What Is ‘Dumpling Lasagne’ And How Do You Make It?

I love a good TikTok-viral recipe. I’ve tried “frambled” eggs and Italian wedding soup, and have even given a version of “swamp potatoes” a go.

And recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of “dumpling lasagnes”, too.

Popularised by food influencer @april_eatz, it offers “all the flavour and texture of soup dumplings – no folding, no sealing, no stress”.

It’s a layered version of dumplings with ground meat. Its structure goes seasoned mince, then dumpling wrapper, then mince, etc., (you can see how it got its name).

It’s a lot easier than maki traditional dumplings, which require careful folding to prevent leaks.

And it doesn’t require the hours of cooking involved in a classic Italian lasagne, either. You just mix your mince, place it between some dumpling skin layers, add sauce, and cook.

There’s no set single recipe; like swamp potatoes, it’s more of a general set of rules than one exact formula.

Start with mince; this can be chicken mince or pork mince.

Add whatever combination of grated ginger, grated garlic, chopped spring onion, soy sauce, chilli crisp, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and/or pepper to the mix that you like.

Then, take your wonton wrappers and a bowl of water. Dip them briefly in the liquid before placing a layer at the bottom of your tray (unlike Italian lasagne, where mince goes in the pan first).

Next, add mince; then a dumpling skin layer – as food creator @heresyourbite puts it, “wrappers, pork, wrappers, pork, until you run out of space or ingredients”.

Make sure the top layer is a dumpling wrapper.

Once it’s assembled, add chicken stock or water to the dish to ensure it steams as it cooks.

Steam the dish, either over a large pot of water or, if you have one big enough to hold your tray, a steamer, until the mince is cooked.

Some TikTokers use a small inverted saucer in a lidded frying pan as a makeshift steamer.

The amount of time that it takes will depend on the amount of “dumpling lasagne” you’re making. The mince should be cooked thoroughly once it’s done.

After it’s cooked, add soy sauce, chilli oil, sesame seeds, or whatever other toppings you like to the dish, and you’re done.