Gluten & Dairy Free Asian Dumplings with Sweet Garlic Chili Sauce!
I absolutely love every recipe that I created for the clubs fakeout takeout recipe collection this past month using ,my new wonton dough!! But this one might be my favorite. I intentionally rolled the dough out just a bit thicker to create these chewy meaty steamed dumplings and me oh my are they comfort food!!! The Sweet Chili Garlic sauce just takes them right over the top!! Depending on your spiciness preference you can use more less of the spicy chili oil!
I also enjoyed this recipe because it took the least amount of time :) The dough needing to not be as thin means less time rolling it out! Best of all they look gorgeous when they are done!!
For fun after shaping the dumplings I brushed a little egg wash on the bottoms of them and dipped them into a bowl with sesame seeds. This adds some extra crispy texture and flavor to them when you steam and pan fry them! Its not a required step but it does make them more fun!
IMPORTANT TIPS For working with this wonton dough:
Always make sure to knead it until it is completely smooth and well combined! It will be a bit sticky when you do this and that is how its supposed to be. Don’t question it and start adding more starch or flour :) Follow the gram measurements exactly! I left the dough a bit sticky so that you can use a generous amount of starch when rolling it out. Sometimes you’ll need to gather the bits and rolls them out a number of times and each time more starch will be incorporated into the dough. The dough will allow for that and whatever you are making will turn out fabulous. BUT You can always add a little water if it gets too dry while working with it! Sometimes when I regather scraps of dough and knead them back together I wet my hands a little first! When it gets super dry- it gets harder to roll out!
DO NOT let the dough dry out in the fridge!! You can make it several days in advance or even make it and freeze it. It is essential to store it in wrapped tightly in plastic with no air exposure or in a well sealed Tupperware container!
If you are rolling out the dough fresh you will likely only need a tiny bit of egg wash or water to seal it around the inside edges when shaping it into various dumplings, egg rolls or rangoons. However- IF you have pre-rolled and cut the dough into wonton squares or circles ( I recommend storing them with a bit of starch in between them wrapped up well in the fridge). then you may need to brush the whole surface of the (INSIDE) of the dough where the filling goes with egg wash or water as I have in my step by step photos so that it seals up nicely!
For Anything steamed or boiled- such as dumplings and potstickers you don’t need to worry about rolling the dough out paper thin. There’s flexibility around the thickness. However if you intend to fry the dough its extremely important to take the time to get it almost paper thin!! This can take a little practice but its very doable. This dough is forgiving and has great stretch. Just make sure to use enough corn or tapioca starch to prevent sticking and roll it out on parchment paper! For paper thin dough you’ll notice you are getting close to the right thickness when the dough starts to ruffle and wrinkle a little bit!
When rolling it out- I like to pick it up gently & swirl it around on the parchment often and or flip it to make sure that its not sticking! I often keep adding starch to my parchment/work surface as I go.
I recommend using this dough first for boiled/steamed applications like dumplings/postickers or wonton soup first! Its much easier and extremely forgiving. Working with ultra thin dough for frying requires more finesse and practice.
Dumplings, potstickers, egg rolls, wontons for soup, or Rangoons can all be assembled and then frozen before you cook them!! Lay them out flat on a starch covered baking sheet/pan and freeze them. Then once they are frozen they can be stacked in a freezer safe container! Add just a bit more time to cooking when cooking them from frozen!
TO MAKE IT EGG FREE please use “Just Egg” Egg replacer. Its possible that aquafaba would be a basic substitute as well but I have not tested that out to know for sure. IF you experiment please leave a comment and share how it goes!
Ingredients (Some of these are affiliate links that earn me a few cents if you shop using them! :)
Better Batter Gluten Free Orginal Blend
This flour blend continues to amaze me. It can do so many things better than most other blends that I have tried. As a result its extremely popular. Around the holidays it tends to sell out everywhere. Usually its available on Amazon and at Walmart. Lately I have been ordering it from the Better Batter website directly. When they sell out- they tend to restock pretty quickly. Check back within a day or two if they are sold out when you look. I buy it in bulk now (Up to 40 lbs at a time) as I cant risk running out. I use it in too many recipes that we love.
What if you cant get your hands on it? This may be the case if you live outside the US. My friend Nichole from Gluten Free on a Shoestring has figured out a mock recipe for better batter. Her version should work great in this recipe! The owner (Naomi) of better batter has confirmed that the mix is similar to the official version.
Better Batter so kindly offered me a 30% off promo code to share with all of you! This can be used as often as you would like for every single purchase made directly on BetterBatter.com Use the code: BakingAngell30
Expandex
This bread is truly only possible because of the magic of expandex. It is a modified form of tapioca starch that was formulated to improve gluten free baking. The word Modified tends to worry people- so let me explain further. Essentially they studied tapioca and removed portions of it leaving only the parts that would allow for it to cause amazing elasticity (aka its name) in gluten free recipes. This flour allows me to get an incredible rise with everything I use it in. It traps the air bubbles in the dough just like regular flour with gluten does! Its honestly incredible. If you eat any processed or store bought foods you have eaten many forms of modified starch. Its nothing new- its just semi new to the home baker. Its non gmo and I typically get it from the brand Judee’s on amazon. Under no conditions can you sub it out for another regular starch. For my wonton dough it is what is giving it the incredible stretch and versatility that it has!!
Outside of the US there is a product called Ultratex 3 I have not worked with it but from what I understand its comparable! I would use that in the exact same quantity as the expandex amount that I call for.
Tapioca Starch:
(Or corn starch is the second best option) Is fantastic for rolling out this dough!! It takes away all stickiness and aids in creating an awesome chewy or crispy texture when steamed or fried. Using better batter for rolling out does not work as well as it tends to dry the dough out since its highly absorbent. Tapioca starch/flour can be found in most grocery stores and on amazon. I typically buy the brand Bobs Red Mill.
My favorite tools for working with wonton dough:
Anytime I want to cut the dough into a round shape I like to use this set of cookie/biscuit cutters. The circular shape is ideal for potstickers and dumplings!
Over the years I have had a lot of rolling pins. Once I got a simple French style one I got rid of the rest of them. You really don’t need anything clunky or heavy! This style allows for the best control of pressure to get a thin dough that doesn't rip! This is the one that I use.
Parchment Paper: Any brand will do! While I could roll dough directly out on the counter I prefer using a big sheet of parchment- it just makes it easier to avoid sticking issues.
I made a quick (8 minute) YouTube tutorial video for you guys to watch before you make these delicious dumplings! :) This video will show you both the perfect thickness of the dough & how to fold them up correctly! Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did creating it! xoxo -Brittany
Gluten & Dairy Free Asian Dumplings with Sweet Garlic Chili Sauce!
Ingredients
- 1 batch of Gluten Free Wonton dough
- 1 lb of Ground Meat (Pork recommended) Chicken or Turkey will also work.
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Sriracha (or other hot sauce of choice)
- 1/4 bunch of fresh cilantro finely chopped. (Another even more delicious option would be Thai basil- IF you can find it).
- 1 bunch green onions finely chopped.
- 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Pepper
- 1 Large Egg OR "Just egg" replacer.
- Optional: Chili Flakes for a kick of spice.
- Optional: Sesame seeds to coat the bottoms of the dumplings
- Egg Wash for Assembling: 1 Egg yolk + 2 Tsp Water OR just Egg replacer.
- 6 Tbsp Honey
- 1-2 Tbsp Chili Oil. (I highly recommend trader joes crunchy chili oil with onions or something similar if you can find it!) Add as much or as little depending on your spice level preferences.
- 2 Tbsp Gluten Free Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Minced Garlic
Instructions
- Make and prepare your gluten free wonton dough. Roll out semi thin using as much tapioca starch as needed to prevent any sticking. If the dough starts to wrinkle/wave this means its too thin. I like to stop right before that starts to happen. Use a 5 1/2 inch (in diameter) bowl or round cookie cutter of similar size to cut 20 circles. Cover them to prevent them from drying out and set aside. (Note: the dough is easiest to work with right after its rolled out- so make sure not to let it sit too long!)
- Mix the filling ingredients together in a bowl - stir well and set aside.
- Assemble: Use your finger to do a rim of egg wash or water around the edges of the circle Place 1 heaping Tbsp of filling into the center. Fold up the dough making sure to seal it well!
- Optional Step: Add sesame seeds to a small plate. Brush a little egg wash onto the bottoms of the dumplings and swirl them around over the sesame seeds until they stick.
- Set aside on a tapioca dusted baking tray and repeat with all the remaining dumplings. At this point the dumplings can be frozen or steamed.
- To Steam: Its important to first steam your dumplings THEN sear them to get a little crispiness (the searing step is optional). Using a good nonstick pot is important for this otherwise you may run into issues with sticking. Heat up a dry skillet for 5 minutes over medium high heat. Drizzle 1-2 tbsp of oil over the surface and add 3-4 dumplings depending on the size of the pan. Pour in 3/4 cup of water which should cause steam due to the pan being hot. Cover immediately and set timer for 6 minutes. It will need to steam for 6-7 minutes- keep an eye on your water if you run out before this time you can add a bit more.
- After the water evaporates remove the lid and allow the bottoms of the dumplings to crisp up in the pan. The amount of time that this takes will depend on how hot your pan is. Mine took roughly 3-5 minutes. After they are crisp to your preference remove them from the pan and repeat with more dumplings. I recommend making just as many as you wish to eat and freeze the rest of the uncooked potstickers for another day. (To freeze:place the baking sheet with tapioca and the potstickers into the freezer- spacing them apart so they don't stick. Once they are frozen they can be layered and stacked in an air tight freezer safe container. Use the same exact process to cook them from frozen.)
- Make the dipping sauce: add the ingredients to a small sauce pan and simmer 5 minutes until the garlic has cooked through and it toasty. Make sure to stir frequently. Serve with dumplings.
Notes
TO MAKE IT EGG FREE please use “Just Egg” Egg replacer. Its possible that aquafaba would be a basic substitute as well but I have not tested that out to know for sure. IF you experiment please leave a comment and share how it goes!
Feel free to sub in your favorite sugar free syrup in for the honey If you wish to make that sugar free!
