These Pan-Fried Beef Spinach Dumplings with a whipped ricotta dip, harissa chilli oil drizzle, and chives are some of my favourite easy dumplings to make. They're bursting with flavour and have a lovely crispy top that adds an addictive crunch.
This is part of my dumplings weekly series and they have to be some of my favourite dumplings yet (I feel like I say that a lot haha). The dumplings are filled with a beef, spinach, onion, and garlic filling, topped with a lemony garlicky ricotta dip, harissa chilli oil, and chopped chives. The flavours work harmoniously and look so cute!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Low effort - People often overcomplicate the idea of making dumplings in their head, when in reality, dumplings are very simple to make. These beef spinach dumplings in particular, are easy to put together. The dough only requires 2 ingredients, and for the filling, they're all ingredients you'd have in your cupboard. The dumplings are then jazzed up with a whipped ricotta topping, harissa chilli oil, and chives.
- Impressive - Despite these dumplings being low effort, I guarantee that they'll impress your guests. Make them as a starter and you'll be loved forever.
- Prepable - You can prep these dumplings in advance and freeze them. Then, just pan-fry them frozen for an extra few minutes.
If you're looking for more dumpling recipes to impress your friends and family or just to make for yourself, why not check out my Crispy Skirt Dumplings, pan-fried turkey dumplings, juicy chicken and prawn dumplings, or my cheat bao bun recipe?!
Ingredients & Substitutions
All purpose flour: Any plain flour will work for this recipe. I've used 200g for this recipe, but I'd keep some extra for dusting.
Beef mince: You want the fattiest beef mince you can find. I chose 20% fat. If you'd like leaner dumplings, choose 5% but I do warn you that they won't be as juicy. If you'd like to make this dish vegan, feel free to use a plant-based alternative beef mince.
Onion: Red onion for this recipe!
Spinach: You can either use frozen spinach and defrost it before using, or use fresh spinach and make sure it's wilted before adding it into the filling mixture.
Garlic: I've used fresh raw garlic for both the filling and the ricotta dip, but you could use garlic powder if that's all you've got.
Egg: This is to add extra moisture to the filling and act as a binder. If you're making a vegan version of this, then just remove the egg.
Ricotta: The star of our whipped ricotta dip. If you don't have it, you could use mascarpone or cream cheese. For a vegan alternative, try and find your favourite soft cheese as a replacement for ricotta.
Lemon: Zest and a bit of the juice for the whipped ricotta dip.
Mayonnaise: Adds a nice sweetness and creaminess to the whipped ricotta. Use vegan mayo for plant-based alternative.
Harissa: Rose harissa paste is one of my favourite pantry items. It's spicy, tangy, and a little bit sweet. Combine with oil to make the chilli oil drizzle. If you don't have harissa, sriracha, 'nduja, or Asian chilli oil would work. I love harissa paste and if you do too, and you're looking for some more harissa recipes, then why not check out my honey harissa chicken pasta?!
Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos
Step 1: Begin by combining your flour, salt, and water in a bowl. Mix with chopsticks, a wooden spoon, or your hands until a rough dough forms. Then, pour it out onto a clean surface and knead for a couple of minutes. The dough should not stick to your hands, if it does, add more flour. Wrap it in cling film and set aside.
Step 2: In another bowl, combine beef mince, chopped wilted spinach, chopped red onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and an egg. Mix thoroughly and add a little bit of flour if the mixture is looking a bit wet.
Step 3: Get your dough and knead it once gain for 30 seconds on a clean surface. Form it into a doughnut and then widen the hole. Slice into a log and then cut the log into 16 equal-sized pieces.
Step 4: Get yourself a piece of dough and roll it out into a circular wrapper around 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Place a spoonful of the filling into the centre of the wrapper and then fold and pinch in an anti-clockwise direction. Seal, then flatten slightly so it looks like the above photo. repeat for all the dumplings.
Step 5: Place a non-stick frying pan on medium heat and drizzle with oil. Add in your dumplings then pour 100ml of water into the pan. Cover with a lid and leave to steam for 6 minutes. Uncover the pan, drizzle with a bit more oil, and leave to fry for 2 more minutes or until the bottoms of the dumplings are golden.
Step 6: While your dumplings are cooking, combine the ricotta, lemon zest and juice, pepper, salt, parmesan, mayonnaise, and sesame seeds in a bowl. Whisk until well combined. Additionally, combine 1 tablespoon harissa paste and 2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small bowl. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds. When your dumplings are cooked, place them onto your serving plate and top each of them with whipped ricotta, harissa oil, and chopped chives.
Top Tips!
- To prevent the dough pieces from drying out, place them until a damp towel or underneath some cling film.
- If you'd like to prep these in advance, assemble the dumplings and then before cooking them, place them in the freezer on baking parchment until frozen, then store them in an airtight container for up to three months. When you're ready to eat them, place them in your pan and steam them for 10-12 minutes this time.
- If you'd like to double the quantities for this dumpling recipe to make them for 4-6 people, then please do. Double all the dough measurements and filling measurements and topping measurements.
FAQs
Keep the dumplings separate from the toppings. Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Or, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. If you've got some of the whipped ricotta dip leftover, keep it and save it to make a pasta dish.
Absolutely, I've provided you with vegan alternatives further up the blog under "ingredients and substitutions".
I honestly would consider this dish a main, if you have between 6-8 dumplings per person. So, I'd suggest serving it up with a leafy green salad and zingy salad dressing. If that doesn't appeal to you, then here's my blog post on what to eat with dumplings that I reckon will have a few more ideas for you!
Other recipes you might enjoy!
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Pan-Fried Beef Spinach Dumplings
Ingredients
For The Dough
- 200g all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 100ml water
For The Filling
- 200g beef mince 20% fat
- 200g spinach, wilted and roughly chopped
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon flaky salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 egg
For The Whipped Ricotta
- 200g ricotta, drained
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan
- Salt and pepper
For The Harissa Chilli Oil
- 1 tablespoon rose harissa paste
- 2 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
- Chives, finely chopped
Instructions
- Begin by combining your flour, salt, and water in a bowl. Mix with chopsticks, a wooden spoon, or your hands until a rough dough forms. Then, pour it out onto a clean surface and knead for a couple of minutes. The dough should not stick to your hands, if it does, add more flour. Wrap it in cling film and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine beef mince, chopped wilted spinach, chopped red onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and an egg. Mix thoroughly and add a little bit of flour if the mixture is looking a bit wet.
- Get your dough and knead it once gain for 30 seconds on a clean surface. You should notice that the dough has softened. Form it into a doughnut and then widen the hole. Slice into a log and then cut the log into 16 equal-sized pieces.
- Get yourself a piece of dough and roll it out into a circular wrapper around 3 to 4 inches in diameter (dust with flour to avoid sticking). Place a spoonful of the filling into the centre of the wrapper and then fold and pinch in an anti-clockwise direction. Seal, then flatten slightly. Repeat for all dumplings.
- Place a non-stick frying pan on medium heat and drizzle with oil. Add in your dumplings (don't stack them - you may need to put two frying pans on the go) then pour 100ml of water into the pan. Cover with a lid and leave to steam for 6 minutes. Uncover the pan, drizzle with a bit more oil, and leave to fry for 2 more minutes or until the bottoms of the dumplings are golden.
- While your dumplings are cooking, combine the ricotta, lemon zest and juice, pepper, salt, parmesan, mayonnaise, and sesame seeds in a bowl. Whisk until well combined. Additionally, combine 1 tablespoon harissa paste and 2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small bowl. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds. When your dumplings are cooked, place them onto your serving plate and top each of them with whipped ricotta, harissa oil, and chopped chives.
Notes
- To prevent the dough pieces from drying out, place them until a damp towel or underneath some cling film.
- If you'd like to prep these in advance, assemble the dumplings and then before cooking them, place them in the freezer on baking parchment until frozen, then store them in an airtight container for up to three months. When you're ready to eat them, place them in your pan and steam them for 10-12 minutes this time.
- If you'd like to double the quantities for this dumpling recipe to make them for 4-6 people, then please do. Double all the dough measurements and filling measurements and topping measurements.
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