Learn to make Cantonese pork siu mai dumplings with aromatic pieces of Chinese sausages. The ingredients are simple with store bought wrappers and ground pork, with other ingredients that can easily found in your pantry. The dumplings are topped with capelin roe for that restaurant feel and look.
Easy Cantonese Siu Mai
My recipe creates about 20 Cantonese-style dumplings and each siu mai packs a juicy bite for your next dim sum feast at home. It can be made ahead of time to freeze, and can be steamed at your convenience from freezer to table in less than twenty minutes.
I will go over the techniques on how to shape and assemble the dumplings for steaming or freezing.
What is the difference between Siu Mai, Shao Mai and Shumai?
Siu mai (also spelled as siumaai) is the Cantonese pronunciation and version of the open faced dumpling that is a must order dish at dim sum restaurants across the globe. The Cantonese version is typically pork based, with variations that include shrimp or mushrooms. Shao mai is the Mandarin pronunciation.
Shumai is typically referred to the Northern-Chinese style dumplings that are filled with glutinous (sticky) rice amongst other ingredients, and looks like a little vase with a flower-like top.
In Hong Kong, a popular version is made with fish paste which is available at many street food stands in the city. I need to have this on a future visit!
There are various versions of this famous dumpling depending on the region in China, and even countries such as Japan and the Philippines have their own version.
Read the Wikipedia notes on the history of the Shumai.
In all versions, the dumplings are steamed as the cooking technique.
Where I learned to make siu mai
As a child, we had dumpling making weekends which included making the traditional “jiaozi” style, as well as the Cantonese siu mai dumplings. This gave me a first hand in making them at home.
Fast forward to many later years, I got more hands-on experience…and from a world famous chef. In 2014, I was invited by renowned Chef Susur Lee with a small group of bloggers to his Chinese restaurant ‘Luckee’, located downtown Toronto. I was lucky enough to have dined at Luckee multiple times in the past and the food there is top notch. During that event, we learned how to make a chicken siu mai topped with scallops and black truffles inside his restaurant kitchen (Susur Lee’s siu mai recipe here).
Some flashback photos of the event:
We got to eat what we made in the class and the dumplings were phenomenal! The assembling technique and the trick to snip the corners of the square wonton wrappers (will talk more about that later) has stuck with me.
There are no black truffles in this recipe, but this version is still an impressive one. You got to make it!
This recipe is tried and true. I have taught families how to create this siu mai recipe during a Family Day virtual cook-a-along event this year (Instagram post of the my siu mai class ), and have talked about the dumplings during my Lunar New Year TV Segment on The Social CTV, a Canadian National talk show (watch the The Social CTV Segment here).
Why is this siu mai recipe easy to make?
Move over dim sum take out, make the restaurant version at home! This pork version is super juicy and bouncy. The Chinese sausages gives the dumpling the extra oomph in flavour and texture.
Not only are the dumplings delicious, most of the seasoning are ingredients that can easily be found in your pantry or fridge.
I have used square wonton wrappers which are readily available at Asian groceries across Canada. Look for the ones that have more of a yellow tint from the egg, as the yellow wrappers are most similar to how the Chinese dim sum restaurants present their dumplings. It is really for aesthetics rather than taste, so get what you can find at the stores. Round wonton wrappers is also a great option.
RECIPE INFO
Ingredients
- Ground pork
- Chinese sausage
- Store-bought wonton wrappers
- Sugar
- Salt
- Hoisin sauce
- White pepper
- Soy sauce
- Vegetable oil
- Water
Toppings:
- Masago (capelin roe)
- Cilantro leaves
Ingredient Substitutions
Meat
I have used medium ground pork to create extra juicy jumplings, but you can use lean ground pork, as well as other ground meat such as chicken or turkey.
The addition of the Chinese cured pork sausage gives the filling texture and intense savoury and sweetness to the filling. Feel free to omit if you cannot get your hands on them.
Great substitutes include shrimp, dried shrimp, or shiitake mushroom. Black pepper is a great option over white pepper as well.
Wrappers
The recipe uses the square wonton wrappers, but round wonton or generic dumpling wrappers work as well.
Toppings
The recipe uses masago and cilantro, but fresh scallions are a great option to keep the dish simple while providing a nice garnish.
Making vegetarian siu mai
Vegetarian siu mai dumplings are not common at dim sum restaurants, but it does not mean you cannot make it your own. The idea is to create the texture of the vegetables to be “paste-like” so that the fillings can replicate the meat filling. This allows the filling to stay intact in the wrapper for steaming. I suggest a combination of tofu, bok choy, broccoli, napa cabbage and cornstarch as the binder for the filling.
To create the paste, finely chop the ingredients and squeeze as much liquid to create a good paste. Adjust the cooking time accordingly, as the veggie version will cook in about half the time of the meat ones.
Techniques to create the siu mai
- Creating the filling is easy as there is minimal preparation work. The meat and the diced Chinese sausages are mixed together in a bowl with seasoning. The Chinese sausages do not need to be pan fried in advance to save time. Water is incorporated to create a juicier dumpling. The mixture can be used right away or can be kept in the fridge overnight.
2. For the square wonton wrappers, snip the four corners which will help create a cleaner presentation. Thank you again Chef Susur Lee for this tip!
3. To create the siu mai, place the wonton wrappers in the palm of my hand and take a spoonful of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. From there, create a “letter C” with your other hand, and carefully hug the wrapper upwards around the filling. Use a spoon to flatten the top.
Cantonese Siu Mai prep 
That is it! From here, you can steam the dumplings right away. You can also keep them in the fridge for a few hours before steaming, or freeze them for later.
How to freeze the siu mai?
To freeze, place the siu mai dumplings single layer on a baking tray (ideally non-stick) and keep it in the freezer until frozen (about 1-2 hours). Once frozen, keep them in resealable plastic bags in the freezer until your cravings hit. When you are ready to steam them, the dumplings can be conveniently steamed from frozen without the need to thaw them first.
The cooked siu mais are topped with capelin roe and cilantro leaves to keep the vibrant colour.
How to steam the Cantonese style siu mai dumplings
In this recipe, I used a bamboo steamer lined with napa cabbage leaves. I like bamboo steamers as the basket can be placed directly onto a pan with water without a trivet, and it absorbs extra moisture. As a bonus, they are beautiful and can be served as is on your table. They can be found at many Asian grocery stores in multiple sizes, or a restaurant supply store. Any type of dedicated steamer set up will work as well.
If you don’t have a steamer, you can create one by simply using a trivet in a pan of boiling water and a tight fitting lid. Line your dish with lettuce, parchment paper with holes, or parchment pieces before adding the raw siu mai for steaming.
The dumplings are steamed and ready in about 8-10 minutes. When the dumplings are ready, remove them from the heat right away or the condensation from the lid will cause the wrappers to come off of the meat mixture.
As I was prepping my camera to take photos, I do admit that I did keep the dumplings a minute too long with the lid on and the heat off, so a few of the the wrappers were starting to peel off.
How about dipping sauces?
I grew up eating Cantonese siu mai with hot sauce and spicy dijon mustard served at dim sum restaurants, and it is still the sauces of choice for me. Other great choices include yellow mustard, chili oil, or Worcestershire sauce.
Get ready to get your dim sum cravings satisfied by making incredible juicy and tasty siu mai dumplings at home! I am confident you will love this easy to make version!
Check out my other easy Chinese recipes:
- Snow pea leaves stir fry
- Chinese sweet and sour spare ribs
- Ong Choy (Chinese water spinach) stir fry with shrimp paste
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RECIPE
Cantonese Pork Siu Mai with Chinese sausages
Ingredients
- 1 (220 g) package of wonton wrappers (optional to cut the four corners)
- 1 pound (454g) ground pork (lean or medium)
- 1 (50g) Chinese sausage, small dice
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp hoisin
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp (5ml) soy sauce
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (60ml) water
Toppings
- ⅓ cup masago, capelin roe
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, rough chop
Instructions
-
Cut the four corners of the square won ton wrappers and set aside.
-
In a large bowl, add ground pork, the diced Chinese sausage, sugar, salt, hoisin sauce, white pepper, soy sauce, and vegetable oil. Mix well.
-
Incorporate the water into the meat mixture slowly and mix well until the meat becomes a paste. The meat can be used right away or can be placed in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap or add the mixture to an air tight container.
To assemble
-
Place the wonton wrappers in the center of your palm and add a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into the center of the wonton wrappers. Form a “C” shape with your other hand and squeeze the wrapper around the fillings. Use a spoon or knife to flatten the top of the mixture. Repeat.
Steaming
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To steam, line a steamer basket or dish with parchment paper squares or lettuce/napa cabbage leaves. Add the siu mai dumplings spaced out on the steaming basket. Add water to the steamer and turn the heat on high until the water boils. Add the steaming basket to the pan and place the lid on. Cook for 8 minutes or until done. Remove the lid.
-
Remove the basket from the heat. Top the dumplings with masago and cilantro leaves. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce.
To freeze
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After step #4, add the siu mai dumplings on a baking tray single layer making sure the dumplings do not touch each other. Place the tray in a freezer for a few hours before adding them into a resealable plastic bag.
Recipe Notes
Snipping the corners of the wonton wrappers will help create a cleaner look after steaming, but it is optional.
Did you make the recipe?
I’d love to hear from you! Write me a comment and rate my recipe below. Also tag me on Instagram @maryshappybelly #maryshappybelly.
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1 Comment
Chris David
April 4, 2022 at 1:39 amReally delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It’s really awesome