Sweet and Sour Ground Lamb Dumplings

This post is sponsored by American Lamb Board. 

On a visit to Shanghai, China a few years ago, my husband Aaron and I took a food tour where we were introduced to Western Chinese cuisine from places like Xi’an, a cuisine that heavily features lamb in its dishes. My eyes were opened to the presence of Muslim culture and the halal food that is found in that part of China. The combination of Chinese and Muslim cuisines influenced this recipe where I combine classic Asian dumplings with a sweet and sour seasoned lamb filling.

Dumplings do take some time to make so I love making them on weekends when I have more time to dedicate to cooking. Aaron and I use it as a project that we get to do together – with our hectic schedules we rarely have time to cook together during the week so it makes the perfect Sunday funday activity.

Sweet and Sour Ground Lamb Dumplings

About American Lamb

Look for American lamb at your local butcher or grocery store. Ground lamb is best used within two days of purchase. Those who are skeptical of lamb should give ground lamb a try, as it has a mild flavor and is less gamey than some other cuts.

I prefer American lamb to that is raised and imported from places like New Zealand and Australia. When lamb is bred in states like Texas, California and Colorado, the resulting product is much closer to my local grocery store or butcher shop than lamb that has to be shipped from other countries.

How to Freeze and Reheat This Recipe

I love this recipe because the dumplings can be made ahead of time and easily frozen until ready to boil. They can be added to the pot frozen so no need to wait for them to defrost. It’s great to make a batch and eat half now and save half for later!

How to Make Sweet and Sour Lamb Dumplings

For the dumplings:

1. Make the filling. In a medium mixing bowl combine the lamb, shaoxing wine, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, green onions, coriander, Sichuan pepper, white pepper and eggs with hands until completely combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Fill the dumplings. Fill a small bowl with water. Working one wrapper at a time, place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center, brush the edges with the water, and fold the wrapper in half, forming a triangle. Next, overlap the opposite corners, brushing with water to seal together. Repeat with the remaining wrappers until all of the lamb mixture has been used.
3. Boil the dumplings. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Working in batches, add the wontons and cook, until firm and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Continue until all of the wontons have been cooked.

For serving:

1. Make the chili oil. Combine the canola and red pepper in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until the oil is fragrant and the oil turns a pale red but the red pepper flakes are not burnt, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat then strain the red pepper flakes from the oil and discard. Store the chili oil in an airtight container until ready to use.
2. Assemble and serve. Add dumplings to a bowl and serve topped with chili oil, Chinese black vinegar, green onion and cilantro.

Enter American Lamb’s Sunday Funday giveaway here! We had taken a dumpling making class together one weekend a while back so we like to put our skills to the test. We turn on some Sunday football, sit and fill the dumplings assembly line style – I hate to admit it, but his dumplings usually turn out better than mine (he has more patience when it comes to crimping the wrappers – luckily the ones in this recipe are merely pinched together).

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Juicy Pork and Chive Pan-Fried Dumplings
• Spicy Sichuan Wontons with Chili Sauce
• Pork Potstickers
• Chinatown, NYC Food Tour

Sweet and Sour Ground Lamb Dumplings

Print Pin

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Serves 4

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

For the dumplings:

• 1½ pounds ground lamb
• 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine*
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon roasted ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 36 (3½") wonton wrappers

For serving:

• ½ cup canola oil
• 3 tablespoons crushed red pepper
• ¼ cup Chinese black vinegar
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Handful cilantro leaves

Instructions:

For the dumplings:

• In a medium mixing bowl combine the lamb, shaoxing wine, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, green onions, coriander, Sichuan pepper, white pepper and eggs with hands until completely combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Fill a small bowl with water. Working one wrapper at a time, place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center, brush the edges with the water, and fold the wrapper in half, forming a triangle. Next, overlap the opposite corners, brushing with water to seal together. Repeat with the remaining wrappers until all of the lamb mixture has been used.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Working in batches, add the wontons and cook, until firm and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Continue until all of the wontons have been cooked.

For serving:

• Combine the canola and red pepper in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until the oil is fragrant and the oil turns a pale red but the red pepper flakes are not burnt, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat then strain the red pepper flakes from the oil and discard. Store the chili oil in an airtight container until ready to use.
• Add dumplings to a bowl and serve topped with chili oil, Chinese black vinegar, green onion and cilantro.

Notes:

*Note: Shaoxing rice wine is a sweet wine that can be found at most liquor stores. If it is not available then substitute the rice wine with sake or sherry.

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