Rice Paper Dumplings with Vegan Duck

Try these delicious, crispy vegan rice paper dumplings where we used shredded king oyster mushrooms as a perfect alternative to vegan duck. These cute little dumplings are truly amazing, aromatic, and flavorful even if it is not folded but rolled.

This recipe is not the only Asian-inspired recipe and also not the only one using rice paper. Have you seen our crispy rice paper spring rolls or our spicy vegan samosa rolls? We are working on even more delicious rice paper recipes as we just love using this ingredient.

What to expect from this recipe?

This recipe was inspired by Chinese dumplings aka potstickers and hoisin duck pancakes. We kind of put the two together and created a truly delicious dish, which is not only vegan but gluten-free as well.

Chinese dumplings are also known as “jiaozi” and they are filled with pork, cabbage, scallions, and mushrooms. Traditionally, potstickers are boiled or steamed then pan-fried and eaten on New Year’s Eve. Japanese gyozas are quite similar but they are smaller in size and are wrapped in thinner skin. What we took from these recipes is the veggie filling and the fact that they are wrapped up and fried.

Hoisin duck pancakes are shredded duck fried in hoisin sauce and the Chinese 5 spices blend. It is served with julienned cucumber and spring onion on top of thin wheat-based pancakes. What we took from this recipe is the yummy Hoisin marinade.

Ingredients

Rice paper wrappers

Filling

What did we add to these crispy rice paper dumplings?

• King oyster mushrooms – shredded and marinated in hoisin sauce. Here is a list of where to buy them or how to grow them at home.
• Carrots – young vibrant orange carrots are usually sweeter than baby carrots
• Cabbage – we recommend using napa, green, or savoy cabbage
• Spring onion
• Mung bean sprouts – any other sprouts will do
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Sesame oil

🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Vegan duck

If you want a veggie only filling that is absolutely fine but we recommend trying these delicious crispy marinated king oyster mushrooms as the thing that will make these dumplings outstanding.

We used a fork to create a shredded meat-like texture like in the below picture. There are many other types of oyster mushrooms, but this one is the easiest to shred.

Hoisin sauce marinade

We prepared a quick marinade to turn shredded king oyster mushrooms into shredded Hoisin duck using these 9 ingredients. They will taste aromatic and flavorful.

• Hoisin sauce
• Chinese five spice
• Ginger powder
• Garlic powder
• Black pepper
• Soy sauce or use any of these gluten-free soy sauce substitutes like tamari or liquid aminos
• Toasted sesame oil
• Vegetable oil

🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Instructions

Preparing king oyster mushrooms

It is really easy to prepare them since they are grown on trees, so they are usually not dirty at all. You can clean it with a dry paper towel. No need to wash them. Cut the last bit of the stem if that feels too hard and dry.

Baking the vegan duck filling

There are 11 ways to cook oyster mushrooms, but for this gluten-free rice paper dumplings recipe, the best method which gives you the right texture and flavor is baking. It is also the easiest way to make a large batch.

1. Pre-heat the oven to 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
2. Shred king oyster mushrooms with a fork into tiny pieces.
3. Take a sheet pan and line it with parchment paper or use a non-stick baking sheet.
4. Spread the shredded mushroom evenly in one layer.
5. Mix the hoisin marinade in a small bowl and pour it over the mushrooms.
6. Use a spatula to cover all pieces with the sauce (pictured on the left).
7. Bake for 25 minutes until dark brown (pictured on the right).
8. When they are ready, we added some more hoisin sauce to make them juicy again.

Preparing the vegetables

• Wash, peel, and shred carrots with a large hole cheese grater.
• Wash and cut green onion into thin matchsticks.
• Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage. Use a mandolin to shred it.
• Peel and finely chop garlic and ginger.
• Sprouts are usually sold washed, so you don’t need to prepare them.

Pre-cooking the veggie filling

1. Pre-heat a frying pan or wok over low/medium heat. Add vegetable oil.
2. Add minced garlic and ginger. Stir and cook for approx. 2 minutes.
3. Add carrots, spring onion, cabbage, and mung bean sprouts. Stir to mix them.
4. Increase the heat to medium/high, and season it with salt and black pepper. Cook for approx. 4-5 minutes while stirring from time to time.

Preparing rice paper

• Let the filling cool before using. We really don’t recommend starting while it is hot or too warm.
• Pour warm water in a large shallow bowl. You should use a large enough bowl so you can submerge the rice paper in one go.
• Soft rice paper can get quite sticky so I recommend preparing a non-stick parchment paper nearby to place the rolled dumplings on.

Forming the dumplings

I know Chinese potstickers have a special folding technique which you cannot exactly do with rice paper. Since the classic wrappers are a bit thicker and dough-based it is easier to shape and stick together.

There are some limitations to rice papers as in spite of the common belief they don’t stick everywhere. You can form a gyoza-like packet, but we developed an easy folding technique to shape filled rice papers into dumpling packets.

You’ll see it is pretty easy to work with. There are only a couple of things you need to pay attention to. We will walk you through it step by step. You can also watch it in our short video. If you want perfect results, be sure to check out our “Top tips on using rice papers” section right below the step photos!

1. Gently submerge the rice paper. (See top tips section on how long should you soak rice paper right below the step photos.)
2. Once submerged, transfer it to a dry and smooth surface. (I wipe my surface more or less dry after each roll.)
3. Place the filling in the middle around the lower third of the rice paper. We used a small rice paper with a diameter of 6 inches (approx. 16 cm).
4. Roll it up like a cigar. Use your fingers to tuck it tightly.
5. Then roll up sidewise to form a snail-shaped packet.

Top tips on using rice paper

We have written a complete guide to rice paper wrappers where we share detailed information about how they are made, what is the difference between them and why is that difference important in terms of how to handle them, or how to roll them. However, the 3 most important tips to know about is here below:

• Use dry hands -> Always dry your hands before taking a rice paper from the package. Wet hands will activate them and they will stick together.
• Damp towel or submerging in water? -> The short answer is “it depends on the tapioca starch content of your rice paper”. You would think rice paper is just rice. But that is not always true. If you check your packaging you will see that there is tapioca starch. The ratio of tapioca dictates how you need to handle your rice paper. If you see tapioca starch only (it can happen) then a damp towel is enough to get them soft. If you see rice flour only (it can also happen), then you need to submerge it in water to get them soft. The larger the ratio of the tapioca (it means the thinner your rice paper) the less time you need to submerge it. In short, keep it shorter and double up if needed.
• How to test how much time you need to submerge the rice papers? -> The rice paper your see on the video is 100% rice flour. I submerge this type for 7-8 seconds. If you have rice paper with tapioca starch you might need less time. So how I test it? I submerge the rice paper and gently pet it with my hands in the water. I take it out while I still feel it hard. I usually start with 3-4 seconds. I place it on the surface I want to work on and wait for 2-3 seconds and gently pet it again and see whether they became soft or not. If yes, I add the filling. If no, I submerge it again for 2-3 seconds.

Frying

Traditional Chinese potstickers are steamed and then fried to ensure that they are crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. Since rice paper has already been softened in water, you don’t need to steam rice paper dumplings. See they are easy to work with and you can save so much time.

Just pre-heat your frying pan or cast-iron skillet. Use sesame oil to give it a bit more flavor and fry them until crispy, golden brown, and bubbly. It will be a bit chewy compared to spring roll wrappers, but crispy enough to enjoy them without guilt.

A quick tip: Make sure to fry that side first where the folding ends so it sticks together and won’t open up later.

What to serve with them?

Here are a couple of ideas if you want to make your own:

• Classic Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce from The Wooden Skillet
• Tomato Chili and Ginger Jam from Plant Food At Home
• Yum Yum Sauce from Yum Vegan Lunch Ideas
• Raw Mango Chutney from Veg Buffet
• Easy Peanut Sauce from Veggie Inspired
• Sweet Chili Sauce from It’s Not Complicated
• Carrot Ginger Miso Sauce from Cook Eat Live Love
• Benihana Ginger Sauce from Recipes From A Pantry

FAQs and substitutions

Can you use other mushrooms?

King oyster mushrooms are the easiest to shred, but you can use any other mushroom at hand. Other types of mushrooms are not that easy ti tear with a fork but still doable. These ones are the closest oyster mushroom substitutes.

If you have button or portobello mushrooms, pre-cook them properly until they release all moisture. Otherwise, they may release the moisture inside the dumplings making the filling wet, which can cause tears or bursts.

You can also use dried wood ear mushrooms. You need to soak them first, then boil them in water to be used as filling.

What other veggies can you add?

If you don’t like mushrooms, we made a shredded hoisin duck with firm tofu in this crispy rice paper spring rolls recipe.

We used green cabbage, but you can add any other types of cabbage for example napa, savory, or wombok (Chinese cabbage). Or try adding other veggies like green beans, bok choi, red bell pepper, scallion, or leek.

How long to marinate the mushrooms?

You can marinate them for 5-10 minutes, but you can leave them in the marinade overnight as well. If you decide to leave it long, pay attention to the incredible sponge texture of the mushrooms as the marinade will be soaked up completely. If the mushroom shreds feel too dry, you need to add a dash of oil before baking. For more tips, read our how to store oyster mushrooms article.

How to store them?

You can store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days without a problem. They may lose some of their crispiness as the days go by. I haven’t tried freezing them though. We always eat it in one go. Let me know if you do.

Allergen info

This vegan rice paper dumplings recipe is meat-free, egg-free, and dairy-free.

• Vegan – All ingredients are supposed to be vegan.
• Nut-free – All ingredients are supposed to be nut-free but check for cross-contamination info on all packaging you need to use.
• WFPB-friendly (whole foods plant-based) – You can skip oil in the marinade if you really have to but the shredded mushroom may be a bit drier after baking. As for the dumplings instead of pan-frying use an air fryer and make them crispy oil-free. You should also sautee veggie in water or veggie broth instead of oil.
• Gluten-free – Soy sauce is not gluten-free, so you need to use tamari, liquid aminos, or other substitutes. Hoisin sauce is not always gluten-free as it may contain soy sauce. All other ingredients are supposed to be gluten-free but always look for the certified label.
• Soy-free – You need to use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Also check for soy-free Hoisin sauce.

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