Homemade mandu is one of those things that feels like a whole event and honestly it kind of is. Getting everyone around the table to wrap dumplings together is one of my favorite things about making them. This is my mom’s recipe and one small but important detail about it: she uses ground beef instead of the more traditional pork and beef mix because my sister doesn’t eat pork. It’s been this way my whole life and honestly I don’t miss the pork at all. The filling is so well seasoned and packed with kimchi, tofu, bean sprouts, and chives that every bite is deeply flavorful regardless.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• My mom’s recipe with ground beef instead of pork so it works for everyone at the table
• Kimchi in the filling for that fermented tangy depth that makes kimchi mandu taste completely different from regular mandu
• Multiple vegetables — bean sprouts, tofu, chives, and green onion bulk up the filling and add texture in every bite
• Steamed and then frozen — my mom’s method of fully cooking before freezing means you can reheat them any way you want straight from the freezer
• Makes a huge batch — 3 to 4 packs of wrappers means you’re stocking the freezer properly

Kimchi Mandu: A Family Recipe Built Around My Sister

Mandu is one of the most beloved Korean foods and kimchi mandu specifically is a staple in so many Korean households. The kimchi in the filling gives everything a tangy, slightly spicy, deeply savory flavor that regular mandu just doesn’t have. As the kimchi cooks inside the wrapper it mellows slightly and its flavor gets absorbed into the beef and vegetables in a way that makes the whole filling taste incredibly cohesive and complex.

My mom has always made hers with ground beef because my sister doesn’t eat pork. A lot of traditional mandu recipes use a mix of ground pork and beef but we never had that growing up and this version is what I grew up eating so to me this is just what mandu tastes like. The beef version is leaner and slightly different in texture but with this much kimchi and sesame oil in the filling you really don’t feel like anything is missing.

Kimchi Mandu Ingredients

FILLING

• 500 g ground beef, 85/15 or 90/10
• 600 g kimchi, liquid squeezed out thoroughly and finely chopped
• 1 block firm tofu, pressed and crumbled
• 400 g bean sprouts (sukju), blanched and squeezed dry
• 200 g Korean chives, finely chopped
• 100-200 g green onion, finely chopped
• 2 eggs

SEASONING

• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp mirin
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

FOR WRAPPING

• 3-4 packs mandu wrappers

Preparing the Kimchi

This is the most important prep step and you really cannot rush it. The kimchi needs to have as much liquid squeezed out of it as possible. Excess liquid in the filling will make your mandu soggy and the wrappers will get wet and tear during steaming. Grab handfuls and squeeze hard until almost no liquid comes out, then chop it finely. The smaller the pieces the better the distribution throughout the filling so you get kimchi in every single bite.

Preparing the Tofu and Bean Sprouts

Tofu and bean sprouts both hold a lot of water and that water needs to come out before they go into the filling for the same reason as the kimchi. Press the tofu firmly with paper towels or wrap in a clean kitchen towel and set something heavy on it for a few minutes, then crumble it directly into the bowl. For the bean sprouts blanch them briefly in salted boiling water, immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, then squeeze out the water thoroughly and chop them roughly. This step makes a real difference in the final texture of the filling.

The Seasoning

The seasoning here is doing a lot of work. Oyster sauce and soy sauce for depth and umami, sesame oil for that nutty fragrance that runs through every bite, mirin for a touch of sweetness, and garlic for the backbone of the whole thing. Mix everything into the filling and then taste it before you start wrapping. The filling should taste well seasoned and slightly bold since it mellows a little inside the wrapper during steaming. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Wrapping

There’s no single right way to fold mandu — the half moon fold is the most common and easiest to start with. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of a wrapper, wet the edges with a little water, fold in half and press firmly to seal, then pinch and pleat along the sealed edge to create that classic ruffled border. The most important thing is that the seal is tight and there are no air pockets inside — air expands during steaming and can cause them to burst. Press firmly and make sure every seam is closed.

How To Make Kimchi Mandu

PREPARE THE FILLING

1. Prep the kimchi: Squeeze all the liquid out of the kimchi as thoroughly as possible. Chop finely and set aside.
2. Prep the bean sprouts: Blanch in salted boiling water for about 1-2 minutes. Drain and rinse immediately under cold water. Squeeze dry and chop roughly.
3. Prep the tofu: Press the tofu firmly to remove water then crumble or mash into small pieces.
4. Chop aromatics: Finely chop the Korean chives and green onion.
5. Combine the filling: In a large bowl combine ground beef, kimchi, bean sprouts, crumbled tofu, chives, and green onion. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, minced garlic, sesame oil, mirin, salt, and black pepper. Add the eggs. Mix everything together thoroughly until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning — the filling should taste well seasoned and bold.

WRAP

6. Set up your station: Have your bowl of filling, mandu wrappers kept covered with a damp cloth, and a small bowl of water ready.
7. Wrap: Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each wrapper. Wet the edges with water. Fold in half and press firmly to seal. Pleat and pinch along the sealed edge to close completely. Make sure no air is trapped inside and all seams are completely sealed.

STEAM

8. Steam: Line a steamer basket with parchment paper or cabbage leaves to prevent sticking. Arrange mandu in a single layer without touching. Steam over boiling water for 15 minutes until cooked through.

Storage

My mom’s method and the one I always use: steam the entire batch first until fully cooked, then let them cool completely and freeze them. Fully cooked frozen mandu can be reheated any way you want straight from the freezer — pan-fry from frozen in a covered pan with a splash of water, steam for a few minutes, drop into boiling soup, or microwave when you just need something fast. They keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Portion them on a parchment-lined tray first to freeze individually before transferring to bags so they don’t all stick together.