CantoneseMedium 80 min serves 4

Shrimp Dumplings (Xia Ren Jiao)

Name: Shrimp Dumplings (Xia Ren Jiao)
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Cantonese
Ingredients: round dumpling wrappers; raw shrimp, peeled and deveined; ground pork (fatty); bamboo shoots, finely diced; scallion whites, minced; fresh ginger, minced; egg white; cornstarch; toasted sesame oil; white pepper; fine sea salt

虾仁饺 · xiā rén jiǎo

家庭快手版 · Home version: Home versions keep the shrimp roughly chopped so you get distinct bites of prawns, and add a little ground pork to bind. Cantonese teahouse har gow use a wheat-starch wrapper that turns translucent, and the shrimp are beaten to a paste — prettier, but a completely different texture.

The whole point of a shrimp dumpling is that it should taste of shrimp and nothing else, which sounds easy and is not. Anything strongly seasoned — garlic, five-spice, dark soy — flattens it. So the filling is deliberately quiet: white pepper, a whisper of sesame oil, salt, and a binder of pork and cornstarch to hold the juices in. Bamboo shoots are there for crunch, not flavour.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

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

More pork recipes →More egg recipes →More dumplings & buns →Make-Ahead Seafood

Ingredients

round dumpling wrappers饺子皮🏮 asian500 g
raw shrimp, peeled and deveined鲜虾仁（去壳去虾线）🛒 local350 g
ground pork (fatty)猪肉末（略肥）🛒 local150 g
bamboo shoots, finely diced竹笋（切细丁）🏮 asian100 g
scallion whites, minced葱白（切末）🛒 local25 g
fresh ginger, minced生姜（切末）🛒 local10 g
egg white蛋清🛒 local30 g
cornstarch玉米淀粉🛒 local12 g
toasted sesame oil香油🏮 asian12 ml
white pepper白胡椒粉🏮 asian3 g
fine sea salt细海盐🛒 local6 g

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

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

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Saltiness

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Instructions

1Pat the shrimp completely dry, then chop them by hand into rough ½ cm pieces — leave about a third in bigger chunks. Do not puree.
剁虾仁
🔍 Look for 8 分钟 · 8 minutes
Visual: 虾粒大小不均、油亮呈粉灰色，碎肉之间能看到明显的大块Shrimp are uneven, glossy and pale pink-grey with visible chunky pieces among the mince
You know it's right when: Pressed against paper, the shrimp leave no wet mark
2Mix shrimp, pork, salt and egg white, then stir hard in one direction 3 minutes until the mixture turns sticky and slightly springy.
打虾胶
🔍 Look for 3 分钟 · 3 minutes
Visual: 馅料由松散分离变为抱团略带弹性、能挂在勺上Mixture goes from loose and separate to one cohesive, slightly elastic mass that clings to the spoon
You know it's right when: Flick the bowl and the mass wobbles as one piece
3Fold in bamboo shoots, scallion whites, ginger, cornstarch, white pepper and sesame oil. Chill 20 minutes.
拌馅冷藏
🔍 Look for 5分钟 + 冷藏20分钟 · 5 minutes + 20 minutes chilling
Visual: 馅料色泽浅淡，散布象牙白笋粒，手感紧实冰凉而不稀烂Filling is pale with ivory bamboo flecks and feels firm and cold rather than sloppy
You know it's right when: 舀一勺能立尖不塌A spoonful holds a peak without slumping
Chilling firms the filling so it scoops cleanly, and it keeps the wrappers from going soggy while you work.
4Place 1 tbsp filling in each wrapper, wet the edge, fold and pleat firmly. Keep finished dumplings under a damp cloth.
包饺子
🔍 Look for 20 分钟 · 20 minutes
Visual: 饺子平底坐稳、背部褶皱成弧形，馅心完全包住，面皮仍然柔韧Dumplings sit flat with a pleated curved back, filling fully enclosed and wrappers still pliable
You know it's right when: The seam stays shut when the dumpling is lifted by one pleat
5Boil in batches over high heat. After they float, add a cup of cold water; when it returns to a boil, cook 2 minutes more and lift out with a slotted spoon.
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，里面的虾仁已变为不透明的粉橙色Wrappers are glossy and slightly translucent and the shrimp inside have turned opaque pink-orange
You know it's right when: Cut one open: the centre is steaming and the shrimp is firm, not translucent

Tips

· Dry the shrimp thoroughly — wet shrimp makes a filling that will not bind and leaks in the pot.
· Keep the seasoning quiet. No garlic, no five-spice; they bury the shrimp.
· Leave some shrimp in big chunks; that uneven texture is what makes the dumpling worth eating.

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

Why do you cook the aromatics (garlic/ginger) first on low heat?

Aromatics contain oils and sugars that turn bitter if scorched. Gentle heat (low-medium) lets garlic and ginger release their fragrance without browning too fast. If the pan is too hot, garlic goes bitter within seconds — that's why we always add aromatics first, before the main ingredients.

Source: Chinese Cooking Demystified technique library

What is velveting and why do it?

Velveting = coating meat in cornstarch (sometimes egg white + a splash of wine/soy) before cooking. The starch forms a protective layer that seals in juices and prevents the meat from drying out at high heat. This is the secret to restaurant-smooth beef in dishes like beef & broccoli. At home: 1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water (or soy/wine) per 250 g meat, rest 10 min, then stir-fry.

Source: HǎoWèi technique guide