I’ve watched a lot of food trends come and go and my reaction is usually somewhere between mild curiosity and active skepticism. Dumpling lasagna stopped me completely. The concept is so obvious in retrospect that it’s almost annoying – take the filling and wrappers from a dumpling, layer them like lasagna, steam the whole thing. No folding, no pinching, no technique. Just the same flavors you love from a good pork dumpling, in a format that takes about 10 minutes of actual work.
The original idea has been credited to Seattle creator Aila Lin (@cookingwithaila) and the comments sections on every version I’ve seen are uniformly enthusiastic in a way that food content rarely is. People keep saying things like “I came back to tell you there’s none left” and “why did nobody think of this earlier.” Having made it three times in the last two weeks I can confirm both reactions are correct.
This version makes a full baking dish rather than individual ramekins – it feeds four properly, the layers are more dramatic when you cut into it, and there’s more of the glossy steaming liquid at the bottom that’s essentially a dumpling broth. You finish it with chili crisp and a quick ginger scallion oil that takes two minutes and adds a freshness the straight chili crisp version doesn’t quite have. Serve it with rice and you have one of the better weeknight dinners I’ve made in a while.
Why This Works
The filling is a standard pork dumpling mixture – ground pork, napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and a splash of rice wine vinegar. When these are mixed together they’re already deeply savory and aromatic. The key detail that makes the dumpling lasagna method so effective is what happens during steaming: the pork releases its fat and juices into the wonton wrapper layers, which soften and absorb everything into something between a noodle and a dumpling skin. The water poured over the top creates steam that cooks the whole thing from inside the dish.
The result at the bottom of the dish is a small pool of intensely flavored pork and ginger liquid – this is the best bit. Don’t serve it without getting some of that into every bowl.
The ginger scallion oil is optional but worth making. Finely sliced scallions and grated ginger in a small bowl, a tablespoon of sesame oil heated until just smoking poured over them – it blooms the aromatics instantly and adds a brightness that cuts through the richness of the pork and the heat of the chili crisp.
If you love the Korean-Japanese flavor crossover, the crispy sardine rice bowl with gochujang mayo uses the same sesame and soy palette in a completely different format – worth having in the same week’s rotation
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 500g (about 1 pound) ground pork
- 1 cup napa cabbage, very finely shredded
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and finely chopped (or 100g fresh shiitake)
- 4 scallions, finely sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or dry sherry)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Half a teaspoon white pepper
- Half a teaspoon salt
For assembly:
- 1 pack round dumpling wrappers or wonton wrappers (about 40 wrappers)
- 4 tablespoons water
For the ginger scallion oil:
- 3 scallions, very finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Pinch of salt
To finish:
- 2-3 tablespoons chili crisp (Lao Gan Ma or similar)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Extra scallions and sesame seeds to serve
Instructions
Step 1: Make the filling. If using dried shiitake, cover with boiling water and leave for 20 minutes until soft, then drain and squeeze out excess water before chopping finely. Put the napa cabbage in a bowl with a pinch of salt, leave for 5 minutes, then squeeze firmly to remove as much water as possible – this prevents a soggy bottom layer. Combine the ground pork, cabbage, mushrooms, scallions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, sugar, white pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until the mixture is combined and slightly sticky. The texture should be cohesive rather than loose.
Step 2: Set up your steaming situation. You need a deep heatproof dish roughly 7×9 inches and at least 3 inches deep – a deep baking dish, a Dutch oven, or a large cake pan all work. You’ll be steaming this on the stovetop: place the dish inside a large pot or wok with enough water to come about 1 inch up the sides of the dish. Get the water simmering before you assemble so it’s ready to go.
Step 3: Layer the lasagna. Spread a thin layer of the pork filling across the bottom of the dish – about a third of the mixture. Lay dumpling wrappers over the filling with minimal overlap, covering it completely like lasagna sheets. Spread another third of the pork mixture over the wrappers, pressing it down gently. Add another wrapper layer. Finish with the remaining pork mixture, then a final layer of wrappers on top. Pour 4 tablespoons of water evenly over the top wrapper layer.
Step 4: Steam. Cover the dish tightly with foil or a lid. Place in the pot over the simmering water, cover the pot with its own lid, and steam over medium heat for 25-30 minutes. The pork should be completely cooked through and the wrappers soft and slightly translucent. Check by pressing the top layer – it should feel firm rather than springy, and the edges should have pulled away slightly from the sides of the dish.
Step 5: Make the ginger scallion oil. While the lasagna steams, put the finely sliced scallions and grated ginger in a small heatproof bowl with a pinch of salt. Heat the sesame oil in a small pan until it just begins to smoke. Pour it directly over the scallion and ginger mixture – it will sizzle immediately and bloom the aromatics. Stir and set aside.
Step 6: Finish and serve. Remove the foil carefully – steam will escape. Drizzle the chili crisp and soy sauce over the top. Spoon the ginger scallion oil across the surface. Scatter over extra sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately, cutting through all the layers and making sure to get some of the liquid from the bottom of the dish into every bowl. Serve with steamed rice.
Tips for the Best Result
Squeeze the cabbage properly. Napa cabbage has a very high water content and if you don’t remove it the bottom layer of the lasagna will be watery rather than silky. Salt it, leave it for five minutes, then squeeze it as hard as you can in a clean cloth or paper towel. It should reduce significantly in volume.
Mix the filling until it’s slightly sticky. A few folds with a spoon won’t get you there – use your hands and work the mixture for about two minutes. The pork proteins bind together and create a filling that holds its structure through steaming rather than breaking apart into crumbles.
Minimal wrapper overlap. Lay the wrappers as flat as possible with just a small overlap at the edges, like actual lasagna sheets. Too much overlap creates thick chewy patches rather than an even silky layer.
Don’t skip the bottom-of-dish liquid. When you serve this, tilt the dish slightly and spoon the steaming liquid – pork fat, ginger, soy, aromatics – over each portion. It’s essentially a dumpling broth and it’s the best part of the whole dish.
Let it rest for 2 minutes before cutting. The layers settle and you get cleaner cuts. Serve immediately after – this doesn’t keep its texture well as leftovers.
Variations Worth Trying
Chicken version. Swap the ground pork for ground chicken thigh meat (not breast – it’s too dry). Add an extra tablespoon of sesame oil to compensate for the lower fat content. The flavor is slightly lighter but still excellent.
Add a creamy layer. Some versions spread a thin layer of cream cheese or ricotta between the pork and wrapper layers for a richer result. It sounds wrong but it works – the dairy softens the sharpness of the soy and ginger and adds a creaminess that makes the whole thing more indulgent. Worth trying on the second or third attempt once you know the basic recipe.
Spicier version. Add a tablespoon of gochujang to the filling and use extra chili crisp at the finish. The Korean-Chinese crossover works naturally given that gochujang and soy-sesame combinations have a lot of overlap. The filling from the Korean beef bowl is a useful reference point for that flavor profile.
Individual ramekins. The original TikTok format – make individual portions in 3.5 inch ramekins for a more dramatic reveal. The layers are more visible when you scoop into an individual portion and it works well for a dinner party situation. Steam for 20 minutes rather than 25-30 since the smaller vessel heats through faster.
For more quick Asian-inspired weeknight dinners, the Korean ground beef bowl is on the table in 20 minutes and uses ingredients most people already have
Make-Ahead and Storage
The filling can be made up to two days ahead and kept covered in the fridge – it actually develops more flavor overnight. Assemble and steam fresh. The assembled lasagna can be refrigerated before steaming and cooked from cold – add 5-10 extra minutes to the steaming time.
Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to two days but the wonton wrappers lose their texture on reheating. Reheat by re-steaming for 10 minutes rather than microwaving – it’s the only method that brings the texture back. The filling reheated on its own over rice works well as a second-day meal if the wrapper texture doesn’t appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find dumpling wrappers?
Most large supermarkets stock them in the refrigerated section near the tofu and fresh noodles. Asian grocery stores carry a wider selection – round wrappers are traditional for dumplings, square wonton wrappers work just as well in this recipe. Both will soften and become silky during steaming. Make sure they’re fresh rather than frozen if possible, as frozen wrappers can be slightly more prone to tearing.
Can I bake this instead of steaming?
Yes – use the water bath method. Place the assembled dish inside a larger roasting pan and fill the outer pan with boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides. Cover the inner dish tightly with foil and bake at 400F for 30-35 minutes. The result is slightly less silky than steamed but still genuinely good and more practical if you don’t have a pot large enough to steam the dish on the stovetop.
What’s the best chili crisp to use?
Lao Gan Ma is the most widely available and works well here – the fried shallot and chili pieces add crunch alongside the heat. Fly by Jing is a more expensive but noticeably superior option if you can find it. Any chili crisp works – the key is using enough of it to be tasted rather than a cautious drizzle.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes – replace the pork with firm tofu crumbled and pressed dry, and add extra shiitake mushrooms and finely diced water chestnuts for texture. Use vegetarian oyster sauce (mushroom sauce) in place of regular oyster sauce. The result is lighter than the pork version but still very good. The filling will have less natural fat so add an extra tablespoon of sesame oil.
How do I know when it’s cooked through?
Press the top wrapper layer firmly – it should feel solid and firm underneath rather than soft and giving. The edges will have pulled away slightly from the sides of the dish. If you have a meat thermometer, the pork filling should read 165F at the center. When you remove the foil, the top wrapper layer should be slightly translucent and look cooked rather than raw and white.
What should I serve with dumpling lasagna?
Plain steamed rice is the right call – it soaks up the dumpling broth at the bottom of the dish and provides a neutral base for the rich pork and chili crisp. A simple cucumber salad with rice vinegar, sesame oil, and a pinch of sugar alongside balances the richness. If you want to keep the Asian-inspired dinner theme going, the crispy sardine rice bowl with gochujang mayo uses a similar flavour profile for a completely different second-night meal.
Pork Dumpling Lasagna
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Ingredients
Method
- Step 1: Make the filling. If using dried shiitake, cover with boiling water and leave for 20 minutes until soft, then drain and squeeze out excess water before chopping finely. Put the napa cabbage in a bowl with a pinch of salt, leave for 5 minutes, then squeeze firmly to remove as much water as possible – this prevents a soggy bottom layer. Combine the ground pork, cabbage, mushrooms, scallions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, sugar, white pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until the mixture is combined and slightly sticky. The texture should be cohesive rather than loose.
- Step 2: Set up your steaming situation. You need a deep heatproof dish roughly 7×9 inches and at least 3 inches deep – a deep baking dish, a Dutch oven, or a large cake pan all work. You’ll be steaming this on the stovetop: place the dish inside a large pot or wok with enough water to come about 1 inch up the sides of the dish. Get the water simmering before you assemble so it’s ready to go.
- Step 3: Layer the lasagna. Spread a thin layer of the pork filling across the bottom of the dish – about a third of the mixture. Lay dumpling wrappers over the filling with minimal overlap, covering it completely like lasagna sheets. Spread another third of the pork mixture over the wrappers, pressing it down gently. Add another wrapper layer. Finish with the remaining pork mixture, then a final layer of wrappers on top. Pour 4 tablespoons of water evenly over the top wrapper layer.
- Step 4: Steam. Cover the dish tightly with foil or a lid. Place in the pot over the simmering water, cover the pot with its own lid, and steam over medium heat for 25-30 minutes. The pork should be completely cooked through and the wrappers soft and slightly translucent. Check by pressing the top layer – it should feel firm rather than springy, and the edges should have pulled away slightly from the sides of the dish.
- Step 5: Make the ginger scallion oil. While the lasagna steams, put the finely sliced scallions and grated ginger in a small heatproof bowl with a pinch of salt. Heat the sesame oil in a small pan until it just begins to smoke. Pour it directly over the scallion and ginger mixture – it will sizzle immediately and bloom the aromatics. Stir and set aside.
- Step 6: Finish and serve. Remove the foil carefully – steam will escape. Drizzle the chili crisp and soy sauce over the top. Spoon the ginger scallion oil across the surface. Scatter over extra sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately, cutting through all the layers and making sure to get some of the liquid from the bottom of the dish into every bowl. Serve with steamed rice.
