Home-styleEasy 60 min serves 4

Corn Pork Dumplings (Yu Mi Zhu Rou Jiao)

Name: Corn Pork Dumplings (Yu Mi Zhu Rou Jiao)
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Home-style Chinese
Ingredients: round dumpling wrappers; ground pork (20% fat); sweet corn kernels (frozen, thawed); carrot, finely diced; scallions, finely sliced; fresh ginger, minced; light soy sauce; cornstarch; toasted sesame oil; white pepper; fine sea salt

玉米猪肉饺 · yù mǐ zhū ròu jiǎo

家庭快手版 · Home version: Home versions use frozen or tinned sweet corn and keep the kernels whole so they pop between the teeth. Restaurant versions often blend half the corn into the pork for sweetness throughout, which tastes sweeter but loses the texture that makes the dumpling interesting.

This is the dumpling you make for children, and it works because sweet corn does something no vegetable in a Chinese filling does: it stays sweet after boiling. Everything else — cabbage, chives, celery — turns savoury. So the filling needs almost no help: pork, corn, a little carrot for colour, and restraint with the salt so the sugar in the corn reads clearly.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

More pork recipes →More dumplings & buns →Quick & Easy Kid-Friendly

Ingredients

round dumpling wrappers饺子皮🏮 asian500 g
ground pork (20% fat)猪肉末（二分肥八分瘦）🛒 local400 g
sweet corn kernels (frozen, thawed)甜玉米粒（冷冻解冻）🛒 local200 g
carrot, finely diced胡萝卜（切细丁）🛒 local80 g
scallions, finely sliced小葱（切细）🛒 local40 g
fresh ginger, minced生姜（切末）🛒 local10 g
light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian20 ml
cornstarch玉米淀粉🛒 local10 g
toasted sesame oil香油🏮 asian15 ml
white pepper白胡椒粉🏮 asian2 g
fine sea salt细海盐🛒 local5 g

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

Pick a level and we'll show exactly how much to change — no more "适量".

Spice level

Saltiness

Oiliness

Make it vegetarian

Instructions

1Thaw the corn completely and pat it dry, then blanch the carrot dice 60 seconds and drain. Both must be dry before mixing.
处理玉米胡萝卜
🔍 Look for 10 分钟 · 10 minutes
Visual: 玉米粒饱满亮黄，表面无冰霜和生水；胡萝卜转为更深的橙色并略微变软Corn kernels are plump and bright yellow with no frost or surface water; carrot is a deeper orange and slightly softened
You know it's right when: Pressed on paper towel the kernels leave no damp ring
2Stir pork with soy sauce, ginger, white pepper and salt in one direction 3 minutes until sticky and glossy.
打肉上劲
🔍 Look for 3 分钟 · 3 minutes
Visual: 肉馅成为抱团的一整块，提起时是被拉长而不是散落Meat has become one cohesive mass that stretches rather than crumbles when lifted
You know it's right when: The spoon leaves a channel that slowly closes
3Fold in corn, carrot, cornstarch, scallions and sesame oil. Mix only until evenly distributed — overmixing bursts the kernels.
拌馅
🔍 Look for 3 分钟 · 3 minutes
Visual: 黄色玉米粒与橙色胡萝卜丁完整地嵌在粉色肉馅中清晰可见；没有白色淀粉条痕Yellow kernels and orange carrot sit whole and clearly visible in pink meat; no milky starch streaks remain
You know it's right when: 舀一勺能成团，但单颗玉米粒仍清晰地凸出表面A spoonful holds together but individual kernels still stand out from the surface
Stir gently at this stage. Burst kernels leak starch and turn the filling gluey.
4Place 1 tbsp filling in each wrapper, wet the edge, fold and pleat closed, pressing out trapped air as you go.
包饺子
🔍 Look for 20 分钟 · 20 minutes
Visual: 饺子平底坐稳、背部褶皱成弧形，面皮与馅心完全贴合，没有气泡Dumplings sit flat with a pleated curved back and the wrapper is in contact with the filling all over, with no air pockets
You know it's right when: Squeeze gently and the dumpling feels firm rather than puffy
5Boil in batches over high heat. Once they float, add a cup of cold water; on the second boil cook 2 minutes more and lift out.
煮饺子
🔍 Look for High heat 每批6-8分钟 · 6-8 minutes per batch
Visual: 面皮油亮微透，里面的玉米粒胀起并转为更深的金色Wrappers are glossy and slightly translucent and the kernels inside have swollen and turned a deeper gold
You know it's right when: 咬一口：玉米粒爆开，在咸鲜的肉馅里迸出甜味Bite one: the kernel pops and releases a sweet burst against the savoury pork

Tips

· Dry the corn properly — frozen kernels carry a lot of surface water.
· Go easy on the salt; the corn is already sweet and oversalting kills it.
· Fold the corn in last and gently, so the kernels stay whole.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Can I reduce the salt/soy in this recipe?

Yes — soy sauce is the main sodium source. Use light soy at 2/3 amount and finish with salt only to taste. Rinse canned/doubanjiang components if possible. Note: reducing soy also reduces color; a drop of dark soy or a pinch of sugar can restore depth without salt.

Source: HǎoWèi diet guide

Is there a vegan substitute for oyster sauce?

Yes — 'mushroom oyster sauce' (often labeled vegetarian/vegan) is sold in most Asian grocers and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets. It behaves 1:1 and adds the same glossy umami. Watch labels if you're also gluten-free; most brands are GF, some aren't.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

What's the difference between light and dark soy sauce?

Light soy (生抽) is the everyday salty seasoning — thin and salty, used in most recipes. Dark soy (老抽) is thicker, darker, slightly sweet, and used mostly for color (braises, fried rice). If you only buy one, get light soy. For dark soy's color: 1 tbsp light soy + a pinch of sugar + a few drops of molasses.

Source: HǎoWèi pantry guide