You need to make your own Siu Mai with Pork and Shrimp (燒賣) if you love Chinese dim sum. The filling is easy to make and it is quick to wrap. That way you can have lots of dumplings and eat them whenever you crave them (freeze whatever you can’t finish!)
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
My Cantonese dad taught me how to make this recipe and the taste is so much better than the ones you get at a dim sum restaurant! His special tip is to make sure you mix the filling at least 50 times in one direction. This helps with myosin development. Another tip is to slowly add in water while you mix to ensure the juiciest dumpling.
Serve shrimp siu mai with Har Gow (蝦餃) – Shrimp Dumplings, Turnip Cake (Loh Bak Go), and Pork With Black Bean Sauce for a classic dim sum feast! For those who love a heartier meal with noodles, try my Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup (云吞面) recipe!
Ingredients
Here’s a look at what you need to make this Siu Mai. Our family recipes uses the best ingredients (lots of shrimp and juicy pork) to ensure the dumplings are juicy and delicious. The highlights are here but the full ingredient list and quantities of each are in the recipe card.
- Filling – use ground pork or hand-minced pork for the inside of the siu mai. Try to look for a higher fat concentration to ensure juicy dumplings. Other meats like chicken or beef are not commonly used so I am unsure what the taste would be like.
- Egg – used to bind the pork together!
- Cornstarch – makes the pork smooth and tender. I recommend to not substitute this with other types of flour.
- Aromatics – this is what makes the siu mai taste authentic. You can find ginger chicken bouillon, soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce at almost all asian grocery stores like 99 ranch or Hmart. Overall the seasoning is light to make the shrimp shine!
- Wonton wrappers – Thin Hong-Kong-style Dumpling or Wonton Wrappers is used for siu mai! You can find them in the refrigerated or frozen section of the asian grocery stores. I get mine at 99 ranch!
Substitutions and Variations
- Add wood ear mushroom and shiitake mushrooms. Traditionally these two ingredients are added in the siu mai you get at Chinese dim sum. I omitted both of the shrooms to make things easier and quicker because they need to be soaked in water prior to making the filling.
- You can add minced carrot on top of the siu mai (or tobiko) to make the dumpling beautiful!
How to Make Shrimp Siu Mai
Step 1: Peel and de-vein the shrimp. Chop shrimp in 1 inch pieces.
Step 2: To make the pork filling, mix together ground pork, chopped shrimp, minced ginger, 1 egg, soy sauce, salt, oyster sauce, neutral oil, corn starch, sesame oil and chicken bouillon.
Step 3: Mix your filling at least 50 times in one direction. Slowly incorporate the water.
Step 4: To wrap the wonton wrappers, you need a little bit of water in a bowl. Paint the edge of the wonton wrapper with the water. This helps the wrapper stick together.
Step 5: Add 1 tablespoon of the pork filling in the center. Place the siu mai on a flat surface and make it stand tall.
Step 6: You can also make a ‘C’ with your hand and place the siu mai in the center. Scrunch the sides and make sure it stands tall.
Step 7: Sprinkle some flour on a plate or tray. Place the wrapped siu mai on the surface and make sure they’re not touching.
Step 8: Place 4-6 siu mai on a plate (don’t let them touch) with lettuce or parchment lining the plate. Then, place a wire rack in a pot of water. Put the plate on top of the wire rack and steam on medium high heat for 12-15 minutes. Eat them while hot and freeze the rest until you want to eat them again.
Pro Tip: Steam your siu mai on a piece of lettuce or cabbage for more flavor. You can also use parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Freezing Instructions
Before wrapping the siu mai, add some flour to the plate to prevent sticking. Adding the siu mai on a floured surface is helpful to transfer to a steamer.
Keep them on the same floured plate and place in the freezer. The next day when the siu mai is frozen, transfer them in an airtight container or bag.
Expert Tips
- Use at least 20% pork fat and 80% pork meat to ensure your dumplings are juicy. The pork fat adds juiciness! My dad even purposely chops more pork fat to add in the filling.
- Mix your filling at least 50 times in one direction to ensure myosin development. This will ensure a tender filling.
- If you can’t eat all your siu mai at once like me, freeze them. See freezing instructions in the paragraph above.
- Add some wood ear mushroom in the siu mai for some texture to the siu mai!
Recipe FAQs
Use thin round or square wonton wrappers (often labeled as “shumai” or “Hong Kong-style”). Avoid thick dumpling wrappers—they won’t steam as delicately.
Siu Mai (or Shumai) is a type of traditional Chinese dumpling, most commonly found in Cantonese dim sum. It’s an open-faced steamed dumpling made with a thin wheat wrapper filled with a flavorful mixture of ground pork, shrimp, mushrooms, and seasonings.
I recommend to add some black vinegar or add some of our chili oil (my family’s Jia You chili oil is the best)!
Yes, you can use a metal steamer, instant pot, or even a DIY setup with a colander over a pot of boiling water and a lid. Just ensure the plate of siu mai are elevated above the water.
Check Out More Chinese Recipes
- Shrimp and Pork Wontons in Spicy Sauce – juicy wontons coated in spicy sauce that adds savoriness and sweetness.
- Chinese Peanut Dumpling (KOK CHAI 角仔) – dumplings with a crispy exterior and sweet peanut filling.
- Cheung fun (腸粉) – HK Rice Noodles – soft rice noodles coated in creamy, savory and sweet sauce.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Shrimp Siu Mai
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 pound ground pork or hand minced pork
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil avocado or vegetable
- 1½ tablespoon corn starch
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ pound shrimp cut & de-veined, cut in small pieces
Siu Mai Assembly
- 1 packet wonton wrappers (20 dumpling wrappers)
- tobiko or finely minced carrots (optional) for garnish
Instructions
- Peel and de-vein the shrimp. Chop shrimp in 1 inch pieces.
- To make the pork filling, mix together ground pork, chopped shrimp, minced ginger, 1 egg, soy sauce, salt, oyster sauce, neutral oil, corn starch, sesame oil and chicken bouillon.
- Mix your filling at least 50 times in one direction. Slowly incorporate the water.
- To wrap the wonton wrappers, you need a little bit of water in a bowl. Paint the edge of the wonton wrapper with the water. This helps the wrapper stick together.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the pork filling in the center. Place the siu mai on a flat surface and make it stand tall.
- You can also make a 'C' with your hand and place the siu mai in the center. Scrunch the sides and make sure it stands tall.
- Sprinkle some flour on a plate or tray. Place the wrapped siu mai on the surface and make sure they're not touching.
- Place 4-6 siu mai on a plate (don't let them touch) with lettuce or parchment lining the plate.
- Then, place a wire rack in a pot of water. Put the plate on top of the wire rack and steam on medium high heat for 12-15 minutes. Eat them while hot and freeze the rest until you want to eat them again.
Video
@cookwithdana Anyone missing dim sum (yum cha) during this pandemic 🙋🏻♀️ #comfortfood #homecooked #dimsum #chinesefood #dumplings #shrimp #cantonese
♬ Love Scenario – Smyang Piano
Notes
- Use at least 20% pork fat and 80% pork meat to ensure your dumplings are juicy. The pork fat adds juiciness! My dad even purposely chops more pork fat to add in the filling.
- Mix your filling at least 50 times in one direction to ensure myosin development. This will ensure a tender filling.
- If you can’t eat all your siu mai at once like me, freeze them. See freezing instructions in the paragraph above.
- Add some wood ear mushroom in the siu mai for some texture to the siu mai!
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