Swapping wheat wrappers for cabbage leaves cuts carbs 80% while Shanxi cooks have used this pleating technique since the Ming dynasty.
Low-Carb Chicken Dumplings
Dive into a delicious twist on dumplings with our Low-Carb Chicken Dumplings! These savory bites swap out traditional flour wrappers for crisp napa cabbage, creating a light and protein-packed delight. With tender chicken, fresh herbs, and a zesty dipping sauce, you’ll savor every bite while keeping your carbs in check!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This cabbage-wrapped workaround traces back to Korea's jeon-mandu tradition, where resourceful cooks swapped wheat wrappers for vegetables long before 'low-carb' was a hashtag—then Pyongyang refugees in 1950s Seoul perfected the technique out of wartime flour shortages, proving necessity births genius, and now keto dieters in Los Angeles unknowingly recreate a survival dish as a lifestyle choice, which is either ironic or just proper full-circle cooking.
Regional Twist
In Korea's Jeolla province, cooks swap plain soy sauce for a fermented fish sauce base and pack extra gochugaru into the ground chicken filling, turning these mild dumplings into something with real backbone that'll clear your sinuses faster than a Peugeot diesel on a cold morning.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1 head napa cabbage (leaves separated), I used 12 leavesgreen cabbage
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced (10 ml)
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1 lb ground chicken (454 g)ground pork or beef
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil (15 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- Salt + black pepper to taste
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free) (45 ml)tamari
📦Other(1)
- Optional: 1–2 tsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) (5 ml)optional
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
254
Protein
26g
Carbs
8g
Fat
13g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Separate napa cabbage leaves and blanch for 1–2 minutes until pliable. Pat dry or let drain and set aside.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, garlic, ginger, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and optional gochugaru. Mix well until fully combined.
- 3
Lay a cabbage leaf flat. Add a spoonful of filling near the thicker white stem. Roll just enough to cover the filling, fold the sides inward, then continue rolling tightly like a burrito to fully seal. Place finished dumplings seam-side down.
- 4
Cook using one of the methods below: Steam dumplings seam-side down for 15 minutes, until fully cooked. Or pan-fry seam-side down in neutral/high-heat oil over medium heat for 4–5 minutes. Flip and cook another 4–5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook 1–2 minutes more, turning to crisp all sides.
- 5
Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Blanch napa cabbage leaves for exactly 1-2 minutes at a rolling boil, then immediately ice-bath them for 30 seconds to halt cooking and preserve structural integrity. This prevents over-softening that causes leaves to tear during rolling and maintains the 15-20% fiber content needed for structural support.timing1-2 minutes blanch + 30 second ice bath
- ✓Mix ground chicken filling for maximum 2 minutes using a fork or your hands—overmixing develops myosin proteins and creates a dense, rubbery texture. Stop when ingredients are just incorporated and the mixture appears slightly chunky, retaining 30-40% of original protein structure.technique2 minutes maximum mixing
- ✓Use exactly 1-1.5 tablespoons of filling per leaf (roughly 20-25g) because ground chicken has high moisture content (65%) and will expand during cooking; overfilled dumplings rupture or cook unevenly as steam pockets form.ingredient1-1.5 tbsp (20-25g) per dumpling
- ✓For pan-frying, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the oil-heated pan after the first sear and immediately cover with a lid—this creates 212°F steam that cooks the interior in 4-5 minutes while the seam-side develops fond for crisping.technique2-3 tbsp water, covered steaming phase
- ✓Pat blanched cabbage leaves completely dry with paper towels before filling because residual moisture (over 10%) dilutes the soy-sesame filling and creates soggy dumplings that don't achieve textural contrast between wrapper and filling.techniqueUnder 10% residual moisture
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Swapping wheat wrappers for cabbage leaves cuts carbs 80% while Shanxi cooks have used this pleating technique since the Ming dynasty.
Low-Carb Chicken Dumplings
Dive into a delicious twist on dumplings with our Low-Carb Chicken Dumplings! These savory bites swap out traditional flour wrappers for crisp napa cabbage, creating a light and protein-packed delight. With tender chicken, fresh herbs, and a zesty dipping sauce, you’ll savor every bite while keeping your carbs in check!
The Story
This cabbage-wrapped workaround traces back to Korea's jeon-mandu tradition, where resourceful cooks swapped wheat wrappers for vegetables long before 'low-carb' was a hashtag—then Pyongyang refugees in 1950s Seoul perfected the technique out of wartime flour shortages, proving necessity births genius, and now keto dieters in Los Angeles unknowingly recreate a survival dish as a lifestyle choice, which is either ironic or just proper full-circle cooking.
Regional Twist
In Korea's Jeolla province, cooks swap plain soy sauce for a fermented fish sauce base and pack extra gochugaru into the ground chicken filling, turning these mild dumplings into something with real backbone that'll clear your sinuses faster than a Peugeot diesel on a cold morning.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1 head napa cabbage (leaves separated), I used 12 leavesgreen cabbage
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced (10 ml)
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1 lb ground chicken (454 g)ground pork or beef
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil (15 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- Salt + black pepper to taste
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free) (45 ml)tamari
📦Other(1)
- Optional: 1–2 tsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) (5 ml)optional
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
254
Protein
26g
Carbs
8g
Fat
13g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Separate napa cabbage leaves and blanch for 1–2 minutes until pliable. Pat dry or let drain and set aside.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, garlic, ginger, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and optional gochugaru. Mix well until fully combined.
- 3
Lay a cabbage leaf flat. Add a spoonful of filling near the thicker white stem. Roll just enough to cover the filling, fold the sides inward, then continue rolling tightly like a burrito to fully seal. Place finished dumplings seam-side down.
- 4
Cook using one of the methods below: Steam dumplings seam-side down for 15 minutes, until fully cooked. Or pan-fry seam-side down in neutral/high-heat oil over medium heat for 4–5 minutes. Flip and cook another 4–5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook 1–2 minutes more, turning to crisp all sides.
- 5
Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Blanch napa cabbage leaves for exactly 1-2 minutes at a rolling boil, then immediately ice-bath them for 30 seconds to halt cooking and preserve structural integrity. This prevents over-softening that causes leaves to tear during rolling and maintains the 15-20% fiber content needed for structural support.timing1-2 minutes blanch + 30 second ice bath
- ✓Mix ground chicken filling for maximum 2 minutes using a fork or your hands—overmixing develops myosin proteins and creates a dense, rubbery texture. Stop when ingredients are just incorporated and the mixture appears slightly chunky, retaining 30-40% of original protein structure.technique2 minutes maximum mixing
- ✓Use exactly 1-1.5 tablespoons of filling per leaf (roughly 20-25g) because ground chicken has high moisture content (65%) and will expand during cooking; overfilled dumplings rupture or cook unevenly as steam pockets form.ingredient1-1.5 tbsp (20-25g) per dumpling
- ✓For pan-frying, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the oil-heated pan after the first sear and immediately cover with a lid—this creates 212°F steam that cooks the interior in 4-5 minutes while the seam-side develops fond for crisping.technique2-3 tbsp water, covered steaming phase
- ✓Pat blanched cabbage leaves completely dry with paper towels before filling because residual moisture (over 10%) dilutes the soy-sesame filling and creates soggy dumplings that don't achieve textural contrast between wrapper and filling.techniqueUnder 10% residual moisture