These low-carb zucchini pork dumplings, use zucchini in place of dough. They are so dang good, you won’t miss the carbs! They are also keto, paleo, gluten-free and whole30 friendly!
Zucchini Pork Dumplings
You can make them as an appetizer or have them for dinner with some brown rice or spicy garlic edamame on the side. I love using zucchini in place of pasta or noodles, as you may have seen in zucchini lasagna and zucchini rollatini, so I knew I would love this!
This creative recipe is from friend Ali’s new cookbook, Inspiralized and Beyond (affil link). It’s loaded with paleo, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free recipes for vegetarians and meat-eaters. Her book is filled with tons of great recipes like this, it’s a must to add to your collection.
Tips and Variations:
- You will need a mandoline to slice the zucchini, this is the one I have (affil link).
- Use zucchini that are 1½ inches in diameter so that the zucchini strips are large enough for wrapping the pork filling but small enough to remain dumpling-sized.
- Each zucchini should yield enough noodles to make 4 dumplings.
- You can swap the pork for ground chicken.
Zucchini Pork Dumplings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces napa cabbage leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, using a zester
- 1/4 cup minced green onions, white and green parts, plus ¼ cup finely minced, green parts only, for serving
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1½ tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce, plus more for serving (or coconut aminos for gf, whole30, paleo)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 5 to 6 medium zucchini, about 1½ inches in diameter
- Crushed red pepper flakes, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a food processor, add the cabbage and pulse until finely minced. Set aside on a large, thin kitchen towel in the sink.
- Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Wrap the cabbage up in the towel and wring out excess moisture over the sink (should eliminate about â…“ cup of moisture). Set the cabbage aside.
- Meanwhile, wipe out the food processor and add in the pork, ginger, green onions, pepper, soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil and pulse to mix the ingredients well, being careful not to over-pulse. (You don’t want the mixture to become paste-like.)
- Transfer to a large bowl and add the cabbage. Mix together with your hands to combine thoroughly. Set aside.
- Using a mandoline, slice the zucchini into 1/16-inch-thick strips. Set 1 strip down and then set another one down on top of it to create a cross shape. Repeat with 2 more zucchini strips on an angle to create an 8-cornered star shape.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling onto the center of the zucchini star. Bring the ends of the zucchini together, laying them over the filling.
- Flip the dumpling over so the seam side is down.
- Arrange on a baking sheet and repeat with remaining zucchini strips and dumpling filling, lining them up on the baking sheets as you go.
- You should create 18 to 20 total dumplings.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until dumplings are firm and edges start to brown and crisp up.
- Transfer the zucchini dumplings to serving platters, and sprinkle with green onions and red pepper flakes.
- Serve with soy sauce.
I just made some zucchini roll ups and they did take a long time. But they were very good. Will probably do lasagna next time. Anyway, this looks awesome but also possibly time consuming. Do you think it would work with only two strips of zucchini instead of four for each dumpling? And yes, I’m totally going to make these in the air fryer. Dumplings are a regular dinner in our house and now I’m gluten-free and trying to find alternatives for myself.
Not sure? It worked perfect as written
The dipping sauce in the video looks like more than just soy sauce. Do you have a recipe for that?
I usually combine soy sauce with crushed garlic, rice vinegar and a little sugar, like 1/2 teaspoon
These were super yummy.  Everyone (kids and husband too) enjoyed them.  However, I don’t think I would make again.  They were time consuming and frustrating to wrap up.Â
A new favorite!
Super fun to make, and delicious!!
I made these and they were delicious! Curious to know if I can make these in the air fryer?
We made these tonight using ground chicken breast as that was what we had on hand. While they were good and made a cute presentation, I think the flavor would be better using ground pork or at least using ground chicken thigh meat.
I think an earlier suggestion of doing them with an Italian ‘profile’ and serving with marinara sauce would be a great alternative.
This is a great low carb meal! You have the best recipes out there! Thanks Â
Excited to try these since my celiac husband really misses dumplings. Thoughts on temp/timing to do these in the airfryer??Â
PS: LOVE all your recipes!! You’re the best.
I making these for a baby shower…they look super tasty and also like little tighty-whities 🙂
Mine are in the oven right now! Can’t wait to taste them. Had some trouble wrapping them… after reading comments I believe my zucchinis were not long enough and also a little too thick. Nextime gonna get longer zucchini and try either the veggie peeler or may grill a bit to soften… I’ll get back to ya after I taste them.
Could you make these in an air fryer ?
Absolutely delicious! Â
These were amazing! Â I am midway through Whole30 and this was a delicious change of flavor pace. And my 10 year old loved them as well.Â
Just made these! LOVE THEM. Had plenty of zucchini left over to add to another recipe tomorrow! Awesome and healthy date night dinner with the hubs!
Do you think these would hold up as leftovers to warm up in the microwave?
Sure