Savory Beef Mandu, Gochujang Glaze (Printable Version)
Crispy beef mandu with aromatic vegetable filling and a glossy sweet-spicy gochujang glaze, finished with toasted sesame.
# What You Need:
→ Mandu Filling
01 - 10.5 oz ground beef
02 - 1 cup napa cabbage, finely chopped
03 - ½ cup onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 tbsp ginger, grated
07 - 1 tbsp soy sauce
08 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
09 - 1 tbsp mirin
10 - 1 tsp sugar
11 - ¼ tsp ground black pepper
12 - 1 egg
→ Assembly
13 - 30 round dumpling wrappers
14 - Small bowl of water for sealing
→ Sweet Gochujang Glaze
15 - 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
16 - 2 tbsp honey
17 - 1½ tbsp soy sauce
18 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
19 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
20 - 1 tsp garlic, minced
21 - 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish
→ Cooking
22 - 2–3 tbsp vegetable oil
23 - ¼ cup water for steaming during frying
# Directions:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, napa cabbage, onion, green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, sugar, black pepper, and egg. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
02 - Place a dumpling wrapper in your palm and spoon 1 rounded teaspoon of filling into the center. Moisten the edge with water, fold into a half-moon shape, and pinch the edges firmly to seal, pleating as desired. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
03 - In a small saucepan, combine the gochujang, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and minced garlic. Simmer over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
04 - Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the mandu in a single layer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.
05 - Pour ¼ cup of water into the skillet and immediately cover with a lid. Steam for 3 to 4 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking until the water evaporates and the bottoms regain their crispness, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
06 - Transfer the mandu to a serving plate. Drizzle or brush generously with the warm gochujang glaze, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The glaze walks that perfect line between sticky sweet and gently fiery, making these impossible to stop eating.
- Pan frying then steaming gives you a bottom so golden and crisp it crunches audibly with every bite.
02 -
- Overfilling is the number one cause of burst wrappers so err on the side of less filling until you get the feel for it.
- The water you add for steaming will aggressively splatter when it hits hot oil so have your lid ready to slap on immediately.
03 -
- Rest the filling in the fridge for 15 minutes before assembling because cold filling is easier to portion and the wrappers seal more reliably.
- Press out every tiny air pocket near the sealed edge because trapped air expands during cooking and splits the wrapper open.