Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings (Printable)

Golden crunchy dumplings with a savory vegetable filling, ideal for a light gluten-free vegan snack.

# What You'll Need:

→ Filling

01 - 1 cup shredded green cabbage
02 - 1 medium carrot, grated
03 - 1/2 cup finely chopped shiitake mushrooms
04 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
07 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
08 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

→ Wrappers & Assembly

09 - 12 sheets rice paper (9 inches round)
10 - 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola or avocado) for frying

→ Dipping Sauce (optional)

11 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
13 - 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
14 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, mix together cabbage, carrot, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and grated ginger until evenly combined.
02 - Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the filling mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables soften slightly. Remove from heat and let cool briefly.
03 - Fill a wide shallow dish with warm water. Dip one rice paper sheet into the water for 5 to 10 seconds or until pliable, taking care not to soak too long.
04 - Place the softened rice paper on a damp kitchen towel. Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling in the center. Fold sides inward and roll tightly like a burrito.
05 - Repeat the softening and filling process with remaining rice papers and filling to form all dumplings.
06 - Heat the neutral oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Arrange dumplings seam-side down with spacing between each. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp, flipping gently.
07 - Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup (or honey), and chili flakes in a small bowl until combined.
08 - Serve dumplings hot accompanied by the prepared dipping sauce.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They're naturally gluten free and vegan, but no one eating them will care about the dietary label—they'll just want another one.
  • The whole thing takes under an hour, and most of that is just sitting time while things cool.
  • That shatter when you bite down is genuinely addictive, and it gets even better when you dip it in the tangy sauce.
  • You can make them ahead and reheat them, which almost never happens with fried food and still works.
02 -
  • Rice paper is fragile but not as fragile as people think—the real mistake is soaking it too long, not wrapping it carefully.
  • Don't skip letting the filling cool; hot filling makes the rice paper tear and the wrappers steam instead of crisp.
  • The seam goes down in the pan, and you don't flip until you see golden color creeping up the sides; that's how you know the bottom is set.
03 -
  • Keep your rice paper wrapped in plastic until you use it—it dries out fast, and dry rice paper cracks instead of softens.
  • If a dumpling does tear during wrapping, just keep it anyway; they fry up fine and taste exactly the same, they just look slightly rougher.
  • Double wrapping (using two sheets of rice paper per dumpling) is absolutely worth it if you want that extra shatter and have the time.
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