Love crispy dumplings but not the folding? This easy smash dumpling recipe gives you a savoury minced-meat topping and a golden, crisp base without wrapping or pleating.

Instead of conventional dumpling wrappers, we use QS x Twirlee Hand-Pulled Mee Hoon Kueh. Serve these open-faced dumplings as a sharing dish, a savoury snack or part of a family meal.

What Are Smash Dumplings?
Smash dumplings are an open-faced take on pan-fried dumplings. Rather than enclosing the filling in a wrapper, you spread seasoned minced meat directly onto a dough base and cook both sides in a frying pan. This version uses Mee Hoon Kueh for the base, with three filling options. The seasoning and preparation method for each meat stay the same. 

How To Make Crispy Smash Dumplings

This recipe makes approximately 16 to 20 small dumplings, depending on the size of your bases.

Ingredients

For The Dumpling Bases

• 200g QS × Twirlee Hand-Pulled Mee Hoon Kueh, thawed overnight in the fridge

• A little Plain Flour, for dusting

• 1–2 tbsp Neutral Cooking Oil, such as Sunflower Oil, for frying

[ALL 3 FILLINGS PHOTO]
For The Dumpling Filling

• 300g Minced Meat (Pork), Chicken Mince or Ground Beef (choose one)

• 60g Napa Cabbage, finely chopped

• ⅛ tsp Salt, for drawing moisture out of the cabbage

• 2 Spring Onions, finely chopped

• 2 Garlic Cloves, finely grated

• ½ tsp Quan Shui Signature Scallion Oil

• 1 tsp Light Soy Sauce

• 1 tsp Shaoxing Rice Wine, optional

• A pinch of Ground White Pepper or Ground Black Pepper

[TOPPINGS PHOTO]
Optional Toppings

• Shredded Cucumber and Carrot

• Chopped Coriander or Spring Onion

• Quan Shui Wok Hei Bee Hiam Crisp

• A little extra Quan Shui Signature Scallion Oil

Cooking Method

1. Salt and Squeeze The Cabbage

Mix the chopped cabbage with the salt and leave for about 10 minutes. Squeeze out the released liquid using clean hands or a clean cloth. Removing excess moisture helps prevent a wet filling and encourages browning.

2. Prepare The Mee Hoon Kueh Bases

Separate the thawed mee hoon kueh pieces on a lightly floured surface.

Keep their square shape, or use a round cookie cutter to cut out circles. Gently flatten any thicker areas without stretching or tearing the dough. Save any trimmings for soup.

Cover the prepared bases with a clean, slightly damp cloth while preparing the filling.

3. Mix And Check The Filling

Combine your chosen mince with the squeezed cabbage, spring onions, garlic, scallion oil, light soy sauce, optional rice wine and pepper. Mix until slightly sticky.

Pan-fry a small spoonful until fully cooked, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Keep the remaining raw filling chilled until you are ready to assemble the dumplings.

4. Spread The Filling Onto The Bases

Spread a small spoonful of filling onto each base, almost to the edges.

Keep the meat layer even and roughly 3mm thick. Avoid piling it up in the centre, as thicker filling takes longer to cook.

5. Pan-Fry Until Cooked And Crisp

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add a thin coating of oil.

Place the dumplings meat-side down, leaving space between them. Press gently with a spatula so the filling makes contact with the pan. Cook in batches to avoid overcrowding.

Fry for approximately 3-4 minutes, until the meat develops a browned crust. Lower the heat if the seasoning starts to catch.

Flip the dumplings so the dough sits against the pan. Add a little more oil around the edges if needed, then cook uncovered for approximately 1-3 minutes, until the bases are golden and crisp.

Continue cooking over a lower heat as needed until both the meat filling and dough are fully cooked. Cooking times vary with the thickness of the dumplings and the heat of your pan; browning alone does not confirm that the filling is cooked through.

[SMASH DUMPLING PHOTO]

6. Add Your Toppings And Serve

Arrange the dumplings meat-side up. Add shredded cucumber, carrot, coriander or spring onion, if using. 

Finish with Quan Shui Wok Hei Bee Hiam Crisp, a drizzle of Quan Shui Signature Scallion Oil, or a little of both. Add these after frying to preserve the crisp topping.

Serve immediately while the bases are crisp.

Shop the Ingredients for This Recipe

Choose your mince, then shop for the Mee Hoon Kueh, vegetables and seasonings below. 

Choose Your Mince

[MINCED MEAT PHOTO]
Quan Shui Minced Meat — minced pork made entirely from Twee Bak (picnic shoulder), with a balance of lean meat and fat.

[ANXIN PHOTO]
GG™ AnXin Chicken Mince — made from 100% boneless chicken breast.

[BEEF PHOTO]
New Zealand Premium Ground Beef — a blend of 85% lean meat and 15% fat.

Dumpling Base

[MHK PRODUCT PHOTO]
QS × Twirlee Hand-Pulled Mee Hoon Kueh.

Vegetables and Aromatics

• Napa Cabbage

• Spring Onions

• Chinese Old Garlic

• Japanese Cucumber (optional topping)

• Australia Carrots (optional topping)

• Thailand Cilantro/Coriander (optional topping)

Seasonings

• Quan Shui Signature Scallion Oil 

• Light Soy Sauce

• Ground White Pepper or Black Pepper

• Shaoxing Rice Wine - optional

• Quan Shui Wok Hei Bee Hiam Crisp (optional)

• Ground White Pepper or Ground Black Pepper

Allergen note: The mee hoon kueh contains wheat and egg; the scallion oil contains wheat and soy; and the hae bee hiam crisp contains shrimp. Check all product labels, including sauces, for full ingredient and allergen information.

Related Recipes And Fresh Tips

• How to Select Fresh Vegetables - A guide to choosing cabbage, carrots and other everyday produce.

• Vegetable and Meat Storage Guide - Tips for storing the fresh ingredients used in this recipe.

• ABC Soup Recipe with Pork Bones and Vegetables - A comforting soup to serve alongside the dumplings.

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