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    Home > Blog > Asian Inspired > Shrimp Shumai

    Shrimp Shumai

    by Jenny Park · Published: May 15, 2020 · Modified: Nov 28, 2020

    Jump to Recipe
    Shrimp shumai is a popular and delicious dim sum recipe that is easy to make at home. It's also a perfect recipe make head of time and freeze in batches!
    Shrimp shumai recipe.

    8 finished shrimp shumai next to ramekin of dipping sauce
    One of my favorite things to grab for lunch is dim-sum, specifically shrimp shumai! I love watching the giant pillows of steam released into the air, each time a  lid is removed from one of the containers on the crowded dim-sum carts. I think dim-sum is one of those things that a lot of people find intimidating to make at home, but really it’s easy, especially if you start with the basics! Today we have a super simple, yet super flavorful shrimp shumai recipe for you all today. It only takes about 30 minutes to put together and up to 10 minutes to cook.

    What are Shrimp Shumai?

    Shrimp shumai (also pronounced siu mai or shao mai) are a popular Cantonese steamed dumpling  often served at Chinese, dim-sum restaurants.

    3/4 angle of 8 finished shrimp shumai next to ramekin of dipping sauce
    How to make Shrimp Shumai

    1. In a food processor pulse together garlic, ginger and lemongrass.
    2. Add half of the shrimp and the remaining filling ingredients and pulse together until a paste forms. – This will help to keep the shumai together.
    3. Add remaining chopped shrimp to the paste mixture and fold together. This will give the shumai filling some nice texture.
    4. Place 1/2 tablespoon sized amount of filling onto center of each wonton wrapper and form, using dabs of water to fold edges down.
    5. Fill a steamer with water and top basket with a single layer of lettuce leaves.
    6. Arrange shumai onto lettuce leaves, about an inch apart.
    7. Cover, place over heat and steam for 8 to 10minutes.
    8. Remove from heat and serve with a simple dipping sauce.

    How do you form Shumai?

    Have ready a stack of your wonton wrappers, your shrimp mixture, a spoon, a towel in case you need to wipe your fingers off, and a small bowl of water.

    1. With your non-dominate hand, form a circle with your fingers. Place the wonton wrapper over the hole you have made with you hand.
      Raw wonton wrapper placed on hand making a fist.
    2. Gently press the wonton wrapper into your hand to create a cavity for the shrimp mixture to sit in.
      Step 2 of forming shrimp shumai. Gently press the wonton wrapper into your hand to create a cavity for the shrimp mixture to sit in. 
    3. The cavity should be deep enough to hold about half a tablespoon of the shrimp mixture inside. The edges of the wonton wrapper that lay on top of your hand will be folded down later. Be sure to not make your cavity too deep, that will just leave your edges messy.
      Step 3 of forming shrimp shumai. The cavity should be deep enough to hold about half a tablespoon of the shrimp mixture inside. The edges of the wonton wrapper that lay on top of your hand will be folded down later. Be sure to not make your cavity too deep, that will just leave your edges messy. 
    4. Using a spoon, place the shrimp mixture in the cavity. We like to use a gently scraping method when we do this. You can use the spoon to gently pack the mixture down and create a clean top. Step 4 of making shrimp shumai. Using a spoon, place the shrimp mixture in the cavity. We like to use a gently scraping method when we do this. You can use the spoon to gently pack the mixture down and create a clean top.
    5. Gently wet your fingers in your bowl of water. Stick the edges of the wonton wrapper that are resting on top of your hand down to the sides on the shrimp shumai. You may need to re-dip your fingers. The water works as an adhesive between the layers of wonton. Close up of hands folding shumai.
    6. Place a scallion slice on the top of each shrimp shumai. Step 6 of making Shrimp Shumai. Place a scallion slice on the top of each shrimp shumai.

    overhead of 12 raw shrimp shumai on parchment paper

    Steaming

    When you are steaming shrimp shumai, you always line the basket with lettuce leaves (or steamer linrs) to prevent the shu mai from sticking to the basket. You also want to ensure that the shumai are not touching each other because they will stick together. I love my Jia Ceramic Steamer. It’s thoughtfully designed and so beautiful. For this entire recipe, you will have to cook them in batches. They are best served right away, but if you prefer to serve them all at once you can place them onto a plate and cover to keep the steam in until you are ready to serve. I love using a bowl upside down on a plate to cover them.

    overhead of 9 Freshly steamed shrimp shumai in steamer basket

    Freeze Ahead

    To make ahead and freeze, fill and form shrimp shumai as directed. Place uncooked shrimp shumai onto a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart and place in freezer until fully frozen. Once fully frozen, transfer shumai to a resealable bag and store in freezer for up to 3 months.
    Overhead of 14 frozen shrimp shumai on parchment paper as per directions.

    How do you cook Frozen Shrimp Shumai?

    When ready to use, steam frozen (do not thaw) as directed, but add an additional 8 to 10 minutes to the cook time.

    What can you eat with Shrimp Shumai?

    While these little bites are delicious on their own, you can also serve them with other dim sum dishes like our pork potstickers, which are just as delicious and also freeze really well. You can also serve these alongside our garlic noodles and our Lightly Roasted green beans for a complete meal!

    I love making a double batch of this recipe and freezing most of them so that I can easily pop them out of the freezer and have a little snack whenever I get a craving! Enjoy! xx, Jenny

    9 steamed shrimp shumai next to a ramekin of sauce. 1 has been dipped in sauce with a bite out of it

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    A close up of shrimp shumai with sauce on the side.

    Shrimp Shumai

    5 from 30 votes
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    Shrimp shumai is a popular and delicious dim sum recipe that is easy to make at home. It's also a perfect recipe make head of time and freeze in batches!
    RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny
    Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
    Total Time: 40 minutes mins
    Servings: 6

      EQUIPMENT  

    • steamer

      INGREDIENTS  

    • 1 garlic clove, chopped
    • ½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
    • ½ inch piece lemongrass, chopped
    • ½ pound shrimp, peeled, cleaned and deveined
    • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
    • ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
    • 24 square wonton wrappers

      INSTRUCTIONS  

    • Place garlic, ginger and lemongrass in a food processor and pulse 6 to 8 times or until finely ground and well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
    • Dice shrimp and place half into the food processor with the remaining ingredients. Process until a smooth paste just comes together. Pour filling into a mixing bowl and fold in remaining shrimp.
    • Place ½ tablespoon of the mixture into the center of a wonton wrapper and wet the edges with a small amount of water.
    • Assemble: Bring all the sides into the center and press any excess wrapper down onto the sides to gently seal (the tops should still be exposed with the shrimp mixture). Flatten the top and place onto a baking sheet. Top each shumai with a piece of sliced green onion. Repeat until all the filling and wrappers have been used.
    • Fill base a pot with 2 inches of water. Top with steamer and line steamer with a layer of lettuce leaves and arrange shumai on top, 1 inch apart (this will be done in batches). Cover steamer with lid and place over medium-high heat. Steam shumai for 8 to 10 minutes or until shrimp has just cooked through.
    • Serve shu-mai hot with ponzu sauce or a mixture of soy sauce and sesame oil for dipping.

      NOTES  

    • *Makes 24
    • To make ahead and freeze: Fill and form shrimp shumai as directed. Place uncooked shrimp shumai onto a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart and place in freezer until fully frozen. Once fully frozen, transfer shumai to a resealable bag and store in freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to heat from frozen, follow instructions as directed and steam shumai from frozen, but add an additional 5 to 6 minutes of steaming. 
    Calories: 130kcal Carbohydrates: 18g Protein: 11g Fat: 1g Saturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 98mg Sodium: 618mg Potassium: 55mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 1g Vitamin C: 2mg Calcium: 69mg Iron: 2mg
    CUISINE: asian
    KEYWORD: shrimp, shumai
    COURSE: Appetizer, lunch

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    May 15, 2020 / 39 Comments

    About Jenny Park

    Jenny Park is half of Spoon Fork Bacon. She is also a food stylist and recipe developer. One of her favorite foods is donuts. #sfbJENNY

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    May 15, 2020 / 39 Comments

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    1. Katie Sims

      March 12, 2014 at 9:36 am

      I want to have a whole meal with these as the star. What would be some easy good sides to fix up along with them?

      Reply
    2. Nicole

      October 05, 2013 at 2:13 pm

      5 stars
      Eating these right now! Made them very early in the afternoon and let them chill in the fridge till dinner time, which was so easy! Very flavorful! I didn’t have any lemongrass so I used a couple runs of lime zest instead. I like these better than the ones we get for take-out and who knew the were so easy?! Thank you for the recipe, will enjoy these again soon.

      Reply
    3. Kristin

      October 11, 2012 at 6:50 pm

      Hi, I’m sure this is a dumb question…are the shrimp supposed to be cooked at the beginning of the recipe? Looks awesome, thank you!

      Reply
    4. rachel

      September 05, 2012 at 12:20 pm

      the only thing i don’t have is a steamer…can a crockpot be used as a steamer? if not, what kind of steamer should i invest in?

      Reply
    5. Sook

      August 13, 2012 at 4:07 pm

      I think I’m making these tonight! Looks so incredible! I don’t have lemon grass…. I might have to skip it… Thanks for sharing this recipe! :)

      Reply
    6. April

      July 17, 2012 at 8:55 am

      I could eat a million of these. I’ve never tried making them myself though, can’t wait to give it a shot! By the way, I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award! Here’s my post: http://3hungrymonkeys.wordpress.com/2012/07/17/i-won-something-woot/

      Reply
    7. Sook

      July 13, 2012 at 7:22 pm

      What striking photos! I love these little shu mai’s. I can’t wait to make some on my own!

      Reply
    8. Natalie (NJ in L.A.)

      July 10, 2012 at 12:57 am

      I live for these. Beautiful photography as always ladies!

      Reply
    9. Claire

      July 08, 2012 at 7:56 pm

      5 stars
      I just made these, and they were absolutely delicious. :) Thank you, Jenny!

      Reply
    10. Brian @ A Thought For Food

      June 28, 2012 at 6:16 pm

      One of my earliest (and favorite) memories from my childhood was making shrimp shu mai with my parents. This totally brought me back.

      Reply
    11. Jenny @ BAKE

      June 28, 2012 at 6:32 am

      I am a complete Dim Sum addict! I am going to have to try this recipe!

      Reply
    12. Suzanne Perazzini

      June 27, 2012 at 8:23 pm

      This is my kind of food – dainty and full of flavor. I could eat heaps of those.

      Reply
    13. Sara

      June 27, 2012 at 6:16 pm

      5 stars
      LOVE dim sum. thanks for sharing this!! would love to see some more dim sum recipes in the future!

      Reply
    14. Elena

      June 27, 2012 at 1:29 pm

      Love shrimp dumplings and yours look delicious!

      Reply
    15. heather @ chiknpastry

      June 27, 2012 at 1:07 pm

      adorable! I love making anything with little wonton wrappers, but these look extra-easy. I usually fold mine which clearly takes too long when you can just wrap them around like this and leave them open – way cuter, and easier ;).

      also, freezing them and whipping them out at any moment = perfection.

      Reply
    16. kankana

      June 27, 2012 at 11:34 am

      Love any kind of dumplings but shrimp Shu- mai is kind of my fav. Never tried making it at home as I find it so tough to give that shape! But I gotta give it a try.

      Reply
    17. erin @WELLinLA

      June 27, 2012 at 8:59 am

      5 stars
      Party recipes = love! Party recipes that can be made ahead AND frozen = absolute swoon. Not to mention this one creates more practice time with my food processor.

      Reply
    18. Cupcake and Talk

      June 27, 2012 at 6:54 am

      I am going to try this dish. I know I am going to love it. Thank you for the recipe.

      Reply
    19. joey

      June 26, 2012 at 11:04 pm

      Oh yum! Love dim sum and the experience of eating them in such restaurants as you’ve described…steaming carts criss-crossing among a big room of round tables :)

      Reply
    20. Lynna

      June 26, 2012 at 5:22 pm

      Looks so good. Dim sum is one of my favorite things to eat!

      Reply
    21. Sara

      June 26, 2012 at 4:25 pm

      Completely embarrassing, but I have NEVER had dim-sum. Luckily, I live in Chicago. Care to share your favorite dim-sum restaurant?

      Reply
    22. dervla @The Curator

      June 26, 2012 at 12:01 pm

      mmmmm yummmmy. I’ve never made these but will now give it a shot! Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    23. Rebecca

      June 26, 2012 at 10:59 am

      I’ve just realized that I’m not sure if I’ve ever had dim sum. . do potstickers count? These looks gorgeous, but I’m not a fan of shrimp. Would ground chicken work? Seriously going to try this out. . so glad I found your website! Thank you! Thank you!

      Reply
      • chad

        July 15, 2014 at 3:45 pm

        probably you can also put pork or even chicken meat or even egg to taste..

        Reply
    24. ruth

      June 26, 2012 at 10:49 am

      5 stars
      yum! one of my favorite asian treats.

      Reply
    25. Heather | Farmgirl Gourmet

      June 26, 2012 at 10:23 am

      YUM! I am totally all over these little purses of goodness. Love this recipe ladies!! Beautiful photos too (of course).

      xo

      Heather

      Reply
      • Teri Lyn Fisher

        June 26, 2012 at 10:33 am

        Heather! Purses of goodness! Love it! You have a way with words!

        Reply
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