Hunan Dumplings are meat filled wontons generously covered in a sweet and spicy peanut butter sauce. A favorite in Quebec, they’ll no doubt win your heart!

Hunan Dumplings are meat filled wontons generously covered in a sweet and spicy peanut butter sauce. A favorite in Quebec, they'll no doubt win your heart!

I’m just about ready to bet that you have never heard of Hunan Dumplings before. I tried researching them online and didn’t find much information at all. To be honest, I’m not even sure that they are actually a thing in Asia, or wherever it is that they are supposed to originate from… but they sure are here in Quebec! They’re a HUGE favorite in Szechuan / Thaï restaurants. I’ll be sure to ask about their origin and history the next time I go to my favorite place!

But for the time being, you’re probably left wondering just exactly what are Hunan Dumplings? Simply put, they’re meat filled wontons generously covered in a deliciously thick, sweet and spicy peanut butter sauce. Deeeeeee-li-cious!

I’m telling you, if you’ve never tried them, you totally have to. I’ve no doubt that they’ll win you over, too! Especially if you’re a fan of peanut butter!

They are a food of love, though, and take a little bit of time to make, especially since you have to form all the little dumplings. But trust me, they are worth every single second you’ll spend in the kitchen, and then some!

Hunan Dumplings by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com 

Obviously, you’ll need to start by making the dumplings. Traditionally, I think that they are made with ground pork, but since I couldn’t find any rock solid information to confirm that and had ground beef on hand that needed to be used up, I chose to use ground beef that day. However, my preference definitely goes to pork and next time I make them, I will definitely use ground pork. You, however, can feel free to use whichever you prefer!

Hunan Dumplings by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com 

So just combine your ground meat, along with some minced ginger, green onions, garlic, sesame oil, tamari sauce, fish sauce, sambal oelek (if you have) and ground white pepper; mix with your hands or large spoon until well combined.

If you had the patience, or say it was a particularly rainy, boring day, you could very well double or triple that recipe and freeze the extra dumplings… just be sure to get enough wrappers!

Hunan Dumplings by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com 

Next, lay 9 to 12 wonton wrappers on a work surface and place about half a teaspoon of stuffing right in the center of each wrapper.

Where do you find wonton wrappers, you ask? Well, most grocery stores carry them in the frozen aisle, but if you’re not having any luck, try your local Asian grocery store. There, you’re absolutely certain to score!

If you end up getting the frozen wrappers, though, be sure to plan on letting them spend a good night in the refrigerator so they get a chance to thaw before you get started…

Hunan Dumplings by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com 

Ok now for the tricky part… brush the edges of each wonton with a little bit of milk and then fold the wrappers in half, bringing one corner slightly past the center of the opposing edge (see picture above for visual reference). Press to seal, taking care to remove as much air as you can.

Brush a little bit more milk on both sides of the edges of the folded wontons and then crimp that edge “accordion” style to form a little purse, pressing lightly as you go to ensure that they stick well.

Hunan Dumplings by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com 

Repeat with the rest of the wonton wrappers until you run out of stuffing. You should have enough stuffing to make about 48 dumplings.

While you are working, be sure to keep the wrappers and finished dumplings covered with a damp cloth to ensure that they don’t dry out.

Hunan Dumplings by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com 

Once all the dumplings are done, you can choose to cook them immediately or refrigerate or freeze them to cook at a later time; to do that, simply place them on a lined baking sheet and make certain that they do not touch until they are completely refrigerated or frozen to prevent them from sticking together. If refrigerating for more than a few hours, cover them well with plastic film to prevent drying out. If freezing, transfer the dumplings to a resealable plastic bag or airtight container as soon as they are completely frozen.

Refrigerated dumplings will keep for maximum of 24 hours, while the frozen ones will keep for up to several months. You can cook the frozen dumplings directly from the freezer without thawing them first.

Hunan Dumplings by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com 

To cook the dumplings, bring plenty of salted water to a roaring boil. Then, delicately add the dumplings to the boiling water and boil until fully cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes for fresh dumplings, 6 to 8 minutes for frozen.

Hunan Dumplings by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com 

While the dumplings are cooking (you might actually want to get started as soon as you put that water to boil) make the sauce by combining some creamy peanut butter, honey, tamari sauce, water, rice vinegar, sesame oil, fish sauce, minced ginger, garlic and crushed chili peppers in a small saucepan.

Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until smooth and creamy.

Hunan Dumplings by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com 

Remove the cooked dumplings with a slotted spoon, letting excess water drip, and immediately place them in a large serving plate or shallow bowl.

Hunan Dumplings by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com 

Pour the peanut sauce directly over the dumplings, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve without delay.

Hunan Dumplings by Sonia! The Healthy Foodie | Recipe on thehealthyfoodie.com 

Unfortunately, these dumplings really do not reheat well, so I strongly recommend that you eat them while they are still fresh; not that I think you’ll have any problems doing that!

Still, if you’re not planning on eating all the dumplings right away, you’d be better off cooking only the amount that you need and use only as much sauce as you want. Any leftover sauce you can then reheat over low heat and use over more freshly cooked dumplings!

Or eat it by the spoonful while no one’s looking, and make more when you feel like having Hunan Dumplings again…

Hunan Dumplings are meat filled wontons generously covered in a sweet and spicy peanut butter sauce. A favorite in Quebec, they'll no doubt win your heart!

Hunan Dumplings are meat filled wontons generously covered in a sweet and spicy peanut butter sauce. A favorite in Quebec, they'll no doubt win your heart!
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4.92 from 12 votes

Hunan Dumplings

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Hunan Dumplings are meat filled wontons generously covered in a sweet and spicy peanut butter sauce. A favorite in Quebec, they'll no doubt win your heart!
Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the dumplings

For the peanut butter sauce

Instructions

To make the dumplings:

  • In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dumplings (except for the wrappers and milk) and mix with your hands or large spoon until well combined.
  • Lay 9 to 12 wonton wrappers on a work surface and place about half a teaspoon of stuffing right in the center of each wrapper. Brush the edges with a little bit of milk and then fold the wrappers in half, bringing one corner slightly passed the center of the opposing edge (see picture in post for visual reference). Press to seal, taking care to remove as much air as you can.
  • Brush a little bit more milk on both sides of the edges of the folded wontons and then crimp the edge "accordion" style to form a little purse, pressing lightly as you go to ensure that they stick well.
  • Repeat with the rest of the wonton wrappers until you run out of stuffing.
  • Be sure to keep the wrappers and finished dumplings covered with a damp cloth while you are working to ensure that they don't dry out.
  • Once all the dumplings are done, you can choose to cook them immediately or refrigerate or freeze them in airtight containers to cook at a later time; just make certain that they do not touch until completely refrigerated or frozen to prevent them from sticking together. Refrigerated dumplings will keep for maximum of 24 hours, while the frozen ones will keep for up to several months. You can cook the frozen dumplings directly from the freezer without thawing them first.

To make the sauce

  • Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until smooth and creamy. Note that you can make the sauce while the dumplings are cooking.

To cook the dumplings

  • Bring plenty of salted water to a roaring boil; Delicately add the dumplings to the boiling water and boil until fully cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes for fresh dumplings, 6 to 8 minutes for frozen.
  • Remove the cooked dumplings with a slotted spoon, letting excess water drip, and place them in a large serving plate or shallow bowl. Pour the sauce directly over the dumplings, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve without delay.

Nutrition

Calories: 377kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 859mg, Potassium: 251mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 20IU, Vitamin C: 0.7mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 2.6mg
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Asian
Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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