Are Dumpling Noodles Worth the Hype?

Welcome to Dumpling Hacks, where Mei Li takes on the dumpling variants making their way around the internet—and reports on which ones are actually worth trying at home. (Catch up on the first installment, which test-drove the smash dumpling, and the second, which examined the soup dumpling casserole.)

For round 3 of Dumpling Hacks, we’re taking a look at “Dumpling Noodles.” Viral videos say “These dumplings hit different,” and “Why choose when you can have it all?” Fair enough—I love dumplings and I love noodles, so why not give “having it all” a try?

Although dumplings with noodles are a tried-and-true culinary delight (looking at you, wonton mien), we’re looking at dumplings turned into noodles, where you stretch out an uncooked dumpling into a thick noodle-like shape. Across Instagram, there are various methods and sizes of this hybrid creation making the rounds: Some people take a regular uncooked dumpling with a simple seal (usually folded in half, no need for complex pleats or shapes) and gently tug on opposite sides of the wrapper to lengthen the dumpling until it can be called a noodle.

Others people use a piping bag to pipe the filling into a long tube, sometimes pre-stretching the dumpling wrappers or connecting several wrappers to make the ‘noodle’ even longer.

Regardless of how they come together, the finished dishes all have the look that makes me instantly hungry: A plate stuffed with dumplings covered with some combination of soy sauce and chili oil and a hit of green scallions or cilantro. Some are pan-fried and crispy, others are boiled, and still others are steamed, giving you lots of options for cooking. I do often find myself wanting both dumplings and noodles, so I decided I’d need to try all of them.

I started by following the basic formula from this video by @cookingwithmamamui where she stretches simple folded dumplings and pan-fries them. (Side note: I didn’t bother with the meat-filled piping bag or the cornstarch slurry to create the crispy dumpling lace as neither element seemed integral to the dumpling noodle portion of the experiment.) My first attempts were, let’s say, messy and ugly.

Even after letting the wrappers warm to room temperature for an hour, I had trouble pulling the dumplings even an inch longer than usual. A few wrappers tore and a few dumplings spilled out their fillings, but I still managed to pan-fry them and achieve nice crispy sides. My two main thoughts: (1) the extra surface area is nice for lots of crunchy golden-brown bites! And (2) there’s not really anything noodle-y about this dish. I am simply eating…long dumplings.

To my mind, noodles need some softness and pliability, to not hold up rigidly when lifted. Even the crispiest of noodle preparations—such as liang mian huang, where a pile of noodles is pan-fried on both sides to create almost a noodle pancake—should still have soft, tender strands in the center.

I suspected these dumpling noodles could veer more towards the noodle side with a different cooking method, so I stashed my remaining long dumplings in the freezer. The next day, I boiled some chicken stock and simmered them for a few minutes along with a handful of spinach. Now this felt like progress! The dumplings drooped pleasingly over my chopsticks like a chewy pappardelle or hand-pulled noodle. Boiling gives you the slurpability of noodles but also the flavorful meat stuffing like ravioli or tortellini.

The next day, to ensure thorough, dedicated research of all preparations (and because I wanted lunch), I also tried steaming the dumplings. Steaming offered the right noodle texture, but I found it fussy: Only a few noodles could fit in the steamer without overlapping and sticking together, and the boiling was easier altogether, just like it is for actual noodles.

I also tried the XXL overlapping double wrapper to get an extra long dumpling noodle. The additional length was fun for slurping, but ultimately more difficult to eat. I’d consider the XXL dumpling noodle more of a novelty: Something to try a few times or make to entertain my kids, but not a reliable, go-to dumpling method.

I find it amusing that both the descriptions about dumpling noodles “hitting different” and “letting you have it all” refer to the pan-fried dumplings, as I found the crunchy versions do neither of those things. But the steamed and boiled versions actually succeed on the noodle front, creating a dish that actually feels like a different eating experience from regular dumplings.

I’m guessing @-cookwithmi feels the same, as you can actually see her journey from crispy dumpling noodles to steamed dumpling noodles to extra-long double wrapper boiled dumpling noodles. There’s something unexpectedly appealing about watching her slurp up the really long dumplings in a noodle-like fashion, and it showcases an actual twist on an existing dish.

On the Dumpling Hacks column criteria of flavor and ease, I’d give the dumpling noodles a very good taste rating. It’s because they basically taste like dumplings, with a little extra noodle texture. But for me, the ease isn’t there. I don’t think it’s worth the effort to get your wrappers to the exact temperature of stretchability and then spend the time carefully pulling each one.

But it’s fun to try, especially if you just find yourself with room temperature wrappers when you’re already making dumplings. (Or take the wrappers out of the fridge in the morning and make this dish for dinner, a simple maneuver that is somehow not within my skillset.) Maybe you can manage it easily and this dish is entirely worth it? Have you tried it? Tell us what you think!

Below is the original recipe from @cookingwithmamamui. Use it as a general template, but before you dive in, these are my tips for dumpling noodle success:

• You’ll need to make sure your dumpling wrappers are at room temperature before making, otherwise they’re very hard to stretch. This probably means an hour or two sitting out on the counter from fridge temperature, even longer if your kitchen is as cold as mine. Be sure to keep them well-wrapped so they don’t dry out. If you’re in a hurry or haven’t planned ahead, you could try microwaving the wrappers to get them soft and pliable. Be forewarned though: it’s very easy to accidentally cook or dry out the edges of the wrappers. Even 15 seconds in my microwave led to large cooked bits. If you go that route, I’d advise a wet cloth or paper towel on top and microwaving in 5-second bursts.

• Regarding method, I found it easiest to stretch the wrappers first, then fill them with a spoon. I didn’t think the piping bag was necessary and just used a small spoon to make the filling into an elongated shape rather than a circle. You can fill, then stretch, as in the video, but it’s easy for the filling to spill out and a bit harder to get a good stretch.

• The dumpling noodles taste great when pan-fried, but if you want more noodle-y vibes, I recommend steaming or boiling.

Stretch, fry, crispy. These dumplings hit different.

Filling:

• 1 lb ground pork

• 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

• 3 green onions, finely chopped

• 1 tsp garlic salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

• Wonton wrappers

• 1–2 tbsp oil

• ½ cup water mixed with 1 tsp cornstarch (slurry)

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1–2 tsp black vinegar

• ½–1 tsp sugar

• Chopped green onions

• Optional: chili oil to taste

• Black sesame seeds

• Chopped green onions

1. Make the filling
Mix ground pork, corn, green onions, garlic salt, black pepper, and oyster sauce in a bowl until well combined.

2. Fill the dumplings
Pipe the filling in the center of each wonton wrapper. Fold in half, seal, and gently stretch the dumpling to make it longer.

3. Pan-fry
Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add dumplings and fry until the bottoms turn golden brown.

4. Create the crispy skirt
Pour in the cornstarch slurry. Cover the pan and let the dumplings steam until the slurry cooks into a crispy, lace-like ring.

5. Make the dipping sauce
Mix soy sauce, minced garlic, black vinegar, sugar, chopped green onions, and chili oil (optional).

6. Serve
Top dumplings with black sesame seeds and green onions. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.