Shrimp Shumai Recipe Cheese Dumplings
There’s something wonderfully satisfying about crafting your own dumplings from scratch. For years, I was a bit intimidated by the idea of making shumai at home, thinking they were a restaurant-only treat that required expert skills. I used to struggle with getting the filling just right until I discovered this technique. This particular Shrimp Shumai Recipe has become a real staple in our house, especially with the little twist of adding a tiny cube of cheese inside. It’s a small change that makes a huge difference, turning a classic dumpling into something truly special.
What makes these dumplings so delightful is the texture and flavour contrast. You get the plump, juicy bite of shrimp, the savoury depth from a little pork mince, and the fresh zing of ginger and spring onions. Then, as you bite into the centre, you discover a small pocket of gloriously melty cheese. It’s an unexpected but welcome addition that adds a creamy richness without overpowering the delicate shrimp. The wrappers become tender and slightly chewy after steaming, perfectly encasing the wonderful filling.
This recipe is ideal when you want to spend a bit of mindful time in the kitchen creating something impressive. It’s a fantastic weekend cooking project and works beautifully as a starter for a dinner party or as the main event for a fun, hands-on family meal. Everyone seems to love assembling them, and the results are always worth the effort.
Recipe Overview
This Shrimp Shumai Recipe guides you through creating delicate, open-topped dumplings filled with a succulent shrimp and pork mixture, with a hidden centre of melted cheese. The flavour is savoury and aromatic, with hints of ginger, sesame, and garlic. During testing, I found that mixing the filling in one direction until it becomes sticky is the key to achieving that perfect, bouncy texture you find in the best restaurant shumai.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Servings: 4 people (makes approx. 20-24 dumplings)
- Difficulty: Medium
Why You’ll Love This Shrimp Shumai Recipe
- Genuine Flavour: The combination of fresh, plump shrimp, aromatic ginger, and a touch of sesame oil creates a genuinely authentic taste, which is wonderfully complemented by the creamy, melted cheese inside.
- Ready in Under 40 Minutes: From chopping the ingredients to steaming the final batch, you can have these impressive dumplings on the table in about 35 minutes.
- Flexible Recipe: You can easily adapt the filling to your taste. Don’t have pork mince? Minced chicken thigh works just as well. For extra crunch, add finely diced water chestnuts.
- Great for Sharing: This recipe works beautifully for a dim sum-style meal at home or as an elegant starter before a main course like our Lemon Garlic Chicken.
- Family Tested: I make this at least once a month – it’s become a family favourite. My children are always excited to find the ‘hidden treasure’ of melted cheese inside their dumplings.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the best results, use the freshest shrimp you can find, as they are the star of the show. I prefer using raw king prawns for their firm texture. When it comes to soy sauce, I often reach for Kikkoman’s All-Purpose Soy Sauce as it has a well-balanced, savoury flavour that isn’t too overpowering.
- 250g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
- 100g pork mince (around 20% fat is ideal)
- 24 round gyoza or wonton wrappers
- 50g mature cheddar or mozzarella, cut into small 1cm cubes
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tsp cornflour
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- 24 frozen peas, for garnish (optional)
Sara’s Tip: For the best texture in your shrimp shumai, I recommend finely mincing half of the prawns to create a paste, and roughly chopping the other half into small, chunky pieces. This gives you a filling that holds together well but still has delicious, noticeable bites of shrimp.
How to Make Shrimp Shumai Recipe
The process of making these shrimp and cheese dumplings is methodical and quite relaxing once you get into the rhythm of filling and shaping. We’ll first create the flavourful filling, then assemble the individual shumai before steaming them to perfection.
- Prepare the Filling: Pat the peeled prawns completely dry with a paper towel. Finely mince half of them and chop the other half into small chunks. In a large mixing bowl, combine the prawns, pork mince, chopped spring onions, grated ginger, and minced garlic.
- Season the Mixture: Add the light soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, cornflour, white pepper, and sugar to the bowl.
- Mix Until Sticky: Using a spoon or your hands, mix the ingredients together in one continuous direction for 2-3 minutes. The mixture will become sticky and paste-like. This step is crucial for a bouncy, tender texture. I learned the importance of this technique from reading about the science of Shumai preparation, as it helps develop the proteins.
- Rest the Filling: Cover the bowl and let the filling rest in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. This allows the flavours to meld together.
- Assemble the Shumai: Place a wrapper in the palm of your non-dominant hand. Spoon about a heaped teaspoon of the filling into the centre. Gently press one cube of cheese into the middle of the filling.
- Shape the Dumplings: Form a circle with your thumb and index finger. Carefully push the wrapper and filling down into the circle, squeezing gently to form a cup shape, leaving the top open. Tap the base on your work surface to create a flat bottom so it can stand upright. What works best for me is keeping the pressure gentle and even all the way around.
- Garnish and Prepare for Steaming: Top each shumai with a single frozen pea if using. Line a bamboo or metal steamer with non-stick baking parchment or cabbage leaves. Arrange the shumai in the steamer, ensuring you leave a little space between each one to prevent them from sticking together.
- Steam to Perfection: Bring a wok or large pan of water to a rolling boil. Place the steamer over the water, cover with a lid, and steam for 8-10 minutes. The shumai are cooked when the filling is firm to the touch and the wrappers are translucent. Serve immediately with your favourite dipping sauce.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Temperature Control: Always ensure your water is at a full, rolling boil before you start steaming. A consistent, high heat is essential to cook the dumplings through quickly and evenly.
- The Secret Step: I learned that vigorously mixing the filling in one direction is non-negotiable. It emulsifies the fat and protein, creating a wonderfully cohesive and springy texture inside the cooked dumpling. Don’t skip this!
- Make-Ahead: You can assemble the shumai up to a day in advance and keep them covered on a lined tray in the fridge. Alternatively, freeze uncooked shumai on a tray until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Steam directly from frozen, adding 4-5 minutes to the cooking time.
- Storage: Store any leftover cooked shumai in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, simply steam them for 3-4 minutes until piping hot.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Bamboo or metal steamer
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Large mixing bowl
- Spatula or wooden spoon
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcrowding the Steamer: It can be tempting to fit as many as possible in one batch, but the shumai need space for the steam to circulate properly. If they are too close, they will stick together and cook unevenly. It’s better to work in two batches.
- Using a Wet Filling: Make sure to pat your prawns very dry before chopping them. Any excess moisture will make the filling difficult to handle and can result in soggy wrappers after steaming.
- Overfilling the Wrappers: While you want a generous filling, using too much will make the shumai almost impossible to shape neatly. A heaped teaspoon of filling is the ideal amount for standard-sized wrappers.
Delicious Variations to Try
Once you’ve mastered this base recipe, it’s fun to experiment with different flavours and ingredients. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Spicy Version: For those who like a bit of warmth, add half a teaspoon of chilli flakes or one finely minced red chilli to the pork and shrimp filling.
- Vegetarian Option: Create a delicious plant-based filling by swapping the shrimp and pork for 200g of finely chopped shiitake mushrooms, 100g of firm crumbled tofu, and one grated carrot. Sauté the vegetables briefly before mixing with the other seasonings.
- Different Protein: Minced chicken thigh is a great substitute for pork. For a touch of luxury, you could even add some finely chopped scallops to the shrimp mixture. It would also pair nicely with our Juicy Chicken Recipe for a varied meal.
What to Serve With Shrimp Shumai Recipe
These dumplings are fantastic on their own, but they also work wonderfully as part of a larger meal. Here are a few of my favourite pairings:
- Simple Dipping Sauce: A classic dipping sauce is all you need. Mix 3 tablespoons of light soy sauce with 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and a few drops of sesame or chilli oil.
- Steamed Asian Greens: Serve alongside some simple steamed pak choi or broccoli, drizzled with a little oyster sauce for a complete meal.
- Crisp Cucumber Salad: A refreshing salad of thinly sliced cucumber, rice vinegar, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds provides a lovely, crisp contrast to the soft dumplings.
- Drink Pairing: A cold, crisp lager or a glass of dry Pinot Grigio works beautifully, cutting through the richness of the filling. For a non-alcoholic option, chilled jasmine tea is a perfect match.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shrimp Shumai with Cheese
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the Filling: Pat the peeled prawns completely dry with a paper towel. Finely mince half of them and chop the other half into small chunks. In a large mixing bowl, combine the prawns, pork mince, chopped spring onions, grated ginger, and minced garlic.
- Season the Mixture: Add the light soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, cornflour, white pepper, and sugar to the bowl.
- Mix Until Sticky: Using a spoon or your hands, mix the ingredients together in one continuous direction for 2-3 minutes. The mixture will become sticky and paste-like. This step is crucial for a bouncy, tender texture. I learned the importance of this technique from reading about the science of Shumai preparation, as it helps develop the proteins.
- Rest the Filling: Cover the bowl and let the filling rest in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. This allows the flavours to meld together.
- Assemble the Shumai: Place a wrapper in the palm of your non-dominant hand. Spoon about a heaped teaspoon of the filling into the centre. Gently press one cube of cheese into the middle of the filling.
- Shape the Dumplings: Form a circle with your thumb and index finger. Carefully push the wrapper and filling down into the circle, squeezing gently to form a cup shape, leaving the top open. Tap the base on your work surface to create a flat bottom so it can stand upright. What works best for me is keeping the pressure gentle and even all the way around.
- Garnish and Prepare for Steaming: Top each shumai with a single frozen pea if using. Line a bamboo or metal steamer with non-stick baking parchment or cabbage leaves. Arrange the shumai in the steamer, ensuring you leave a little space between each one to prevent them from sticking together.
- Steam to Perfection: Bring a wok or large pan of water to a rolling boil. Place the steamer over the water, cover with a lid, and steam for 8-10 minutes. The shumai are cooked when the filling is firm to the touch and the wrappers are translucent. Serve immediately with your favourite dipping sauce.
Notes
I really hope you enjoy making this Shrimp Shumai Recipe as much as my family and I do. There’s a real sense of accomplishment in serving up a platter of your very own homemade dumplings, especially when they have that lovely, cheesy surprise inside. Let me know how you get on in the comments below – I’d love to hear about your experience!
