Jamaican Spinners Recipe (2024)

Recipes By Region
Latin American Food
Caribbean Food

Cynthia Nelson

Food columnist and blogger Cynthia Nelson is the author of "Tastes Like Home: My Caribbean Cookbook." Living in Barbados, Cynthia shares her love of the diverse food of the islands.

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Updated on 02/28/24

Tested by

Colleen Graham

Tested byColleen Graham

Freelance writer and co*cktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

(125)

Ingredients

1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup water, as needed

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add just enough water, one tablespoon at a time, to make astiff dough. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Pinch off about 1/2 ounce of dough and roll it between the palms of your hands to form a softly tapered cylindrical shape. Repeat until all of the dough has been transformed into spinners.
The spinners can be cooked in a pot of boiling salted water for about 5 to 7 minutes or added to a soup or stew 5 minutes before the dish is due to finish cooking. To test for doneness, cut one open to make sure the dough is fully cooked.
Serve and enjoy!

Tips

When mixing the dough, use a measuring spoon to add the water because it provides more control than pouring it from a cup. If you do add too much water and the dough is sticky, add a tablespoon of flour and mix it in (add more if needed).
It's helpful to keep your hands floured while shaping the dumplings.
Play around with the size of the spinners. They're typically about three inches long and larger, thicker dumplings will take longer to cook.
The spinners can be made in advance and kept, uncooked, in the fridge for up to three days.

Recipe Variations

Cornmeal dumplings: Add 1/4 cup of cornmeal to the flour mixture.
Jamaican spiced spinners: Work the spices of Jamaican jerk seasoning into the dough by adding 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and a dash of cayenne pepper (or more, depending on your heat tolerance).
Potato dumplings: Add 1 cup of mashed potatoes, 1 beaten egg, and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder to the dough. These dumplings are more likely to sink than spin.

How to Store and Freeze

Freeze the uncooked spinners by placing them on a cookie sheet and putting them in the freezer until they're hard. Once solid, remove the spinners from the cookie sheet and put them in a freezer-grade plastic bag, and store them for up to three months.
Frozen spinners don't need to be thawed before cooking. Put them in boiling water or soup and check after 10 minutes to make sure they're cooked through.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
109	Calories
0g	Fat
23g	Carbs
3g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	109
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 158mg	7%
Total Carbohydrate 23g	8%
Dietary Fiber 1g	3%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 5mg	0%
Iron 1mg	8%
Potassium 32mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

Dumplings
side dish
african
family dinner

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FAQs

How long do you need to boil dumplings? ›

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook dumplings in batches of about eight until they are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings to a serving platter. Serve warm with the dipping sauce.

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How many calories in a Jamaican fried dumpling? ›

Jamaican Fried Dumpling

Nutrition Facts
How many calories are in Jamaican Fried Dumpling? Amount of calories in Jamaican Fried Dumpling: Calories 158	Calories from Fat 59.4 (37.6%)
	% Daily Value *
How much fat is in Jamaican Fried Dumpling? Amount of fat in Jamaican Fried Dumpling: Total Fat 6.6g	-

9 more rows

Get More Info ›

Do you boil dumplings with lid on or off? ›

Once your water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low. You want a gentle boil that won't disturb your dumplings as they steam. Make sure you cover them! This allows for as much steam as possible so that your dumplings can definitely get cooked.

What are the 3 main ways to cook dumplings? ›

Let's explore some of the most popular ones:

Boiling: Boiling is a classic and straightforward method of cooking dumplings. ...
Steaming: Steaming is another common and healthy way to cook dumplings. ...
Pan-Frying: Pan-frying, also known as pot-sticking, creates a delectable combination of crispy bottoms and tender fillings.

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May 17, 2023

How unhealthy are fried dumplings? ›

Steamed dumplings are the best option in terms of fat content, with pan fried the next best. “If they do fry it -- like gyoza which are usually lightly fried -- then it puts the fat content up a little,” Austin said. “You want to avoid ones that have been completely deep fried.”