Chicken & Mushroom Napa Cabbage Dumplings

I wasn’t entirely convinced that wrapping ground chicken in cabbage was going to scratch the dumpling itch.

Then I made these.

The first batch was a solid 9.5/10 and good enough that I immediately knew I wanted to make them again. The second batch was even better: 10/10, with a few small changes that fixed the extra moisture in the filling without changing what we loved about them.

These aren’t traditional dumplings, obviously. There’s no dough wrapper. Instead, tender Napa cabbage leaves are wrapped around a savory ground chicken and mushroom filling flavored with soy sauce, oyster sauce, scallions, and ginger.

And surprisingly, the cabbage isn’t just a stand-in for a wrapper. We cooked some of the leftover filling by itself during the first test, and everyone agreed: it was better wrapped in the cabbage.

So cabbage stays. 😂

I originally came across the idea for these cabbage dumplings from Boyd Brown III on TikTok. After making them once, I made a few changes to the filling and method, then tested them again until I landed on the version below.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8cFYKQw/

Why These Cabbage Dumplings Are So Good

The filling is savory without being complicated. Ground chicken keeps it light, mushrooms add a ton of flavor, and ginger gives it the little something that I thought was missing from the original version that inspired me.

The Napa cabbage gets soft and slightly sweet once it’s blanched and steamed. It also keeps the filling moist while everything cooks.

After testing these twice, there were three things that made the biggest difference:

Use Napa cabbage. Its leaves are much more tender and flexible than regular green cabbage.

Don’t skip the ginger. One teaspoon of ginger paste was perfect for our final batch.

Get the excess moisture out. Mushrooms release a surprising amount of liquid, and the cabbage itself holds water after blanching. Cooking the mushrooms first and drying the cabbage leaves well gave us a much better second batch.

Ingredients

For the cabbage rolls:

• 1 head Napa cabbage
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 scallions, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon or Better Than Bouillon
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste

For serving:

• Chili oil
• Furikake
• Sliced scallions

You can also serve these with extra soy sauce or your favorite dumpling dipping sauce.

Step 1: Cook the Mushrooms

Finely chop the mushrooms.

Add them to a skillet and cook over medium heat until they’ve released their liquid and most of that moisture has cooked away.

This was one of the biggest improvements we made between batches.

The first time I made these, I added the mushrooms raw. The flavor was fantastic, but the finished filling was pretty wet.

Once the mushrooms are cooked down, remove them from the heat and let them cool before adding them to the raw chicken.

Step 2: Blanch the Napa Cabbage

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Carefully separate the Napa cabbage into individual leaves, trying to keep each leaf intact.

Working with a few leaves at a time, place them in the boiling water for about 45–60 seconds, just until they become soft and flexible.

Immediately transfer the cabbage to a bowl of ice water.

Yes, the ice bath is worth the extra bowl. It stops the cabbage from continuing to cook while you’re working through the rest of the leaves.

Once cooled, remove the leaves and dry them very well with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.

You want flexible cabbage. You don’t want water coming along for the ride.

Step 3: Make the Chicken Filling

In a large bowl, combine:

• Ground chicken
• Cooled mushrooms
• Scallions
• Soy sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Chicken bouillon
• Ginger paste

Mix just until everything is evenly incorporated.

The mixture will still be fairly soft. That’s okay.

Step 4: Roll the Cabbage Dumplings

Lay one cabbage leaf flat on your work surface.

Place a portion of the chicken mixture toward the leafy end of the cabbage leaf.

Fold the sides inward over the filling, then roll the cabbage around the filling into a snug little bundle.

Don’t worry if your first few aren’t beautiful.

Mine weren’t either. 😂

Once you get a feel for how the softened cabbage folds, it becomes surprisingly easy.

Continue until you’ve used the filling.

Step 5: Steam the Cabbage Rolls

Arrange the cabbage rolls seam-side down in a large skillet in a single layer.

Add about ¼ cup of water around the rolls and cover the skillet with a lid.

Cook over medium heat for approximately 12–15 minutes, or until the ground chicken reaches 165°F in the center.

An instant-read thermometer is the easiest and safest way to check them.

If the water evaporates before the chicken is fully cooked, add another small splash of water and replace the lid.

Finish Them

Transfer the cooked cabbage dumplings to a serving platter.

Top them with sliced scallions, furikake, and chili oil, or serve the chili oil on the side for dipping.

And then eat one before deciding whether cabbage was a questionable life choice.

It wasn’t.

What We Changed After the First Batch

This is exactly why I like testing recipes more than once.

Our first batch was genuinely delicious. I rated it 9.5/10, and I knew immediately that I would make it again.

There was just one problem: it was too wet.

For the second batch, I didn’t want to completely change a recipe we already loved. Instead, I made a few small adjustments.

I used 8 ounces of mushrooms per pound of ground chicken, cooked the mushrooms before adding them to the filling, and made sure the blanched cabbage leaves were thoroughly dried.

I also measured the ginger instead of using the highly scientific ehhh, that looks right method. 😂

One teaspoon of ginger paste was just right.

The second batch?

10/10.

Even better, another person who tried both batches agreed that the second version was better.

That’s when a Test Kitchen experiment becomes a keeper.

Can I Use Regular Green Cabbage?

I would stick with Napa cabbage for this recipe.

Napa cabbage has long, tender leaves with wide white ribs that become surprisingly flexible after blanching. They’re easy to fold around the filling without needing a long cooking time.

Regular green cabbage is denser and has thicker, tougher leaves. You could probably adapt the recipe for it, but it wouldn’t give you quite the same result.

And yes, I learned the difference between Napa cabbage, green cabbage, and romaine lettuce during this experiment.

We’re all growing. 😂

Can I Make These Ahead?

You could prep several parts ahead of time.

Cook and cool the mushrooms, slice the scallions, and blanch and dry the cabbage leaves earlier in the day. Store everything covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble.

Because the filling contains raw chicken, I prefer assembling and cooking the rolls fairly close together rather than leaving assembled raw rolls sitting for a long period.

What to Serve With Chicken Cabbage Dumplings

These are substantial enough for a light dinner on their own, but they’d also be great with:

• Steamed or fried rice
• Cucumber salad
• Edamame
• Stir-fried vegetables
• Miso soup
• An Asian-inspired slaw

For an easy dinner, I’d honestly make the cabbage rolls the star, add rice and cucumber salad, and call it done.

Are They Actually Worth Making?

Absolutely.

They’re slightly more work than throwing ground chicken into a skillet, because you have to blanch and roll the cabbage. However, once you’ve done a few, the process moves pretty quickly.

More importantly, the cabbage actually makes the filling better.

During our first test, I had leftover chicken filling and cooked it separately as little patties. They were good.

The cabbage rolls were better.

That’s probably the best endorsement I can give them.

These have officially made the very short list of internet recipes I’ve tried and immediately thought:

Yep. I’m making that again.