The Viral Dumpling Lasagna
Meet your new dinner party show-off: dumpling lasagna, layers of silky homemade wonton dough stacked with a juicy soy-garlic chicken filling, steam-baked until tender and finished with a flood of crispy chilli oil. It tastes like a soup dumpling and looks like a lasagna, and you never have to fold a single parcel. Roll, layer, bake, done. Chilli Chan's Crispy Chilli Oil goes into the filling and all over the top, so you get crunch, warmth and a little drama in every slice. One dish, one water bath, zero pleating.
Prep 40 min Cook 50 min Total 1 hr 30 min Serves 4 to 6 Heat 🌶 2/5
Jump to
- Why this lasagna works
- The no-fold steam-bake hack
- What you need
- The method
- Swaps and hard-to-find bits
- What goes wrong
- FAQs
Why this dumpling lasagna works
Dumpling lasagna is exactly what it sounds like: thin wonton-style dough layered with a seasoned filling, the way you would build a lasagna, then steam-baked so the dough turns soft and silky and the filling stays juicy. It has all the comfort of a dumpling and a fraction of the effort. It also happens to look incredible when you cut into it.
The dough is just egg, flour, water and salt. The filling is a punchy mix of chicken, garlic, ginger, soy and sesame, with a spoon of Chilli Chan's Crispy Chilli Oil stirred in for gentle heat. Then a second, generous spoon goes on top at the end, because crunchy chilli bits on soft, steamy layers is the whole point.
The no-fold steam-bake hack
Here is the clever bit. A normal dumpling session means shaping dozens of little parcels and steaming them in batches. Here you roll big sheets of dough and stack them in a dish, which is the same dough-to-filling ratio with about a tenth of the fuss.
The other trick is the water bath. Set your baking dish inside a larger dish filled with water, cover it tightly with foil and bake. The trapped steam does what a bamboo steamer would do, so the layers cook through gently instead of drying out like a regular bake. Half a cup of hot water poured over the top adds even more moisture.
One dish, one oven, and a result that tastes like it took all afternoon.
What you need
The wonton dough
- 1 large egg
- 80 grams of water plus more if needed
- 250 grams all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
The chicken filling
- 3 to 4 chicken breasts or thighs, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 64 grams soy sauce
- A dash of sesame oil
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp chicken soup powder (consommé)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Chilli Chan's Crispy Chilli Oil
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 118 grams hot water
To finish
- Sesame seeds
- Chopped chives or green onions
- More Chilli Chan's Crispy Chilli Oil, as much as you dare
- Extra soy sauce
The method
- Make the dough. Beat the egg with 80 grams of water in a bowl. Add the flour and salt and mix until a dough forms. If it is too wet, add a little flour. If it is too dry, add water 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Knead and rest. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Divide into 2 balls, cover with a damp cloth and rest for at least 10 minutes.
- Roll the sheets. Cut each ball into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a thin, roughly square sheet. You are aiming for almost see-through.
- Mix the filling. Finely chop the chicken into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, garlic, ginger powder, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, chicken soup powder, garlic powder, Crispy Chilli Oil, green onions and onion powder. Mix until evenly combined.
- Start layering. Place a layer of wonton dough in an oven-safe baking dish.
- Spread the filling. Add a thin, even layer of chicken filling over the dough.
- Repeat. Keep layering dough and filling, finishing with a layer of dough. You can double the final dough layer for extra chew.
- Add the steam. Pour the 118 grams hot water evenly over the top.
- Build the water bath. Place the baking dish inside a larger baking dish. Fill the outer dish with water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the inner dish.
- Cover and bake. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 180°C for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through. A food thermometer in the centre should read 75°C.
- Finish and serve. Take it out of the oven and top with extra soy sauce, a generous spoonful of Chilli Chan's Crispy Chilli Oil, sesame seeds and chopped chives or green onions. Rest for 5 minutes, slice into squares and serve hot.
The crunch behind this lasagna
Chilli Chan's Crispy Chilli Oil: crunchy, fragrant and made for spooning over anything steamy. Natural, zero MSG, vegan and a Great Taste 2025 winner. Stir it into the filling, pile it on top and watch the whole dish come alive. Want a sweet-heat finish? A drizzle of our Crispy Hot Honey works wonders too.
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Swaps and hard-to-find bits
Short on time? Skip the homemade dough and use store-bought wonton or dumpling wrappers, layered exactly the same way. Want it vegetarian? Swap the chicken for finely chopped mushrooms and firm tofu, and use a vegetable stock powder in place of the chicken soup powder. Crispy Chilli Oil is already vegan, so nothing else needs to change.
| Called for | What it does | Use instead |
|---|---|---|
| Homemade wonton dough | Silky, tender layers | Store-bought wonton or dumpling wrappers |
| Chicken breast or thigh | The juicy, savoury base | Minced pork, turkey, or chopped mushrooms and tofu |
| Chicken soup powder | Deep, savoury umami | Vegetable stock powder or a little extra soy sauce |
| Ginger powder | Warm, zingy backbone | 1 tsp freshly grated ginger |
| Chives | Fresh, oniony finish | Sliced green onions or coriander |
What goes wrong
- Rolling the dough too thick. Thick sheets turn heavy and doughy. Roll until you can nearly see your worktop through them.
- Piling on the filling. Thin, even layers cook through properly and give you that lasagna look. Chunky layers slump and cook unevenly.
- Skipping the water bath. This is what keeps the dish steamy and juicy. Without it you get a dry bake.
- Loose foil. If the steam escapes, the top layers dry out and the middle cooks slowly. Seal the edges tightly.
- Not checking the chicken. Every oven is different. Make sure the centre is fully cooked through before you serve.
- Slicing it straight away. Give it 5 minutes to settle so the layers hold together when you cut.
FAQs
What is dumpling lasagna?
It is a viral recipe that layers thin wonton-style dough with a seasoned filling, like a lasagna, and steam-bakes it in a water bath. You get the flavours of a dumpling without folding each one by hand.
Can I use store-bought wonton wrappers?
Yes. Wonton or dumpling wrappers work well if you are short on time. Layer them the same way and keep the filling layers thin.
Why do you bake it in a water bath?
The water bath creates steam around the dish, which keeps the dough tender and the chicken juicy. Baking without it can leave the layers dry and tough.
Is it very spicy?
It sits around 2 out of 5. A teaspoon of Crispy Chilli Oil in the filling adds gentle warmth, and you control the rest with the topping. Pile it on if you like it hot.
Can I make it ahead?
You can prep the filling and dough a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Assemble and bake just before serving for the best texture. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat well with a splash of water.
What else can I serve it with?
A crisp cucumber salad with rice vinegar and sesame cuts through the richness nicely. Steamed pak choi or broccoli with a drizzle of soy also goes well.
Keep reading
- Hot honey fried chicken, if you want more of that sweet-heat crunch
- Dan Dan-style noodles with Crispy Chilli Oil, the same chilli oil energy in a bowl
- Hot honey chicken with mushroom and sesame noodles, a 25-minute weeknight hero
- 27 things to put Crispy Chilli Oil on
- Crispy Chilli Oil: the complete guide
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