Make the viral layered dumpling lasagna with seasoned pork, Napa cabbage, ginger and wonton wrappers—no dumpling folding needed. Includes exact ingredient amounts, ramekin and oven methods, a chicken-and-shrimp version, sauce, troubleshooting and safe cooking temperatures.
What is viral dumpling lasagna?
Dumpling lasagna is a layered, steamed shortcut to the flavors of Chinese-style dumplings. Instead of wrapping dozens of individual dumplings, you spread seasoned ground pork and chopped cabbage between soft wonton wrappers in a ramekin or small casserole. Steam turns the layers tender and juicy; a little broth keeps the filling moist; chili crisp, scallions and black vinegar complete the bowl.
Popularized online by creator April Liang and adapted into larger family-size dishes, the trend has also been called a soup dumpling bowl, dumpling bake or lazy dumpling lasagna. It is not an Italian lasagna and it does not precisely duplicate the gelatin-rich broth inside traditional xiao long bao. What it does offer is much of the gingery, savory dumpling experience with dramatically less shaping.
Three methods appear online—stovetop steaming, tightly covered oven baking and pressure cooking—but the ingredient layering is the same. This article prioritizes stovetop steam because it is the most predictable way to keep wrappers soft.
Ingredients for classic pork dumpling lasagna
Prep: 15–20 minutes
Steam: approximately 20–25 minutes (to safe internal temperature)
Equipment: medium bowl, spoon, ramekins, rack or steamer basket, large lidded pot, instant-read thermometer.
Filling
- 1 lb (450 g) ground pork, ideally about 15–20% fat for a juicy filling
- 1 cup finely chopped Napa cabbage, gently squeezed if very wet
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced (reserve some green tops)
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
- 6 small mushrooms, preferably shiitake or cremini, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon baking soda, optional for a springier filling
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons mirin or Shaoxing rice wine (or an alcohol-free splash of water with a pinch of sugar)
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (or a mushroom-based vegetarian oyster-style sauce)
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (for less salt, start with 2 tablespoons and adjust)
- About 30–35 thin square wonton wrappers; check package size
- 10–15 tablespoons (150–225 ml) unsalted chicken stock or water, divided across the ramekins
- A little sesame or neutral oil to grease the dishes
Simple dumpling dipping sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or Chinese black vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sugar, stirred in until dissolved (use less for a sharper sauce)
- Optional chili crisp, sesame seeds and chopped scallion greens for serving
Why these ingredients work: Napa cabbage and chopped mushrooms supply moisture and tenderness; fat in ordinary ground pork keeps the layers from turning dry; ginger, scallions and garlic build dumpling flavor; sesame oil adds aroma. Baking soda can make a ground-meat filling bouncier, but too much creates an unpleasant taste—measure it rather than guessing.
For extra aromatic depth, another version in the supplied research uses ⅓ cup chopped coriander, ¼ cup shiitake, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon white pepper. Add them only as an intentional variant, and reconsider the soy/salt quantity before combining all salty ingredients.
How to layer and steam dumpling lasagna
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Viral Pork Dumpling Lasagna with Napa Cabbage and Wonton Wrappers
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 5 individual 8-oz (240-ml) ramekins 1x
Description
A fold-free, steamed dumpling-style lasagna layered with juicy seasoned ground pork, cabbage, mushrooms and soft wonton wrappers, finished with dumpling dipping sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) ground pork, preferably 15–20% fat
- 1 cup Napa cabbage, finely chopped and squeezed if wet
- 3 scallions, finely sliced (reserve some green tops)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 6 small shiitake or cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (optional)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons mirin or Shaoxing rice wine (or water with a pinch of sugar)
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce or mushroom-based oyster-style sauce
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (start with 2 tablespoons if limiting salt)
- About 30–35 thin square wonton wrappers, size-dependent
- 10–15 tablespoons (150–225 ml) unsalted chicken broth or water, divided among the ramekins
- A little neutral oil to grease the ramekins
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, for the dipping sauce
- 2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar, for the dipping sauce
- 2 tablespoons water, for the dipping sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar, for the dipping sauce (or less, to taste)
- Optional: chili crisp, sesame seeds and reserved scallion greens to finish
Instructions
Combine ground pork, cabbage, scallions, ginger, garlic, mushrooms, baking soda if using, sesame oil, mirin, oyster sauce and reduced-sodium soy sauce. Stir firmly for 1–2 minutes until the mixture becomes cohesive and slightly sticky.
Lightly grease five heatproof 8-oz ramekins. Keep wonton wrappers covered with a lightly damp kitchen towel and set out a shallow bowl of clean water.
Place roughly 2 tablespoons of pork filling in each ramekin. Briefly dip one wrapper in water, let excess drip off, and lay it over the filling. Repeat to form 3–5 thin meat layers, using one or two wrappers per layer depending on ramekin width.
Add a total of 2–3 tablespoons of broth to each ramekin, distributed among the layers or near the final wrapper. Finish with a wrapper layer and leave room for bubbling.
Place ramekins on a stable rack inside a covered pot or steamer, above rather than submerged in simmering water. Steam about 20–25 minutes, replenishing hot water in the pot if required.
Insert a clean instant-read thermometer into the thickest center filling. Ground pork must reach at least 160°F (71°C). If not, continue steaming and recheck.
Whisk together dipping-sauce soy sauce, vinegar, water and sugar. Rest the cooked ramekins 5 minutes and top with sauce, scallion greens, sesame seeds and optional chili crisp.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
Step 1: Mix the filling until slightly sticky
Put the pork, Napa cabbage, scallions, ginger, garlic, mushrooms and seasonings in a cold bowl. Stir firmly in one direction with a wooden spoon for 1–2 minutes, or use clean hands, until the filling begins to bind together. The goal is a cohesive, lightly sticky mixture, not loose chunks of minced meat. Keep refrigerated while you set up the steamer.
Step 2: Prepare ramekins and wrappers
Lightly oil five heatproof 8-ounce ramekins. Set out a shallow bowl of water, your wonton wrappers and the unsalted stock. Keep unused wonton wrappers under a barely damp clean towel so the edges do not crack.
Step 3: Build thin meat-and-wrapper layers
- Press a thin layer of pork mixture—roughly 2 tablespoons—across the ramekin bottom.
- Dip one wonton wrapper briefly in water, let the excess drip away, and lay it on the pork. Use a second wrapper only if the ramekin is too wide to cover with one.
- Repeat with additional thin layers of filling and moistened wrappers, making approximately 3–5 meat layers depending on the dish depth. Avoid thick clumps, which take longer to cook.
- Distribute 2–3 tablespoons of broth or water per ramekin throughout the layers or just before the last wrapper. A brothier version may use more liquid; too much can waterlog the upper layers.
- Finish with wrappers on top and press around the edges to keep steam inside the stack. Do not fill the ramekins to the brim; leave space for bubbling liquid.
Step 4: Steam until the center is safe
Bring water to a simmer in a broad covered pot. Place a heatproof rack or steamer basket above the water surface and set the ramekins on it; water should not splash into the food. Cover and steam over steady heat for about 20–25 minutes, replenishing boiling water in the pot when necessary. Start checking with a thermometer in the center filling. Pork must reach 160°F (71°C), and chicken/turkey fillings 165°F (74°C).
Step 5: Finish with contrast
Remove the hot dishes with oven mitts, let stand 5 minutes and spoon on the prepared dipping sauce. Finish with chili crisp (if desired), scallions and sesame seeds. A small splash of black vinegar right before serving sharpens the rich meat filling.
Steamer, oven or Instant Pot: cooking methods compared
| Equipment | Dish size | Method | Typical time and essential check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stovetop steamer or Dutch oven with rack | Five small 8-oz ramekins | Steam over simmering water with a lid | 20–25 minutes; confirm 160°F pork/165°F poultry |
| Stovetop steamer | Small 7-by-5-inch dish | Steam covered; avoid overfilling | Often 35–40 minutes; confirm center temperature |
| Conventional oven | 7-by-5-inch oven-safe dish | Add ¼ cup (60 ml) water/stock; tightly seal with foil; bake at 400°F (205°C) | About 45 minutes; use thermometer, especially for a deep casserole |
| Electric pressure cooker | Individual heatproof dishes on trivet | Water below trivet, high pressure; follow appliance minimum liquid instruction | Some reported versions use 11 minutes under pressure, plus pressure release; verify safe center temperature and extend as needed |
No bamboo steamer? A Dutch oven, wok or wide sauté pan with a secure lid and a stable trivet works. The crucial detail is keeping the ramekin off the direct bottom heat and above splashing water. Never set an unstable plate on a makeshift stack of objects.
Oven method explained: When using a rectangular dish, overlap wrappers to fit the pan, make three meat layers and finish with a sealed wrapper top. Add ¼ cup stock, cover tightly with foil (do not let the foil dip into the filling) and bake at 400°F (205°C). Begin checking near 40–45 minutes. A deep, densely packed dish may need longer. FoodSafety.gov specifies 165°F (74°C) for casseroles, so use that target for the baked format.
Pressure cooker caution: Eleven minutes is a reported method, not a universal guarantee. Vessel size, amount of filling, pressure release and the cooker model all affect the result. Use the manufacturer’s minimum liquid and trivet instructions and probe the middle before serving.
High-protein chicken-and-shrimp dumpling lasagna
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High-Protein Chicken and Shrimp Dumpling Lasagna
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 1 substantial serving 1x
Description
An individually portioned dumpling lasagna with lean ground chicken, finely chopped shrimp, ginger, garlic and wonton wrappers.
Ingredients
100 g raw peeled shrimp, chopped into a coarse paste
100 g lean ground chicken
1 medium scallion (10–12 g), white and green parts separated
1–2 garlic cloves (about 8 g), minced
1 teaspoon (4 g) minced fresh ginger
1 small red chili (about 3 g), optional
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium light soy sauce
1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine or water
1 teaspoon (about 6 g) concentrated chicken bouillon paste (optional; salty)
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon neutral oil for greasing the dish
16 thin square wonton wrappers (about 69 g)
5–6 tablespoons water, divided between the layers
Optional: scallion greens, chili crisp and sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
Finely chop shrimp until it begins to bind. Mix with ground chicken, scallion whites, garlic, ginger, optional chili, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine or water, optional bouillon, sesame oil, white pepper and sugar until sticky.
Lightly grease one approximately 4-by-6-inch (400-ml), heatproof dish with neutral oil.
Briefly moisten four wonton wrappers and arrange them across the bottom of the dish. Spread one-third of the chicken-shrimp filling in a thin layer and drizzle with about 1 1/2 tablespoons water.
Repeat the filling and wrappers until there are three meat layers and four wrapper layers total. Finish with wrappers and add about 2 tablespoons water to the top. Do not overfill.
Place dish securely on a steaming rack above gently simmering water and cover. Steam about 22–25 minutes, checking the center of the filling.
Cook until the ground chicken mixture reaches at least 165°F (74°C); shrimp should be opaque and fully cooked. Garnish with reserved scallion greens and optional chili crisp.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
This alternative replaces pork with a lean chicken-and-shrimp mixture. The method is best for one small 4-by-6-inch (approximately 400 ml) oven-safe or steamer-safe dish and is especially convenient when you want a single portion.
Ingredients for one substantial serving
- 100 g raw, peeled shrimp, finely chopped to a coarse paste
- 100 g lean ground chicken
- 1 medium scallion (10–12 g), white and green parts separated
- 1–2 garlic cloves (about 8 g), minced
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) fresh ginger
- 1 small red chili (about 3 g), optional
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine or water
- 1 teaspoon (about 6 g) concentrated chicken bouillon paste, optional and high in sodium
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon oil for the dish
- 16 thin wonton wrappers (about 69 g)
- 5–6 tablespoons water, divided between the layers
How to make the chicken-shrimp version
- Mince the shrimp until it holds together; combine with chicken, scallion whites, garlic, ginger, chili, soy sauce, sesame oil and other seasonings. Stir until sticky.
- Grease the small dish. Arrange four briefly dampened wrappers across the bottom. Spread one-third of the filling evenly on top and add about 1½ tablespoons of water.
- Repeat until you have three thin filling layers and four wrapper layers, finishing with wrappers on top. Add approximately 2 tablespoons water to moisten the final layer.
- Steam over simmering water for roughly 22–25 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the ground chicken filling reads 165°F (74°C). Finish with scallion greens and optional chili crisp.
The supplied report cites an estimated 460 kcal and 48.6 g protein for a specific published one-portion version, but estimates can vary materially with wonton brands, bouillon and toppings. Do not treat that figure as a laboratory result for every adaptation.
Pork-free and vegetarian direction
For a pork-free version, use ground chicken or turkey and target 165°F. For a plant-based version, finely chopped, well-drained firm tofu, shiitake and Napa cabbage can create a savory layered dish; add a little neutral oil for tenderness and season with soy, ginger, garlic and rice vinegar. The plant-based version should not be presented as the same high-protein formula without calculating its ingredients.
Troubleshooting: soggy wrappers, dry filling and uneven layers
| Problem | Cause | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| Top wrappers are leathery | Not enough moisture or loose lid | Briefly dip each wrapper; add measured liquid; maintain a covered steamer |
| Wrappers turn gluey | Excess liquid or overly thick wrapper stacks | Use thin wrappers, only enough broth to moisten; avoid folding several sheets together |
| Meat is crumbly | Mixture not mixed until tacky, too-lean meat | Stir firmly to bind; use normal ground pork or a moister chicken-and-shrimp mix |
| Center is undercooked | Meat layers too thick or dishes too deep | Use thin, even layers and a thermometer; cook longer as needed |
| Overly salty | Soy sauce, oyster sauce, bouillon and chili crisp combined | Start with less soy, use unsalted stock and season after tasting |
| Dish seems greasy | Very fatty pork and too much sesame oil | Use a balanced pork fat level and skip extra drizzles before serving |
Make ahead, storage and serving suggestions
For a different viral family-style dinner that is crispy rather than steamed, try our giant chicken cutlet recipe baked on a sheet pan.
For the best wrapper texture, mix the filling and chop vegetables ahead but assemble shortly before cooking. Raw ground meat and seafood should be handled on clean equipment, kept refrigerated and cooked promptly. Do not let assembled uncooked dishes sit at room temperature.
After cooking, divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Use cooked meat-and-wrapper leftovers within 3–4 days; reheat thoroughly to 165°F (74°C). Wonton layers soften in the refrigerator, so gentle covered reheating with a spoonful of water is preferable to drying them out in an uncovered oven.
Serve with quick cucumber salad, sautéed greens or a bowl of steamed vegetables. These sides brighten a rich dumpling dish without turning the recipe into a second competing “lasagna” post.
FAQS
Who started viral dumpling lasagna?
The viral shortcut was popularized by TikTok creator April Liang, also known as @april_eatz, before other cooks developed family-size and oven-baked versions.
Do I need to cook the pork before layering?
No, the main version uses raw seasoned ground pork in thin layers, which cooks during steaming. This makes checking the final internal temperature essential: at least 160°F (71°C) for ground pork.
Can I make dumpling lasagna without a steamer?
Yes. Use a wide lidded pot fitted with a heatproof trivet, or bake a tightly covered small casserole at 400°F (205°C) with a little extra stock. Follow temperatures, not cooking times alone.
Do I have to soak wonton wrappers?
Do not leave them soaking in a bowl. Dip or lightly moisten each sheet just before layering; excessive water can turn the layers gummy.
How many layers should I make?
Three to five thin meat layers work in individual ramekins; a small 7-by-5-inch baking dish usually works well with three meat layers and an overlapping wrapper layer between them.
Can I use ground chicken or shrimp?
Yes. A chicken-and-shrimp version is included. Since ground chicken is poultry, cook the center to at least 165°F (74°C).
What can I use instead of Chinese black vinegar?
Rice vinegar is the closest simple option. A small mixture of rice vinegar and balsamic can add dark, slightly sweet notes, but it does not replicate the original flavor exactly.
Is dumpling lasagna the same as soup dumplings?
No. Traditional xiao long bao have a specific broth-rich construction and wrapping technique. Dumpling lasagna is a convenient layered dish inspired by similar savory flavors, not an exact replacement.
Sources and food-safety references
- Food & Wine — dumpling lasagna trend
- Two Plaid Aprons — steaming and covered baking methods
- USDA FSIS — safe internal temperatures
- FoodSafety.gov — safe minimum temperatures including casseroles
Nutrition figures, where shown, are estimates and may vary with brands, portions and substitutions.
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