Xiao Long Bao is one of the most famous Chinese steamed dumplings, but one of the most time-consuming to make from scratch.
Inside the dumpling are little pockets of gelatinized broth made from chicken, pork and cured ham. When you steam the dumpling, the broth gelatin melts. We’ll show you how to make authentic Xiao Long Bao, from scratch….from the broth to homemade wrappers.
But first, a little humor:
Beginning of Foreplay
Aromatic chicken, pork bone and cured ham broth set & cut into shimmering ribbons of translucent gelatin:
Cut into cubes they look like jewels:
Are you hungry yet? The little dumplings are begging to be nestled between your lips.
See the steam? The sun was just starting to come down as we began our feast. Do you see the spicy Sriracha “Rooster Cock Sauce” seducing you from behind?
Don’t be shy, I’ll hold your hand and walk you through it.
Pick up one of those wooden soup spoon and a pair of chopsticks. Gently lay down one of those tender, juicy, dumping so that it drapes seductively in your spoon. Glide the warm wooden spoon towards your mouth, let your lips lightly brush against the nipple of the dumpling. Slowly move down and take a little nibble on on of the folds of the skin. Let the wisps of steam escape out and caress your upper lip and the tip of your nose. Surrender to the aromatic symphony of the filling tickling your senses. Ok, now go ahead, slowly bite into it. An explosion of rich, steaming, hot juice oozes into the groove of your tongue, dribbling down the side of your chin, and you try to catch any escaping broth with your spoon. No, don’t just stop at one…go ahead, take another one.
Don’t you feel deliciously alive?!
How to make Xiao Long Bao Recipe
While I typically specialize in easy, fast Asian recipes – this is not fast and easy. So I’ll give you fair warning that this does take time to make. It took about half a day to prepare the soup, chill & set with agar-agar, prep the filling, make & knead the dough, cut out dough circles, wrap, and steam.
Hot Water Dough for Xiao Long Bao
Dumpling wrappers made from scratch start with “hot water dough,” which is a combination of using just-boiled hot water and cold water.
The boiling hot water partially cooks the dough & forms gluten better, resulting in a soft, stretchy, pliable and very easy to work with and do multiple pleats. The dough rolled beautifully, but it was still very strong and held the filling without breaking. When you add the hot water, take a pair of chopsticks and use that to stir vigorously to get the gluten going. How vigorous? Well, the best way to describe is to show the dough who’s boss and slap the dough around!
After a couple of minutes of all that slapping, add the cold water, stir more.
Kneading Dough for Xiao Long Bao
When I am making anything that involves flour and kneading, I always use 90% measurement of flour than what the recipe calls for initially. The reason is that I can always add more flour if needed – its very simple to do that and very simple to knead the additional flour in by hand.
However, if you have too much flour, it is very difficult to add more water to the dough. I also measure out the flour by weight, not by cups, as everyone measures a little different and ingredients may settle in the measuring cup a little different.
So, I initially use 90% of the flour and reserve the remaining 10% on my counter to incorporate bit by bit as I knead. This ensures that I never use too much flour. Your counter should be floured, so that the dough doesn’t stick to the counter.
While you are kneading, if the dough is very sticky, add 1T of flour at a time. Sprinkle some on top of the dough, some on the counter – and knead to incorporate the new flour thoroughly. It feels right when its slightly tacky, but not sticky. The dough should come together beautifully in a nice, smooth, round ball. Let it rest (you’d be tired too if you were slapped around). When you poke it with your finger, the dough should slowly ease back into position.
Pleating Xiao Long Bao
Master Xiao Long Bao pleaters pleat lightening fast. And, they pleat the dumplings with one hand. I just don’t have that kind of talent!
Each dumpling was a little different based on how well I managed to get my fat fingers out of the way on the last fold.
Get all you need to make your authentic Chinese Soup Dumplings
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Xiao Long Bao Recipe (Chinese Soup Dumplings Recipe)
Ingredients
FOR THE SOUP GELATIN
- 2 quarts water
- 2 pounds chicken bones wings/back/neck
- 2 ounces Virginia Country Ham or cured Chinese ham if you can get it, cut into 4 pieces
- 1/2 pound pork belly or fatty cut of pork
- 1 inch piece of ginger sliced into 4-5 ginger "coins"
- 2 stalks green onions cut into 3" pieces
- 2 large garlic cloves smashed with side of your knife
- 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin or powdered Agar Agar
FOR THE FILLING
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/4 pound shrimp shelled, deveined and minced finely
- 3 stalks green onion finely minced
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger use microplane grater
- 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
FOR THE HOT WATER DOUGH
- 400 grams all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups boiling hot water
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE
- 1 tablespoon sambal hot chili & garlic sauce
- 1/4 cup black vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled
FOR STEAMING XIAO LONG BAO
- 1 head Napa cabbage
Instructions
FOR THE SOUP GELATIN
- In a large stockpot, place all of the ingredients EXCEPT the gelatin/agar agar. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered. Use fine meshed strainer to remove the scum on surface. Taste, and adjust with salt, if needed. The ham is salty, so you might not need additional salt.
- Measure out 4 cups of the broth (you'll only use 4 cups of broth...reserve any leftover to use in future soups) and pour into a medium saucepan and bring to a almost a boil.
- Turn heat off and stir in the gelatin or agar agar. Whisk until all powder is dissolved. Pour broth into an 8x8 baking dish (size really doesn't matter. if you have a few plastic containers, use those instead. remember how you used to make jello?) Refrigerate until set, about 3-4 hours. (I stuck mine in the freezer after the first hour because I got impatient...it only took 2 hours for mine to set)
- When the gelatin is set, use a fork to criss-cross the gelatin to break into very small, 1/4" pieces. Alternatively, you can carefully cut into small cubes. Reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the soup gelatin. Freeze any remainder for future use.
FOR THE FILLING
- In a large bowl, combine and mix all of the ingredients, including the 1 1/2 cups of soup gelatin. Stir to incorporate gelatin evenly throughout. Refrigerate until ready to use.
FOR THE DOUGH
- Put about 90% of the flour in a large bowl. Pour about a third of the hot water in the flour. Use a wooden spoon to stir vigorously. Add more hot water. Stir more. Add the last bit of the water and stir vigorously until the dough begins to form. Add all of the cold water and oil. Keep stirring vigorously. Stop when you can't stir anymore.
- Dust counter with the remainder 10% of flour. Place dough on floured surface, use your hands to knead the dough for 8 -10 minutes, until it becomes soft, smooth and bounces back slowly when poked with your finger. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Take one piece (cover the remaining 3 pieces with plastic wrap) and roll it into a long log, about 1-1/4" diameter. Using pastry scraper or knife, cut dough into 10 pieces. Work one dough ball at a time, keep the remaining covered with plastic wrap.
- Roll one of the balls between your palms to get a nice, round, smooth ball. Using a rolling pin, roll it out flat to about 3" round. OPTIONAL: Roll dough to slightly larger than 3" round, then use 3" round cookie cutter to create a nice, even circle. No cookie cutter? improvise with empty tin can. **Note, you may need more flour as your are rolling out your dough. I always keep the counter dusted and a small pile of flour nearby so I can quickly nudge some over if I need it.
- Fill with 1 tablespoon of filling, pinch pleat all the way around. Repeat with rest. Make sure that you cover any dough that you aren't currently using and cover the dumplings with a towel to prevent drying.
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE
- Shave the ginger - Use your sharp paring knife to get a flat surface on one of the long sides. With a vegetable peeler, cut thin strips along the long side of the ginger. Use knife to further cut the strips into super-thin slices. This way, you get the full flavor of ginger in your sauce + the crunch of the little strips of ginger as you eat without tough, fibrous pieces of ginger.
- Whisk together the ingredients in a bowl with the ginger. Serve with Xiao Long Bao dumplings.
STEAMING THE DUMPLINGS
- Separate the leaves of Napa cabbage. Cut away and discard the tough, thick stem that curves up.
- Fill steamer with 1 layer of Napa cabbage leaves. Steam over medium heat for 2 minutes to warm up the steamer and to soften cabbage. Place dumplings on the cabbage leaves, leaving 1 1/2" space between each dumpling. Steam for 12 minutes. Serve in bamboo steamer.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
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Great!! Thank You so much. Really Easy to understand. I like the way you write.
Good article . The way how you explain this strategies. Is very professional.
Hi! Can I ask, what did you do with the leftover pork belly? Also, can you make the dough ahead and roll it out, then put in in the fridge for the day after?
Omg who is writing this recipe because I need them to write the foreplay to all the rest of the recipes. Seriously best recipe beginning ever!!
Is minced pork fine?
Yes, but make sure you mince very finely.
Hi. What is the best type of flour to use? Thank you!
All purpose flour is perfect.
Flavors and most techniques are on point here, except the Agar Agar. Gelatin and other thickeners will melt when heated, agar is the exception to the rule. You absolutely should NOT use agar when making soup dumplings, as it can actually be quite dangerous if the gel doesn’t melt inside the wrapper. You do not need any added gelatin or agar whatsoever to make aspic. You use bones, skin, and aromatics.
Recipes is great. Food was great. But this meal was nonsense! Took like 3 hours, and i already had some geliteinized bone broth to use for it. Only make this for your family if you truly dont want to see them all evening. If you do want these, and want to eat with your family, the take them to a restaurant!
A “cup” is not a measuring unit in the civilized world. How much is that supposed to be, exactly !?!?
1 cup. 8 ounces. 240 millilitres. It’s something you can easily look up. I get that metric is better. I use it at work. But was there a point in being snarky about it?
Jaden was asking for weight in g or oz, not volume. A cup of flour can vary depending how you measure it…scooping vs pouring into cup. No need to be snarky.
Exactly! It’s not that hard to look up and just because you use metric doesn’t make you more civilized than anyone else
Can you freeze the dumplings before cooking to eat later?
Hi Dianne – yes you can freeze the dumplings right after you fold them. Make sure that you freeze them in a single layer (otherwise they will stick to each other and clump up). Put them on a paper plate, place entire plate into freezer bag, seal and freeze.
Can i make ahead, keep in the fridge until ready to use?
Yes, but not for long. The wrappers will get soggy in the refrigerator.
Has anyone tried to make these gluten free by chance? If so how did they turn out?
Looks like I´m pretty late for a comment, but I just discovered this recipe.
I have lots of gyoza Skin in my freezer an wonder if I could use them for the soup dumplings?
Thanks,
Christoph
Hi Christoph! Yes, you can, but they will be more difficult to close and seal completely to keep the soup inside. Homemade dough works better, because it is more pliable, soft to mold around the ingredients and sticky. If you are going to take the time to make the soup, make the dumpling filling, I would highly recommend making the dough from scratch as well!
What is supposed to happen to the rest of the gelatin? if we start with 4 cups of broth and use 1 1/2 cups in the filling. What about the rest?
Hi Maria,
Since the gelatin part of the recipe takes the longest to make, we make a larger batch and freeze the rest. Or, you can use the gelatin in soups, or as stock/broth in any recipe. Jaden
Hi, Can I use beef or shrimp for the filling instead of the pork ?
Absolutely!
I first heard about the morsels from heaven from Bizarre Foods. I wonder if there is a Chinese restaurant in Atlanta that served them.
Come to China Kitchen inside Chinatown Mall Foodcourt, Chamblee, Ga. We handmade them every day! 5385 New Peachtree Rd, Chamblee
I might be missing something, but I don’t see anywhere that says how long you initially cook the broth for. When you put all the ingredients for the broth together in a pot, how long do you boil it before straining it and making the gelatin out of it? Sorry if I missed it somewhere, but I can only find what you do after the broth is already done, and I’ve never made homemade broth before, so I don’t know where to start.
Hi Val. Just from reading that part of the recipe, it appears as though you simply bring it up to a boiling point. And once it’s reached a good boil, reduce the heat to a simmer for 45. That is to say turn it down until it’s at a point where you see small bubbles moving constantly.Â
The great flavour of a homemade stock really comes into play during the simmering/reducing stage. That’s where all the awesomeness happens!
Hope that was helpful.
I just make them by making a stew with cut up bony pork. The bones yield enough gelatin I find to not need to add any more. I pick through this and leave it to set in the fridge. Saves a step.
How long do you boil the broth before adding the gelatin? And it looks like the ground pork wasn’t cooked in the filling right?
Hi Kourt – Just bring broth to nearly a boil and turn off heat. Then add in gelatin.
The pork is not cooked when you are making the filling.
I have been missing these dumplings for the last 24 years!!!! While at Cornell, my roommate was a wonderful lady from mainland and used to cook them!!!! thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Thank you Chef Jaden for sharing this recipe..
I was talking about XLB with a Chinese chef and he said he freezes the agar and makes the dumpling w/ frozen agar cubes right before cooking. He said many places won’t make them because you can’t really make the dumplings ahead of time as the agar will be too warm.
Hi there! Anyone know where I can get these dumplings ready to eat in Los Angeles, Calif?
I had it up in SF many years ago.
Many thanks.
A ton of places out in the San Gabriel Valley have soup dumplings. My favorite was Mama Lu’s when I lived in LA.
I live in Austin now…I miss soup dumplings pretty much every day.
http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/10-best-soup-dumplings-in-los-angeles-2896476
Hi, I’m just curious why you suggest Agar Agar and not boiling pork skin? I am searching around the internet for the right recipe to try for my first time making xiao long bao – and your post seems great. I’m just a little weirded out about skipping the skin boiling step – so curious on your reasoning? Thanks!
I’d rather use agar agar than boiled pork skin. It’s easier, more consistent results.
I boiled a halved pig’s foot purchased for cheap at Fairway in NYC. Rinsed it but no other prep. Added ginger and scallions, kept simmering, skimming and restoring water level till no more scum appeared, then reduced liquid, poured through a sieve, refrigerated, and now have a clean flavorful gelatin to work with. Wish me luck as I haven’t actually made the dumplings yet… THANK YOU steamykitchen for the recipe! p.s. for chewier dumpling skin I read to use bread flour.
Hey how did you go ?!Â
hi Jaden could I use this dumpling skin to make pot stickers?
Hi Veronica – Yes you can!
Oh. My Lord.
I ate these in Taiwan, I still dream about them~
Have to try to make them someday, thanks for sharing the recipe!
Do you follow the same steps to make the broth that was in the bonappetite recipe?
Thanks!
Similar technique, but slightly different ingredients.
Wow….that was pretty much 50 Shades of Xiao Ling Bao. Truly riveting.
Just wanted to say: using hot water to develop the gluten is genius.
Hi, I’m wondering if using all purpose flour is really authentic? Almost all flour in China is the high gluten kind. Terrible for pancakes but awesome for dumplings, noodles, etc. Could I just get some of that Chinese high gluten flour and maybe get that bouncy elastic dough with less work?
Using All Purpose Flour for most dumplings is fine, However, this recipe would be better off with high gluten flour. Technically, these are Xiao Long Tang Bao (Little Dragon Soup Dumplings), not Xiao Long Bao which do not contain the gelatin cube and therefore are moist but do not contain a soup within. This variation is better made with the high gluten flour because it will seal the dumpling better and keep the soup from leaking out. Just swap it out and adjust water as needed. High gluten flour tends to take more water. Follow the same instructions for kneading and resting. The resulting dough will be far more elastic and stretchy.
I think that your way of writing is absolutely amazing! Much better than nigella!!! So seductive in a culinary way! Fantastic detailed recipe and very easy to follow. I am making this for the second time tonight soup dumplings are now a favorite thanks to u as the ones I had at the local dim sum were always so dry. Thank you for bringing these into my life!! Photography is awesome too!! Well done!! 😀 😀 😀 x
I made this yesterday and they were delicious just like in the restaurant but my problem is I cant keep the soup in the dumpling, I steam this in 4 batches and this is what I notice
– if I steam this in high heat it will balloon and tear the skin ( im using metal steamer) so I leave a small hole on top (tooth pick size) to let out the steam.
– If you steam it more than 15 mins the juice will dry up
– after you made the dumpling you have to steam asap or the juice will sip out the skin and after you steam this eat this asap or it will dry up.
Well I fail to do all of this so my xiao long bao turn into a siomai but it was soooo delicious.
Can you pre roll the dough and stack them up then put in the freezer for later use? I tried doing this but they all stick together.
Can you also freez the fresh xiao long bao?
Not sure if I want to cook with you or have sex with you. ..maybe both…great stuff.
I also did them with king crab. Worked out just fine.
BTW…Shanghai Joe’s in Queens is killer.
Haven’t tried it in Manhattan.
Hi
These look amazing. I had them once in Ne w York but have since found out I have coeliac disease. Do you know a way to make them gluten free that works?
Thanks
We recently picked up gluten free all purpose flour at store
You might try making dumplings with that
America’s Test kitchen has a great gluten free blend of “flour” that is easy to make and is pretty much a 1-to-1 ratio. I use that to make XLB.
Your recipe for the dumpling skins is SPOT ON! Just made today and loved the consistency. Thanks!!
STOP MOLESTING THOSE DUMPINGS!
I love XLB dumplings, thank you very much for sharing your recipe and providing so many details! My first batch turned out delicious but presentation was so so, hopefully with a little more practice they will look amazing like yours 🙂
Thanks so much for this recipe! It tasted great, but unfortunately the dumplings flattened out significantly as they steamed, so they were more like little pancakes with a ball of meat in the middle. What did I do wrong? Not fill the wrappers enough?
Hi! Are you suppossed to cook the shrimp and pork first before you fill the dumpling? I feel dumb asking, but just wanted to double check. Thank you for all of your yummy recipes!
All my dumplings, including pot stickers, wontons and egg rolls (all have way thicker meat ratio) are done raw and come out beautifully. the writer’s suggested 12 minutes in a PREHEATED basket is the perfect timing. In my opinion.
There is 1 Tbsp oil in dough recipe, when did you add it in?
Under “FOR THE DOUGH 
in Step 1…
3rd sentence from the end…
Is where the writer says to add the oil.
my wrappers keep turning out very thick after steaming. when i roll them out they are very thin, but they plump up during steaming. any suggestions?
I forgot to say “Thank you” for sharing this delectable recipe!
LOVE this post! I’m making these dumplings now (okay, I’m cheating a bit and making deconstructed XLBs because everyone is starving and I don’t have time to turn the broth into gelatin – maybe tomorrow). I’ll miss the salty liquid that seeps out upon first bite, but can’t wait to nibble the skin and savor the goodness within:))
YUMMY! I want to do it today! Thanks for sharing the recipe! 🙂
What are some ideas for the leftover stock?
Add to any stir fry, pasta dish. Use it to poach fish or other seafood on very low heat, use it to steam vegetables.
Make an unxious soup!!
Is the soup meant to be unsalted? my broth is cooking away and i took a sip of it, it smells delicious, but theres no traces of salt at all and im almost 2 hours in. is it suppose to be that way? thanks! 🙂
The ham should have provided the salt, but feel free to add more. If you are already at gelatin stage, don’t worry….just add a little more salt to the pork filling. Best thing to do is prepare the pork filling and cook a bite sized bit in a small frying pan. Add a little bit of gelatin in last minute to melt. Taste test! Adjust the pork filling seasoning to taste.
I tried these tonight and my dough was too doughy! What did I do wrong?? I followed the recipe exactly how you said to do it… Also maybe you could put up
Another link for the video, it wasn’t working for me. Please help bc hen we go home we always go to this restaurant in Chinatown that specialize in these dumplings. I would love to make these the right way. Thanks!!!
You can try an Asian supermarket. Look in the freezer section.
Does anyone, anywhere sell these frozen to be shipped? I’ve tried before and failed miserably and am a bit gun-shy.
I want to make this for my family, but most of them have shellfish allergies, so… I can’t do shrimp. Will that affect the flavor of the recipe at all? Is there something I can use in place of shrimp perhaps?
Thanks for the recipe! will def. try it out!
Quick question: Can I make it with a chicken or chicken broth? Do I need to cook it with chicken Bones??
Thank you for your detailed recipe,will give a try after this.
Hi,
This recipe call for 4 cups broth but you only used 1 1/2 cups mixed into the filling. Where to used the 2 1/2 cups? Thanks!
looks like georgian “Khinkali”…
I am curious to know how many people this recipe will serve? I am planning a dinner party for six and wonder if this will be enough?
This recipe looks amazing! My Chinese boyfriend loves~ xiao long bao and I thought I might try this recipe sometime, but since it takes so long, I was wondering, if I made extra dumplings could I freeze them? Thank you ^^
oops! sorry, didn’t notice that you had just answered that question! Anywayz, can’t wait to try them!!
I came across your recipe for Xiao long pau and cant wait to try. It looks really yummy
Is it possible to keep the uncooked paus in the freezer and steam it before eating or should they be steamed first and then kept in the freezer and will the dough absorb the soup if it is kept in the freezer after steaming.
Freeze right after you wrap them. When you are ready to eat, take them from freezer and put in steamer directly. Add 2 minutes to steaming time since you’re steaming frozen.
Hi, thank you so much for this recipe. I had an older XLB recipe but I won’t be able to make it because it requires too much meat (too expensive for me). I love your gelatin trick. By the way, I was wondering if I could replace the 1/2lb pork rind with chinese ham. I went to a chinese market and I was happy to find that they have very fatty chinese ham. Unfortunately, they are in large package. I don’t really use chinese ham in my cooking. Therefore, I was hoping that there will be a way to completely utilize the ham. If the substitution is possible, how much ham should I add? 10 lbs? Thank you in advance. I cannot wait to try your recipe.
Hi Nadhia-I’m sure you can replace with Chinese ham, but I’m not sure amount since I’ve never tried it! Just replace pound for pound, so use 1/2 pound. Remember the ham is salty, so you might also want to cut back on soy.
First, an addiction to your garlic scallion noodles, modeled after the variety from Than Long in SF, and now this. I love you Jaden. I really do.
Love you right back! 😉
Your photos look so great I cant wait to try the recipe myself. I have some questions though. Can I make these in advance and freeze them? Will the dough dry out?
This is a really good recipe. I’m making it for the second time tonight. I found that I like to add more garlic to the broth. The leftover stock I use for saimein. I’m glad I found this. Thank you
Hi, where do you get cured ham?? I am really excited to try this recipe!! Thanks!
Try your local supermarket deli section.
Thanks a lot for this wonderful recipe.
I love your easily cooking and/but artful recipes. Especially your photos are always a great pleasure to view, so that we HAVE to try and taste it.
And this Xiao-Long-Bao-recipe was really a great hit!
Kind regards from Austria
Heinz
Yay! I don’t know how I’ve missed this recipe before!
I can’t wait to try it finally! your pictures look the best out of all the ones I’ve googled! 🙂
Oh my! I am so excited to try your recipe!
I never even noticed the post of this recipe before!
I tried your recipe, and everyone who sampled it (myself included) agrees that it getz da nomnomnomnomnom (with extra nom). My Chinese roommate suggested that the dough could use a little salt. What do you think?
You really don’t need to (traditional recipes don’t call for salt in dough) because the filling and soup contains the flavor. Plus you have a dipping sauce.
I’ve always wondered how they got the soup there! Shall be trying this, thanks for the dough recipe. I always thought that any kind of ‘baozi’ had to have yeast in the dough, which I found difficult. Looking forward to the seduction 😉
I love making bao, especially char siu bao or plain grilled chicken bao, but never tried making xiao long before. Too time consuming (impatient cooker) XD maybe I try sometime.
Hello there,
Thank you for your tip about hot and cold water dough. I have one question to ask you before jumping in. When you said ‘cold water’ do you mean refrigerated water or just tap water (might be a litter cooler than room temperature)?
Thank you in advance.
Refrigerated water or slightly chilled water with a couple of ice cubes (discard the ice cubes)
great recipe and instructions!! we became addicted to xiao long bao in Shanghai, especially the ones with hairy crab roe, but nobody makes them properly back home in our country. this recipe is spot on — the best i have tried since shanghai. i double the sugar, salt, ginger and green onion quantities in the filling (sometimes i use mirin instead of sugar) and i leave out the sambal and oil from the dip. the pastry recipe is perfect — that’s the real key to getting good xiao long bao.
Hello Jaden, thank you very much for your description, amazing! I made your mom´s dough, what a fantastic recipe!!! look here: http://2stepsawayfromparadise.blogspot.com/2010/03/xiao-long-bao.html
I´m very proud! 😉
Hi there!
I’ve been looking round for a XLB recipe for the longest time, so I was glad to find one so thorough and scrumptious-looking!
I’ve tried this recipe twice now, and I just can’t seem to get it just right!
The skin is very very fragile and breaks easily, releasing all that wonderful soup. Any ideas how to improve this? Perhaps the dough is too wet?
Does anbody know if I can buy chicken bones? Thanks in advance!
I made XLB for the first time a few days ago and followed this recipe exactly. They turned out SO well. XLB are one of my favorite dishes and completely unavailable where I live so I was pretty motivated. I’m quite dough-phobic but this dough was so easy to make and, most importantly, to work with. It was so elastic. I posted about this on Chowhound and got so much praise. I’m Caucasian and was told that plenty of very competent Chinese cooks won’t try to make XLB. Thank you for this recipe (and great directions and pix) and thanks for this site. I’m already eyeing those baked Parmesan chicken wings 🙂
thanks for the recipe. i tried it but it didn’t have much soup in it. i think next time, i’ll fill it, then add the aspic / gelatin separately. was still tasty.
i love your website!
I had soup dumplings for the first time a couple of weeks ago on a trip to Hong Kong. I have never cooked anything Chinese (that I remember) and your recipe was so detailed I made them, and they were perfect. Thank you!
You are a god. I’m half chinese and when I was younger I always used to go to my grandparents house to enjoy various dim sum dishes, XLB included. Sadly, by the time I got interested in cooking, my grandmother had become a little too senile to pass on the recipes and cooking techniques I grew up loving so much. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to make this for her. Thank you so much for an amazing (and incredibly detailed) recipe.
I just tried making this.. Thanks for the recipe! I had them in LA and LOVED them so I’m in the process of perfecting. The one tip I would make is let the dough rest over night. I used part after letting the dough rest for 30 min and then used the rest the next day and the one I let rest overnight was soo much better and a lot easier to work w/.
Made this recipy, whats the trick to get the dough thinner, manually it didnt work out, they were too thick compared to the ones I ate alot of in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Otherwise thanks for awesome recipe it worked out nicely.
I’m gonna try using the pasta machine to make it thinner next time I make it
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for this beautifully illustrated and fun to do recipe ! I felt in love with XLB last month on a trip to Beijing, my parents took me to a Shanghai restaurant specialized on these marvels and I could not believe my tastebuds, this has got to be one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I live in Paris and I still could not find a restaurant that serves real XLB. The dough part scares me a little (I made jiaozi the other day and got so tired rolling the tough dough I almost gave up) but it’s really worth it. Maybe with a pasta roller it might be easier… Thanks again for your cool blog, will let you know how it went !
Hey! Can’t wait to see what you make! The dough is actually pretty easy to make, but curious to see how pasta roller would work!
YEAH!!! xiao long baos are the sh*t!!! haha….i actually made a parody music video about all pork baos that you can watch here!! http://www.cutebutdeadly.net/bao
😀
I’m obsessed with XLB and this sight is amazing! I made them today. I actually use my pasta roller to roll out the skins, but I made them with the thinnest setting and my XLB soup leaked out during steaming. 🙠however, that soup is DAMN good and i slurped it up anyway. :)))) I’ll make it next time with the second thinnest setting instead. 🙂
Question, I have half of the gelatin soup leftover. Can I use that for anything else?
It’s perfect as broth in a noodle soup! Once you heat it up, the gelatin melts. Your broth will be hearty, flavorful, delicious. Full of body!
Or you can freeze in little ice cube trays or cupcake trays and use them for cooking (like steaming vegetables) ~Jaden
Hi Jaden,
I’m in the process of making these buns (currently simmering the soup). For the wrapper recipe, I’ve noticed that other sites use high gluten flour in combination with all purpose flour. Would there be a significant difference in the texture of the wrapper once steamed? I would like a smooth, thin and slightly chewy wrapper. Please help! Thanks a lot!!
-W
Gluten will make a chewy-er, tougher wrapper! ~jaden
Oh no! I forgot to mention I absolutely LOVE your site! So many pretty pictures, and such funny stories.
P.S. your son is really cute :]
thank you~ j
^-^ hallo! I read this post a long time ago, but I haven’t had time to try this recipe until today (gaaah AP/IB testing!)
The stock I made + agar agar is currently setting, but the oil droplets on top of the soup have hardened and turned into those white circly oily things… (ew!) should I skim them off or just leave them on?
Also, if I wanted to leave everything until tomorrow morning to make them, is it okay?
Thanks so much!
~<3 Kelley
Skim off the oil and yes, you can make it all tomorrow ~j
Jaden,
Making XLB with my boyfriend was such a great experience. Your witty and informative writing style made directions easy to understand, allowing us to modify as desired.
Btw, our “dump-rings” were kick-ass. I impressed people at a business lunch meeting at my home office the next day with the leftovers.
ps…where’s the straight up CHINESE cooking show at? Do one! People think cooking “Asian” is complex, but with a few choice ingredients, and slightly rendering it for the American kitchen as your mom suggests with the Pillsbury buns, it’s totally doable and delicious.
Cheers!
Ruth
Susan – They taste great – just freeze them on a plate or tray (dumplings not touching). Once frozen, gather them up and put in a freezer bag. Steam them while frozen– just add a few more minutes to cooking time.
Jaden
Both my husband and I LOVE Xiao Long Bao, I am planning on making these this weekend. Have you ever frozen these dumplings. If so how did they taste when you cooked them.
I just found this site a couple weeks ago and I love it! 5 stars.
Xiao Long Bao is perhaps my favorite dim sum item, and after seeing your recipe I was inspired to try it (after a previous success with your Pho recipe!).
The main shortcut/difference was that I used chicken stock I had previously made and frozen. The gelatine “trick” worked, and I indeed produced soup-filled dumplings that were actually pretty tasty, although lacking the super-rich porky goodness from the real thing. But what I found most lacking in the final result was related to dough: my dumplings were *way* thinker-skined than ones I’ve had at restaurants (especially at the top), and instead of staying round and plump, they flattened into little pancake shapes. Any suggestions for these two problems?
Thanks! Off to read more of this fantastic site…
THANK YOU!!! As for the flat dumplings, you could try putting more filling in the dumplings and making the wrappers thicker. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! ~j
what what what, you make xiao long bao too?!!!! love the juices in those cute bao zi.. yummmmy
I’m glad your site came up first on google when I searched for XLBs. I’ve never seen such an interesting description of eating XLBs, and it definitely made my day!
Thank you for the recipe as well! Must definitely try it when I have the time!
Hah…I’m I glad when I went looking for chinese soup dumplings I landed on your blog… I know you can’t ignore me when i pester you with questions , right 😉 (just kidding …I know how busy you are).
My question for now, how thin do you roll the dough? As thin as the wonton wrappers I see in the chinese market?
Also, I only have metal steamer…would that make a difference other than authenticity of presentation?
No, the dough is not super thin – you’ll never get it that thin and it will break anyways! I’d just say as thin as you can without breaking during folding. Using one of those fold-out metal steamers (the ones that fold in/out like a flower?) won’t work, you’ll only get 4 buns in it. If you’re using a BIG metal steamer ie like the bamboo steamer but just metal, it’s fine. I have one of those as well. If the holes are big, then you might want to put double layer of parchment and also control your heat.
xo, jaden
I am in the midst of making this recipe as I type this message out! The soup is on the stove boiling away and I have also made the filling which is sitting in the fridge. I pan fried a little bit of the filling just a few minutes ago to see if the taste is right and it tastes delicous! Will let everyone know how the end product turned out. Thanks for the recipe!
Hello Jaden,
what a fantastic blog you have! And this recipe!!! Let me say it with just one word, because no matter how many I say, I still wouldn’t be enough: AMAZING!
I have recenly fallen in love with Asian cuisine and I have already eaten quite a few things (not as many as I would like, but it is very hard to get Asian anything here…) and I also made several attempts at cooking Asian food.
The last thing I made were gyoza dumplings and I was surprised how well it turned out. So I went and did some research on different kinds of filled duplings and your recipe looks too good not to try.
However, as I was doing my research, I read at several other sites that if you want to steam the dumplings, not fry them like gyoza, you should not use water/flour dough but water/flour/egg dough because the water/flour dough would get yucky by the steaming. – Is there any truth in there or should I forget about that?
Thanks so much for your great work!
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Could I use store bought chicken broth instead?
I love how well you describe and detailed the process of making it plus the slides and pictures helps a lot. I’m going to make it soon.
Good catch, thanks. I’ll try soaking the prosciutto ends in cold water for an hour or two before putting them in.
I’m sure it would be fine to use in the soup to replace the Smithfield ham – ALTHOUGH – using it in place of the pork skin and fat may make the broth very salty.
Excellent, thank you. I’m gearing up to try this.
One question: What do you think of prosciutto ends as a source of both the pork rind and the ham? I have a source in the Chicago suburbs that sells them (basically, the tapered shank end of a prosciutto that has been sliced to the point that new slices are too small to sell) for about $5/lb, at which price you can put substantial amounts of prosciutto in soup without having to get a second mortgage.
Superficially, this would seem to fit the bill here. Each end comes with quite a bit of rind, maybe even the required 1/2lb (I’d have to check). In addition, the ham itself, while moister than smithfield and unsmoked, is cured, and fairly salty. Do you see a problem with this?
Fabulous site, and discovering by searching for xiao long bao is extra special.
Do you plan to present a comparably steamy sheng jian bao experience?
I hope so. Thank you very much for all your work. I’m waiting for your cookbook with high hopes.
Howard
although your recipe gives me a raging erection, i have a hard time believing the dumpling noodles in xlb don’t include lard (mmmmm… lard. talk about erotic!)
when you’re in shanghai, you should consult with another source. i’m curious to hear the results.
i’m off to attempt your recipe, plus bacon drippings.
Steam anyway that you want! Bamboo steamer not needed.
Hi, I would like to ask is it possible to steam the ‘xiao long bao’ on a steamer instead of a bamboo steamer? As i dont have one, or MUST i own one??
Hi! Ever since I saw these on Anthony Bourdain’s trip to Shanghai I’ve always wanted to get my hands on a good recipe because in my near future it doesnt seem I’ll be doing that kind of traveling. But, I also saw a soup dumpling that took up one whole bamboo steamer section. Making one huge dumpling which was only ate with a straw. It looked amazing. Could I do that with this recipe but just make the dough ball bigger? And if so how much bigger. I guessing it’ll just have to be a trial and error thing. You should try it !
I made these too – but with homemade duck stock, which was a scary greyish brown instead of a beautiful clear like yours. But they sure did taste good! And it’s just so great to bite into a dumpling an get an unexpected warm mouthful of broth! See mine here: http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2008/04/soup-in-dumpling.html
I can’t even tell you how long I have been searching for exactly this recipe!
SOOOO awesome!
Great food porn, too. Love the photos. Keep it up!
those look so tasty…is it possible to make them without the pork though?
we LOVE dim sum. but we don’t know where to get it in the area. we were first introduced to it in san francisco where we ate it voraciously. is there a place in tampa to find good dim sum? this dumpling looks delicious.
I am fascinated with the making of hand made noodles and, more importantly, love to eating them all up.
so recently I went to shanghai and managed to arrange a private hand pulled noodle making class in shanghai. It was great, and now i am able to make them.
The only problem was the lesson did not include how to make the dough which, obviously, is an integral part of the noodle making process
I would be ever so grateful if you had a noodle dough recipe, i have tried everything – I know it required lye water.
Chris
Melbourne, Australia
Jaden-
Thank you for your encouragement; we did indeed make XLB, and Din Tai Fung’s vegetarian dumplings, and some potstickers, and Har Gao too, as part of our 6th annual dumpling fest (oh, and winter melon soup, fried beans, and green tea souffle). I’ve written a detailed description of everything at http://cardhead.livejournal.com/14086.html I hope you (and anyone else) get a chance to read it, because you were such a big help.
Thanks,
ric
I’m not sure how I missed this post. This is pure brilliance.
I feel the need for a cigarette after reading that… and I don’t smoke! I’m fanning myself here and wondering if one of the few places that sell XLB in San Diego is currently open. Wow. Just… whooo… wow.
Hey Ric,
I found that the pork rind by itself didn’t gelatinize the soup enough to be able to cut into cubes. However…since I ended up ditching the cubing in the end, it would have worked just fine. Next time I’ll just use the pork rind – and use a small spoon to scoop the soft gelatin soup and mix with the meat.
Let me know if you make XLB and your methods!
Jaden
I have a question about the gelatin in the soup. In Kuidore’s post, she adamant that no plain gelatin be used, and that all thickening should come from the pork rind. All the other recipes I’ve found go either with only pork rind, or only added gelatin, but you have opted for both. Why is that? Were you afraid that you wouldn’t get enough thickening from just the rind? Why not use more? I’d love to hear your comments.
Oh, and to katy and lunarennui- It’s wheat starch, not rice flour. This is a common misconception (I had it for years) and even appears in print (a reporter for the LA Times gets taken to task here http://la.foodblogging.com/2007/07/04/the-kitchen-overrated-dim-sum/ in the “Miscellaneous Side Notes” section.
Jaden,
I would love to have you feed me…me feed you Xiao Long Bao in your steamy kitchen to orgasm any time!
Just found tour site though Simply Recipes(www.www.elise.com)
Hi Margie,
I don’t know of any Asian classes in NH. You might want to look up “cooking school” in your area!
re: your dough – it’s hard to tell what went wrong without seeing and touching it. If you go into an Asian market, you can find premixed flour for dumplings. You might want to try that!
Jaden
I love your blog. I tried to make the dumplings – however I failed miserably with the dough – it came out sticky and glutenous, also too thick – any suggestions on how to correct. Do you ever teach a dim sum class in NH or can you suggest a class – especially if it has soup dumplings as one of the items taught.
Katy, I’d bet it’s rice flour used to make the dough.
Jaden — I should have guessed you would have this (amazing) recipe up. I was in Shanghai this summer and LOVED these to death — all the dumplings I ate in China were sooooooo many million times better than anything I’d ever eaten in the US.
Quick question though (related to dumplings generally but not to xiao long bao), and I have been wondering about this ever since I got back. The very best dumplings I had were veggie dumplings wrapped in a thick, almost clear dumpling skin, which wasn’t like anything I’d ever had before, but was incredibly delicious. It was thick, but transparent enough to make out the colors of what was inside the dumplings. What was it? Do you have any idea? My guess is that it was made with a special type of flour, or some flour substitute, any guesses?
do you know if the dumplings can be made and frozen (prior to steaming?)
just wanna say your site and posts are truly inspiring! especially this xlb entry omg i feel like giving this a shot but not sure if i’m cut out for it. always wondered how they filled the xlb with soup, now i know. anyway read your chinese steamed fish recipe and coincidentally just a coupla days ago my mom had mentioned that someone who used to work in a chinese restaurant kitchen gave her the exact same tip to make the sauce. thanks for sharing all your wonderful recipes and info!
OMG, give me more! (keeping with the orgasm theme) This is my FAVORITE type of Dim Sum!! Did I tell you that I love you?
Thank you sooooo much. I have been looking over shanghai soup dumplings after watchin Tony Bourdain chowin down on em, and this is by far the best looking recipe. Goin to the store tonight to gather ingredients….can’t wait to try em! wish me luck!
Oh my god it looks sooooo good!
i tried making xiao long pao last weekend.. the dough doesnt come out as it shld be.. disappointed.. the texture don’t taste like XLB.. as i steam the XLB and the agar-agar starts to melt, the dough doesnt seem to be able to hold the soup inside.. instead of inside it leak out.. haiii.. ðŸ™
glad that i saw you recipes.. cant wait to try it..
!!!! i was thinking of these when i was surfing around your site…. they look sooo good, and it’s been forever since i’ve had one… if only 😛
Dear Jaden,
I have just updated my link to your new URL. Your Xiao Long Bao is beautiful. Same comment as before, who says beautiful woman can’t cook.
I use pork stock and after a night in the refrigerator it becomes thick like gelatin. I thought using a little Agar Agar is brilliant because I am not fast in wrapping and the nice stock might melt before I finish wrapping.
EatDrink-Thank you. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, just very time consuming, but totally worth every minute.
Hi jaden, awesome posting. finally someone puts up a video on how to roll these little guys. nice job, i’ve tried to make my own dumplings from scratch and ended up looking like a ghost with all the flour i had to use haha.
Thats probably why mine tasted more like bread!. Im having another go this weekend.
GuyJ-Yeah, there is definitely no yeast in dumpling dough. Actually, there is no yeast in Chinese Cha Sui Bao dough either (the light fluffy steamed buns with bbq pork stuffing)
I tried to make steamed buns before but the recipe i saw said that yeast should be used, however they turned out far too thick!
UnSwiss Miss- you’re website is hilarious – made my day!
Linda-let me know how yours turn out!
Eliza-DMBLGIT is so addictive! I can spend hours browsing through pics and people’s sites!
i just found your blog DMBLGIT gallery and i love what you’re making here! i definitely will come back and read some more…
i have been searching for a good dumpling dough recipe for months now! thanks for this! can’t wait to try it!!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve been really missing the xiao long bao recently (my mom call the ones with soup in it “tang bao”) and since it’s hard to get here, I have to make them myself. Now I can!
Thank you Ady & Lizzy!
Wonderfull Jaden, I’ve no words to speak about, this is the most beautiful post I have seen recently.
Now I fell like to try to do XLB, thank you bye bye
This is my favorite post EVER!
Tigerfish-nothing beats X-rated XLB!
PassionateEater-I just spent an hour at Kirk’s site – love it!
RM- I tried making those pleats and came to the conclusion that the restaurants hired little gremlins with little tiny hands in the back of the kitchen. If I figure it out or find myself a gremlin on minimum wage I’ll put up a video.
Here is the million dollar question…some Xiao Long Bao restaurants make that little circle thingy at the center of all the pleats? How do they do it?
Wow, looks gorgeous! And I don’t think I’d have the patience to make perfect gelatin cubes either. My food blogging friend (Kirk from Mmm-Yoso) also made Shao Loeng Baos before, and he also chopped up the gelatin and put it inside the baos. http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2006/04/the_xiao_long_b.html
I’m looking for a straw ! To suck out every bit of the XLB juice.
I salute you in making your own XLB. They are sure worth your every effort 😀
Some more! Some more! The XLM, I mean ;p LOL!
Hey Mario – thanks for reading…I’m having fun with the food photography and learning more as I go along. Its been a fun ride the past 3 months!
new to site, really enjoy ure detailed approach and awesome photos to boot.
becoming a big fan of the site, keep up the great cooking =)
Simcooks – I KNOW!! what was I thinking? It normally doesn’t take half a day to get the big O!!!
Amy- I’m going to Shanghai in October – can’t wait to order XLB for breakfast!!!!
I was totally just seduced… at work no less! ;D Xiao long bao is probably one of my top 5 favorite things in the world. Oh soooo good. When I go back to Shanghai I eat it for breakfast everyday. My relatives always ask “Xiao long bao again?!” and I just say “yup!” then proceed to slurp up all the yummy goodness. Sheng jian bao is really good too.
This is a great post and recipe! I’ve always wanted to make these at home so I’ll have to try it out when I have time. Thanks!
I am all WET… with salivation. It’s quite a bit of work to reach the Big O (I meant Oomph! – what were you thinking?) but I am sure it was well worth the effort. I can see your face all flushed with joy.