Dumpling Bake is the viral one-dish dinner where frozen dumplings bake right in a creamy coconut milk and red curry broth with spinach. The dumplings come out soft and tender, the broth turns silky enough to spoon over everything, and a handful of cilantro, scallions, sesame seeds and chili crisp finishes the dish. It serves 4 and is ready in 30 minutes, so it fits a busy weeknight.
How to make it: Whisk the coconut milk, curry paste, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil right in the baking dish, stir in the spinach, set the frozen dumplings on top and bake covered at 400°F for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on your dish, until they are tender.
Why You’ll Love It
- 5 minutes of prep: the broth is whisked in the baking dish itself, so there is no pot or skillet to wash.
- No steaming or frying: the oven does the work, and you never stand over the stove.
- Tender dumplings, creamy broth: coconut milk, red curry and garlic make a spoonable sauce with plenty of greens in it.
- Freezer and pantry staples: a bag of frozen dumplings, a can of coconut milk and a few fridge basics are all you need.
Ingredient Notes
Frozen dumplings: Plan on 14 to 20, depending on the size of your dish. Frozen potstickers work the same way.
Coconut milk: One 14-ounce can of lite coconut milk is the base of the broth.
Thai red curry paste: Its heat changes from brand to brand. That is why the recipe starts with 1 tablespoon and lets you taste before adding more.
Soy sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce is the pick here. If you are sensitive to salt, use a little less. Tamari or coconut aminos can take its place.
Fish sauce: It is optional. Lime juice can go in instead.
Garnishes: Chopped cilantro, sliced scallion greens, sesame seeds and a spoonful or two of chili crisp go on at the end. Hot sauce or a squeeze of lime are good extras.
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 ounces) lite coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste, up to 3 tablespoons if your paste is mild
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce, optional, or lime juice
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 3 cups spinach
- 14 to 20 frozen dumplings, based on the size of your dish
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped, for garnish
- 1/4 cup scallion greens, sliced, for garnish
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chili crisp, for garnish
How to Make Dumpling Bake
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Make the curry broth. In a medium, shallow baking dish or a 3.5-quart oven-safe braiser, whisk the coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of the curry paste, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil until smooth and the curry paste has dissolved. Taste it; if the paste is mild, whisk in up to 2 more tablespoons.
3. Add the spinach. Add the spinach and stir until the leaves are coated and spread evenly across the bottom of the dish.
4. Add the dumplings. Set the frozen dumplings in the dish pinched-side down, in one layer. Spoon some of the broth over the top of each one.
5. Bake covered. Cover the dish tightly with a lid or foil. Bake for 20 minutes in a shallow dish with 14 dumplings, or 30 to 40 minutes in a deeper dish or with more dumplings, until the dumplings are tender and one in the center reaches 165°F. For a thicker broth, uncover the dish for the last 5 minutes.
6. Garnish and serve. Top with the chili crisp, cilantro, scallion greens and sesame seeds and serve hot.
How Long to Bake It, Covered or Uncovered
The bake time comes down to two things: how deep your dish is and how many dumplings you fit in it. Use this as your guide.
| Your dish | Dumplings | Covered at 400°F |
|---|---|---|
| Shallow baking dish or braiser (a 9×9-inch dish works) | 14 | 20 minutes |
| Deeper dish, or a fuller batch | up to 20 | 30 to 40 minutes |
A whole 16- to 20-ounce bag of dumplings fills a 9×13-inch dish. Whatever the dish, the time is a guide, not a rule. If the dumplings are not tender when the timer goes off, cover them again and keep baking.
Covered or uncovered? Cover the dish when you want soft, tender dumplings. Leave it uncovered when you want a crisp top. A lid or tight foil also keeps the dumplings from drying out.
Want a thicker broth? Keep the cover on for most of the bake, then take it off for the last few minutes, as in step 5.
Tips for Success
What if the coconut milk looks curdled in the can?
Canned coconut milk sometimes separates or looks broken. Pour it into a bowl and whisk until it is smooth before it goes into the baking dish, then add the rest of the broth ingredients.
How much broth should there be around the dumplings?
The broth should come about halfway up the dumplings, with a little spooned over the top of each one, as in step 4.
Why did the dumplings stick to the foil?
Tent the foil a little when you cover the dish, so it sits above the dumplings instead of resting on them. Then they won’t stick to it when you take it off.
Variations
- Sweet and tangy: whisk 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey (or brown sugar) and 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger into the broth. Miso paste can replace the curry paste if you want it without curry.
- Coconut-lime: add the juice of 1 lime and some grated ginger to the broth, then serve with lime wedges.
- With meatballs: mix 1 pound ground chicken or pork with ginger, garlic, honey, tamari and green onions. Roll about 15 meatballs of about 2 tablespoons each and set them between the dumplings. Bake at 400°F covered for 25 to 30 minutes, then uncovered for 10 more, until the chicken meatballs reach 165°F or the pork ones 160°F.
- Over rice: stir 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, 2 1/4 cups chicken broth, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 teaspoons rice vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt together in the dish. Top with 2 cups broccolini and 24 frozen dumplings, cover and bake at 375°F for 50 minutes, then drizzle a soy-ginger sauce over the top.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Freezing is safe for 3 to 4 months, but FSIS lists cream sauce among foods that do not freeze well, and creamy mixtures can separate and look curdled after thawing. Reheat covered in the oven or microwave until it reaches 165°F, and bring any extra broth to a rolling boil. Do not reheat it in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Add steamed rice on the side to make it a more filling meal, or go a step further with egg fried rice. For more takeout-style dinners at home, try General Tso’s chicken or 3-ingredient orange chicken. Teriyaki chicken and rice casserole is another dinner that bakes in one dish, and slow cooker beef ramen is another brothy bowl. If you came looking for the Southern kind of dumpling bake, the chicken and dumpling casserole bakes a biscuit-batter topping over creamy chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an easy dumpling bake recipe?
The easiest one starts with a bag of frozen dumplings and a few pantry and fridge staples: a can of coconut milk, red curry paste, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and spinach. Everything goes into one baking dish, and the oven does the rest.
Can you bake frozen dumplings in the oven?
Yes. They go into the dish frozen, straight from the bag. The broth around them is absorbed as they bake, which cooks them through and leaves them tender.
What kind of dumplings work best?
Any variety works. Chicken, pork or vegetable dumplings are all good here, and frozen potstickers bake the same way.
Can you use bok choy instead of spinach?
Yes. Trim and roughly chop 2 bunches of bok choy, or use kale, and toss it in the broth the same way. You can also chop just the bok choy greens finely and scatter them over the dumplings before you cover the dish.
Final Notes
Set out extra chili crisp, hot sauce and lime wedges at the table so everyone can season their own bowl. If you have a question or make this dumpling bake, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Dumpling Bake
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Ingredients
- 1 can lite coconut milk 14 ounces
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste up to 3 tablespoons if your paste is mild
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce optional, or lime juice
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 3 cups spinach
- 14 to 20 frozen dumplings based on the size of your dish
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped, for garnish
- 1/4 cup scallion greens sliced, for garnish
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds for garnish
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chili crisp for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- In a medium, shallow baking dish or a 3.5-quart oven-safe braiser, whisk the coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of the curry paste, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil until smooth and the curry paste has dissolved. Taste it; if the paste is mild, whisk in up to 2 more tablespoons.
- Add the spinach and stir until the leaves are coated and spread evenly across the bottom of the dish.
- Set the frozen dumplings in the dish pinched-side down, in one layer. Spoon some of the broth over the top of each one.
- Cover the dish tightly with a lid or foil. Bake for 20 minutes in a shallow dish with 14 dumplings, or 30 to 40 minutes in a deeper dish or with more dumplings, until the dumplings are tender and one in the center reaches 165°F. For a thicker broth, uncover the dish for the last 5 minutes.
- Top with the chili crisp, cilantro, scallion greens and sesame seeds and serve hot.
