The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (2024)

2 May 2020

Last updated by Wes Radez on | 9

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This recipe is part of our collection of Steamed Dim Sum Dishes. Sign up for our newsletter to get recipes, dining tips and restaurant reviews throughout the year!

Traditional siu mai are filled exclusively with chopped pork, though some restaurants will include shrimp in the filling. Siu mai are wrapped in a fresh pasta skin that is left open, so that the filling peeks out of the top of the dumpling when served at the table.

Pork siu mai are one of the “Guangdong Big Three,” along with shrimp dumplings and steamed pork buns, a true staple of the original Cantonese dim sum tradition. The quality of a restaurant’s siu mai says a lot about how seriously it takes its dim sum.

Whether at the restaurant or at home, making great siu mai is all about the filling, which should retain a bright, fresh crunch out of the steamer. Start with the recipe below and then tweak to suit your own taste.

Can you share any expert tips from your experience making pork siu mai? Want to ask a question before you try making it yourself? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!

Pork Siu Mai Recipe

Makes: 30 | Prep Time: 30 Minutes | Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Adapted From: The Food of China: A Journey for Food Lovers

Ingredients

6 ounces shrimp
1/2 cup peeled water chestnuts
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cornstarch
30 square or round egg dumpling wrappers

Directions

1. Peel and devein the shrimp, squeeze out as much moisture as possible and then roughly chop.

2. Blanch the water chestnuts for 1 minute, drop into cold water and then roughly chop.

3. Combine the shrimp, water chestnuts and the remaining filling ingredients (everything except the wrappers) in a large bowl and stir until well-combined.

4. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper. Form a circle with your thumb and forefinger and shape the dumpling, so that it forms a fat cylinder with an open top. Pat the top and bottom of the dumpling to create flat surfaces on either end.

5. Steam the dumplings standing up in bamboo steamers on top of oiled paper punched with holes for 15 minutes. Serve with soy sauce or chili sauce for dipping.

Learn more about Pork Siu Mai from these Experts

Watch Cooking Tips TV rather adoringly make Pork Siu Mai from their Hong Kong studio (VIDEO)
Thirsty for Tea makes Pork Siu Mai
The Dumpling Sisters make Pork Siu Mai in their home kitchen

HT: Photo by young via Wikimedia Commons.

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About The Author
Hi! I’m Wes, a dim sum lover in Oakland, California. I launched Dim Sum Central as a hobby and I’ve loved watching it grow to become an online home for people around the world who are passionate about eating and making dim sum! Get started »

The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (3)

The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (4)

The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (5)

9 Responses

  1. The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (6)
    • The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (7)
      Dim Sum Central

      |Reply

      Hi Boo, thanks for your note. If you’ll please look in the recipe ingredients, you’ll find the amount noted: 1lb of ground pork! ~Wes

  2. The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (8)
    Kathleen QuongVermeire

    |Reply

    Can i use rice paper as the wrapper.
    I have celic and cannot tolerant wheat

    • The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (9)
      Dim Sum Central

      |Reply

      I’m not sure, Kathleen! Give it a try and let us know! ~Wes

  3. The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (10)
    Inez

    |Reply

    I can’t eat shrimp. Can I replace the shrimp with 6 oz of more pork

    • The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (11)
      Wes Radez

      |Reply

      Hi Inez, yes, you can do that. In fact, all-pork variations of pork sui mai are quite common. The difference you may notice is that the final product is just very…dense and meaty. You may want to break up the consistency of the filling with Chinese mushrooms or water chestnuts. ~Wes

  4. The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (12)
    Rosalina Fletcher

    |Reply

    Hi Wes. I can’t shrimp. Can I replace it with fish instead.

    • The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (13)
      Wes Radez

      |Reply

      That should work, Rosalina. Use a firm fish that will hold together well. ~Wes

  5. The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (14)
    Camilla

    |Reply

    Great recipe. I’ve been using it for almost a year!

Leave a Reply

The Best Pork Siu Mai Recipe | Dim Sum Central (2024)

FAQs

What is the orange dot on the siu mai? ›

The center is usually garnished with an orange dot, made of crab roe or diced carrot, although a green dot made with a pea may be used. The decorative presentations vary. A fish paste variety of siumaai is sold as a popular street food in Hong Kong, usually alongside curry fishballs.

What is the difference between dim sum and siu mai? ›

(“Dim sum” refers to the whole collection of dumplings and delicacies served with tea. Among the many dim sum dishes, siu mai – a flowerpot-shaped pork and prawn dumpling – was especially popular.) Dim sims, which come in many shapes and sizes, are usually fried or steamed.

What is shumai sauce made of? ›

Sauce for Siu Mai

You'll find dumpling joints provide a selection of soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar or white vinegar and some kind of Chilli Paste, then you make your own. I usually do: 3 parts soy sauce. 1 part vinegar.

What is Siew Mai made of? ›

The Story Behind Siew Mai

This delectable dumpling is characterised by its open-topped, cylindrical shape with a thin wrapper, usually made from a mix of wheat and tapioca starch. The filling typically consists of ground pork, shrimp, mushrooms, and seasonings like soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger.

Is siu mai healthy? ›

Fish siu mai

Don't let its name fool you into thinking that fish is the main ingredient. The ugly truth is that this item is made up of flour, lard and a meat mixture with only a small amount of fish. A seven-piece serving packs 12 grams of fat and about 300 calories – more than twice as many in a bowl of cooked rice.

What does siomai mean in Chinese? ›

Search with English, Pinyin, or Chinese characters. 烧麦 Trad. 燒麥 shāo mài. shumai (shao mai) steamed dumpling also written 燒賣|烧卖[shao1 mai4]

What is siu mai called in English? ›

Meaning of shumai in English

a small Chinese or Japanese dumpling (= a small piece of dough filled with meat or fish) cooked in steam: The chicken was a little overcooked, but the shumai were very good.

Is siu mai Cantonese or Mandarin? ›

The name “Siu Mai” (燒賣) is Cantonese, but variations of this dumpling are found throughout China under different names. In Mandarin, it's called “Shao Mai” (烧卖). Each region in China has its own take on Siu Mai, with variations in fillings and wrappers.

What is a shumai in English? ›

Ans — Small steamed dumplings, typically stuffed with meat or seafood and vegetables.

What kind of vinegar for dumplings? ›

Make Your Dumpling Dipping Sauce

In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, chili oil, sesame seeds and chopped scallion.

What is the orange on top of shumai? ›

The better quality shumais will likely use a fish roe as a topper, which steams into tiny orange pearls. You won't taste it; it's purely ornamental. Some dim sum parlors, however, may choose to save money by using minced carrots or dried goji berries. Other times you may see shumai topped with a green pea.

What to eat with siu mai? ›

Here are some are of our favorite foods to enjoy with shumai:
  1. Chinese smashed cucumber salad.
  2. Dumplings - Pork and chive dumplings or pork and cabbage dumplings.
  3. Cheung fun (rice noodle rolls)
  4. Lo bak go (turnip cakes)
  5. Char siu pork and baked BBQ pork bao.
  6. Salt and pepper tofu.
Nov 16, 2023

Why are siu mai wrappers yellow? ›

Because wonton wrappers are used, instead of shu mai (siu mai) wrappers. The yellow is because egg is used in the dough; if it's white in colour then no egg.

Is pork hash the same as siu mai? ›

Differences Between Shumai And Pork Hash

Traditional shumai dumplings blend minced pork and shrimp with mushrooms, aromatics like garlic, ginger, green onions, and occasionally glutinous rice. Pork hash uses ground pork and diced shrimp blended with soy, oyster sauce, sesame oil, green onion, and garlic.

Why is siu mai yellow? ›

Because wonton wrappers are used, instead of shu mai (siu mai) wrappers. The yellow is because egg is used in the dough; if it's white in colour then no egg.

Why are shumai wrappers yellow? ›

The yellow color comes from lye water, an alkaline solution that gives the dough a springy texture. So if you can't find siu mai wrappers in your local Chinese stores, feel free to substitute them with wonton wrappers.

What is the Chinese symbol for dim sum? ›

Dim sum (traditional Chinese: 點心; simplified Chinese: 点心; pinyin: diǎn xīn; Jyutping: dim2 sam1) is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch.

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