Ginger Chicken No-Fold Blanket Dumplings | One Pot One Portion
These Ginger Chicken No-Fold Blanket Dumplings are the ultimate shortcut to homemade dumplings without the stress of pleating. Juicy ginger and garlic chicken is wrapped in a simple dumpling “blanket,” then pan-steamed until tender with irresistibly crispy bottoms. Finished with a spicy, umami chilli oil sauce, they’re bold, comforting and perfect for a quick single-serve dinner. All the flavour of your favourite dumpling order, made easily in one pan, just for you.
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About This Dish
These ginger chicken blanket dumplings are a viral no-fold dumpling variation where juicy meatballs are wrapped in dumpling wrappers and pan-steamed until tender with crisp bases. Made entirely in one pan, this single-serve recipe delivers comforting dumplings without the fiddly pleating. The filling is fresh and aromatic with ginger, garlic and spring onion, while a spicy umami chilli oil sauce finishes everything with richness and heat. Perfect for solo cooks, these dumplings are quick, approachable and ideal when you want maximum comfort with minimal effort.
Why You’ll Want to Make This Recipe
Single Serve
This recipe makes 6–7 dumplings — the perfect satisfying portion for one without leftover wrappers or filling.
Quick & Easy
No folding, pleating or complicated shaping required. The dumpling wrapper simply “blankets” the filling for effortless assembly.
One Pan Cooking
Pan-steaming creates juicy dumplings with crispy bottoms using a single lidded pan — minimal washing up, maximum reward.
Comfort Food Factor
The ginger-sesame chicken filling paired with chilli oil creates the ultimate cosy, takeaway-style dinner you can make in under 20 minutes.
Eleanor’s Top Tips for the Perfect Blanket Dumplings
- Mix the filling thoroughly until slightly sticky — this helps the dumplings hold their shape and stay juicy.
- Dampen your hands before rolling the meatballs to prevent sticking.
- Press the wrapper gently around the filling so it hugs the meatball without tearing.
- Use a small pan where dumplings sit snugly — this helps them steam evenly.
- Don’t skip the lid — steam is essential for cooking the chicken through and softening the wrappers.
- Let the water fully evaporate at the end to create that signature crispy dumpling base.
- MSG is optional but adds a subtle takeaway-style savoury depth.
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
Essential Ingredients
Chicken mince: juicy protein base
Ginger & garlic: aromatic freshness
Spring onions: sweetness and gentle bite
Soy sauce & fish sauce: umami seasoning
Sherry vinegar: brightness and balance
Caster sugar: rounds out savoury flavours
Sesame oil: nutty richness and crisping fat
Dumpling wrappers: the no-fold “blanket”
For the Chilli Sauce (Optional but recommended)
Crispy chilli oil: heat and texture
Soy sauce: salty depth
Honey: sweetness to balance spice
Spring onion greens: freshness
Essential Tools
• Small lidded frying pan
• Mixing bowl
• Spoon or fork
• Tongs or spatula
Dietary Variations
Gluten-Free
Use gluten-free dumpling wrappers and tamari instead of soy sauce.
Dairy-Free
Naturally dairy-free.
Adding Vegetables
Finely chopped cabbage, mushrooms or water chestnuts can be mixed into the filling for extra texture.
Different Proteins
Pork, turkey or tofu mince work beautifully using the same seasoning.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can I freeze blanket dumplings?
A: Yes — freeze them assembled but uncooked, then steam directly from frozen adding a few extra minutes.
Q: What’s the best pan size for one portion?
A: A small 18–20cm frying pan helps dumplings sit close together for even steaming.
Q: How do I know the dumplings are cooked?
A: The wrappers will turn slightly translucent and the filling should feel firm and springy.
Q: Can I use store-bought dipping sauce?
A: Absolutely — chilli crisp, dumpling vinegar or soy and sesame oil all work well.
Q: Why did my dumplings stick?
A: Ensure enough sesame oil is used and allow the bottoms to crisp before attempting to move them.
A cosy bowl of dumplings made just for you proves that comfort food doesn’t need to be complicated — sometimes the easiest recipes are the most satisfying.
Ingredients
For the Dumplings:
125g Chicken Mince
1/2 Thumb of Ginger, grated
1 Clove of Garlic, grated
Whites of 2 Springs Onions, finely chopped
2 Tsp Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Sherry Vinegar
Splash of Fish Sauce
1/2 Tsp Caster Sugar
Pinch of MSG (optional)
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
6-7 Dumpling Wrappers
For the Dipping Sauce:
1 Tsp Soy Sauce
2 Tsp Crispy Chilli Oil
1/2 Tsp Honey (or caster sugar)
Greens of 2 Spring Onions, finely sliced
Instructions
- Add the chicken mince, ginger, garlic, whites of the spring onions, soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and MSG to a bowl. Use a fork or your hands to mix everything together until thoroughly combined. The mince should break down while mixing until the filling is almost smooth.
- Dampen your hands with cold water slightly, then take 1 heaped tablespoon of filling and roll it into a meatball. Repeat with all the mixture until you have 6-7 meatballs.
- Add the sesame oil to a small pan (that has a lid). Place the meatballs in the pan, ensuring they are equidistant from each other. Place one dumpling wrapper over each meatball, pressing down and pinching slightly so the meatball is covered in a blanket. Repeat with all meatballs and wrapper.
- Add around 3 tbsp of water to the pan then put the lid on the pan and place on a medium-high heat. Let them cook and steam for around 8 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. The water should have fully evaporated and the dumplings should have a slightly crisp bottom, with the dumplings wrappers looking slightly translucent.
- While they’re cooking, mix together the soy sauce, crispy chilli oil and honey for your sauce.
- Remove the pan from the heat, spoon over the chilli sauce and scatter over the spring onions before eating.
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Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
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One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up!
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