Blanket Dumplings with Chili Crisp & Green Onion
These blanket dumplings with chili crisp & green onion skip the fold-and-pleat routine most dumpling recipes ask for. You drape a wonton wrapper straight over a seasoned ground chicken meatball (like a blanket, hence the name) and let a covered skillet do the rest.
These little guys are ready in about 35 minutes, finished with chili crisp, soy sauce, and a heavy hand of green onion. 😙🤌
Quick Look: Blanket Dumplings with Green Onion & Chili Crisp
- 🍔 Serves: 2 people (about 10 dumplings each)
- ⭐ Features: High-Protein, Dairy-Free, Quick Weeknight Dinner
- ⌛️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 💥 Cook Time: 15 minutes
- 🕑 Total Time: 35 minutes
- 👩🍳 Skill Level: Easy
- 🏆 Why make THIS version? No need for a fancy dumpling fold here. You drape the wrapper straight over a seasoned meatball, and you're DONE! So easy and rewarding.
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Key Ingredients
- Ground turkey (or chicken) - Either works here. I like ground chicken for how much seasoning it soaks up, but turkey holds its shape just as well if that's what's in your freezer.
- Green onion - Goes in twice, once mixed straight into the filling and again piled on at the end. The second hit is the one that actually matters (it stays sharp and fresh against all that heat).
- Garlic and ginger (finely grated) - Grated instead of minced so they melt into the filling instead of sitting in little chunks. I use the same approach in my maple garlic chicken wings; garlic this fresh barely needs any help.
- Chili crisp - The backbone of the whole dish, once in the filling, once on the plate. I've been working it into breakfast lately too; it's what makes the egg on my crispy smashed sweet potato pancakes and my chili crisp breakfast waffle worth getting up for.
- Soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and rice vinegar - The three that round out the filling without any single one taking over. The sesame oil especially; it's toasted, not raw, so a little goes a long way.
- Wonton or dumpling wrappers - The whole point of this recipe. They're thinner and more forgiving than they look, basically the same learning curve as the rice paper I use in my bacon, egg, and cheese rice paper dumplings.
Substitutions & Additions
- Ground pork instead of chicken or turkey - Works well here too. Just drain a little extra fat out of the pan before adding the stock; pork renders more as it cooks.
- Round gyoza or egg roll wrappers instead of square wonton wrappers - Either works. Square wrappers just leave a few little corners sticking up, which crisp up nicely against the lid.
- Extra ground chicken - If a pound goes further than this recipe needs, I use the same lean, well-seasoned base in my high-protein McChicken smash tacos, pressed thin and pan-seared instead of wrapped.
How To Make My Blanket Dumplings
This is an overview of the recipe steps. All ingredient measurements and detailed process steps are provided in the recipe box below.
- Mix the filling ingredients together in a large bowl: ground chicken or turkey, green onion, garlic, ginger, black pepper, chili crisp, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and salt, until everything is combined and slightly sticky.
- Portion the filling into even balls using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, and place them directly into a large skillet or shallow pan.
- Drape a wrapper over each ball and press the edges down to seal, tucking them around the sides so the wrapper blankets the filling completely.
- Pour the stock into the pan, working it around the base of the dumplings rather than over the tops.
- Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the wrappers are tender and the chicken or turkey is cooked through.
- Remove the lid and let any extra liquid cook off for a minute or two, it tightens the sauce clinging to the wrappers instead of leaving them sitting in broth.
- Drizzle with chili crisp, soy sauce, and sesame oil. This is the same chili oil and sesame combination that makes my spicy sesame noodles good plain, so don't be shy with it here either.
- Top with green onion and sesame seeds, then serve immediately while the wrappers are still soft and the filling is juicy.
Blanket Dumpling with Chili Crisp & Green Onion FAQs
Yes. Gyoza wrappers work almost identically, just round instead of square. Rice paper behaves differently since it needs moisture to soften before it's workable, so if you go that route, dip each sheet briefly before draping it rather than using it dry.
Usually it's one of two things: the wrapper dried out before it went on (keep the stack covered while you work), or it got stretched too thin pressing it down. Press from the center outward instead of pulling at the edges; it seals better and tears less.
Something simple. A bowl of rice and a roasted vegetable like broccolini or bok choy is all these actually need; the dumplings are doing enough work on their own. If you want another rice-forward option in the same savory, garlicky lane, my Korean marinated eggs and jasmine rice pairs well too.
Yes, the filling keeps in the fridge for up to a day. I wouldn't wrap the dumplings until you're ready to cook them, though; the wrappers soften and stick together if they sit too long before hitting the pan.
Keep cooked dumplings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a covered skillet with a splash of water over medium-low heat rather than the microwave; it brings the wrapper back to tender instead of rubbery.
Chef Josh's Expert Tips
- On wrapper handling: Keep the wrapper stack under a damp towel while you work, they dry out and crack fast once the package is open.
- On sealing: Press from the center out instead of pinching the edges first, that's what actually keeps the wrapper from tearing as it tucks around the meatball.
- On chili crisp: I lean on the same soy, sesame, and chili crisp combination in my miso soy sesame steak and eggs, so if you like it here, it's worth trying there too.
- On swapping proteins some nights: If you'd rather skip the wrapper step entirely, I build the same bold, garlicky flavor into sliced chicken in my chicken shawarma wraps.
If you like playing with wrappers, here's where I'd go next:
If you make this one, I really want to hear about it! Please leave a comment and ★★★★★ star rating below (that helps everyone else know what the favorites are). Feel free to tag me on Instagram too, so I can see your creations 😎.
Recipe
Blanket Dumplings with Chili Crisp & Green Onion
Ingredients
Method
- Combine the ground chicken or turkey with the sliced green onions (reserving some for topping), grated garlic, grated ginger, black pepper, ⅓ cup chili crisp, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon sesame oil, rice vinegar, and salt in a large bowl.
- Mix everything together by hand until well combined and the filling turns slightly sticky.
- Using an ice cream scoop, portion the filling into 20 evenly sized balls and arrange them directly in a large skillet or shallow pan.
- Lay a dumpling or wonton wrapper over each ball, gently pressing it down and tucking the edges around the sides so it blankets the filling completely.
- Pour the ¼ cup chicken stock or water into the bottom of the pan around the dumplings.
- Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the wrappers are tender and the chicken or turkey is cooked through.
- Remove the lid and let any excess liquid cook off for a minute or two.
- Drizzle with extra chili crisp, soy sauce, and sesame oil, then finish with the reserved sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve immediately while the wrappers are soft and the filling is juicy.
Notes
- Don't skip reserving some green onion for topping; it's what keeps this from tasting one-note after 15 minutes in a covered pan.
- A nonstick or well-seasoned skillet makes the dumplings much easier to lift out cleanly once they're done.
Nutrition
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I love this recipe because it's such an easy way to get that super-satisfying dumpling flavor and experience at home, in a short time, and with limited "skills"!