Are you looking for quick and easy snacks to make at home? A hot dish of Asian flare might be just what you need.
We love dumplings at our house, and we admit having a thing for Trader Joe’s frozen dumplings.
They’re cheap, easy to heat up, and we add a simple Asian slaw to make it a meal.
If you’re anything like me, you turn to frozen food when you’re pressed for time and hunger gets the best of you.
Dumplings are my favorite frozen snacks to buy because they’re the easiest to cook and come in a variety of flavors that are a delight for everyone’s taste buds.
It’s hard to go wrong when you’re preparing frozen dumplings because there simply isn’t much you can miss or mess up.
1. Steaming
If you’re looking for the most effortless way to cook frozen dumplings, then steaming is the way to go. All you need to do is put your dumplings in the steamer basket, wait for them to cook through, and they’re ready to serve.
What you will need:
- A large lettuce/cabbage leaf or parchment paper
- A steamer basket
- A large pot
- Parchment paper
- Oil
- 1 pack of frozen dumplings
Steps to steam frozen dumplings:
- Place your frozen dumplings inside the steamer basket.
Note: To prevent your dumplings from sticking to the bottom of the basket:
You can place small bits of parchment paper underneath the dumplings.
If you’re using a metal steamer, then coat it with a very thin layer of oil. - Boil water in a large pot and place your basket inside (after it comes to a boil).
- Set your timer depending on how long it will take the dumplings to cook through. It may be different for different types of dough.
If the dumplings are made out of wheat flour, then they shouldn’t take more than ten minutes to get steamed properly. Starch-based dumplings may take about 6 minutes only.
Learn how to steam frozen dumplings in an instant pot here.
2. Pan-frying
If you like crispy dumplings, then you should give pan-frying a try. Another name for pan-fried dumplings is potstickers. You’ll know they’re done cooking when they turn golden on the outside and become deliciously crisp.
What you will need:
- Oil
- Pan
- Cold Water, about 1 cup
- 1 pack of frozen dumplings
Steps to pan-frying frozen dumplings:
There are three steps you need to take when you’re pan-frying dumplings: Fry them, steam them, and then fry them again.
- Pour a little bit of oil in pan and put it over high heat.
- Gently place your dumplings in the pan one by one.
- Wait for about 30 to 60 seconds to check if they’re light brown on the bottom.
- If they are, then pour cold water in the pan, enough so that it covers about one-third of the dumplings, and close it with a lid.
- After all the water has evaporated, let the dumplings cook for another 30 to 60 seconds until they turn a beautiful golden brown color.
Tip: Use a pan with a thick bottom to make sure that each dumpling gets equal distribution of heat and gets cooked in the same time as others. You can also use non-stick pans if you’re afraid the dumplings will get stuck to the pan.
3. Air-Frying
You can cook almost anything in the air fryer from vegetables to meat to frozen dumplings. You don’t need to do much and the food comes out looking perfectly cooked every single time.
When you’re in the mood for dumplings but you don’t have enough time on your hands, get your air fryer to do the cooking for you.
What you will need:
- Air fryer (Isn’t this one cute? We are suckers for cute kitchen appliances.)
- Non-stick cooking spray or olive oil
- 1 pack of frozen dumplings (So many out there, but we love Trader Joe’s. Not sponsored–we just love theirs.)
Steps to air fry frozen dumplings
- Preheat your air fryer for about two minutes at 400 F.
- Spray non-stick cooking spray or brush olive oil on the air fryer basket and on the frozen dumplings as well.
- Place the dumplings in a single layer in the basket.
- Let them cook for about 8 minutes.
- If they don’t look like they’ve cooked through completely, then leave them in for another 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve these dumplings with your favorite choice of dipping sauce to truly bring the flavor to life.
You can also watch this video to see how you can air-fry them the right way.
How to serve dumplings
It’s hard to know what to serve your guests when they show up unexpectedly at your doorstep. But you don’t need to think long and hard if you have a pack of frozen dumplings stored in your freezer.
Cook them using any one of three ways mentioned above and serve them on white ceramic serving trays. It’s hard to go wrong with styling dumplings on a plate because all you need is some freshly chopped dill or chives to garnish on top.
You can also stir them into a hot bowl of soup or make a delicious pasta salad with them as the main attraction. Serve them with steamed vegetables, asian slaw, edamame, or rice for a hearty dish. If you get creative, then the possibilities are endless.
Or simply serve these delectable dumplings with simple and easy-to-make dipping sauces from ingredients you can find in your pantry. Here’s an idea:
Soy and Ginger Dipping Sauce[ii]
Pan-fried dumplings paired with this dipping sauce are a match made in heaven.
What You Will Need:
- 2 t of brown sugar
- ¼ t of sesame oil (this really enhances the flavor, but if you don’t have sesame oil on hand, you can use canola or olive oil)
- 3 t of rice vinegar
- ¼ c of soy sauce
- Optional: ¼ t. Lemongrass paste
Mix all of these ingredients together. No need to chill before eatig but you can reserve leftover sauce in a sealed container for up to a month in the refrigerator.
If you’re looking for more ideas for dipping sauces that go perfectly with dumplings, take a look at this video.
How to cook frozen dumplings
This is how to cook frozen dumplings on the stovetop.
Ingredients
- Oil
- Pan
- Cold Water, about 1 cup
- 1 pack of frozen dumplings
Instructions
- Pour a little bit of oil in pan and put it over high heat.
- Gently place your dumplings in the pan one by one.
- Wait for about 30 to 60 seconds to check if they’re light brown on the bottom.
- If they are, then pour cold water in the pan, enough so that it covers about one-third of the dumplings, and close it with a lid.
- After all the water has evaporated, let the dumplings cook for another 30 to 60 seconds until they turn a beautiful golden brown color.
Bottom Line
Frozen snacks are perfect for days when you want to grab a quick bite but you don’t want to step out of the house.
You just need to take a couple of minutes out of your schedule to prepare these dumplings and satisfy your hunger. It’s good to stock up. (This isn’t a sponsored post or anything, we just really like TJ’s dumplings.)
It’s important to know the correct way of cooking frozen food to bring out their natural flavor and make sure they taste nothing like they’ve just come out of the freezer. It’s completely up to you to decide if you want to pan-fry, air-fry or steam them.
[i] https://redhousespice.com/cook-dumplings/
[ii] https://www.marthastewart.com/334694/soy-ginger-dipping-sauce