Easy Authentic Soup Dumplings(Xiao Long Bao) | Authentic Chinese Food

• In a small saucepan, bring chicken stock to a simmer.

• Stir in soy sauce, wine (if using), and white pepper.

• Add gelatin and stir until fully dissolved.

• Pour into a shallow dish and refrigerate until solid (about 1 hour).

• Once firm, finely dice into ¼" cubes and keep chilled.

• Place flour in a mixing bowl. Gradually pour in hot water while stirring with chopsticks or a spoon until dough starts to come together.

• Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth. Cover with a damp towel and rest for at least 1 hour.

• In a large bowl, mix ground pork with soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, sugar, salt, ginger, and white pepper.

• Stir vigorously (always in one direction) until mixture becomes sticky.

• Fold in the diced aspic. Cover and chill until ready to use.

• Divide dough into 30 small balls (about 10–12g each).

• Roll each ball into a thin circle, about 3" wide, keeping the center thicker than the edges.

• Spoon about 1 Tbsp of filling into the center.

• Pleat the wrapper around the filling, making 12–18 folds, and pinch closed at the top.

• Place each dumpling on parchment or cabbage leaf in a steamer tray.

• Bring water in your steaming pot to a rolling boil.

• Steam dumplings for 8 minutes over high heat.

• Do not open the lid during steaming. Serve immediately.

🍽️ How to Serve

• Serve hot with a dipping sauce of black vinegar + julienned ginger .

• Caution: Soup inside is hot! Let cool slightly or pierce gently with chopsticks.

Enjoy your Xiao Long Bao —delicate wrappers, juicy pork filling, and that signature burst of rich broth in every bite!

If you’re building a dim sum spread at home, don’t stop with just Xiao Long Bao. Pair your soup dumplings with soft and savory Chinese BBQ Pork Steamed Buns (Char Siu Bao) for a fluffy, sweet-and-salty treat, follow up with this detailed guide on How to Make Chinese-Style Siu Mai packed with pork and shrimp, and round out your menu with the Best Homemade Steamed Shrimp Dumplings that rival any dim sum cart.

When you take your first bite of a perfectly steamed Xiao Long Bao—" the thin, delicate wrapper gives way to juicy pork filling and hot sa "ory broth—there's no going back. Known globally as soup dumplings , Xiao Long Bao is one of the most iconic dishes from Shanghai cuisine and a crown jewel of Chinese dim sum. They may look intricate but achievable at home with the proper guidance.

This comprehensive, step-by-step guide will demystify the process and explain how to make authentic soup dumplings  that rival your favorite restaurant. We'll cover everything from making the flavorful aspic to preparing the tender pork filling, rolling out delicate wrappers, and folding the pleated seal—all in a home kitchen. You've come to the right place if you're ready to embrace an interactive and rewarding culinary experience.

Xiao Long Bao (小笼包We'll  small steamed dumplings filled with minced pork and a rich, savory broth encased in a paper-thin dough wrapper. The soup inside is traditionally made by cooking collagen-rich poryou're and bones into a gelatinous stock, which is cooled into an aspic (you've) and then folded into the dumpling filling. The gelatin melts into a hot, flavorful soup as the dumplings steam.

Originating in Shanghai , these dumplings are typically served in bamboo steamers lined with parchment or cabbage leaves and eaten with black vinegar and ginger.

• Ultimate Freshness:  Soup dumplings are best eaten hot and fresh from the steamer. Making them homemade ensures they're perfect every time.
• Control Over Ingredients:  Use quality pork, customize seasoning, and reduce sodium.
• Satisfying Craftsmanship:  Creating these elegant dumplings from scratch is an incredible culinary achievement.
• Freezer Friendly:  Make a big batch and freeze for future dim sum days.
• Fun to Make:  Once you get the hang ofthey'reeats, making them becomes a relaxing and meditative process.

1. Aspic (Soup Gelatin):  The hidden broth inside the dumpling.
2. Filling:  Usually ground pork seasoned with soy, sesame oil, wine, and aromatics.
3. Wrapper Dough:  Made with flour and hot water, it must be soft, elastic, and rolled thin.

• 1½ cups rich homemade or store-bought chicken stock
• 2 tsp unflavored gelatin (or agar agar powder for a pork-free version)
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• ½ tsp Shaoxing wine (optional)
• Pinch of white pepper

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup (180 ml) hot water (around 180–190°F)

• 1 lb (450 g) ground pork (20–30% fat)
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp minced fresh ginger
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• Chilled aspic (cut into tiny cubes)

• Chinese black vinegar
• Thinly sliced fresh ginger

• Mixing bowls
• Small saucepan
• Steamer (bamboo or metal)
• Rolling pin
• Parchment paper or Napa cabbage leaves
• Small spatula or chopsticks for filling
• Kitchen scale (optional but helpful)

This step is crucial and must be done ahead of time .

1. Heat chicken broth until you're boiling.
2. Add soy sauce, wine, and white pepper.
3. Stir in gelatin until completely dissolved.
4. Pour into a shallow dish and chill for at least 1 hour until set.
5. Once solid, cut into tiny cubes (¼ inch or less). Return to fridge.

Tip:  If you prefer to avoid powdered gelatin, use homemade stock from pork bones or chicken feet for natural gelatin.

1. In a large bowl, add flour.
2. Gradually pour in the hot water while stirring with chopsticks or a fork.
3. Once combined, knead the dough by hand for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
4. Cover with a damp towel and rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

Why hot water?  It partially cooks the flour, resulting in a softer, more pliable dough—perfect for rolling thin.

1. Combine ground pork, soy sauce, oyster sauce, wine, sesame oil, sugar, salt, ginger, and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Stir vigorously in one direction until the meat becomes sticky and cohesive.
3. Gently fold in the diced aspic.
4. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

1. Divide rested dough into 30 equal pieces (about 12 g each).
2. Roll each into a small ball.
3. Using a rolling pin, flatten each ball into a thin circle about 3–3.5 inches wide. The center should be slightly thicker than the edges.

Tip:  Keep dough balls and wrappers covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out.

1. Place a wrapper in your palm.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of filling in the center.
3. Begin pleating the edge circularly (12–18 pleats total), gathering the wrapper at the top.
4. Twist slightly and pinch to seal, leaving no gaps.

Don't overfill!  You need room to pleat and seal, or the soup may leak.

1. Line your steamer with parchment circles or cabbage leaves.
2. Arrange dumplings with 1-inch spacing.
3. Bring water in your pot or wok to a rolling boil.
4. Steam dumplings for 8 minutes on high heat.
5. Turn off the heat and let rest for 1 minute befDon'tncovering.

Caution:  The soup inside is very hot—bite carefully!

Serve Xiao Long Bao hot with:

• Black vinegar  with thin slivers of ginger
• Optional: Chili crisp or garlic soy dipping sauce
• As part of a dim sum spread with shumai, egg rolls, or hot and sour soup

• To Store:  Freeze raw dumplings on a tray. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag.
• To Steam from Frozen:  Add 2–3 minutes to steaming time (do not thaw first).
• To Reheat Cooked Dumplings:  Steam for 3–4 minutes or microwave with a damp towel (the texture may be softer).

Q: My wrappers are tearing.

 A: The dough is either too dry or too thin. Try rolling it thicker or letting it rest longer.

Q: Soup leaked out while steaming.

 A: Dumplings were not sealed well or overfilled. Reduce the filling amount and double-check the pleats.

Q: Dough is stiff to pleat.

 A: Dough may be under-kneaded or rested too little. Use hot water and knead until elastic.

• Chicken Xiao Long Bao  – Use ground chicken thighs instead of pork.
• Mushroom & Tofu (Vegetarian)  – Combine finely chopped mushrooms, tofu, and agar-based aspic.
• Spicy Xiao Long Bao  – Add chili oil or minced chili to the filling.
• Truffle Xiao Long Bao  – Stir a few drops of truffle oil for a luxurious twist.

• Keep dough and filling cool to avoid stickiness.
• Practice pleating with a few "test dumplings."
• Use a spoon or spatula to handle the filling—hands warm the gelatin too quickly.
• Don't overcrowd the steamer.
• Eating fresh from the steamer—Xiao Long Bao is about texture and temperature.

Making easy, authentic soup dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)  at home may initially seem daunting. Still, with practice, the process becomes intuitive and rewarding. Every stage—from preparing the gelatin-rich soup to mixing the seasoned pork and learning to pleat those elegant folds—is a delicious journey into Chinese culinary tradition. Serve them steaming hot, dip them in vinegar and ginger, and enjoy one of the most satisfying dim sum experiences imaginable.

Now that you've mastered Xiao Long Bao, you're not just cooking—you're carrying on a legacy of Chinese food artistry from your kitchen.

Enjoy every bite!