Missing dumplings, pot stickers and what-not? Count on these super tender and tasty gluten free and keto dumplings to satisfy the cravings!
Ginger & Pork Keto Dumplings
Legit Flavor Bombs!
These guys use my ‘crazy keto dough‘, and while it does def deviate from the original (it’s fried, rather than steamed you see), they still manage to retain ‘the essence of a dumpling’: a deliciously flavorful filling and a tender exterior ideal to dunk in sauce (and cure your cravings for takeout).
Think of them as a cross between pork dumplings and their dim sum relatives ham sui gok (glutinous rice dumplings).
Plus, while they do take a couple hours to put together, they’re also terrific for meal prepping. Whip up a large batch and freeze away. Just be sure to thaw them out in your fridge overnight for best texture (and a quick weeknight meal!).
The (Dairy Free & Keto!) Dough
Again, I’m using our famous Crazy Keto Dough (for everything!) here. It’s easy-peasy to whip up, dairy free, and you can leave the dough in the fridge for 3-4 days (i.e. you can whip up individual batches of several things!).
You can make actual keto tortillas, hot pockets, garlic breadsticks, (puffed up!) tortilla chips… and even some cinnamon roll knots! i.e. you’ve got options.
The Flours
I like a mixture of super fine almond flour (Anthony’s super fine is awesome) and coconut flour (again Anthony’s, best taste and texture by a mile!). Add a touch of xanthan gum, baking powder, and we’re golden.
No substituting flours here and the xanthan gum is absolutely necessary. And, if possible, weigh your ingredients for consistent results.
The Filling
The filling for these low carb dumplings is a very simple, yet ridiculously tasty ground pork and Nappa cabbage infused with ginger and sesame oil. Having said that, other ground meats will work too (but we loooove pork here best!).
And given that my keto dough cannot be steamed or boiled, to keep the dumplings nice and tender I found it necessary to steam the filling prior to filling. This keeps it super juicy and very akin to tradition. But note that you can also fry it normally if you prefer.
The Method
The real trick here is to get the keto dough nice and thin. This way you’ll end up with tender dumplings, as opposed to doughy ones.
1. Roll out the dough between parchment paper
This is easiest done using a tortilla press (cast iron ones are the best). But a rolling pin (with some patience) will work too. The dough should end up translucent when held up against natural light. We found 1-inch (11g in weight) balls, rolled out to 4 3/4 inches (12 cm) in diameter worked best.
2. Add filling
Heap roughly a tablespoon of filling onto the dough. Be VERY careful to not get any filling or juices on the edges or dough won’t stick.
3. Trim
Fold in half and quickly close both sides towards the center, the pleats will naturally form. You can trim the tops with kitchen shears if finicky about presentation. Place on a baking tray and freeze right away to avoid the dough getting soggy. Keep adding them to the baking tray in the freezer as you make them. It took us roughly 4 tries to get them shaped nicely, so don’t despair.
Fried Gluten Free & Keto Dumplings
Ingredients
For the dumpling filling:
- 500 g ground pork or fatty meat of choice*
- 500 g Napa cabbage
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon finely minced scallions
- 2 cloves garlic grated or ran through a press
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- pinch white pepper optional
For the keto dumpling dough
- 2 batches Crazy Keto Dough
For the dipping sauce (serves 2)
- 4 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- touch white pepper
Instructions
For the dumpling filling:
- Place ginger in a small bowl and cover with water. Set aside to soak while you blanch the cabbage.
- Blanch Nappa cabbage leaves in hot water over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a strainer and set aside until cool enough to handle. Wring out the leaves to squeeze out the liquid very well. Transfer to a cutting board and finely mince. Set aside to cool completely.
- Place ground pork (or meat of choice) in a heatproof bowl that fits comfortably in your steamer. Add minced cabbage and mix well. Strain ginger juices into pork mixture, pressing down with a spoon to get all the goodies out. Add in scallions, garlic, coconut aminos, sesame oil, rice vinegar and white pepper. Mix well until thoroughly combined, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
For the keto dumpling dough
- Whip up a batch of our Crazy Keto Dough. Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes while you prep the rest (and up to 5 days in the fridge).
To assemble the keto dumplings
- Set up your steamer, heating up the water over high heat until boiling. Place heatproof bowl with pork in the steamer (you want to catch all the juices), cover, lower heat to low and simmer for 12-14 minutes until fully cooked. Don't open the steamer until the 12 minute mark. You can alternatively fry the filling in a pan, but we found best results are achieved by steaming. Remove bowl with pork from steamer and set aside to cool completely, mixing every so often to make sure the juices are soaked back up almost entirely.
- Roll out 1-inch dough balls (11g in weight) between parchment paper using a rolling pin or a tortilla press (much easier and faster) until 4 3/4-inches (12 cm) in diameter.
- Heap roughly a tablespoon of filling onto the dough discarding the juices left (see pictures in post). Be VERY careful to not get any filling or juices on the edges or dough won't stick. Fold in half and quickly close both sides towards the center, the pleats will naturally form. Trim tops with kitchen shears if finicky about presentation. Place on a baking tray and freeze right away to avoid the dough getting soggy. Keep adding them to the baking tray in the freezer as you make them. It took us roughly 4 tries to get them shaped nicely, so don't despair. The dumplings can be frozen for up to two months at this point, allowing them to thaw for 15 minutes before cooking.
To serve
- Heat up frying oil of choice (we used coconut) in a skillet or pan over low heat. You'll want it roughly 1-inch deep and not too hot so the dumplings cook slowly.
- Add dumplings to pan and baste the tops right away and constantly to seal them shut. We prefer to cook them until the bottoms just begin to brown to keep them super tender, but you can fry yours longer to taste.
- Serve right away with scallions and dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Can these be cooked in an air fryer?
Oh – forgot to add that it is physically impossible to get 38 dumplings out of a single batch of crazy keto dough – you must double (or more) to use all of the filling. Just add up the weights in the dough recipe and divide by 11…not mathemtically possible to get 38. You get 15 if you are really exact on all weights.
The filling does not need to be pre-cooked. You get juicier and more traditional texture if you fill the dough with the raw pork mixture. Also pleat them on their side so that you have two flat surfaces and can then fry them on both sides about 8 minutes total to fully cook the filling.
Is it possible to replace Xanthum Gum with psyllium husk?
Is there anyway i need to replace almond flour and rice vinegar due to allergies?
It is an awesome recipe. I like oily food. Can I add here a little bit more oil in this recipe?