Steamed Mandu (Korean Pork and Beef Dumplings)

Homemade Korean dumplings filled with ground pork and beef, tofu, napa cabbage, green onion, garlic and ginger, folded into rounds and steamed until tender. Makes about 30.

Plate of steamed Korean mandu dumplings folded into rounds
  • Prep 1 hr
  • Cook 25 min
  • Total 1 hr 25 min
  • Yield About 30 dumplings, 6 servings

Jump to: Ingredients | Instructions | Tips | Questions | Print recipe

Mandu are Korean dumplings, and making them is a family event in Korea, especially for the Lunar New Year. The filling here is a juicy mix of ground pork and beef lightened with crumbled tofu and napa cabbage, seasoned with garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil.

Store-bought round wrappers make the job easy. The traditional shape is a half-moon with the two corners pinched together into a little round, but a simple half-moon tastes just as good. Make a big batch and freeze some for later.

Ingredients

Filling

  • 2 cups finely chopped napa cabbage
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, for the cabbage
  • 7 ounces firm tofu, drained
  • 8 ounces ground pork
  • 8 ounces ground beef
  • 3 green onions, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dumplings

  • 30 to 35 round dumpling wrappers (about 3 1/2 inches)
  • Small bowl of water, for sealing
  • Napa cabbage leaves or parchment, for lining the steamer

Dipping sauce

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)

Instructions

  1. Salt the cabbage. Toss the chopped cabbage with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let stand for 15 minutes. Squeeze it hard in a clean kitchen towel to remove as much water as you can.
  2. Press the tofu. Wrap the tofu in the towel and squeeze it firmly over the sink until crumbly and dry.
  3. Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, tofu, pork, beef, green onions, garlic, ginger, egg, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until well blended and slightly sticky.
  4. Fill. Hold a wrapper in your palm and place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center. Wet the edge with water, fold the wrapper over into a half-moon and press the edges firmly to seal, squeezing out any air.
  5. Shape. For the traditional round shape, dab a little water on one corner of the half-moon, bring the two corners together around your fingertip and pinch them to seal. Set the finished dumplings on a floured tray, not touching.
  6. Steam. Line a steamer basket with cabbage leaves or parchment and bring 2 inches of water to a boil underneath. Steam the dumplings in batches, leaving space between them, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the wrappers are translucent and the filling reaches 160°F.
  7. Serve. Stir together the dipping sauce ingredients and serve with the hot dumplings.

Tips

  • To freeze, set the uncooked dumplings on a tray in the freezer until hard, then transfer to a bag. Steam them from frozen for 14 to 16 minutes.
  • Cover the stack of wrappers with a damp towel while you work so they do not dry out and crack.
  • For crisp-bottomed mandu, pan-fry the steamed dumplings in a little oil until golden underneath.

Questions about this recipe

What is the difference between mandu and Chinese dumplings?
They are close cousins. Korean mandu fillings usually include tofu and often kimchi or glass noodles, and they are commonly shaped into rounds or added to soups.
Can I make kimchi mandu?
Yes. Replace the cabbage with 1 cup of finely chopped, squeezed kimchi and leave out the 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the filling.

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