Jamaican Boiled Dumplings

Name: Jamaican Boiled Dumplings
Prep time: 9 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 8 cups Water; 1/2 tbs Salt; 2 cups All purpose flour; 1 tsp Salt; 1/2 cup Water

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Side recipe with Jamaican flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 49 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Step-by-step instructions

Instructions In a large pot, bring water and salt to a boil to boil the dumplings.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and salt, stirring to distribute the salt evenly throughout the flour. Gradually add water to the flour mixture, mixing with your hands until a dough forms.
Divide the dough into equal-sized pieces, rolling each into a smooth ball. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand to form a round, circular dumpling. It should look like a thick disk.
Carefully drop the dumplings into the boiling water, one at a time, ensuring that they don't stick together. You can use a wooden spoon to stir the dumplings in the water.
Boil the dumplings for 15-20 minutes, or until they are cooked through and have risen to the surface of the water. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked dumplings from the pot, allowing any excess water to drain.
Serve with your favorite recipes.

Why this works on a weeknight

Jamaican Boiled Dumplings genuinely fits a 30-minute weeknight window, which is why it earned a spot in our Skillet & One-Pan collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Jamaican Boiled Dumplings actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🥘 Skillet & One-Pan Side Jamaican ⚡ 30-Min Dinner