Well, y’all, it’s January 2025, and that means a few things. First, it’s cold as heck here in Northern Kentucky – soups and stews are top of my list for nearly every single meal. And second, it’s the time of year when some of us make some more resolutions to treat our bodies a bit better – maybe more time at the gym, maybe eating more conscientiously. For me, it’s mostly the first thing. I’ll get to the second thing later.
Maybe I’m unconventional, or maybe I’m innovational, but one of my favorite ways to eat steamed dumplings is actually to add them to soups – ramen, especially. My local Kroger has really upped their game in adding more Asian inspired staple items, so I decided to try the Bibigo Chicken & Vegetable steamed dumplings.
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, it’s been (mostly) a fun challenge to try and find foods that use poultry instead of the ever-available pork. While dumplings do come in a variety of protein options, I tend to see pork or a pork blend the most (chicken + pork together). Kroger had these Bibigo Chicken & Vegetable bad boys on BOGO, so I grabbed two 6-packs and got to taste testin’!
Bibigo Dumplings – Preparation
I do enjoy steamed dumplings – pop some of those babies in a steam basket, or even with a little sesame oil in the bottom of a skillet for a crispier bottom? *chef’s kiss*
But me, being the heathen I am, went completely off script and added half the package to a bubbling pot of Shin Ramen, allowing them to warm through before eating. The dumplings are about the size of a golf ball (maybe a little bigger) and are fully cooked. Cooking time minimal however you choose to prepare them, which is always a good thing. Once my ramen cooked to my liking, the dumplings were done, too – they kept their shape pretty well without any rips, tears, or burst seams. The pack also comes with a pre-made sauce which was very, very okay. I tried a bit on my finger, knowing I wasn’t going to be using it in my ramen dish. It needed a bit more bite – maybe a little splash of vinegar or some fresh green onions? Either way, the sauce was out, but the dumplings were in.
Even though I chose to add mine to soup, Bibigo makes it very easy to prepare these dumplings in a variety of ways. Not only can they be prepared the traditional steamed way, but they come in a microwave safe plastic tray. All you gotta do is vent the packaging and toss them in for 1 minute and 45 seconds, and bam – ready in no time!
Taste Test
Some might argue that adding these dumplings to a flavor-packed meal like ramen is counter-productive. They may be right. However, when I eat my dumplings, the first bite is always without any added stuff – no noodles, no veggies, no broth. Just a big ol’ bite of the dumpling itself. The first thing I noticed is the thickness of the wrapper. It’s not so thick that it’s unenjoyable, but it’s just thick enough to hold all the filling inside without splitting. This has been an issue with some of the other dumplings I’ve gotten from the Asian market in my area. After being tossed around in my boiling ramen broth, some of the wrappers split and all the filling spills out. Good news here is that these little guys hold their shape! Off to a good start!
Ingredient-wise, the Bibigo Chicken & Vegetable dumplings seem to have all my favorite flavors packed into a tiny package:
But flavor-wise, they fell a bit short. I could taste the chicken, cabbage, and mushrooms, but not much else. I would have wanted a bit more of a ginger, green onion, or garlic punch somewhere in there. They are nice and meaty and packed pretty full. But something was just… missing. In fact, they were pretty bland.
A little unintentional bonus, though: cooking them in a broth of some kind means there’s a higher chance of creating your own little soup dumpling! While I didn’t expect this and ended up getting soup both on my face and my clothes, I do appreciate it. Soup dumplings are one of the best things in life.
The Verdict – Did the Bibigo Chicken & Vegetable Dumplings Pass the Test?
My preferred Asian market is quite a hike from my home. I don’t get there as often as I’d like, but I do try and stock up on some of my favorite things when I do go. I’ve tried a few other pre-made frozen dumplings by various brands, and while I’m no expert, I have tried enough to know what I like.
Value: 3/10 – First, these come in a pack of 6. My Kroger has them priced at $3.99 for each pack, so while the BOGO came in handy, it isn’t the norm. I can get a huge pack of pre-made dumplings at the Asian market for around $6, and there are far more than 12 in the pack. The Bibigo, however, are fine in a pinch until I can get back out there and stock up.
Flavor: 6/10 – The flavor wasn’t offensive. But it also wasn’t… much of anything else, either. It added a nice little pouch of protein to my ramen, but that’s about it. If it weren’t for the broth that had seeped inside, they wouldn’t have tasted like much of anything. Meaty, yes. Well-packed, yes. But flavorful? Nah. I’ve had better.
Offerings: 8/10 – I am very, very proud of Kroger for bringing this brand on board. There’s a demand for more Asian-inspired products, especially ramen and pre-made things like dumplings and rice cakes. This brand is new to me, personally, but they have a bunch of product variety. A quick search on Kroger’s website yields a ton of different offerings from Bibigo: wontons, potstickers, and even microwavable rice. Some of these might only be available via Kroger delivery (since they deliver from a central hub). Regardless, it’s a good start.
Overall: 5.6/10
Do I recommend this product? Maybe. In a pinch, they work, but if I have access to other brands these will lose every time.
Have Y’all Tried This?
Even though I’m happy my local grocery store added these dumplings to their inventory, they ultimately fell short. If y’all have found a good dumpling brand at main-chain grocers, let me know so I can give them a try!
Until next time,
Megan
Leave a Reply