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Overview

Xiao Long Bao

Shanghai Soup Dumplings

This xiao long bao recipe makes Shanghai soup dumplings: a thin wheat wrapper pleated shut around minced pork and cubes of pork aspic, which melt into soup as the dumplings steam. They are a different dumpling from jiaozi — jiaozi are boiled or pan-fried with a solid filling, while xiao long bao carry their soup inside, wear a twisted pleat on top, and are always steamed in a bamboo basket. One serving is about 295 g.

Xiao long bao come from Nanxiang, a town outside Shanghai, where the dumpling maker Huang Mingxian is credited with creating them in the 1870s: he filled a pork dumpling with aspic, so the steaming heat would melt it into soup. The trick caught on across Shanghai, and the dumpling became the city's most famous export. They are not jiaozi — jiaozi are boiled or pan-fried with a solid filling, while xiao long bao are always steamed in a bamboo basket, wear a pleated twist on top, and hide their soup inside.

Pairs well with: Black rice vinegar with ginger shreds and a pot of hot tea

Provenance

China flag China

Shanghai Dim Sum

East & South Asia

Time Dedication

1h 42m

90m prep • 12m cook

Batch Yield

4 Servings

599 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 295 g

Technical Skill

Advanced

Advanced (Pleating & Steaming)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Prime Metabolic Fit

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Occasions: Lunch, dim sum gatherings, Chinese New Year, weekend cooking projects Cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home
Tags: Pork Savory Steamed
Pleated xiao long bao soup dumplings in a bamboo steamer at a restaurant in Sydney, Australia

Shanghai Dim Sum

Photo: Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home (USD)

A good xiao long bao is judged by the wrapper: thin enough to see through, strong enough to hold a spoonful of soup.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 1h 42m
P

Prep Stage: Make the Dough and the Filling

90 Mins • Dough, Filling & Aspic

Mix the flour with 150 ml warm water and a pinch of salt, knead until smooth, and rest the dough, covered, for 30 minutes. While it rests, mix the ground pork with the wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, white pepper, ginger and spring onions, then fold in the cold aspic cubes last — gently, so they stay in cubes and do not melt into the meat.

Maestro Tip: Everything stays cold: warm filling melts the aspic before the dumplings are even folded.

  1. 1

    Make and Rest the Dough

    40 Mins Room temperature, 20°C (68°F)

    Mix the flour, 150 ml warm water and a pinch of salt into a shaggy dough, then knead on a clean surface for 8 minutes until smooth and springy. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

    A rested dough rolls thin without springing back.

    Done when: The dough is smooth and bounces back slowly when pressed.

  2. 2

    Mix the Filling

    10 Mins Cold, below 10°C (50°F)

    Stir the pork with the wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt and white pepper in one direction for 2 minutes until sticky, then fold in the ginger, spring onions and the cold aspic cubes.

    Stirring in one direction builds the sticky texture that holds the soup in.

    Done when: The filling is sticky and the aspic cubes are still whole.

  3. 3

    Roll the Wrappers

    20 Mins Room temperature, 20°C (68°F)

    Divide the dough into 24 pieces, roll each into a ball, and roll it out into a circle about 9 cm across — thin at the edges, a little thicker in the centre so the bottom does not split.

    Keep the unused dough covered so it does not dry out.

    Done when: Each wrapper is thin enough to see your hand through at the edge.

  4. 4

    Fill and Pleat

    20 Mins Room temperature, 20°C (68°F)

    Place a spoonful of filling in the centre of each wrapper, then pleat the edge around it — 14 to 18 small folds — and twist the top closed. Pinch firmly so the seal holds when the soup forms inside.

    Pleat with the wrapper in your palm and turn it as you fold — the twist closes the top.

    Done when: Each dumpling stands up with a neat twisted top and no gaps.

  5. 5

    Steam in the Bamboo Basket

    12 Mins Boiling water, 100°C (212°F); pork to 71°C (160°F)

    Line a bamboo steamer with parchment or cabbage leaves, set the dumplings in with space between them, and steam over boiling water for 8 minutes, until the wrappers are translucent and the pork inside reaches 71°C (160°F). Serve at once with the vinegar and ginger.

    Do not lift the lid mid-steam — the temperature drop makes the wrappers collapse.

    Done when: The wrappers are glossy and translucent; the dumplings jiggle slightly when moved.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Eat them the minute they leave the steamer: lift one with chopsticks, bite a small hole in the top, sip the soup, then dip it in the vinegar and eat the rest. That first spoonful of soup is the whole point of the dumpling.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

599

kcal / serving

Protein

31g

Complete AA

Carbs

61g

Complex

Fats

25g

Healthy

Per serving (4 servings · 1 serving ≈ 295 g)
Energy599 kcal
Protein31 g
Carbohydrates61 g
Fat25 g
Fibre2.4 g
Sugar1.8 g
Sodium686 mg
Per 100g
Energy203 kcal
Protein10.4 g
Carbohydrates20.5 g
Fat8.3 g
Fibre0.8 g
Sugar0.6 g
Sodium232 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Thiamine and niacin (pork), vitamin B6 (pork), vitamin C (spring onions, ginger), zinc and selenium (pork).

Good Protein in a Small Parcel

Each serving gives about 27 g of protein from the pork, which makes six dumplings a satisfying lunch rather than a snack.

B Vitamins from Pork

Pork is one of the richest food sources of thiamine (vitamin B1), plus niacin, B6 and B12, which the body uses to turn food into energy.

Steamed, Not Fried

Steaming keeps the fat low and the wrappers delicate — no oil is needed to cook them at all.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sauces

Black Rice Vinegar with Ginger

The sharp, malty vinegar with ginger shreds cuts the richness of the pork and is the traditional partner.

Drinks

Hot Chinese Tea

A pot of hot, unsweetened tea cleanses the palate between dumplings and suits the steamed wrapper.

Vegetables

Blanched Greens

A small plate of blanched bok choy adds freshness and crunch beside the soft dumplings.

Sides

Hot and Sour Soup

A small bowl of hot and sour soup turns the dumplings into a fuller lunch without overpowering them.

Complete menu

Serve the dumplings straight from the bamboo steamer with black rice vinegar and ginger, blanched greens and a pot of hot tea.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Eating Them Undercooked

Ground pork must reach 71°C (160°F) inside; undercooked ground pork is a food-safety risk. Steam the full 8 minutes and check one dumpling. This is general guidance, not medical advice.

Biting Straight In

The soup inside is scalding hot — bite a small hole and sip first, or the soup will burn your mouth.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA delicate, comforting lunch — soft dumplings with hot soup inside.
  • ChildrenSuitable from age 5+; let the dumplings cool a little and show children how to sip the soup first.
  • ElderlySoft and easy to chew; serve warm, not piping hot, and in small portions.
  • Pregnant womenGenerally suitable if the pork is fully cooked through to 71°C (160°F) and eaten freshly steamed.
  • Breastfeeding womenGenerally suitable; the protein supports recovery — keep the portion to one steamer basket.
  • AthletesA good light lunch; add a bowl of soup and greens for a fuller meal.
  • Weight gainA good choice — add a second basket and a bowl of soup.
  • Weight lossA good choice in a single serving — steamed and light, so one basket with greens is plenty.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesThe wrappers add carbs; keep the portion to one basket and ask your clinician about portion size.
  • High blood pressureMost of the sodium is in the soy sauce and the aspic; use low-sodium soy sauce if you can. Ask your clinician about a suitable portion.
  • Kidney diseaseThe soy sauce and aspic make this a salty dish; keep the portion modest. Ask your clinician about a suitable portion.
  • GoutPork is moderately high in purines; keep portions modest and occasional. Ask your clinician about a suitable portion.
  • Stomach issuesSteamed and gentle, usually well tolerated; eat slowly and let the dumplings cool a little. Ask your clinician if unsure.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseThe pork filling is rich; keep it occasional and the portion to one basket. Ask your clinician about a suitable portion.
  • Fatty liverA rich pork filling; keep it occasional and balance the meal with greens. Ask your clinician about a suitable portion.
  • Food allergiesContains wheat (wrappers), soy (soy sauce) and sesame; check every sauce label. Ask your clinician if you have a wheat, soy or sesame allergy.
  • Special therapeutic dietsNot suitable for a gluten-free or pork-free diet as written; the wrapper and filling define the dish. Ask your clinician or dietitian before adapting it.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool quickly and store in an airtight container, in a single layer if possible.
In the fridge
1 day.
In the freezer
1 month, uncooked, on a tray then bagged.
How to reheat
Re-steam over boiling water for 5 minutes until hot through; reheat to 74°C (165°F). Do not microwave — the wrappers turn rubbery.
Freezing recommended
Yes — uncooked dumplings, up to 1 month; steam from frozen for 10 minutes.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour smell, slimy wrappers, or a dull, grey colour.

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