Looking for Chinese dumplings in Austin? This post shares more about the different types and the restaurants where you can eat them!
Chinese dumplings are the ones I know the best. Growing up, my family made and ate dumplings frequently. They’re easy to make in bulk and then freeze for future snacks. In college and the first years post-college, my parents made sure to stock my freezer with homemade and store-bought packages of dumplings. As Austin’s Asian dumpling options have expanded, I crave dumplings, especially soup dumplings when there’s cold weather.
Many of the dumplings in this post are on Chinese menus, but they are similar in how they’re filled and cooked to other Asian cultures. Examples are Japanese gyoza and Korean mandu. I know there are many other Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (to name a few Asian cultures) dumplings I have yet to try, which is why I didn’t label this post as Asian dumplings, though many will picture these anyways!
Types of Chinese Dumplings
While my family usually ate boiled dumplings, Chinese dumplings are typically steamed or pan-fried. When they’re pan-fried, you’ll get a crispy bottom. Chinese people also eat a lot of pork, so it’s the most used filling ingredient. But, these dumplings do differ, so keep reading about a few of the most popular types.
Jiaozi or Potstickers
Also known as guotie, these are the most common and general type of Chinese dumplings and you’ll typically order these pan-fried or steamed. The wrapper is made of flour and egg, and the fillings will vary, but the most common are pork and chive or pork and cabbage. Potstickers are usually served by themselves on a plate.
Xiao Long Bao or Soup Dumplings
These infamous steamed dumplings originated in Shanghai. There’s a delicate procedure to eating these dumplings because of the hot soup inside of them. Burning your mouth might be a rite of passage and a typical first experience! These dumplings are usually filled with pork and served in a bamboo steamer.
Wonton
My favorite dumpling, wontons, are made with a thin wrapper and stuffed with ground pork and shrimp. Wontons are typically in a bowl of soup with noodles, but sometimes they are served without soup in spicy chili oil.
Shumai (or Siu Mai)
Typically a dim sum dish, shumai are recognizable by their cylindrical shape and open tops with orange ingredients. These steamed dumplings are filled with ground pork and shrimp. The orange on top is dried goji berry, carrot, or roe.
Har Gow and Fun Guo
Typically a steamed dim sum dish, har gow has a translucent wrapper filled with shrimp inside. This is one of my must-haves at dim sum! Fun Guo are in the same translucent wrapper but don’t have to be shrimp. The filling could be pork or a vegetarian blend of mushrooms and cabbage.
Bao Dumplings / Sheng Jing Bao
This is a hybrid dish of bao and soup dumpling! While the bun is thicker than a dumpling wrapper and filled with soup, it isn’t soggy. The pan-fried bottom makes it crispy.
Where to Get Chinese Dumplings in Austin
Ready to eat dumplings?
First I want to note that you can find frozen dumplings at your grocery store! HEB has them in the international aisle and there are a few Asian grocery stores where you can find a larger variety: MT Supermarket, Hana World Market, 99 Ranch, and H-Mart. A few of the restaurants below also sell frozen dumplings to make at home. You should also be able to find ingredients (wrappers, ground meat, veggies, etc.) to make your own dumplings at the store. Check out this recipe from StreetSmart Kitchen or this recipe from The Woks of Life.
Ok, now for ready-to-eat dumplings! You’ll find wontons and potstickers in most Chinese restaurants, usually in the appetizer section, so this is not a list of ALL the places in Austin where you can eat Chinese dumplings but certainly some of the best. These are a few restaurants, listed alphabetically, with the widest selection of dumplings in Austin.
Chinatown
In normal times, Chinatown is a great option for dim sum, and now, you can get their dumpling selections to-go or dine-in. Pan-fried and steamed, shrimp and pork, they’ve got a lot of options to choose from here.
Locations:
- North: 3407 Greystone Drive, Austin TX 78731
- Downtown: 107 West 5th Street, Austin TX 78701
- Westlake: 2712 Bee Caves Rd, Austin TX 78746
Website: https://www.austinchinatown.com/
Fat Dragon
This restaurant may be in far Northwest Austin, but the drive is worth it for their dumplings. They have a large variety of dumplings, including soup, siu mai, wontons, steamed, and fried. You also won’t find chocolate dumplings for dessert anywhere else in Austin! It sounds strange but they’re delicious.
Location: 8650 Spicewood Springs Rd #109, Austin, TX 78759
Website: https://www.fatdragonatx.com/
Julie’s Noodles
In addition to their homemade noodle specialties, you’ll find pork, shrimp, and chicken dumplings here. Their dumplings have a thick wrapper. Yes, they have soup dumplings!
Location: 8557 Research Blvd #110, Austin, TX 78758
Website: https://www.juliesnoodle.com/
Lin Asian Bar and Dim Sum
You’ll find all the typical dim sum dumplings here. They have the biggest har gow dumplings, packed with filling, I’ve had in Austin and they are delicious! (I have yet to try their sister restaurant Qi Austin, but they also have a dumpling selection. They’re located down the street.)
Location: 1203 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78703
Website: https://www.linasianbar.com/
Steamies Dumplings
If you’ve ever been to the weekend farmers market in Austin, you’ve probably spotted Steamies’ crowded booth. The Chee Family, Cindy and Leslie with their daughters, sell a variety of dumplings pan-fried fresh to eat or frozen to eat at home. They opened a retail shop last year where you can get dumplings throughout the week.
Location: 6939 Airport Blvd #148, Austin, Texas
Website: https://www.steamiesdumplings.com/
Wu Chow
If you want an elevated Chinese restaurant experience, Wu Chow is the place. Chicken, pork, beef, and soup, this downtown restaurant has steamed dumplings and potstickers.
Location: 500 W. 5th, Austin, TX 78701
Website: https://wuchowaustin.com/
Want more dumpling options? These are a few Austin restaurants where you’ll find one or two dumpling dishes on their menu:
Conclusion
I hope this post makes you hungry and excited for dumplings! One day, I hope Austin’s Chinese dumpling options grow, but I’m glad we have some solid choices.
What’s your favorite kind of Chinese dumpling?
P.S. Want more food recommendations? Check out these posts:
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