The best cheap dumplings in NYC

Since launching in 2014, East Village jiaozi parlor Mimi Cheng’s has been a favorite among dumpling devotees for its fresh local ingredients and clever collaborations. (Cheeseburger dumplings, anyone?) The from-scratch Taiwanese dumplings—served pan-fried or steamed, and born from a recipe passed down by the Chengs’ mother—remain on offer in varieties like chicken-and-zucchini and pork with bok choy, sold at $8.75 for six pieces.

Vanessa Weng, owner of Vanessa’s Dumpling House and Tasty Dumpling, has three locations of her eponymous shop (Chinatown, East Village, Williamsburg). in the Chinatown location, you can get a dish of four fried dumplings for as little as $1.50 (pork with chive or cabbage) or as pricey as a whopping $6 (boiled shrimp with spicy sauce). Other flavors include vegetable and chicken with basil.

Who knew you could get Michelin-starred food for only $4.75? This world-famous chain and NYC newcomer serves three plump, steamed shrimp-and-chive dumplings in a picture-perfect basket for less than a Lincoln.

Located in the Golden Shopping Mall in Flushing, the popular choices from this unadorned stand include lamb with green squash (12 pieces for $6) or vegetable (12 pieces of $5). Dont forget to add spicy chili oil to pep up those potstickers.

Located in the Lower East Side and at its original location, Flushing's Golden Shopping Mall, this nook may specialize in hand-pulled noodles from China's northwestern province of Lanzhou, but the dumpings are also not to be missed. Order the fried dumplings filled with pork, and devour all ten pieces for only three bucks.

At this LES hole-in-the-wall, you can order six piping-hot steamed pork-and-chive or pork-and-cabbage dumplings for only $2 (10 for $3). Even with that wallet-friendly price, diners still regularly rave about the quality. It’s a no brainer.

Most of the dishes at this den don’t cost more than five dollars, but the best deal is the namesake potstickers. For a buck, you get four pan-fried beauties, rounds of moist pork and leek stuffed into thin handmade wrappers.

In a neighborhood inundated with dumpling dives, this spot is worth your dollar (literally). There's no atmosphere to speak of, but with potstickers this cheap, there's no need for frills. A buck and a quater will get you five pork-and-chive dumplings, and a glance at the ever-present line ensures the goods are fresh. Beyond the crescent-shaped morsels, the menu offers hot-and-sour soup, soybean juice and hot coffee. If you get hooked, frozen dumplings (30 for $5) are on offer for cooking at home.

A standout among the Eldridge Street noodle shops, Steve Yan’s popular eatery also serves steamed Mantou buns and other Northern Chinese specialties. Ten flavorful, steamed pork dumplings ring in at only $3.