Kimchi Mandu (Pork and Kimchi Dumplings)
Juicy pork and tangy kimchi folded into thin wrappers, fried until crisp underneath and steamed until tender on top.
Made with Chinese chilli oil and Kimchi. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £3.33 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Use your ready made kimchi (see the base recipe). Squeeze it hard in your fist or a clean tea towel to remove the liquid, then chop it finely. Wet filling makes soggy, hard to seal dumplings.
- 2
In a large bowl, mix the chopped kimchi with the pork, tofu, spring onions, garlic, 1 tbsp soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Mix well with your hands for 1 minute until sticky and even. Fry a small spoonful to taste and adjust.
- 3
Put 1 level tablespoon of filling in the middle of a wrapper. Wet the edge with a fingertip of water, fold over and press firmly to seal, pushing out any air. Repeat with all 24, keeping the finished ones under a damp cloth.
- 4
Heat the vegetable oil in a large non stick frying pan with a lid over a medium high heat. Add half the dumplings flat side down and fry for 3 minutes until golden underneath.
3 min - 5
Pour in half the water, cover straight away and steam for 5 minutes until the wrappers look glossy and the pork is cooked through. Remove the lid and cook for 1 minute more to crisp the bases.
5 min - 6
Repeat with the remaining dumplings. Stir the rice vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce and your ready made chilli oil (see the base recipe) together for the dipping sauce. Serve straight away.
Tips
- Squeezing the kimchi dry is the most important step. Keep the squeezed liquid and add a spoonful to the dipping sauce.
- Check the filling is cooked by cutting one dumpling open. Pork should be white all the way through with no pink.
- Wrappers dry out quickly, so cover them with a damp tea towel while you fold.
Storing and freezing
Keep cooked dumplings in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat in a hot frying pan until piping hot. Freeze uncooked dumplings on a tray, then bag them, for up to 2 months and cook from frozen with 2 extra minutes of steaming.
Questions
Can I boil or steam these instead of frying?
Yes. Drop them into boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes until they float and the filling is cooked through, or steam on baking paper for 10 minutes. Frying gives the crisp base most people love.
Are these gluten free?
No, dumpling wrappers and soy sauce contain wheat. Ordinary kimchi base is gluten free, but the wrappers are not, and gluten free dumpling wrappers are hard to find in UK shops.
Can I use beef or chicken mince?
Yes. Chicken mince works well, though it is leaner, so add 1 tsp extra sesame oil. Beef mince gives a richer, more savoury filling.
Which kimchi is best here?
Well fermented, sour kimchi has the most flavour and holds up against the pork. Fresh kimchi works but tastes milder.
More made with chinese chilli oil
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.