The 15-Minute, 5-Ingredient Dinner I Make with Pantry Staples

Boiled dumplings with peanut butter sauce is a personal favorite of mine. It is one of my go-to dishes that I always order whenever I’m at Din Tai Fung, the popular Taiwanese soup dumpling chain, and a staple at Nan Xiang, another soup dumpling restaurant locally based in NYC.

Peanut butter adds a smooth, rich, nutty flavor that coats the soft and slippery dumpling skins beautifully. While this dish is delicious any time, I always save this recipe for a busy weeknight, since it is so easy to cook and it still feels restaurant-quality at home.

This quick and easy, five-ingredient dumpling dish comes together in just 15 minutes. This recipe may be short and sweet, but it does not compromise on flavor and color. It’s as beautiful as it is delicious: pops of white from the dumplings, vibrant reds from the chili oil, latte-brown peanut sauce, and fresh green cilantro.

What Kind of Dumplings to Use

This recipe works with all types of frozen dumplings, but I prefer jiaozi, Chinese dumplings that come in a variety of fillings and are often folded into half-moon shapes with a white wrapper skin. My go-to brand is Ling Ling, which I pick up at Costco—the dumplings are frozen individually, so I can cook just the amount I want instead of dealing with clumped-together pieces.

I’ve also made this dish with Bibigo’s mandu (Korean dumplings and another Costco favorite), and it works beautifully. Restaurants sometimes prepare this dish with wontons, so that’s another option, too. Wontons are typically folded into a sailboat shape and made with golden-yellow wrappers, their color coming from egg yolk in the dough.

The Best Peanut Butter to Use

I like using smooth, creamy peanut butter for its rich texture that drizzles beautifully. That said, chunky peanut butter works just as well if you like extra texture. For those with peanut allergies, a one-to-one swap with tahini works perfectly. It has a similar nutty flavor and creamy consistency.

Make It Your Own

I like to garnish these dumplings with cilantro and toasted sesame seeds, but feel free to mix things up. Try scallions, parsley, or basil for freshness. Add chopped peanuts for crunch, or finish with a squeeze of lime juice to balance out the richness of the sauce. For a more vibrant punch of red, I like to add some of the chili oil from the chili crisp for additional flavor and color. 

Tips for Making These Dumplings

Since this recipe comes together very quickly, timing makes all the difference. Keep these tips in mind for the best results:

• Drain promptly: As soon as the dumplings are cooked through, drain them to prevent the skins from becoming soggy.
• Use hot water for the sauce: The reserved boiling water from cooking the dumplings helps to loosen the peanut butter into a smooth and silky sauce. Make sure it’s still piping hot to better mix with the peanut butter.
• Drizzle immediately: Pour the peanut butter sauce over the dumplings immediately to keep the dumpling skins moist and soft.