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Chicken Soup Dumplings (Juicy Xiao Long Bao Style)

Delicate steamed dumplings with a rich chicken-broth filling that bursts with soup — homemade xiao long bao made easy with a gelatin-stock trick and a simple pleating guide.
Print Recipe
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Gelatin Soup Stock (the "secret" ingredient)
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons unflavored gelatin powder about 4 packets / 28g
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (for the gelatin stock) for the gelatin stock
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt (for the gelatin stock) for the gelatin stock
For the Chicken Filling
  • 1 lb 450g ground chicken (thigh meat gives the juiciest result)
  • 1½ cups of the chilled gelatin stock cut into ¼-inch cubes
  • 3 scallions finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (for the filling) for the filling, finely grated
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (for the filling) for the filling
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt (for the filling) for the filling
  • ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
For the Dumpling Wrappers
  • 2 cups 250g all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
  • ¾ cup hot water not boiling water
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (for the wrappers) for the wrappers
For Serving
  • 3 tablespoons black vinegar Chinkiang
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (for serving) for serving
  • 1- inch fresh ginger (for serving) for serving, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

Method
 

  1. Make the Gelatin Soup Stock: Warm the chicken broth in a small saucepan until steaming (don't boil it). Sprinkle the gelatin over ¼ cup of the cold broth first and let it bloom for 5 minutes, then whisk it into the warm broth with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt. Pour into a shallow dish, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight) until firmly set. Dice into ¼-inch cubes — this jellied stock is what melts into hot soup inside the dumplings.
  2. Make the Dumpling Dough: In a large bowl, stir the flour and salt together. Pour in the hot water while stirring with chopsticks until shaggy clumps form. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth and soft (slightly tacky but not sticky). Cover with a damp towel and rest for 30 minutes — this relaxes the gluten so the wrappers roll out thin.
  3. Mix the Chicken Filling: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, minced scallions, grated ginger, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sugar, salt, white pepper, and cold water. Stir vigorously in one direction for 3–4 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky and paste-like — this builds the texture that keeps the filling juicy. Fold in the gelatin stock cubes gently (don't crush them) and refrigerate the filling while you roll the wrappers.
  4. Roll the Wrappers: Divide the rested dough into 4 portions, keeping the rest covered. Roll each portion into a log about 1 inch thick and cut into 6 pieces (24 total). Roll each piece into a thin 3½-inch round, keeping the edges slightly thinner than the center — this lets the pleats seal neatly while the base stays sturdy enough to hold the soup.
  5. Fill and Pleat: Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Pinch one edge up to form a first pleat, then work your way around, pleating and pinching the edges together — aim for 12–14 pleats — until you form a little purse shape. Twist the gathered top closed and pinch off any excess. Keep finished dumplings under a damp towel so they don't dry out.
  6. Steam and Serve: Line a bamboo steamer with perforated parchment or cabbage leaves. Arrange dumplings 1 inch apart (they shouldn't touch). Steam over boiling water for 8–10 minutes until the wrappers turn slightly translucent. Serve immediately with a dipping sauce of black vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger matchsticks. To eat: place a dumpling on your spoon, bite a small hole to release the steam and sip the soup, then enjoy with a little vinegar.