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    Home » Appetizers

    Kimchi Mandu (Kimchi Dumplings)

    Published 12/30/2018. Updated 10/03/2019

    Jump to Recipe

    These Korean dumplings filled with a kimchi mixture are highly popular in Korea. If you like kimchi, you’ll love this dumpling recipe. Kimchi adds tons of spicy and savory flavors!

    DSC 0126 1 e1546216560500 - Kimchi Mandu (Kimchi Dumplings)

    What’s your favorite dumpling variation? Filled with a kimchi mixture, these Korean dumplings, known as kimchi mandu (김치 만두), are highly popular in Korea. Needless to say, kimchi adds tons of spicy and savory flavors to the dumplings.

    Kimchi mandu is great for making soup, such as manduguk (dumpling soup) or tteok-manduguk (tteokguk with dumplings), which is a must-eat New Year’s dish. As such, it’s a popular dumpling variation for the New Year’s feast. Kimchi mandu gives nice flavor and textural contrasts to the mildly-flavored broth and soft rice cake slices.

    In Korea, steamed kimchi mandu is also popular as a street food and at restaurants.

    DSC 0118 e1546212818299 - Kimchi Mandu (Kimchi Dumplings)

    Kimchi dumpling filling

    Typically, kimchi dumplings are filled with a mixture of kimchi, pork, tofu, bean sprouts, onions, and scallions. In this recipe, I also used dangmyeon (당면), sweet potato starch noodles, which is also common in mandu fillings.

    The key to making good kimchi mandu is to use fully fermented kimchi. I usually add some gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes) for extra spicy dumplings, but you can skip it or use less (or more) to your taste.

    By now, you should probably know that kimchi and pork are a classic match in Korean cooking, but feel free to use beef or other protein if preferred. You can also replace the meat with mushrooms. Or, simply omit the meat, and increase the other ingredients such as kimchi, tofu, etc. If you start with vegan or vegetarian kimchi, you can even make the dumplings vegan.

    If you have perilla seed oil, try using it instead of sesame oil. It lends a distinct nutty flavor to the kimchi filling. It’s even better if you add ground perilla seeds if available! Mix in a generous amount and enjoy the complexity of the flavors that perilla seeds add to the dumplings.

    DSC 0077 e1546213797941 - Kimchi Mandu (Kimchi Dumplings)

    Dumpling wrappers

    In this recipe, I used store-bought dumpling wrappers for convenience. They come in refrigerated or frozen, and are available at Korean/Asian markets or even at your local grocery stores. If you want to try making wrappers at home, see my How to Make Dumpling Wrappers. 

    How to fold dumplings

    As I said in my other mandu recipe, a dumpling can be fold in many different ways. The easiest is a half-moon shape, which you can do by simply folding the dumpling wrap in half and sealing it by tightly pinching the edges together. Typically, dumplings made for soups are shaped to a round by glueing the ends of the half-moon shape together. Wet the edges of store-bought dumpling wrappers so they can be glued together. Be light on the filling for easier folding and crimping.

    More dumpling recipes

    Mandu (dumplings)
    Saewu mandu (shrimp dumplings)
    Hobak (zucchini) mandu – vegan

    Watch how to make it

    For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow  along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

    DSC 0153 e1546213892516 300x300 - Kimchi Mandu (Kimchi Dumplings)

    Kimchi Mandu (Kimchi Dumplings)

    4.87 from 38 votes
    Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
    Servings: 35 dumplings
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Makes about 40 dumplings
    • 40 dumpling wrappers slightly thick

    Filling:

    • 2 ounces dangmyeon sweet potato starch noodles, soaked in warm water for about 30 min.
    • 1 cup packed finely chopped kimchi
    • 8 ounces tofu
    • 10 ounces mung bean sprouts, sukju namul (숙주나물)
    • 1/2 medium onion
    • 2 to 3 scallions
    • 8 ounces ground pork or beef (or mix)
    • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
    • 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger or juiced
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon gochugaru (adjust to taste)
    • salt to taste about 1/4 teaspoon
    • pepper to taste about ⅛ teaspoon

    Optional ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon Perilla seed oil (in lieu of sesame oil)
    • 2 to 4 tablespoons ground perilla seeds

    Instructions

    • Finely chop the kimchi and squeeze out excess liquid by hand.
      DSC 0015 600x402 - Kimchi Mandu (Kimchi Dumplings)
    • Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water, drain, chop and squeeze out water.
      DSC 0021 600x402 - Kimchi Mandu (Kimchi Dumplings)
    • Squeeze out water from the tofu. Using a cheesecloth will make squeezing easier. Finely chop the noodles. Finely chop the onion and squeeze out water. Finely chop the scallions.
      DSC 0033 600x402 - Kimchi Mandu (Kimchi Dumplings)
    • Combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well by hand.
      DSC 0046 600x402 - Kimchi Mandu (Kimchi Dumplings)
    • Place one heaping teaspoonful to a tablespoon of the filling on a wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water or egg wash and seal tightly (pushing the air out with your fingers) into a half-moon shape. (Stop here if you want a half-moon shape dumpling.) Then, bring the two ends together, apply water or egg wash to one end and press tightly to create a round shape. Repeat this process until all the filling/wrappers are used.
      DSC 0062 600x402 - Kimchi Mandu (Kimchi Dumplings)
    • Kimchi mandu can be steamed for about 10 minutes in a steamer (12 minutes if frozen). Make sure to line the steamer with a wet cheesecloth, paper towel, or cabbage leaves to prevent mandu from sticking.
    • For boiling, pan-frying and deep-frying dumplings, see my other mandu recipe.

    Notes

    Kimchi mandu is well seasoned, but you can serve them with a dipping sauce if preferred. 
    Tips for freezing: Freeze the dumplings on a tray with the pieces not touching for about an hour, and then store them in a freezer bag. Otherwise, the skins will get soggy from the moisture in the filling and stick together in the freezing process.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. M says

      January 05, 2025 at 11:00 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing your great recipe. We made way too many mandu yesterday and freeze some following your instruction. I was wondering how do you thaw frozen mandu to cook? My husband prefers pan fried mandu. I wasn’t sure if I need to thaw mandu overnight in the fridge then pan fry following day? Would that make madu soggy while thawing?
      Thanks.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        January 05, 2025 at 12:09 pm

        Great! I love having frozen mandu in the freezer! Frozen mandu don’t need to be thawed before being cooked. Just cook a little longer. If you want, you can leave them out at room temperature without pieces touching for 30 to 40 minutes before cooking. Hope this helps.

        Reply
    2. Moroo says

      March 21, 2024 at 1:38 am

      5 stars
      So adorable and helpful. I will try it.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        March 24, 2024 at 10:13 pm

        Great! Thanks!

        Reply
    3. Giorgina says

      January 10, 2023 at 6:26 pm

      5 stars
      Hi thank you for this great recipe! It is absolutely delicious! I made them Vegan by using vegan kimchi and a minced meat substitute & they turned out delicious! I had them with a sauce I found on the Internet, but I was wondering if there is a specific sauce that goes with them?
      And is there a good alternative to gochugaru? I can’t seem to find it in any of the Asian supermarkets here

      Reply
    4. Stephanie says

      July 24, 2022 at 8:25 pm

      5 stars
      This is a great and seemingly simple recipe! I would love to see a YouTube video of this on your channel!

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        July 26, 2022 at 12:26 am

        Thank you! Yes I’ll put this on the to-do list.

        Reply
    5. Elisa says

      October 27, 2021 at 1:48 pm

      5 stars
      Hello, greetings from Brazil! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
      I made it from scratch using the wrapper recipe on the shrimp mandu post and made this kimchi a vegan version 🙂
      Since I didn’t have potato noodles (quite hard to find at stores and expensive), I used sweet potato chopped into little cubes instead haha

      To balance the weight, I used more tofu and added a bit more soy sauce.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        December 15, 2021 at 9:12 pm

        Great! Sounds delicious!

        Reply
    6. Mlisa Kelley says

      December 18, 2020 at 2:28 pm

      5 stars
      I love Kimchi Mandu! Our family has been indoctrinated into Korean culture because of our teenage daughter’s love of BTS. We have grown to love them too. Their accepting message of support and hope has been the perfect antidote to this awful pandemic! I’ve started making my own kimchi (I’ve a severe shellfish allergy) and pair it with tofu for my version of Kimchi Mandu. So delicious and worth the time spent. Thank you Hyosun for continuing to inspire me! Happy Holidays!

      Reply
    7. Meraj Fatima says

      April 02, 2020 at 1:52 am

      Hi! There’s no dumpling wrappers available at the markets where i live. Do you have a recipe on how to make them from scratch?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        April 03, 2020 at 12:26 am

        Yes it’s included in my shrimp dumpling recipe: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/saewu-mandu-shrimp-dumplings/
        Good luck!

        Reply
    8. Jackie says

      January 11, 2019 at 4:10 pm

      Hi! Do you have any recommendations on how to make this vegetarian friendly? I was thinking more tofu, but would love to hear some suggestions.

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        January 12, 2019 at 11:36 am

        Yes simply omit the meat, and add more of the other ingredients such as kimchi, tofu, noodles, etc. and/or add mushrooms.

        Reply
    9. Tanuki says

      January 06, 2019 at 10:07 am

      Thank you for posting such a wonderful recipe! One of my favorite foods are dumplings and I used to buy frozen ones that were this shape! I will try to make my own 🙂

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        January 06, 2019 at 11:13 pm

        Great! You won’t regret it. Nothing better than homemade dumplings.

        Reply
    10. Ann says

      January 05, 2019 at 7:29 pm

      What type of tofu would you recommend? Would firm tofu be ok. Thank you

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        January 06, 2019 at 11:16 pm

        Yes, firm tofu is what I use. Enjoy making and eating homemade dumplings!

        Reply
    11. Barbara says

      January 12, 2018 at 2:48 pm

      These look awesome! Can I omit the meat? Would need to substitute a different ingredient?

      Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    12. L Kim says

      December 17, 2017 at 8:42 pm

      Is There a ginger replacement?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        December 17, 2017 at 9:37 pm

        You can simply omit it. Enjoy!

        Reply
    13. Charlie says

      December 14, 2017 at 2:58 pm

      About 50 years ago a lady from Korea gave my mom a modified recipe of Mandu.
      It included ground pork, onion cabbage. spices.
      I know it used 1 ib. of ground pork, but I can’t remember how much cabbage or onion, or how much or what spices.

      Could you help me with some measurements please.
      I would love to make some for Christmas..

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        December 14, 2017 at 9:09 pm

        Hi Charlie – It sounds similar to this recipe. Hope this is close enough. Enjoy!
        https://www.koreanbapsang.com/2009/09/mandu-korean-dumplings_20.html

        Reply
    14. Z says

      July 03, 2015 at 10:24 pm

      Hyosun-선생님, I just want to thank you so much for your blog and especially this recipe. I just started learning how to cook three months ago and out of the three blogs that are my go-to for recipes yours is the one I use the most. I’ve learned so many techniques and how to cook so many different things from your blog that I really wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Also I am now addicted to mandu ^<__<^;; Today is the second time I make them and I think I finally got the hang of folding them like you do about halfway through the batch ^^;; So again thank you so much for this blog, I have really learned a lot from you.

      Reply
    15. elaine says

      September 09, 2014 at 4:55 pm

      Your mandu looks beautiful! Which brand of wrappers do you use?? The Korean brand that I’ve used cracks when stored in freezer and ended up w/ a mush when cooked!! 🙁 do you have any suggestions??

      Reply
    16. Sue Taylor says

      August 19, 2014 at 6:54 pm

      Wow, these are beautiful dumplings! I’m no pro, but I make pot stickers and steamed dumplings all the time. It is a great thing to do as a family. My most creative was with Thanksgiving leftovers. Turkey w/apple Vidalia chutney, sweet potato w/maple syrup cream sauce, and oyster dressing w/Asian dipping sauce. I read the explanation of how to form these but it seemed like it was explaining how you make the little hats (as I call them) I’m missing something. –can you explain more on how to form?

      Reply
      • Hyosun says

        August 26, 2014 at 1:06 am

        Just make a half-moon shape first and then bring the two ends together. Tightly press the ends together. Hope this helps.

        Reply
    17. Niger seed says

      November 23, 2012 at 9:53 am

      I have never tried this before. Looking forward to try it during this weekend.

      Reply
    18. Kevin says

      January 30, 2012 at 11:22 pm

      Those dumplings look amazing!

      Reply
    19. Biren @ Roti n Rice says

      January 18, 2012 at 1:22 am

      Your mandus are beautiful! I can see how much care you have put into wrapping them. The filling must be delicious with the chopped kimchi. Happy Lunar New Year!

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 18, 2012 at 2:53 am

        Biren – Thank you! I’ve just had a lot of practices over the years. Kimchi mandu is delicious and very popular in Korea.

        Reply
    20. beyondkimchee says

      January 16, 2012 at 9:42 am

      Hyosun, your mandu looks beautiful. I was looking for a large size dumpling wrapper in KL but couldn’t find them, so I had to make mine small this time. My mother used to tell me that if you shape your mandu beautifully, you will have a beautiful daughter. I bet your daughter is goergeous by looking at your dumpling. 🙂

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 18, 2012 at 3:03 am

        Holly – Your mandu looks great too. Koreans say the same thing about sognpyeon as well. Thank you for visiting!

        Reply
    21. Shannon | Just As Delish says

      January 14, 2012 at 8:59 am

      what an exquisite dumpling. don’t think i’ve had mandu, but i love any type of dumplings. I love your blog and recipes, will try making simple korean food more often.

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 16, 2012 at 9:51 pm

        Shannon – Thank you for visiting and for the nice words. My family love dumplings, and, in fact, I’ve not met anyone yet who does not like dumplings. Happy cooking!

        Reply
    22. Sandra says

      January 14, 2012 at 7:05 am

      Oh my goodness..this looks stunning and so tasty! I have to learn how to make it! Congrats on the guest post..Great recipe and fantastic photographs!Have a wonderful weekend!!!!

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 16, 2012 at 9:47 pm

        Sandra – Thank you so much! Hope you had a wonderful weekend. I am just catching with the comments from the past weekend.

        Reply
    23. Little Corner of Mine says

      January 13, 2012 at 6:20 pm

      How cute and pretty the way you shaped your mandu. I will try this shape the next time I make dumplings. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 14, 2012 at 2:20 am

        Thank you! It’s really easy to make this shape. Just make sure seal tightly all the way.

        Reply
    24. FoodEpix says

      January 13, 2012 at 8:11 am

      Looks delicious. Would love for you to share your pictures with us over at foodepix.com.

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 14, 2012 at 2:15 am

        Thank you, FoodEpix. I will definitely consider it.

        Reply
    25. Tammy Quackenbush says

      January 13, 2012 at 2:57 am

      I can’t get enough mandu, especially kimchi and ground chicken mandu! Yum! You singlehandedly made me very hungry.

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 13, 2012 at 3:14 am

        Hi Tammy – Oh I remember you don’t eat pork. I am sure the ground chicken version is great too. Thanks for stopping by!

        Reply
    26. Roxana GreenGirl {A little bit of everything} says

      January 12, 2012 at 6:23 pm

      Congratulations Hyosun.
      I love reading about other countries celebrations.
      These dumplings look so professional. You’re so good. I don’t think I could have made 2 dumplings look alike.

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 13, 2012 at 2:21 am

        Roxana – Thank you! With all your cooking and baking talents, I know this would be easy for you. It helps since I make these quite often in large quantities.

        Reply
    27. Nami | Just One Cookbook says

      January 12, 2012 at 9:46 am

      Congrats Hyosun!!! SO sorry I completely missed your post! I’m heading over to read now. Your mandu is PERFECTLY wrapped. Your detail work is amazing. It really shows how much you care to make the food. Really beautiful!

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 16, 2012 at 9:45 pm

        Nami – Thank you so much for such generous words! I understand. It’s so hard to keep up with everything. However, I think you’re actually doing very well on that. It’s me who’s struggling to keep up. Thanks for taking your busy time to visit!

        Reply
    28. Sissi says

      January 12, 2012 at 9:42 am

      Hyosun, these are the most beautiful mandu I have ever seen. I made mandu (recipe from a Korrean cookery book) several times (I have posted them a long time ago) and they were delicious, but not even half as beautiful. I rememeber it was my first discovery of tofu and meat as a dumpling filling and also remember how soft and juicy it was. Since then I started adding tofu very often to other dumpling recipes: this way I don’t need fat meat to make it juicy.
      The half-moon shape is so cute!
      I also see this is another recipe where I can use some of my kimchi 🙂 I have really enjoyed reading about Korean New Year’s customs.

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 13, 2012 at 2:11 am

        Sissi – I am not surprised to hear you’ve been making delicious mandu. I am sure yours look great too. I will come over to see your old post. I knew it wouldn’t take you long to figure out what to do with all that kimchi you made. Happy cooking!

        Reply
    29. foodie @ Tasting Spot says

      January 11, 2012 at 8:38 pm

      i really like your food pictures and want to invite you to try out tastingspot.com. it’s for anyone who wants another place to submit photos and share it will other foodies. It’s still in beta version, but would love for you to start adding some photos and help get it going.

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 12, 2012 at 4:53 am

        Thank you. I will definitely consider that in the future.

        Reply
    30. To Food With Love says

      January 12, 2012 at 12:53 am

      These are the cutest dumplings ever! Can’t wait to try this out!

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 12, 2012 at 4:57 am

        Thank you, Fern! I look forward to seeing it on your blog one day. Cheers!

        Reply
    31. sportsglutton says

      January 11, 2012 at 9:01 pm

      Wow. These look absolutely wonderful! No doubt I’m making this recipe. Bookmarked!

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 12, 2012 at 4:53 am

        Thank you! Let me know how it turns out for you.

        Reply
    32. Cynthia says

      January 11, 2012 at 3:11 pm

      This is such a work of art! I want to eat all of them!

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 12, 2012 at 4:52 am

        Thank you, Cynthia!

        Reply
    33. Charles says

      January 11, 2012 at 11:02 am

      Whoaaaaa… those look way too pretty! Almost too pretty to eat. I’d love to try these (even though I’m sure I couldn’t make them this beautiful)… any idea where I can find these wrappers? I live in France… maybe there’s a place which sells them online, because I’m not sure if I’ve seen them before!

      The filling just looks delicious too – I’m sure these are fabulous! Definitely pinning these so I can try them soon! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 12, 2012 at 4:51 am

        Charles – Thanks for the kind words! Any Asian markets should have them. Are you near Paris? If so, how about this: http://20littlecities.com/where-to-shop/k-mart-a-korean-and-japanese-supermarket-in-paris/

        Reply
    34. Bee says

      January 11, 2012 at 6:04 am

      Gypsum, thanks for guesting posting and sharing Korean culture with us! Happy Lunar New Year!

      Reply
      • Hyosun Ro says

        January 12, 2012 at 4:45 am

        Thanks for the opportunity, Bee! It was an honor for me. Happy Lunar New Year!

        Reply
    4.87 from 38 votes (32 ratings without comment)

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    Hi! I'm Hyosun, and I am a Korean-American mom of two wonderful grown-up children. Here, you will learn how to cook Korean dishes the way we Koreans traditionally eat at home. Read More...

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