This 2-Step “Dumpling Bake” Is the Smartest Dinner Hack I’ve Made All Year

Frozen dumplings are one of my favorite frozen foods to keep on hand. These little bundles are quick-cooking and tasty, and last a long time in the freezer. Not a week goes by that I don’t steam dumplings for an after-school snack, serve them in a stir-fry, or simmer them in a soup. Frozen dumplings are such a versatile ingredient that it was only a matter of time before they got a starring role in a viral TikTok recipe. 

In case you missed it, “dumpling bakes” are having a major moment on social media. The concept (and why it’s so brilliant) is simple: Add dumplings to a baking dish, pour a sauce over it, and bake. It’s more substantial than dumplings served with dipping sauce as an appetizer, and it’s comforting like a casserole (but lighter and quicker). If you have frozen dumplings on hand, you’ll want to add this dumpling bake to your dinner plan.

This dumpling bake comes together in a single baking dish with less than 5 minutes of prep. Whisk together a can of coconut milk, fresh garlic and ginger, soy sauce, apple cider or rice vinegar, and honey in a baking dish. Nestle frozen dumplings into the pan in a single layer, then spoon some of the coconut mixture over the top of the dumplings. 

Bake in a 375°F oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the dumplings registers 165°F and the sauce is bubbling and reduced, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add your choice of toppings including sesame seeds, chili crisp, sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro or parsley.

It’s hard enough getting dinner on the table each night, but the prospect of washing a sink full of dishes can send anyone running for the drive-through. The fact that this dumpling bake recipe comes together in a single pan is one of the first things I fell for. After one bite, the list of things to love about this dumpling bake kept growing. 

A flavor-packed spice paste, hardworking aromatics, and a few pantry staples turn a can of coconut milk into a silky, spicy, umami broth that is so good I could drink it with a spoon. I always keep packages of frozen cubes of ginger and garlic in the freezer (or you could make your own cubes for future use), so I just popped a cube of each right into the baking dish, no chopping required. The TikTok recipe that I followed calls for 2 to 3 tablespoons of gochujang. I’m a wimp when it comes to spice, so I added just 1 tablespoon, knowing that there was more heat to come. The flavor of the sauce is well-balanced with soy sauce adding a salty, umami flavor, vinegar contributing acidity, and honey adding a balancing sweetness.

The frozen dumplings soak up the sauce as it bakes. The bottoms plump up slightly while the edges sticking out of the sauce toast up with a contrasting chewy texture. But the garnishes are where this dish shines. There are always chili crisp, green onions, and a few sprigs of cilantro or parsley in my fridge and sesame seeds in the pantry. Not only does adding these extras help this dumpling bake taste like a complete meal, it helps me use up ingredients I already have on hand.

• Use the right kind of frozen dumpling. Grocery store freezers are filled with a variety of shapes and sizes of frozen dumplings. The choices are even more vast if you’re shopping at an Asian grocery store or H-Mart. Save your soup dumplings for another dinner, and opt for pot stickers or gyoza.
• Adjust the spice to your taste. With gochujang in the coconut broth and a chili crisp drizzle, the spice level can quickly creep up. Add gochujang incrementally while tasting the broth until you hit the sweet spot for your spice tolerance. If you want a garlicky drizzle with less heat, opt for a topping like S&B Crunch Garlic with Chili Oil instead. 
• Use what you have. Swap gochujang for another flavorful paste that you already have on hand. Try sambal oelek, chili garlic sauce, miso paste and hot sauce, chopped calabrian chile peppers, or curry paste. Instead of honey, use maple syrup or granulated sugar, and you can swap apple cider vinegar for rice or distilled white vinegar. Dumpling bakes are flexible!
• Don’t skimp on the toppings. The coconut broth and dumplings taste great on their own, but I think that the reason this dumpling bake has gone viral is because of the toppings. Don’t consider the toppings optional as these finishing touches make this simple one-pan dish extra-special.
• Turn leftovers into soup. Extend the life of the dumpling bake by turning it into a soup. Add low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, baby bok choy, and sliced mushrooms to complete the meal.