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Buffalo Chicken Dumplings
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I love anything with buffalo sauce from classic buffalo wings with blue cheese sauce, to cheesy buffalo chicken dip, fried buffalo chicken salad or even crispy buffalo cauliflower bites. These steamed buffalo chicken dumplings are inspired by an appetizer I had at Cafe Cluny in the West Village that combined two Eastern and Western favorites into one.
The dumplings are filled with a mixture of ground chicken, sautéed celery, carrots, green onions, and buffalo sauce. I serve the dumplings tossed in more buffalo sauce garnished with thinly shaved celery and carrots with blue cheese dressing for dipping. The tangy sauce offsets the heat of the dumplings for a satisfying snack perfect for a Saturday afternoon or Super Bowl party.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A twist on a favorite! If you love anything buffalo-style you will love these ground chicken dumplings tossed in buffalo sauce.
- Versatile! Steam them, boil them or pan-fry and steam them for serving!
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Ground chicken – Ground chicken is combined with carrots, celery, green onions and buffalo sauce for the filling of these dumplings. Ground chicken is a lean meat made with both dark and white meat. So I recommend sticking to ground chicken for the filling! Unfortunately, cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken make it harder to fill the dumplings.
- Dumpling wrapper – I use store-bought dumpling wrappers for this recipe. If you can’t find store-bought packages of dumpling wrappers, I recommend making your own using the dough recipe in my pork and chive pan-fried dumpling recipe. Wonton wrappers are square though they can be cut into circles. Packages of the wrappers can be stored in the freezer and thawed at room temperature just before using.
- Buffalo sauce – Buffalo sauce is made by whisking together hot sauce (preferably a vinegar based hot sauce like Frank’s Red Hot) with butter, vinegar, and Worcestershire in a small bowl. You can also simply use a bottle of store-bought buffalo sauce.
- Blue cheese dressing – I love homemade blue cheese dressing or store-bought blue cheese dressing with the dumplings for dipping.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pro Tip
There are many ways to fold a dumpling. If you want to go with speed rather than beauty, feel free to fold it like a taco, and then pinch the dumpling closed. Practice makes perfect!y
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Dumplings (Step-by-step instructions)
In a large bowl mix the chicken, celery, carrots, green onion, and buffalo sauce with your hands until just combined. Season the chicken mixture with salt and pepper.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside, then fill a small bowl with water to help seal the dumplings. Keep the dumpling wrappers covered with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out as you work. To fill the dumplings, work one at a time. Lay one dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand and use a finger to wet the edge of the wrapper with water. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of filling into the middle of the wrapper.
Fold the dumpling in half (like a taco) by bringing up the bottom to meet the top, pinching to seal it.
While firmly holding the seam with your thumb and index finger, use your index and the middle finger of your other hand to fold a portion of the wrapper towards the center of the seam to create your first pleat.
Continue to pleat the dumplings 2 to 3 more times on one side. Repeat with the other side.
Once the dumpling is fully sealed, place it on the wax paper-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel to keep it from drying out. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
When ready to serve the dumplings, add water to a large skillet or wok and bring to a boil. Cut rounds of parchment paper or get special ones online and add to the steamer basket. Arrange dumplings in a circle over the top of the parchment paper, placing them about 1-inch apart. Add the steamer basket over the boiling water. Cover and steam on medium heat until the dumplings are cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Serve with 1/2 cup of warmed buffalo sauce, shaved celery, shaved carrots and 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion.
Tips and Tricks for The Best Buffalo Chicken Dumplings
- The dumplings will stick to the bamboo steamer basket if you don’t line it with something. I like using parchment paper with some holes cut out for the steam to escape though you can buy ones already prepped here. Leaves of Napa cabbage also work well.
- If you prefer ranch dressing, swap it for the blue cheese in this recipe.
How to Boil Dumplings
Boiling dumplings is an easy method to cook them if you don’t have a bamboo steamer basket. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Working in batches, add the dumplings and cook, until cooked through and they float, about 4 minutes.
How to Pan-fry Dumplings
While I steam these dumplings and toss them in buffalo sauce they can also be pan-fried, then tossed in the sauce. To make the buffalo chicken potstickers, the folded dumplings are first fried until they’re golden brown and crispy on the bottom. Then water is added to the pan and covered with a lid so the dumplings steam and the filling cooks.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through.
- Arrange the dumplings in the pan in a tight circular pattern standing up in the oil, seam side up, with space between each.
- Cook, uncovered, until the dumplings are golden brown on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add ⅓ cup water to the pan, then cover tightly with a lid (do this quickly, as the liquid will splatter) and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the bottoms of the dumplings are crisp and golden and the meat inside is cooked through, about 7 minutes.
How to Freeze the Dumplings
If you aren’t eating the dumplings right away, be sure to freeze them so they don’t stick to the plate or baking sheet. In fact, I love keeping frozen dumplings on hand to cook for a quick lunch in a flash. They take just about the same amount of time to cook from frozen as from fresh. You can take them directly from the freezer and proceed with the cooking directions for steaming, boiling or pan-frying.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using either round or square dumpling wrappers (I use round in my instructions). You can even use egg roll wrappers cut into quarters if dumpling wrappers aren’t available.
Yes! I provide instructions for steaming, boiling, or pan-frying and steaming (potsticker-style).
They’re typically medium-spicy, thanks to hot sauce mixed into the filling. You can easily adjust the heat level by varying the amount of buffalo sauce
Yes! Prepped dumplings can be frozen and cooked directly from frozen. You can steam, boil or pan fry and steam them. Wait to cook them and toss them in sauce until just before serving.
I toss the steamed dumplings in buffalo sauce then serve with blue cheese (or ranch) for dipping! Or you can spread the sauce in the serving dish and serve them over the top.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this buffalo chicken dumpling recipe, I recommend checking out these:
Tried it? Loved it? Tweaked it? Leave a review below and tell me how it went – I’m all ears (and always hungry).
Buffalo Chicken Dumplings
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Equipment:
- Bamboo steamer basket (if steaming dumplings)
- Steamer basket liner (or you can use parchment paper)
Ingredients:
For the dumplings:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ⅓ cup finely diced celery
- ¼ cup finely diced carrots
- ¼ cup sliced green onions
- 3 tablespoons buffalo sauce
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- 35 circle dumpling wrappers
For serving:
- ½ cup buffalo sauce, warmed
- Shaved celery
- Shaved carrots
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
Instructions:
For the dumplings:
- In a large bowl mix the chicken, celery, carrots, green onion, and buffalo sauce with your hands until just combined. Season the chicken mixture with salt and pepper.
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside, then fill a small bowl with water to help seal the dumplings. Keep the dumpling wrappers covered with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out as you work.
- To fill the dumplings, work one at a time. Lay one dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand and use a finger to wet the edge of the wrapper with water. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of filling into the middle of the wrapper. Fold the dumpling in half (like a taco) by bringing up the bottom to meet the top, pinching to seal it.
- While firmly holding the seam with your thumb and index finger, use your index and the middle finger of your other hand to fold a portion of the wrapper towards the center of the seam to create your first pleat.
- Continue to pleat the dumplings 2 to 3 more times on one side. Repeat with the other side.
- Once the dumpling is fully sealed, place it on the wax paper-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel to keep it from drying out. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
For serving:
- When ready to serve the dumplings, add water to a large skillet or wok and bring to a boil. Cut rounds of parchment paper or get special ones online and add to the steamer basket.
- Arrange dumplings in a circle over the top of the parchment paper, placing them about 1-inch apart. Add the steamer basket over the boiling water. Cover and steam on medium heat until the dumplings are cooked through, about 8 minutes.
- Serve with 1/2 cup of warmed buffalo sauce, shaved celery, shaved carrots and 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion.
Notes:
Nutrition:
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Nutritional information: 818 kcal; total fat 8.3g; 1.9g saturated fat; cholesterol 81mg; total sugars 0.5g; protein 45.6g.
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Football season is coming up, and I can recommend these buffalo chicken dumplings as the perfect snack for game days!