How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (2024)

If you’ve ever made any of my pan-fried dumpling recipes, you’ll know that I covet dumplings with golden brown crispy bottoms. In my opinion, the best way to get the crispiest bottoms on dumplings is to cook them with a dumpling skirt.

The dumpling skirt (sometimes called dumpling lace) is a thin and crispy tuile-like layer that’s attached to dumplings when cooked. To create this lacey layer, you make a slurry (or batter) of water, flour, and a tiny pinch of salt. Then, pour the slurry around the dumplings that are pan frying and cover the dumplings with a lid to finish the cooking process. Once the water evaporates from the pan, you’ll be left with a thin web of golden crispy surrounding the dumplings.

Even the bottoms of the dumplings will stay crispy for longer when you cook the dumpling skirt!

How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (1)

TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE THE BEST DUMPLING SKIRT

THE SLURRY/BATTER

You only need water, flour and a tiny pinch of salt for the dumpling skirt slurry. The lace tastes noticeably better with a tiny pinch of salt. I tried experimenting with the slurry by adding garlic powder, but it didn’t add much flavor as the spices just burned during the cooking process. I also tried using various flour combinations and found that plain flour yields the crispiest dumpling skirt.

If you’d like to try making a skirt with another type of flour, try Andrea Nguyen’s recipe for a dumpling skirt. She uses rice flour instead of plain flour, which gives the skirt a subtle sweet flavor. The skirt tasted like a piece of thin rice paper that comes with a lot of Asian confections.

USE A NONSTICK PAN TO COOK DUMPLINGS

When cooking dumplings with the skirt, it is crucial that you use a nonstick pan with a lid. The skirt releases from the pan in one piece when you use a nonstick pan. Even when I used a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, the skirt still stuck to the bottom of the pan and it was a pain to scrape off.

COOKING THE DUMPLINGS

Heat the nonstick pan with 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan (my pan is 12”). Don’t be stingy with the oil. If you use less oil, the dumpling skirt won’t be as crispy and some of it may stick to the pan.

How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (2)

Once the pan is hot, arrange the dumplings on the pan. If you want to serve the dumplings all in one piece, make sure to concentrate the dumplings to the center of the pan. That way, all the dumplings will fit onto a plate when you invert the pan to release the dumplings. You can hover a plate over the dumplings to check to see if they all fit inside the plate.

Cook the dumplings for 2 to 3 minutes, until they start to turn golden on the bottoms. If you are using frozen dumplings, you may need to add an extra minute or 2.

How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (3)

Pour the dumpling skirt slurry throughout the pan, making sure that the slurry covers all the empty spaces between the dumplings. There will be a lot of splattering because you’re pouring liquid onto hot oil. Hold onto the pan’s lid and use it as a shield to block the splatter.

How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (4)

Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan with the lid, and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Then, uncover the pan. Some parts of the dumpling skirt may still be pale and the water might not have fully evaporated. Move the pan around to brown those areas that are still pale. Cook until everything is golden and all the water has evaporated.

FLIP THE DUMPLINGS ON A PLATE

Carefully place a large plate over the dumplings. Gently press down on the plate with one hand and grab onto the pan’s handle with the other hand. Flip the entire pan over the plate and carefully lift the pan to uncover the dumplings. The dumplings should release quite easily.

Enjoy the dumplings with my soy and vinegar dumpling sauce or sweet chili sauce!

How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (5)

DUMPLINGS THAT ARE PERFECT FOR PAN FRYING

  • Mixed Vegetable Potstickers
  • Pork and Cabbage Potstickers
  • Chicken Potstickers

How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (6)

5 from 9 votes

PRINTPIN

Servings: 1 batch

Crispy Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace)

The recipe below is good for 1 batch of dumplings. You can double up the recipe if you are making 2 batches. Any of the following pan-fried dumpling recipes will be great for cooking with the dumpling skirt: mixed vegetable potstickers, pork and cabbage potstickers, chicken potstickers, and .

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • tiny pinch of salt, about 1/16th teaspoon
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil, or any neutral oil
  • 12 to 15 dumplings

Instructions

  • Pour the water into a large cup with a spout (like a measuring cup) or a bowl. Add the flour and salt and whisk together.

  • Heat a large 12” nonstick pan over medium-high heat. It is crucial that you use a nonstick pan to ensure that the dumpling skirt releases from the pan easily. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and swirl the oil over the pan.

  • Line up the dumplings on the pan. Try to focus the dumplings towards the center of the pan to ensure that they all fit onto a large plate when you flip the dumplings onto the plate. Cook the dumplings for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottoms start to turn golden. If you use frozen dumplings, this may take an extra minute or 2.

  • Whisk the dumplings skirt slurry again. Next, hold onto the pan lid and use it as a shield as you pour the slurry over the pan. There will be a lot of splattering when you pour liquid over the hot oil in the pan, so use the pan lid to shield yourself from the splatters. Make sure to distribute the slurry evenly, ensuring that all the spaces between the dumplings are covered with the slurry.

  • Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan with the lid, and cook the dumplings for 5 to 6 minutes.

  • Uncover the lid. There likely will be some parts of the skirt that still look pale, where the water hasn’t fully evaporated. Move the pan around and focus the heat on those pale areas until they turn golden. Once the entire dumpling skirt looks golden, turn off the heat.

  • Carefully place a large plate over the dumplings. Gently place one hand over the plate and use your other hand to grab onto the handle of the pan. Flip the pan over quickly so that the dumplings are now over the plate. Lift the pan to release the dumplings (they should release easily).

  • Enjoy the dumplings immediately. Serve them with my soy and vinegar dumpling sauce or sweet chili sauce!

Video

Notes

  1. You can use a slightly smaller nonstick pan, but you might not be able to fit all the dumplings on the pan at once. Make sure there is a lid that properly fits the pan to ensure that the tops of the dumplings steam and cook properly. I usually use a 12” nonstick skillet by All-Clad that comes with a glass lid. It appears that they no longer make that exact model, but they make a version with a stainless steel lid.
  2. Don’t be stingy with the oil. If you use less oil, the dumpling skirt won’t be as crispy and some of it may stick to the pan. If you are using a small skillet (about 8 or 9 inches), you can reduce the amount of oil slightly.

Nutrition

Serving: 1batch | Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.5g | Protein: 0.6g | Fat: 21.1g | Saturated Fat: 1.6g | Sodium: 2328mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @hellolisalin or leave a star rating and comment on the blog!

Cuisine: Chinese

Category: Dumplings

How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (7)

Hello! I’m Lisa Lin

Here, you’ll find well-tested Asian recipes, pantry guides, and recipes from my sassy mother, Mama Lin. Through my recipes and cooking videos, I hope to honor the food and traditions that surrounded my Chinese American upbringing.

How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (8)How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (9)How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (10)How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (12)

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  1. Susan Dubose says

    Love! I made it with frozen dumplings so I haven’t tried the filling but the lacy skirt was such a hit. Will make the full recipe soon!

    Reply

  2. agg says

    aaaah, I use 2 tablespoons of flour 😀
    something went wrong

    Reply

    • Lisa Lin says

      It’s okay, next time!

      Reply

  3. sunnysusan says

    Greetings! The filling I haven’t tried since I used frozen dumplings, but the skirt was such a hit. Looking forward to making the full recipe!

    Reply

  4. Elaine Lin says

    How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (13)
    Love this video! Dumplings look so pretty with the skirt😄

    Reply

    • Lisa Lin says

      Thank you!

      Reply

  5. Elizabeth Lowe says

    Hi Lisa, Would you make a recommendation for store bought dumpling skins. I don’t have the patience for the homemade skins since we have a family of 6 and I just can’t make enough from scratch. I notice that the pot sticker skins tend to be really thick and was wondering should I use the Sui Mai skins or maybe the medium won ton skins cut into rounds? Would appreciate your suggestions, thank you.

    Reply

  6. Emily says

    I love steam dumpling but nowadays after reading your article crispy dumpling is my current favorite. I love this article and also dum dum dumpling.

    Reply

  7. Sugar says

    How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (14)
    Hello from the future!

    Past me: please take the warning about using a non-stick pan to heart! That thing you read about stainless steel being basically non-stick if heated well? ignore that. it won’t work, and you’ll end up soaking the pan in the sink to get the beautiful lacy bits unstuck.

    Reply

    • Lisa Lin says

      Oh no!! Yes, you absolutely need to use a non-stick pan for this recipe!

      Reply

  8. musicyo says

    How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (15)
    Greetings! The filling I haven’t tried since I used frozen dumplings, but the skirt was such a hit. Looking forward to making the full recipe!

    Reply

How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace) (2024)

FAQs

How to Make a Dumpling Skirt (Dumpling Lace)? ›

All you need is 1 tsp corn starch and 1 tsp flour mixed with 2-3 tbsp of water and then cover the bottom of the pan, once the dumplings turn golden brown. Put on the lid and cook until the water is fully evaporated. Remove the lid and serve upside down, if you're feeling adventures with the hot pan and slippery plate!

What is dumpling skirt made of? ›

To make the mixture that creates the dumpling skirt, create a slurry with water, cornstarch, flour, and salt. The cornstarch and flour tend to settle at the bottom so make sure to give it a quick stir before you pour it into the pan.

What are the 3 components of dumplings? ›

What are dumplings made of? The dumpling dough is made of three main ingredients: flour, water and salt.

What makes it a dumpling? ›

dumpling, small mass of leavened dough that is either boiled or steamed and served in soups or stews or with fruit. Dumplings are most commonly formed from flour or meal bound with egg and then simmered in water or gravy stock until they take on a light cakey texture.

Why are my dumplings not crispy? ›

If you want to get similar results at home, there are only two tricks you really need. First is to add a bit of extra starch to your dumplings. Dust them with cornstarch, shaking off the excess before the initial fry. Second is to use a non-stick skillet, or an extremely well-seasoned cast iron pan.

Why are my dumplings not fluffy? ›

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

Stir everything together until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and you don't see any more dry flour. The dough might look a little lumpy, but that's okay! Overworking the dough is one of the easiest ways to end up with tough dumplings.

What is the easiest dumpling shape? ›

The Half-Moon

This is the simplest fold but produces a very nice dumpling. Place the filling in the middle of the wrapper, fold over and seal. Done! If you are planning on cooking them like a potsticker, press the bottom onto a flat surface to form a flat “seat” so they can sit upright.

What is the fastest dumpling fold? ›

The half-moon fold

If you're just starting out learning how to fold dumplings, this simple half moon shape is the easiest (and fastest!) shape to achieve. Place your filling in the middle of the wrapper (not too much!), then fold the wrapper in half to form a semi-circle.

How do you flip dumplings? ›

Turn off heat. Carefully place a plate over the frypan and flip the dumplings onto the plate. Lift the pan and the dumplings should release easily.

What are the 3 main ways to cook dumplings? ›

A guide to cook dumplings in three ways – boiling, steaming, and pan-frying. Includes equipment needed and tips to make perfect dumplings every single time. We almost always have a bag of dumplings in the freezer – either store-bought or homemade ones.

How do you cook Auntie Dai dumplings? ›

Drop the dumplings into the boiling water while gently stirring the water to prevent the dumplings from sticking to the bottom of the pot. the filling is cooked through. Another good way to do it is to cook them for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute after the dumplings float to the top of the water.

Is it worth it to make your own dumplings? ›

Dumplings are the singular best food to make for (and with) a crowd: They're cheap, easy, beginner- and kid-friendly, and cook up super quickly. The more hands you have on deck, the quicker the dumplings come together and the faster you can get eating. So why don't more people make dumplings at home?

What is dumpling skin made of? ›

From-scratch dumpling dough requires only two ingredients — flour and water — and the water temperature yields different types of wrappers. Cold water is best for boiled dumplings because it causes the flour's proteins to form the gluten that makes dough chewy and able to withstand vigorously boiling water.

What are dumpling fillings made of? ›

Chinese cabbage, Chinese chive, fennel leaves, courgette, carrot, daikon, stem lettuce, aubergine, tomato, cucumber, celery, spinach, coriander, bamboo shoot…… The list goes on. For vegetarian versions of dumpling fillings, egg and tofu are popular sources of protein.

What are Thai dumpling wrappers made of? ›

All you need is flour and water to make AMAZING homemade dumpling wrappers. Once you realise how easy they are to make, you won't go back to store-bought. They're cheaper, fresher, easier to work with and much more tasty.

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