These fried dumplings are a nice weekend project that can be streamlined if you make the filling ahead of time. Marinade and cook the chicken thighs one day, chop and store in the fridge and then make the dumpling wrappers, assemble and fry them up the next day! You can also shortcut the recipe by using store-bought char siu sauce or wonton wrappers. Just adjust the fry time to be 1 to 2 minutes long as the wrappers are thinner. But if you can, I highly recommend making the sauce and the wrapper from scratch. The end result is worth it! Any leftover char siu chicken be saved and served as the main protein on a grain bowl or over rice for a quick meal. Or just snack on it, which is what I do!
1 3/4cupsall-purpose flour245 g (plus more for rolling out the dough)
3/4cupwarm water
To fry
Vegetable oil
To serve
Sambal oelek sauce, sriracha sauce or a hot Asian chili sauce of your choice
Instructions
Make the filling marinade by combining all the ingredients for the filling except for the chicken things together in a large bowl. Stir with a fork until blended.
Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours, overnight.
Meanwhile preheat an oven to 425°F. Line a small rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking oil. Once the thighs have finished marinating, remove them from the bowl, letting any excess marinade drip back into the bowl, and place chicken flat on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the thighs are cooked fully and there is no signs of pink on the inside. If you have an instant read thermometer, the temperature should read 165°F at the thickest part.
While the chicken is cooking, pour the marinade into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute at full boil to make sure it’s safe to use in the filling, then set aside to cool. The sauce will thicken.
Once the thighs are done cooking, pull them from the oven and let them cool slightly. Pull them off the pan and cut them into 1/2-inch chunks. Add the chopped chicken into the pan with the cooked sauce. Scrape any juice and drippings from the baking pan into the saucepan with the sauce and chicken chunks as well and stir to coat and mix completely. Set aside to cool completely. You can refrigerate the filling at this point overnight if you want.
While the filling is cooling, making the wrapper dough by combining the flour and water together in a large bowl. Stir with a fork until a dough gathers.
Dust a clean surface and place the dough on it. Knead the dough with the heel of your hand, adding flour as it gets a little sticky. You want to knead the dough until it is smooth, about 4 to 5 minutes. Don’t worry if the dough is still a little sticky once you are done.
Once done, divide the dough into 24 pieces. I do this by first dividing the dough in half, then each half into half again (turning them into 1/4 pieces of the whole). Then I divide each quarter into 6 pieces. Cover the dough with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap as you work to keep it from drying out. Dust the surface with flour and roll one small lump into a rough 4-inch circle.
Place 2 teaspoons of the filling into the center of the circle. Dip your finger into some water and wet the edge of the wrapper circle all the way around. Gather the dough together, pinching the edges together
Twist the top until the filling is completely enclosed in the dough. Set aside and repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Cover the dumplings with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap as you work to keep it from drying out.
Once all the dumplings are made, pour vegetable oil into a deep saute pan or Dutch oven up to 1 1/2-inches deep. Turn the heat to high and bring the oil to 350°F. Once the temperature is reached, pick up a dumpling and place it in the oil, releasing the dumpling after it has been placed in the oil. Do not drop the dumpling in the oil. If you drop the dumpling in the oil, it will splatter and you have a great chance of burning yourself. If you place the dumpling in the oil, then release it, it will slide into the oil without splashing.
Fry the dumpling in batches, trying not to add too many dumplings at once into the oil, as that will crowd the oil and drop the temperature too fast. Fry until golden brown about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and place on a wire rack with a rimmed baking sheet underneath, or a large platter with paper towels to absorb any oil.
Serve with your choice of hot chili sauce or Asian hot sauce.