumplings on plate with bowl of sauce

What’s the difference between steamed dumplings and potstickers?

The dough for potstickers is often thicker and chewier than dumpling dough. Potstickers are pan-fried on one side before steaming. Then the cooking process is finished by frying in oil. Dumplings can be pan-fried, but they are usually boiled or steamed.

Can you freeze dumplings?

Yes! When you have the filled dumplings on the baking sheet, place it into the freezer. Let the dumplings freeze solid, and then you can drop them into a large plastic freezer bag to be cooked later. They can be frozen for up to three months.

chopsticks dipping steamed shrimp dumpling into sauce

How to pan fry dumplings:

Heat avocado or canola oil (or any neutral oil) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the dumplings in the skillet. Brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Add a cup of water, cover the pan and steam for 4 to 5 minutes. Uncover when the water has mostly evaporated, and serve!