Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings Recipe (with Dipping Sauce!) (2024)

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What are Rice Paper Dumplings?

Rice paper dumplings are an Asian dish made by wrapping fillings in thin rice paper sheets, served fresh or lightly fried. The fillings vary, including vegetables, meats, vegan tofu, and noodles. They’re enjoyed as appetizers with dipping sauces, offering a delightful mix of textures and flavors.

What Makes This Recipe Great

There’s so much to love about dumplings. Delicious, savory (or sweet) fillings, wrapped in various forms like dough or rice paper and cooked to perfection. They’re found in various cultures and cuisines around the world, and while they’re made a bit differently in every region, one truth remains: they’re amazing.

Today, I’m sharing my recipe for crispy Rice Paper Dumplings! These tasty morsels are made with rice paper sheets stuffed with ground pork, veggies, and seasonings, then pan-fried.

A crispy, savory, melt-in-your-mouth dumplings recipe served with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce. What could be better?!

Rice Paper Dumplings

• ground pork: I love these with classic ground pork. For a vegan version, feel free to use firm or extra-firm tofu. If you prefer another protein, ground beef or chicken will also work.
• green onions
• garlic cloves
• fresh ginger
• tamari sauce: You can substitute this for soy sauce or coconut aminos if desired.
• sea salt
• sesame oil
• vegetables: Chopped cabbage, grated carrot, and mushrooms.
• rice paper: While rice paper is usually used for cold rolls in Vietnamese cooking, it actually becomes a fantastic, crunchy texture when pan-fried. It’s also hardy enough to be used as a dumpling wrapper while being gluten-free. You can find rice paper wrappers at local Asian markets or order them online. Sometimes you can find them in the Asian section at big box supermarkets as well. Use the larger 22cm size for these dumplings.
• avocado oil

Dipping Sauce

• sesame oil
• rice vinegar
• water
• honey
• toasted sesame seeds
• gochugaru: These are Korean red pepper flakes. Optional for spice.

1. Mix all ingredients for the dipping sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Combine pork, green onions, garlic, ginger, and tamari sauce and mix until just combined.
3. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cabbage, carrot, and mushrooms, and sauté until slightly softened – about 3 minutes.
4. Add the pork mixture and cook, stirring until mostly browned but still slightly pink. Remove from heat.
5. While the pork cools, prepare a shallow plate filled with cold water big enough for the rice paper sheets. Prepare a sheet of parchment paper and place it on a flat surface. Moisten a cutting board with some water to keep the rice paper from sticking while you work.
6. Dip a piece of rice paper in the plate of cold water, then place it on the cutting board. Wait 30 seconds for the paper to soften to a foldable texture.
7. Add 1/4 cup of the pork mixture in the center. Fold the bottom half up to cover the filling, then fold the sides in. Roll the dumpling up and away from you to wrap it with the remaining paper on top. Each side should have at least 2 layers of rice paper. If you see that there’s only one layer, you can wrap it with another layer of rice paper to ensure there’s no tearing during cooking.
8. Place the wrapped dumpling on parchment paper to keep it from sticking, then repeat with the rest of the filling to make about 12 dumplings.
9. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a thin layer of oil, about 1-2 tbsp. Add the dumplings in a single layer without touching each other, then pay fry for 3 minutes on the right side, then flip and fry for 3 minutes on the left side until golden and crispy. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to cook in 2 batches.
10. Remove from heat and serve warm with the dipping sauce.

Expert Tips

• I used 1 rice paper per dumpling, but you can use 2 for a more sturdy texture. I highly recommend you roll so all sides are covered with at least 2 layers of rice paper. Any sides with a single layer will likely tear during pan frying.
• For best results, I partially cook the filling before wrapping it in the rice paper wrapper. This is because raw filling will splatter a lot while cooking the dumplings because of the high moisture content.

Serving Tips

• These are best eaten right away when the wrapper is the crispiest.
• Make sure to cool a bit before biting into them because the filling will be very hot.
• Serve with the dipping sauce, and enjoy!

Storage Tips

• If you do have any leftovers, you can keep them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The wrapper will soften.
• My favorite way to reheat is in the air fryer basket to get the skin crispy again – 400 degrees for 2-3 minutes per side. Or you can pan-fry again on both sides until heated through.
• If you want, you can prep the filling ahead of time. Cook and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. When ready to eat, wrap with rice paper and pan fry.

More Asian-Inspired Recipes

Easy Gluten-Free Asian Pork Meatballs

Sticky Asian Chicken Meatballs

Asian Chicken Noodle Salad