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Succulent shrimp, garlic, ginger, water chestnuts, and more come together in this delicately flavorful, subtly sweet, classic shrimp shumai recipe. Put your hands to work and make these adorable dim sum dumplings like a pro.
There’s nothing quite like dim sum. Those cute bamboo baskets holding all kinds of steamed and fried chinese favorites. There’s usually something for everyone on the cart but shrimp shumai is one of my favorites.
A subtly sweet yet savory mixture of shrimp and water chestnuts is joined by a montage of goodies that each contribute something special to these delicate dumplings. Garlic and ginger provide a punch of flavor while oyster sauce lends some sweetness and soy sauce kicks in with that umami, saltiness loved by many. Finish it off with the sweet acidity of rice wine vinegar and a pinch of white pepper and you’ve got your self some shumai to write home about.
Why You’ll Love These Chinese Dumplings
These delightful little pockets are so tasty and easy to make. They are hard not to love. Here are some of the best things about them in my opinion.
- Quick and easy. Shrimp Shumai might look fancy, but in just 30 minutes and 3 easy steps, you will have produced a dish that not only looks good but tastes just like your favorite dim sum version.
- Versatile. If you aren’t a shrimp lover, you can easily adapt this recipe by using a different filling. Try this mushroom and pork version!
- No mess. The cleanup for this recipe is almost nonexistent. Neither the filling nor the gyoza wrappers leave much of a mess behind. Just wash the food processor and the steamer and you’re done.
What Is Shumai?
Shumai is a traditional Cantonese dish often served at Chinese dim sum restaurants. Gyoza wrappers are filled with protein (usually shrimp or pork) and wrapped such that only the top is left uncovered. They are then steamed and enjoyed with dipping sauce.
Recipe Ingredients
Here is a list of the ingredients needed to make shrimp shumai. Scroll to the recipe below for more details.
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Shrimp
- Water chestnuts
- Soy sauce – Feel free to use coconut aminos instead if you can’t tolerate soy.
- Oyster sauce
- Rice wine vinegar
- White pepper
- Gyoza dumpling wrappers (round)
How to Make Shrimp Shumai
It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3. Make the filling, fill the gyoza wrappers, and steam the whole kit-and-kaboodle. That’s it! I’ll walk you through the steps briefly here, but make sure to scroll to the recipe below for more detailed instructions.
- Make the filling. Pulse the garlic, ginger, shrimp, and water chestnuts in a food processor before adding the soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar, and pepper and pulsing again to combine.
- Fill the gyoza wrappers. Place a bit of filling in the center of each gyoza wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wrappers and pinch them toward the center, leaving just the top exposed.
- Steam. In batches, steam the dumplings for 8-10 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through.
Tips for Success
Here they come! Tips and tricks to set you up to make the best shrimp shumai possible.
- Don’t overfill the wrapper. Overfilling the wrappers will make them hard to close, leaving you with dumplings that are likely to fall apart.
- Don’t over-mix the filling. Pulse the filling enough to combine the ingredients, but not past that. If you pulse too much, you will end up with a gummy filling.
- Wet the edges of the wrapper. If you skip this step, the wrapper will not stick to itself and so will not properly seal the filling inside.
- Steam on high. Steam these dumplings over high heat. This will shorten the cook time and preserve proper texture and flavor.
Can You Make These In Advance?
You can! You can make the filling the day before so that, when you are ready to make the shumai, all you have to do is fill the wrappers and pop the dumplings in the steamer. Another makeahead option is to make the filling, fill the wrappers, and freeze the dumplings on a cookie sheet. Once they are fully frozen, seal them in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy, no need to thaw. Just steam for about 10 minutes.
What to Serve With Shrimp Shumai
This delicious dim sum classic is delicious as is dipped in soy sauce or my favorite dumpling sauce, but serve it up with a couple of other Chinese classics to make it a complete meal. Here are some of my favorites.
- Spicy Chinese Cucumber Salad
- Chinese Curry Pockets [咖哩餃]
- Mantou 饅頭 (Chinese Steamed Buns)
- Crab Rangoon
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
These dumplings are best served fresh. If you have leftovers you can store them in the freezer or the refriderator. Here’s how to properly strore and reheat shrimp shumai.
- Storing. If storing in the refrigerator, coat the dumplings lightly in canola oil, garlic oil, or light sesame oil to prevent them from sticking to one another. Next, seal them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If storing in the freezer, arrange the steamed shumai in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating. Regardless of if they were refrigerated or frozen, it is best to reheat the dumplings in the steamer. Just steam for 3-4 minutes or until heated through (frozen dumplings will take a bit longer). In a pinch? Go ahead and use the microwave.
More Traditional Chinese Recipes
Dim sum not quite your thing? That’s totally fine! There are so many great, traditional Chinese recipes out there. Try one of these this week.
- Orange Beef and Broccoli
- Pork Katsu
- Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Easy Kung Pao Chicken
- Orange Chicken
Shrimp Shumai
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- ½ pound (227 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ⅓ cup (75 g) water chestnuts, drained
- 1 ½ teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 16 round gyoza dumpling wrappers
Instructions
- Add the garlic, ginger, shrimp and water chestnuts to a food processor and pulse to chop. Add in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar and pepper and pulse until well combined.
- Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each dumpling wrapper. Wet your finger and moisten the edges of the wrapper. Pinch the wrapper in towards the center, leaving the top of the dumpling exposed. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.
- Set a steamer over a pot of simmering water. Place the dumplings about 1 inch apart (you’ll have to cook them in batches) and steam for 8-10 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked through. Serve immediately with dipping sauce of choice.
I dont have a steamer what could I use instead ?
hi Mitzi, unfortunately that’s the only way to make these.