This recipe for Chinese Lamb Dumplings is delicious and fragrant, with the flavors of smoky cumin and numbing Sichuan peppercorn permeating throughout the meat. Serve the dumplings with spicy chili oil for even more flavor.

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Why you'll love this recipe
This recipe for Chinese Lamb Dumplings is based on the flavor of spicy cumin lamb, which is a signature Northern Chinese dish, influenced by the Muslim Uyghurs who live primarily around Xinjiang (Northern China).
Delicious: freshly grinding the cumin seeds and Sichuan peppercorns adds so much flavor to the ground lamb meat.
Easy to make: just like Chinese pork dumplings, the overall process for lamb dumplings is straightforward.
Great for anytime: enjoy the homemade dumplings for Chinese New Year, or anytime of year as an appetizer, small lunch, or pair with noodles to make it a hearty meal.
Ingredients you'll need
- avocado oil: or vegetable oil
- carrot: grated
- cumin seeds: preferably whole
- Sichuan peppercorns: are also known as mala pepper (used in mala spice), and come in red and green varieties; they add a slight tingly, spicy numbing flavor and sensation; it's best to grind the peppercorns fresh, but if you have Sichuan peppercorn powder, you can use that
- ground lamb: or Chinese mutton; if you don't like the gamey taste of lamb, you can sub in half with ground beef
- soy sauce: light soy sauce; for savory flavor
- Shaoxing wine: or dry sherry, optional
- sea salt
- granulated sugar: balances the flavor
- ginger: finely minced
- garlic: finely minced
- green onion: chopped; or 2 tablespoon finely chopped red onions or Chinese chives
- cilantro: chopped, optional
Dumpling dough:
- all-purpose flour: regular flour
- warm water: I used warm water to make the dough which is half boiling water and half cold water
- sea salt
Where to buy?
You can find these ingredients at your local grocery store or Asian supermarket.
How to make lamb dumplings
Cook the carrot
Heat up a frying pan over medium heat.
Add in vegetable oil and the grated carrot.
Cook until the carrot is softened slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Prepare the lamb dumpling filling
Use a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder to coarsely grind the cumin seeds and Sichuan peppercorns.
In a large bowl, combine ground lamb, the ground cumin seed and Sichuan peppercorn, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sea salt, sugar, ginger, garlic, green onion and cilantro, if using.
Mix the meat in one direction, using a paddle or pair of chopsticks, until strands form.
Add in the cooked, cooled carrot and continue to mix, until combined.

Make the dumpling wrappers
In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, water and salt.
Knead until the dough comes together, about 5 minutes.
Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Roll out the dough into a log, and divide into 15g portions, about 40 pieces total.
Flatten each dough portion into a round circle.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a thin round dumpling wrapper, about 3" across.
Repeat with the remainder of the dough. (Note: if the dough is too stiff, let it relax for 10 minutes before re-rolling).

Make the dumplings
Take a dumpling wrapper and add a teaspoon of lamb filling in the center.
Repeat with the remainder, folding and pleating as you desire.

Cook the dumplings
Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to a frying pan and place the dumplings into the pan, allowing for a little space in between.
Pour in ½ C of cold water and cover with a lid.
Turn on the heat and cook over medium heat, until all the water has evaporated, and the bottoms are crisp, about 10 minutes.
Use a spatula to remove the pan-fried dumplings.
Garnish with chopped green onion and cilantro, if desired.
Serve with soy sauce and/or chili oil.
How to serve
Serve the Chinese cumin lamb dumplings with a savory dipping sauce, a mixture of soy sauce and chili oil, or add a splash of black Chinese vinegar.
Pair the dumplings with spicy cumin lamb noodles, Chinese hamburgers, chili oil wontons, green onion pancakes, and a pandan coconut milk tea.
How to store & reheat
Store the homemade lamb dumplings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze uncooked lamb dumplings in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, with space between the dumplings for about 1 hour, or until partially frozen.
Transfer the dumplings into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Cook the lamb dumplings from frozen -- no need to thaw.
Expert tips
Freshly ground whole cumin seeds and Sichuan peppercorns will give the lamb dumplings the best flavor.
However, you can use ground cumin if you don't have the whole seeds on hand.
If you want to test the flavor of the meat, take a small teaspoon of the lamb mixture and cook it in the microwave or in a frying pan. From there, you can adjust the seasonings to your liking before proceeding with wrapping the dumplings.
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Lamb Dumplings
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
Lamb filling:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or vegetable oil
- ½ C grated carrot
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 2 stalks green onion chopped
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro optional
Dumpling wrapper dough:
- 400 g all-purpose flour
- 200 ml warm water
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Cook the carrot:
- Heat up a frying pan over medium heat.
- Add in vegetable oil and the grated carrot.
- Cook until the carrot is softened slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Prepare the lamb dumpling filling:
- Use a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder to coarsely grind the cumin seeds and Sichuan peppercorns.
- In a large bowl, combine ground lamb, the ground cumin seed and Sichuan peppercorn, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sea salt, sugar, ginger, garlic and green onion.
- Mix the meat in one direction, using a paddle or pair of chopsticks, until strands form.
- Add in the cooked, cooled carrot and continue to mix, until combined.
Make the dumpling wrappers:
- In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, water and salt.
- Knead until the dough comes together, about 5 minutes.
- Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Roll out the dough into a log, and divide into 15g portions, about 40 pieces total.
- Flatten each dough portion into a round circle.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a thin round dumpling wrapper, about 3" across.
- Repeat with the remainder of the dough. (Note: if the dough is too stiff, let it relax for 10 minutes before re-rolling).
Make the dumplings:
- Take a dumpling wrapper and add a teaspoon of lamb filling in the center.
- Repeat with the remainder, folding and pleating as you desire.
Cook the dumplings:
- Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to a frying pan and place the dumplings into the pan, allowing for a little space in between.
- Pour in ½ C of cold water and cover with a lid.
- Turn on the heat and cook over medium heat, until all the water has evaporated, and the bottoms are crisp, about 10 minutes.
- Use a spatula to remove the pan-fried dumplings.
- Garnish with chopped green onion and cilantro, if desired.
- Serve with soy sauce and/or chili oil.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
Ooo these dumplings look beautiful, especially with the nearly transparent wrappers. And the filling sounds so flavourful and tasty!
Michelle
Thank you Ben, if you love lamb, you'll have to try these dumplings! Both my kids polished them off and asked for more! 😀
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
These are the perfect treat for a Friday movie night. I especially loved your seasoning blend... the Sichuan peppercorns really make these extra tasty amazing!!
Michelle
Thanks Heidi -- you're right, the Sichuan peppercorns do add that extra "je ne sais quois" to the dumplings 🙂
David @ Spiced
Fun idea! I've never thought about using ground lamb for dumplings, but it makes perfect sense - especially this time of the year when lamb is more prevalent in the stores.
Michelle
Thanks David - ground lamb is such a delicious variation from pork which is usually thought of in Chinese dumplings 🙂
Raymund | angsarap.net
Now you make me crave for one!
Michelle
Wish I could send you some! 🙂
2pots2cook
Dumplings from scratch?! My oh my! Must do since I have never made them on my own!!!!!
Michelle
They're not too hard to make from scratch, Davorka 🙂 Hope my step-by-step photos are helpful if you try it out.
Mar
These delicious lamb dumplings which help to warm up our body are very welcome and perfect for Winter! A very good version of the dumplings.
Michelle
Indeed, thanks Mar! These lamb dumplings are my kids' favorite at the moment 🙂