Shumai Recipe – Cantonese Pork & Shrimp Dumplings (VIDEO)
These Homemade Shumai are tender, juicy, and packed with savory pork, shrimp, and umami-rich mushrooms. They’re a classic dim sum favorite that feels special enough for holidays but simple enough to make at home.
Sunday dim sum with my family was kind of our thing growing up. We’d sit around a big table, grabbing plates as the carts rolled by, and I always made sure we got shumai — that was my pick every time. Those juicy little pork and shrimp dumplings straight from the steamer just tasted like comfort, and honestly, it never felt like a proper dim sum meal without them.
This was inspired by my other dumpling recipes on this site, and pairs well with this dumpling dipping sauce and homemade chili oil. If you don’t know what to cook for Lunar New Year, check out my Top 12 Favorite Dishes for Chinese New Year.
What Is Shumai (Siumai)
Shumai (or siu mai) is a traditional Cantonese steamed dumpling typically filled with pork, shrimp, and mushrooms, wrapped in a thin wonton wrapper with the top left open. Unlike potstickers or boiled dumplings, shumai are steamed, giving them a tender texture and juicy interior. They’re one of the most popular items at dim sum restaurants and are loved for their rich flavor and delicate bite.
Why Shumai Is Eaten During Lunar New Year
Eating shumai during Lunar New Year is considered lucky because their shape resembles small gold ingots, symbolizing wealth and prosperity for the coming year. Serving dumplings like shumai is a way of sharing abundance, unity, and good fortune with family. Their golden color (especially with fish roe on top) makes them especially festive and meaningful on the holiday table.
Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make the Best Pork and Shrimp Shumai:
- Wonton Wrapper: I used squared Hong Kong Style Wonton Wrappers. You can also use round shape wonton wrapper or any dumpling wrapper. You can find these in the frozen section of any Asian grocery store.
- Ground Pork: Shumai is typically made with ground pork. You can also use ground chicken.
- Shrimp: key ingredients for this recipe. Either frozen or fresh shrimp works for this recipe.
- Shiitake Mushroom: highly recommend to add into your shumai filling
- Sauce & Seasonings: add depth and umami flavors (see recipe card below for a full list)
- Fish Roe: for garnish(optional). You can skip this or use chopped carrots instead.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Wrap Shumai
- Step 1: Place a wonton wrapper in your palm.
- Step 2: Add about 1 tablespoon of filling to the center.
- Step 3: Gently gather the wrapper around the filling, leaving the top open. Add a little more filling if needed.
- Step 4: Squeeze to create a cup shape and lightly press the bottom to create a flat base.
Let’s Make Pork & Shrimp Shumai!
- Prepare the Shrimp: Finely chop the shrimp.
- Make the Filling: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix until it becomes a sticky paste.
- Prepare the Steamer: Line a steamer basket with parchment paper. Arrange the shumai inside, leaving space between each dumpling
- Steam: Steam over boiling water for 8-10 minutes, or until the filling is cooked through.
How to Serve Pork & Shrimp Shumai
Garnish with some fish roe or chopped carrots. Serve hot with dumpling sauce, chili oil, or black vinegar dipping sauce.
Substitutions
- Ground Pork: You can swap out for ground chicken or ground beef.
- Shrimp: You can use either fresh or frozen shrimp. Make sure to chop them into fine paste before mixing in with the other ingredients.
- Vegetables: Mushroom, water chestnuts, carrots are all great addition for this recipe.
- Wonton Wrappers: Any round or square shape wonton wrappers works for this recipe. If you can’t find wonton wrapper, you can also use dumpling wrapper.
Equipment
How to Storage and Reheat
To Store: Leftover pork & shrimp shumai can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To Reheat: Reheat by steaming for 5 minutes or microwave until warm.
Freezing: Freeze uncooked dumplings for up to 3 months.
Top Tips for Success
Mix the filling until sticky.
Stir the pork and shrimp mixture in one direction until it becomes slightly paste-like. This helps the proteins bind and gives shumai that classic juicy, springy texture.
Don’t overfill the wrappers.
About 1-2 tablespoon of filling is perfect. Too much makes them hard to seal and uneven to steam.
Shape them upright.
Gently press the bottom of each dumpling on the counter so it has a flat base. This helps them stand straight and cook evenly.
Leave space in the steamer.
Shumai expand slightly while steaming. Crowding can cause them to stick together.
Use high heat steam.
Make sure the water is fully boiling before steaming. Strong steam cooks the dumplings evenly and keeps the wrappers tender.
Line your steamer.
Use parchment with holes or cabbage leaves to prevent sticking.
Don’t oversteam.
8–10 minutes is usually perfect. Oversteaming can make the pork dense and the wrappers soggy.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Shumai – Cantonese Pork & Shrimp Steamed Dumplings
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Pork
- ½ lb (8 oz) Shrimp, finely chopped
- 4 Dried Shiitake Mushroom, rehydrated and minced
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
- 2 tsp Chicken bouillon
- 2 tsp Sugar
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp White pepper
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 25 Wonton wrapper
- Fish roe, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Finely chop the shrimp and shiitake mushroom, then set them aside.
- In a large bowl, combine ground pork, chopped shrimp, minced mushrooms, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, chicken bouillon, sugar, salt, white pepper, water, and cornstarch. Mix until the mixture becomes sticky and well combined.
- Assemble Shumai: Place a wonton wrapper in your palm. Add about 1 tablespoon of filling to the center. Gently gather the wrapper around the filling, leaving the top open. Add more filling if needed. Squeeze the wrapper to create a cup shape, then lightly press the bottom on the counter to create a flat base. (See photos above)
- Line a steamer basket with parchment paper or cabbage leaves to prevent sticking. Arrange shumai inside, leaving space between each dumpling.
- Steam over boiling water for about 10 minutes, or until the filling is cooked through.
- Garnish with some fish roe. Serve hot with dumpling sauce, chili oil, or black vinegar dipping sauce.
