Filipino Pork Siomai (Easy Steamed Dumplings)

Filipino Pork Siomai: Easy Steamed Dumplings at Home

This Filipino siomai recipe makes juicy, open-topped steamed pork dumplings with carrot, spring onions, garlic, and a simple calamansi-soy dipping sauce. Siomai is a Filipino adaptation of Chinese shumai, familiar as a snack, party food, or an easy addition to a rice-based meal. A bamboo steamer is not required: a metal steaming basket or a heatproof rack in a covered saucepan works just as well.

The texture begins with the filling. Pork mince with a little fat stays moist, while cold water and a short, deliberate mix create a cohesive filling that holds together inside the wrapper. Keep the wrapper open at the top and avoid overfilling; six evenly sized siomai make a satisfying snack portion.

Shape and Steam with Confidence

Use thin square wonton wrappers, and cover the unused stack with a slightly damp tea towel. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of each wrapper, draw the sides upward, then gently squeeze to make a short cylinder. The base should be flat enough to stand upright but not compressed so hard that the filling becomes dense.

Steam in a single layer with space for the steam to circulate. Wrapper colour is not a reliable sign that pork is cooked, so use a food thermometer in one of the centre dumplings. The filling must reach 75C. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce, or pair the siomai with plain steamed rice and a vegetable side for a simple meal.

Four Siomai Variations (24 Dumplings Each)

Pork and Shrimp Siomai

Replace the 400 g pork mince with 300 g pork mince plus 100 g raw prawns. Peel, devein, pat dry, and finely chop the prawns before mixing them with the pork. Keep the 80 g carrot, 2 spring onions, 3 garlic cloves, 15 ml each soy and oyster sauce, 5 ml sesame oil, 8 g cornflour, 0.5 g white pepper, 2 g optional sugar, 30 ml cold water, and 24 wrappers unchanged. Shape and steam as above for 12 to 15 minutes, checking for 75C. Use raw rather than cooked prawns, and note that this variation contains shellfish.

Chicken Siomai

Replace the 400 g pork mince with 400 g minced chicken thigh. Keep every other main ingredient and quantity unchanged: 80 g carrot, 30 g spring onions, 9 g garlic, 15 ml each soy and oyster sauce, 5 ml sesame oil, 8 g cornflour, 0.5 g white pepper, 2 g optional sugar, 30 ml cold water, and 24 wrappers. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes, shape 24 dumplings, then steam for 12 to 15 minutes until the centre reaches 75C. Chicken thigh mince gives a juicier result than very lean breast mince.

Pork and Mushroom Siomai

Replace the 400 g pork mince with 300 g pork mince plus 100 g finely chopped mushrooms. Dry-cook the mushrooms in a non-stick pan over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until their moisture evaporates, then cool them completely. Mix them with the pork and the unchanged main ingredients: 80 g carrot, 30 g spring onions, 9 g garlic, 15 ml each soy and oyster sauce, 5 ml sesame oil, 8 g cornflour, 0.5 g white pepper, 2 g optional sugar, 30 ml cold water, and 24 wrappers. Shape 24 dumplings and steam for 12 to 15 minutes to 75C. This reduces the pork but is not vegetarian.

Pork Siomai with Water Chestnuts

Make the complete pork recipe as written and add 50 g drained, finely chopped canned water chestnuts to the filling. Keep all original quantities: 400 g pork, 80 g carrot, 30 g spring onions, 9 g garlic, 15 ml each soy and oyster sauce, 5 ml sesame oil, 8 g cornflour, 0.5 g white pepper, 2 g optional sugar, 30 ml water, and 24 wrappers. Fold in the water chestnuts after the filling is mixed, shape 24 dumplings, and steam for 12 to 15 minutes until the pork is at 75C. Canned water chestnuts add crunch; fresh chestnuts are not a substitute.

Make Ahead, Freezing, and Food Safety

Assemble siomai several hours ahead and refrigerate them, covered, until you are ready to steam. To freeze uncooked dumplings, arrange them on a parchment-lined tray until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to two or three months. Steam from frozen, allowing several extra minutes, and always check the centre reaches 75C rather than following a fixed time.

Cool cooked siomai promptly and refrigerate in an airtight container at 5C or below. Eat within 48 hours. Reheat by steaming until piping hot throughout and reheat only once.

Serving Ideas

The bright calamansi-soy sauce is traditional in spirit and balances the rich pork filling; add chilli garlic oil only for people who want heat. For other Filipino favourites, serve these alongside lumpiang Shanghai, Filipino arroz caldo, or Filipino chicken adobo.