It can often be daunting to tackle the task of reheating your leftover dishes without ruining their texture, flavor, or integrity.
Especially when it comes to soft, almost doughy foods, like dumplings, you want to make sure that you don’t overcook them to the point of becoming hard or chewy. While reheating your dumplings perfectly seems hard, in reality, it’s quite simple.
How do you reheat dumplings? There are many ways you can reheat dumplings. You can fry, deep-fry, boil, steam, and even bake the dumplings to reheat them. Choose a method based on how the dumplings were originally cooked. The key is not to re-cook the dumplings but only get them warm.
This article is the ultimate guide to reheating dumplings. From all possible reheating methods to instructions for reheating popular dumpling dishes, we have covered it all.
What are the Best Ways to Reheat Dumplings?
Dumplings straight out of the fridge don’t sound appetizing. The only case when you can enjoy dumplings cold is when they are freshly cooked and have just cooled down. Otherwise, cold dumplings will be too chewy to eat.
Dumpling is a dish that represents some type of filling (meat, vegetable, or cheese) wrapped in dough. There are various types of dumplings. They come in different shapes, sizes, and wrappers.
But the important thing to know about dumplings is that they can be prepared in a range of ways. Dumplings can be steamed, boiled, fried, and deep-fried. You can find them floating in a bowl of soup or served as is, without fancy sides or anything.
Reheating dumplings can be tricky in terms of getting them fully warm, without leaving the insides cold.
When choosing a reheating method for dumplings, it is best to go with the method that was originally used to cook the dumplings.
Additionally, you should take into consideration the thickness of the wrapper. Be more careful with dumplings with thin wrappers.
There are multiple ways of reheating dumplings. Here is how you can reheat dumplings.
Using the Pan
When reheating dumplings in the pan, make sure to start with a small amount of water as you need steam to get the dumplings warm. Only then you should add the oil to get the skin crispy.
Don’t pan-fry dumplings with thin and delicate wrappers. This reheating method is only suitable for dumplings that have been originally fried or their skin is thick enough to get crispy and not fall apart.
Using the Oven
If you want your dumplings to be crispy but don’t want them to soak up more oil, the oven is the best method to reheat them. It is also very quick and easy.
Put the dumplings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them for around 5 minutes. This method is especially good for reheating fried dumplings.
Steaming Dumplings
If you have a metal or bamboo steamer, use it to reheat steamed or boiled dumplings. If the dumplings have withstood water and steam once, they can do it again.
Just be wary of over-steaming your dumplings, as they can end up soggy. Use a fork or another utensil to test your dumplings to make sure the heat has reached their center.
Boiling Dumplings
For boiled dumplings, you can use boiling water to reheat them.
In such cases, it is important to remember that you don’t need to boil the dumplings for too long. All you need to do is to put the dumplings in boiling water for a few minutes before removing them.
Keep in mind that the bigger the dumplings are the more minutes they will need to get heated through.
Microwaving Dumplings
Although reheating dumplings in the pan or oven will take only a few minutes, some people prefer the microwave. It’s easy, fast, and efficient. But microwaves aren’t magic; they won’t work in every case.
If you want your dumplings to be crispy, you will need to use another reheating method, as the microwave will make the skin on dumplings soft and somewhat soggy. Overcook them, and the edges will become stiff and chewy.
Deep-Frying Dumplings
You can deep-fry boiled or steamed dumplings in a pot to not only reheat them but also to change things up. Once soft and juicy dumplings will be transformed into crispy pockets of goodness.
Smaller dumplings are more suitable for deep-frying, as you will leave them in the hot oil for only a few minutes. If your dumplings are on the bigger side and right out of the fridge, they will get crispy but remain cold inside.
Choosing the Right Method
As you can see, there are many ways to reheat dumplings. The key is choosing a method that will work for the dumplings based on the way they have been cooked.
If you are looking for step-by-step instructions on how to reheat dumplings, whether they are steamed or fried, here they are:
Reheating Steamed Dumplings
Reheating steamed dumplings is very straightforward. You simply need to steam them again. Steamed dumplings are very gentle.
If you choose a method that is too aggressive for steamed dumplings, especially if they have very thin skin, you will quickly destroy them.
Here is how to steam dumplings to reheat them.
- Ideally, you will need a bamboo steamer for dumplings. But if you don’t have one, use a pot with boiling water with a metal steamer on top.
- Put a layer of parchment paper on the steamer. Make sure to not fully cover the steamer. Leave it uncovered around the edges to allow the steam to reach the dumplings.
- Close the pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- Steam the dumplings for a few minutes to reheat them.
Reheating Pan/Pan Fried Dumplings
Pan-fried dumplings, such as potstickers, are best reheated in a pan as only this method can bring back the initial crispiness of the wrappers.
Here is how you can reheat dumplings in a pan.
- If the dumplings have been stored in the fridge, let them come to room temperature.
- Add a small amount of water to the pan and wait until it starts to boil.
- Put the dumplings in a quality pan and cover it tightly with the lid.
- Wait until the water boils off. By this time, the dumplings will be all warmed up.
- Now it’s time to get the dumplings crispy. Add a tablespoon of oil into the pan. When adding the oil, put the dumplings aside until the oil gets hot. Otherwise, the dumplings will soak it up until it manages to get hot.
- Turn the dumplings around to get them crispy from all sides.
Tip: If you want the dumplings to be very crispy, don’t put them on a paper towel to remove the excess oil. While the towel will absorb the oil, it will cause the dumplings to get soggy.
Reheating Frozen Dumplings
To reheat frozen dumplings, you should first let them defrost properly.
Transfer the dumplings from the freezer into the fridge and let them thaw there overnight. Don’t try to defrost the dumplings at room temperature.
While this will accelerate the thawing process, it will increase the risk of bacterial contamination.
Once the dumplings have thawed, choose one of the previously mentioned methods to reheat them.
If you don’t have time to thaw the dumplings, you can reheat them frozen by steaming or boiling them. However, note that doing this may result in soggier dumplings.
Reheating Chinese Dumplings
When we say dumplings, the first thing that comes to mind is Chinese dumplings.
Reheating Chinese dumplings is not much different from reheating other types of dumplings. If your Chinese dumplings are steamed or boiled, it is best to reheat them in boiling water or steamer.
Fried Chinese dumplings can be quickly reheated in a pan with a small amount of water first and then oil to get the skin all crispy again.
Related Questions
How Do You Reheat Chicken and Dumplings?
There are two ways to reheat chicken and dumplings – in the microwave and using the stovetop. In both cases, it is best to reheat the soup without the dumplings, as they will get very soggy when reheated.
You can reheat chicken and dumplings in the microwave.
- Transfer your desired amount of soup into a microwaveable bowl.
- Reheat on the high setting for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Check to see if the soup is well-heated. If not, continue reheating until you are satisfied with the temperature.
- Put the dumplings back into the hot soup.
You can also reheat chicken and dumplings on the stovetop. Reheat chicken and broth in the saucepan over medium heat and add fresh dumplings to refresh the dish.
How Do You Reheat Soup Dumplings?
Soup dumplings should be reheated with extreme care, as they are very delicate. So the best way to reheat them is to either dunk them into hot water for 2 to 3 minutes or steam them.
Steam soup dumplings for around 5 minutes to get them properly heated.
How Do You Reheat Potato Dumplings?
To reheat fluffy potato dumplings, put them in the microwave for a few minutes. Take the dumplings out a few times to rotate them and get them evenly warm.
You can also reheat potato dumplings in a pan with a small amount of butter.
Up Next: Potstickers Vs Dumplings – What’s The Difference?
