These rice paper dumplings wrap a savory chicken, cabbage and ginger filling in softened rice paper, then pan-fry them until the outside turns golden and crisp and the inside stays chewy. The recipe makes ten dumplings, five each, which is a proper dinner for two from one skillet and 8 ounces of ground chicken. The filling is cooked before it is wrapped, so the frying only has to crisp the wrapper and warm the center. It is the kind of weeknight dinner that feels a little special, with a bowl of dipping sauce in the middle of the table to share.
Why you’ll like it
- Sized for dinner: ten dumplings, five per person, instead of a big appetizer platter.
- No dough to make: rice paper sheets soften in a few seconds of cool water and fold straight around the filling.
- One pan: the same 12-inch nonstick skillet cooks the filling and then fries the dumplings.
- A crisp and chewy texture: two layers of rice paper turn golden and blistered on the outside while the inner layer stays pleasantly chewy.
- Everyday ingredients: ground chicken, a wedge of cabbage, a carrot, green onions and pantry sauces.
What are rice paper dumplings?
Rice paper dumplings are a shortcut version of pan-fried dumplings. Instead of wheat dumpling wrappers, the filling is folded into the thin, round rice paper sheets usually used for fresh spring rolls. Once dipped in water, the sheets turn soft and sticky, so they seal around the filling without any crimping. In a hot, oiled pan they puff and blister into a crackly golden shell with a chewy layer underneath.
The idea spread quickly on social media because it needs no special skills: dip, fill, fold and fry. Fillings range from vegetables and tofu to ground pork or chicken. This version keeps the recognizable format and makes it a complete dinner for two.
What makes it work
A cooked, dry filling. The chicken is cooked to 165°F and the vegetables cook until the pan looks dry before anything is wrapped. A dry, cooled filling keeps the rice paper from turning gummy, and it means the dumplings only need a few minutes per side to become crisp.
Two layers of rice paper. A single sheet is thin enough to split in the pan. Wrapping each packet in a second sheet gives the dumplings structure, a crisper shell and a chewy middle layer.
Cool water and a short dip. The sheets keep softening after they leave the water, so they only need a few seconds until they are just pliable. Warm water softens them too far and makes them tear.
Two small batches. Five dumplings fit in a 12-inch skillet with space around each one. Room in the pan is what lets them fry and crisp instead of steaming and sticking together.
How it’s sized for two
Most rice paper dumpling recipes make a dozen or more small dumplings meant for a party plate. Here, 8 ounces of ground chicken, 1 1/2 cups of shredded cabbage and one small carrot make enough filling for ten generous dumplings at 2 tablespoons each. Five dumplings with rice or a crunchy salad make a full plate for each person.
Because every dumpling is shaped one at a time, the recipe scales by count, not by pan size. The only thing that changes with a smaller batch is the frying: two batches of five in one skillet, with a fresh tablespoon of oil for each batch.
Ingredients for chicken rice paper dumplings
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below. A few choices are worth a note.
- Rice paper: use round sheets about 8 1/2 inches across, the common size sold for spring rolls in the Asian aisle. You need two per dumpling, so 20 sheets in total.
- Ground chicken: regular ground chicken works well because it stays moist once it is mixed with the vegetables and sauce.
- Cabbage and carrot: green cabbage adds volume and a gentle sweetness, and the grated carrot adds color. Shred the cabbage finely so the filling spoons neatly into each wrapper.
- Green onions: the white parts cook with the vegetables and the green tops go in at the end for freshness.
- Soy sauce and cornstarch: low-sodium soy sauce seasons the filling, and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch stirred into it with a spoonful of water turns the loose crumbles into a filling that holds together.
- Dipping sauce: soy sauce, rice vinegar and a little sugar or honey, with chili oil or chili crisp if you like heat.
How to make rice paper dumplings
- Cook the ground chicken in the skillet until it reaches 165°F.
- Add the cabbage, carrot and green onion whites, then the garlic and ginger.
- Stir in the soy sauce mixture, finish with sesame oil and the green onion tops, and cool the filling.
- Dip a rice paper sheet in cool water, fill it and fold it into a square packet.
- Wrap each packet in a second sheet to make 10 dumplings.
- Fry the dumplings in two batches until golden and crisp on both sides.
- Stir together the dipping sauce and serve right away.
Step-by-step notes
Cooking the filling. Break the chicken into small crumbles as it cooks, 5 to 6 minutes, so the filling has no large chunks that poke through the wrapper. Check it with an instant-read thermometer: it should read 165°F. Keep cooking the vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes, until no liquid pools in the pan.
Cooling. Spread the filling on a plate for 10 minutes. Warm filling softens the rice paper from the inside, and a cooled one is much easier to fold.
Dipping and folding. Slide one sheet into the water for a few seconds and lift it out while it still feels a little firm; it keeps softening on the damp towel. Place the filling just below the center, fold the bottom edge over it, fold in both sides and roll it up into a snug square. Set it seam-side down in the middle of the second softened sheet and wrap it the same way.
Frying. Start the dumplings seam-side down over medium heat, which seals the folds. After 3 to 4 minutes the bottoms should be golden with a few blisters. Turn them with a thin spatula and fry the second side the same way.
Tips for the best results
- Work on a damp kitchen towel rather than a dry board, so the softened rice paper lifts off cleanly.
- Keep the finished dumplings a little apart on the tray while you wrap the rest; wet rice paper sticks to itself.
- Change the dipping water if it turns warm or cloudy.
- Use a nonstick skillet and let the oil shimmer before the dumplings go in.
- Cool the fried dumplings on a wire rack for a minute rather than a plate, so the bottoms stay crisp.
Swaps and variations
- Ground pork: use the same 8 ounces and cook it to 160°F before adding the vegetables. It makes a slightly richer filling.
- Ground turkey: cook it exactly like the chicken, to 165°F.
- Air fryer: brush the wrapped dumplings lightly with oil and air fry at 390°F for 8 to 10 minutes, turning them halfway, until golden and crisp.
- More heat: add chili oil or chili crisp to the dipping sauce, or a pinch of red pepper to the filling.
What to serve with rice paper dumplings
Five dumplings each make a satisfying main, and a simple side rounds out the plate.
- Steamed rice: plain white or jasmine rice soaks up the dipping sauce.
- A quick cucumber salad: sliced cucumber with a splash of rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar adds a cool crunch.
- Sautéed greens: the rest of the cabbage, stir-fried with garlic, uses up the head.
- Another dumpling night: if you enjoy this format, the dumpling lasagna for two turns frozen dumplings into a baked dinner.
Storing and reheating
Rice paper dumplings are at their crispiest right out of the pan, so they are best cooked and eaten the same evening. If you have leftovers, refrigerate them in a covered container within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. The wrapper softens in the fridge; reheat the dumplings in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-low heat, turning them, until the centers are hot (165°F) and the outsides crisp up again.
Freezing is not recommended. Rice paper turns soft and gummy once it thaws, and the crisp shell does not come back.
Once you have folded the first two or three, the rest go quickly. Set the dipping sauce between two plates and eat the dumplings while they still crackle.
Frequently asked questions
Do you soak rice paper in cold or warm water?
Use cool or room-temperature water. Warm water softens the sheets too much and makes them tear, while cool water gives you a few more seconds to work.
How do I keep rice paper dumplings from sticking?
Keep them apart while you wrap, fry them in a nonstick skillet with enough oil, and give each one space in the pan. Five at a time in a 12-inch skillet is about right.
Can I use ground pork or tofu instead of chicken?
Ground pork works in the same amount; cook it to 160°F before wrapping. A tofu version needs its own filling recipe, so it is not covered here.
Can you make these dumplings ahead of time?
You can cook the filling ahead and refrigerate it, then wrap and fry the dumplings just before dinner. Wrapped, uncooked dumplings stick together and soften as they sit, so wrap them close to cooking.
Are rice paper sheets gluten-free?
Rice paper is usually made from rice flour, often with tapioca starch, but check the package to be sure. Regular soy sauce contains wheat, so check that label too if you need to avoid gluten.
Print
Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings for Two
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 10 dumplings
Description
The viral rice paper dumplings as dinner for two: a cooked chicken, cabbage and ginger filling double-wrapped in rice paper and pan-fried until golden and crisp.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces ground chicken
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded green cabbage (about 3 ounces)
- 1 small carrot, grated
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced, whites and greens divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper
- 20 round rice paper sheets (8 1/2-inch)
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (for the dipping sauce)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon chili oil or chili crisp (optional)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook 5 to 6 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until no pink remains and it reads 165°F.
- Add the cabbage, carrot and green onion whites and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until softened and the pan looks dry. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute.
- Stir the soy sauce, cornstarch and water together, pour into the pan and cook about 1 minute, stirring, until the filling looks glossy and holds together. Off the heat, stir in the sesame oil, pepper and green onion greens. Spread on a plate and cool 10 minutes. Wipe out the skillet.
- Fill a wide shallow dish with cool water. Dip one rice paper sheet for a few seconds, just until pliable, and lay it on a damp towel. Spoon 2 tablespoons filling into the center, fold the bottom up, fold in the sides and roll into a square packet.
- Dip a second sheet, set the packet seam-side down in its center and wrap it the same way. Repeat to make 10 dumplings, keeping them apart so they do not stick together.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add 5 dumplings seam-side down with space between them. Fry 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden and crisp. Move to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining oil and dumplings.
- Stir the dipping soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and chili oil together and serve with the hot dumplings.
Notes
Equipment: 12-inch nonstick skillet, wide shallow dish for water, cutting board and damp kitchen towel, instant-read thermometer, thin spatula, wire rack
- Cool or room-temperature water keeps the sheets from turning too soft; they keep softening on the towel after dipping.
- The second wrapper is what keeps each dumpling from splitting in the pan.
- Air fryer: brush the dumplings lightly with oil and cook at 390°F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Swap the chicken for 8 ounces ground pork (cook to 160°F) or ground turkey (cook to 165°F).
- Doneness: The filling is done when the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, before wrapping.
- Doneness: The dumplings are done when the wrapper is golden and crisp in spots on both sides and the center is hot.
- Rice paper dumplings are crispest right after frying. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-low heat, turning, until hot in the center (165°F). Freezing is not recommended; the wrapper turns soft and gummy when thawed.
- Cook the ground chicken to 165°F before wrapping, and do not leave the cooked dumplings at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cooling Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-Fried
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
