This steamed rice paper lasagna swaps pasta sheets for softened rice paper, layered with a ginger soy beef and pork filling and steamed until tender. No oven, no boiling, just a steamer basket or your air fryer’s steam function, it is a genuinely no pasta lasagna, and it is a naturally gluten free lasagna when you use tamari.
I am late to this one. Dumpling lasagna went viral on social media a while back and I only just got round to trying it, and mostly because I could not stop thinking about doing it with rice paper instead of dumpling or wonton wrappers. Turns out nobody had really tried that either, I went looking and found one comment on the original recipe asking about rice paper, with no real answer. The rice paper steams up soft and almost translucent, it holds the layers together without going chewy or falling apart, and it soaks up all the ginger, soy and sesame flavour from the filling as it cooks.
- No pasta and no noodles, just rice paper and a steamer
- Ready in under 45 minutes, most of it hands off while it steams
- A high protein lasagna that’s naturally gluten free with tamari, and genuinely good the next day
Key Ingredients
- Rice paper sheets replace lasagna pasta entirely here, they soften in warm water in seconds and steam up tender rather than chewy
- Lean beef and pork mince, 5% fat keeps this properly high protein without the dish turning greasy, ordinary mince works too if that is what you have, it will just taste a bit richer
- Tamari or a certified gluten free soy sauce is what makes this a genuinely gluten free dumpling lasagna, regular soy sauce contains wheat, so swap carefully if that matters to you
- Chilli crisp is the finishing drizzle, it adds heat, crunch and a savoury depth that plain chilli oil does not quite match
- Napa cabbage, shredded through the filling for moisture and a little crunch, ordinary white cabbage works as a substitute
Coaching Note
My biggest tip after making this a few times, keep each filling layer thin. It is tempting to pile the mixture on to use it all up in fewer layers, but a thick layer of raw mince takes far longer to steam through than several thin ones, and you want the filling and the rice paper to finish cooking at the same time so the top layer does not turn gummy while the middle is still raw. This matters even more if you are using your air fryer’s steam function, since it steams for a shorter time than the stovetop method.
If you like the rice paper and steaming combination, my Spicy Hoisin Salmon Rice Paper Dumplings are a good next recipe to try, and for another quick rice paper hack in the air fryer, there is also my Rice Paper Pizza Bagels. If you are curious how a dish like this fits into your daily protein target, I break it down in How Much Protein Do You Really Need?
Alex 🙂
Rice Paper Lasagna (Steamed, High Protein, Gluten Free)
A steamed twist on the viral dumpling lasagna trend, built from layers of softened rice paper and a ginger soy beef and pork filling. No oven and no boiling, just a steamer basket or your air fryer's steam function. Finished with a drizzle of chilli crisp and a scatter of spring onion and sesame seeds.
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Ingredients
Instructions
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Mix the raw filling: in a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, cabbage, garlic, ginger, tamari, sesame oil and half the spring onions. Mix by hand until just combined, do not overwork it.
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Soften the rice paper: dip each sheet in warm water for 4 to 5 seconds only, then lay flat as you go, it should still feel slightly firm.
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Layer: in a small, lightly oiled heatproof dish, layer softened rice paper, overlapping to cover the base, then a thin, even layer of the raw filling. Repeat twice more, ending with rice paper on top. Keep filling layers thin so they cook through evenly.
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Steam, air fryer method: add water to your air fryer's steam reservoir as directed by your model, place the dish in the basket and steam at 100°C/212°F for 22 to 25 minutes, until the filling is cooked through. Stovetop method (no air fryer steam function): set a heatproof trivet, steamer rack, or 2 to 3 upturned ramekins in the base of a large pot with a tight fitting lid, add water until it comes about halfway up the trivet without touching where the dish will sit, bring to a simmer, carefully lower the dish onto the trivet, cover, and steam over medium heat for 25 to 28 minutes, checking the water level halfway and topping up with boiling water if it is getting low.
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Rest and serve: carefully remove the dish, it will be very hot, and rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with chilli crisp and scatter over the remaining spring onions and sesame seeds. Slice and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 ServingCalories:432kcalTotal Fat:21gSaturated Fat: 5gSodium:885mgTotal Carbohydrate:25gDietary Fiber: 1.4gSugars: 2gProtein:34g
Note
- Sesame seeds are shown as a garnish in the photos and video but were not in the handwritten ingredient list, added here as an optional finishing touch
- Written with tamari or a certified gluten free soy sauce to keep this genuinely gluten free, regular soy sauce contains wheat
- Sodium is moderate to high, around 885mg per serving, mostly from the tamari and chilli crisp, use a reduced sodium tamari if you want to bring it down
- This uses 5% fat mince to keep it high protein, standard 20% fat mince will taste richer but raises the calorie and fat count noticeably
- Leftovers keep well covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, reheat gently in the microwave or steam again for a couple of minutes
