This egg and pepper dumpling recipe is sponsored by Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that keep this blog going.
Egg and pepper dumplings feature soft scrambled eggs, browned mushroom bits, and bright green pepper stuffed into crispy wrappers. These dumplings are easy to make and so fun to eat. You can serve them as a vegetarian main dish, a fun appetizer for your dinner party, or as part of your Chinese New Year spread. {Vegetarian}
Chinese New Year is around the corner and now is a great time to add a new dumpling recipe to your repertoire! In the past, I’ve shared many dumplings that are great for this occasion, for example, pork and cabbage dumplings, beef dumplings, lamb and zucchini dumplingsand vegetable dumplings.
Today I want to share a super easy and delicious recipe for egg and pepper dumplings with you. These dumplings are vegetarian while also satisfying and delicious. The ingredient list is simple and the cooking process is easier than for many meat-filled dumplings. It is a great appetizer for your Chinese New Year dinner party.
Egg and pepper dumplings ingredients
The dumpling filling
The filling has three ingredients:
The egg will be the main ingredient here and the dumpling filling will be lightly seasoned to bring out the flavor of the egg. So I highly recommend using high quality eggs such as Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs. The eggs from Pete and Gerry’s are all humanely raised on small family-run farmsnot factory farms that simply use the farm label. Their organic eggs also contain no pesticides, no added hormones, no antibiotics, and no GMOs. Their eggs have a darker and harder shell, a big, vibrant yolk, and a richer taste which makes all the difference in this dumpling recipe.
We will only use a touch of pepper and mushroom here, to add a crisp texture and some umami bits to the eggs. When you prepare the pepper and mushroom, be sure to cut them very small, so they will be evenly distributed in the dumpling filling.
The seasoning
To really make the egg filling shine, these dumplings use a touch of oyster sauce, white pepper and sesame oil to add umami.
Dumpling wrapper
Any type of dumpling wrappers can be used for egg and pepper dumplings.
In this recipe, I used a thicker and larger northern Chinese style dumpling wrapper. This type of wrapper makes it easier to assemble the dumplings, and you will be able to stuff more filling into them. Dumplings with these wrappers are a bit chewy in texture.
Other types of wrappers such as Japanese gyoza wrappers will work great as well. These wrappers are on the thin side. You will end up with more dumplings and each will have a lighter, crispier texture.
How make egg and pepper dumplings
Prepare the egg and pepper filling
- Scramble the eggs in the pan
- Cook the mushroom and pepper
- Add everything together and mix well
How to wrap egg and pepper dumplings
You might have noticed that this recipe uses a different wrapping method from my usual pleated dumplings. The reasons for this are:
- Egg and pepper dumplings are supposed to be an easy recipe, so I wanted to keep the wrapping method as approachable as possible.
- Unlike meat filling which sticks together in a ball shape, the egg filling doesn’t stick together and can be a bit more challenging to wrap into a dumpling.
- When folded this way, you can pan fry both sides of the dumplings to make them extra crispy, which works wonderfully with the tender egg filling.
To wrap these dumplings:
- Wet the edge of the dumpling wrapper
- Place as much filling as you can handle onto the wrapper
- Fold the dumpling into a half moon shape like an empanada or pierogi
- Crimp the edges to make a pattern like you might on a pie crust (this is optional)
How to cook egg and pepper dumplings
To pan fry the egg and pepper dumplings:
- Brown the dumplings in a lightly oiled pan until golden crispy.
- Add a splash of water and cook covered, until the dumplings are cooked through.
If you like extra crispy dumplings, it’s OK to fry them with a bit more oil.
Once done, you will have these great dumplings with crispy yet chewy wrappers and a tender egg filling with crisp peppers.
More Chinese New Year recipes
Egg and Pepper Dumplings (egg green pepper dumplings)
Egg and pepper dumplings feature soft scrambled eggs, browned mushroom bits, and bright green pepper stuffed into crispy wrappers. These dumplings are easy to make and so fun to eat. You can serve them as a vegetarian main dish, a fun appetizer for your dinner party, or as part of your Chinese New Year spread. {Vegetarian}
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil, and more for pan-frying)
- 6 Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs beaten
- 4 oz (110 g) brown mushrooms diced very small (yields 1 1/2 cups once cut)
- 1 cubanelle peppers diced very small (yields 2/3 cup once cut) (*Footnote 1)
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 pack dumpling wrappers
Instructions
Prepare the filling
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Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Turn to medium heat and pour in the egg mixture. Scramble the eggs and chop them into small pieces using your spatula, until the eggs are just cooked through. Transfer to a large bowl to cool.
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Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil and the mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are browned and all the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to the same bowl with the eggs.
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Add the cubanelle pepper, oyster sauce, white pepper and sesame oil. Mix everything together. Taste the mixture. It should be slightly salty by itself.
To assemble the dumplings
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Prepare a small bowl of water on the side. Use your finger to wet the edge of the dumpling wrapper. Scoop about 1 tablespoon dumpling filling and place it in the center of the wrapper. Hold the dumpling with one hand and start sealing the edges with the other hand. After folding, press the edges again to seal well. You can use any way you like to fold the dumplings as long as you’re comfortable with it.
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Now you can freeze these dumplings if you don’t plan to cook them immediately. Place them onto a baking tray and seal it with plastic wrap. You can store the dumplings in the freezer for up to 1 month. Once the dumplings are completely frozen, after about a day, you can transfer them to a gallon bag to save freezer space.
To cook the dumplings
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Cook the dumplings in batches. Heat about 1 tablespoon oil (*Footnote 2) in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add dumplings and cook until the bottom turns golden. Flip the dumplings to brown the other side until pale golden. Pour in 2 tablespoons of water and cover. Cook until the dumplings are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover, continuing to cook until the bottom side turns golden.
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Serve hot by itself, or with dumpling dipping sauce, or a touch of Chinkiang vinegar.
Notes
- You can use other types of hot pepper if you prefer. Anaheim peppers and jalapeno both work well.
- You only need a thin layer of oil to crisp up the dumplings. If you like the deep fried dumpling effect, you can also use more oil to cover the dumplings. In this case, you won’t need to pour in any water and steam the dumplings.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 56kcal, Carbohydrates: 7.7g, Protein: 2.2g, Fat: 1.8g, Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 91mg, Potassium: 36mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 0.3g, Calcium: 6mg
