Can You Freeze Potato Dumplings?

Soft, fluffy, potato dumplings—a classic comfort food!

You might get so excited about these delicious nuggets that you end up making too many and are stuck with leftovers.

So you might be wondering, ‘Can you freeze potato dumplings?’ The answer is yes. Freezing potato dumplings will keep them from becoming too moist from condensation that can accumulate in a refrigerator.

How to Freeze Potato Dumplings

Dumplings are simple yet satisfying dishes. You can make them plain, or choose to fill them with anything that your stomach desires. Potatoes, in general, are such a versatile food that any combination of vegetables, meats, and seasonings will make for a steamy, fluffy dumpling.

Potato dumplings are popular in most cultural cuisines, including Japan, China, Germany, and many European countries. You will be hard-pressed to find a country without a potato dumpling recipe!

How to Freeze Uncooked Potato Dumplings

• Take a clean tray or an oversized plate.
• Dust the tray or the oversized plate with flour or cornstarch.
• Place a clean cookie sheet/wax paper on a tray.
• Line your fresh potato dumplings on the cookie sheet individually.
• Make sure they do not touch each other as they get stuck together and form a lump.
• Place the tray or oversized plate in a freezer (uncovered) until they are completely frozen.
• After the designated time, take them out carefully an place them in a zip-lock bag.
• Do not forget to label and date them.

To avoid freezer burn on your potato dumplings, be extra careful to wrap them in an airtight ziplock freezer-safe bag. Don’t use a regular ziplock sandwich bag, as most ziplock bags are not completely airtight, and over a period of time, air molecules will sneak up into the bag and ruin sensitive food.

With a freezer-safe ziplock bag, the potato dumplings can last as long as four months and will still appear to be fresh when cooked.

If you purchase already frozen potato dumplings, you’re safe to place them directly into the freezer in their original packaging. It wouldn’t be until you take them out of the packaging and cook them that you’d need to use the freezer-bag trick.

Frozen Potato Dumplings Get Stuck on the Tray — What to Do

This is why the cookie sheet is important, as it works as a barrier between the tray and the potato dumpling. It is far easier to pry the dumpling from a wax paper than the tray. Just tug the dumpling gently, and it should come right off.

If you used a glass platter or a tray, as the fresh wet dough cooks onto the pan it can prove to be quite stubborn and refuse to come off. It would ruin the shape and structure of the dumpling to try and tug it off, so carefully wedge a spatula underneath to free the dumpling from its position.

How to Cook Frozen Potato Dumplings

Cooking a fresh or frozen potato dumpling is actually pretty similar, however, there are certain things that one should be wary of.

There are, for the most part, four ways to cook a potato dumpling: boil, steam, steam-fry, or microwave.

How to Steam Potato Dumplings — Our Favorite Way

Healthy Tip: It’s said that nutrients can leech out of foods as it’s boiling, and that steaming helps food retain more of its nutritional content. We’re unsure exactly what this means for potato dumplings, but we felt that it’s worth mentioning.

The easiest and most traditional way is to steam it in a bamboo steamer, it takes some time and patience. It is faster than boiling and requires less water.

If you like the idea of steaming more food, consider investing in a bamboo steamer (did you know you can even reheat rice dishes like paella in a bamboo steamer?).

It is almost astounding to see the slight difference between stove-top steamers. The stretchy and smooth texture that the steamer helps create is incomparable.

How to steam potato dumplings:

• Heat water in your steamer. Don’t fill it too much that the water will touch any of the dumplings. You just want the water to create enough steam to cook the dumplings.
• Place your potato dumplings in the steamer.
• Steam for around 15-20 minutes.
• Serve!

How to Boil Potato Dumplings

Similar to the steamer method, but potentially less nutrient-dense, is the boiling method.

• Just take a pot, fill it with water, and bring it to a boil.
• Add dumplings and cook them for a few minutes till they start to float.
• Initially, due to being frozen, they will drown but will start to come up as they will cook inside.
• Once done, take them out with a strainer and serve while hot.

How to Steam-Fry Potato Dumplings — For Ultimate Crispness

How to make potato dumplings, but with some crisp?

• Lightly fry the frozen potato dumplings in oil.
• Add some water into the pan and cover it to trap steam.
• Wait for the water to evaporate.
• Fry the same potato dumplings again. The last fry gives the extra zest and oomph factor, which the insides stay soft and fluffy from the steam.

This is a non-traditional way of cooking potato dumplings, but for those of us who love a little more texture, this method will definitely leave you salivating for more.

How to Microwave Potato Dumplings — The Quick Way

The lightning-fast method to cook frozen potato dumplings:

• Take frozen potato dumplings, and place them individually in a layer on a microwave-safe platter (I found this one on Amazon).
• Add water so the potato dumplings are halfway submerged.
• Cover the platter with another microwave-safe plate.
• Microwave the plate on high heat until the potato dumplings are cooked through, that will be for about three minutes.
• Take the potato dumplings’ platter and drain the remaining water.
• Then place the potato dumplings on a medium-hot pan or skillet.
• Flip them a couple of times just to add a little bit of sear and color to the dumplings.
• Set them on a plate and serve them hot.

Related Questions

Can I Refrigerate Uncooked Potato Dumplings?

They turn mushy, feel like undercooked and are just sad to look at.

Whatever you do, do not refrigerate uncooked potato dumplings. As the filling is raw and moist as well, the refrigeration process adds extra moist to the dumplings, which results in a soggy mess after you have cooked the refrigerated dumplings. 

Should I Wait for the Potato Dumplings to Get to Room Temperature Before Cooking Them?

That is not necessary. As the potato dumpling will start to get back to the room temperature, it will start to lose its shape. It is because of the condensation that will start to creep its way into the folds of the dumplings. The best way is to take them out of the freezer and throw them into whatever cooking utensil you want to use and cook immediately.

How to Reheat Already-Cooked Potato Dumplings?

Cooked potato dumplings can be reheated in a pan or microwave. Just flip them a couple of times on a pan or rotate them once or twice in a microwave and you should be good to go.

How Long Can One Keep Potato Dumplings Frozen Without Going Bad or Losing Freshness?

Potato dumplings can last for a long time in the freezer. Potato dumplings can survive for up to two months.

Can You Freeze Cooked Dumplings?

Yes. Use the same method as described for freezing uncooked dumplings, but wait for them to cool before placing them in a freezer-safe container to limit condensation (which will turn into freezer burn, ick!)