Smash Dumpling Tacos

The perfect combination of delicious dumpling meatballs pressed into a crispy tortilla topped with sauteed cabbage and dumping sauce. These Smash Dumpling Tacos are based off the viral tik tok Big Mac Smashburger Tacos! You absolutely need to try these.

Smashburger Dumpling Tacos

Inspired by my favorite Pork and Chive dumplings in Philly and some help from Joanne Chang’s family recipe, I decided to make a quick dinner in the form of a Dumpling Tacos to satisfy my dumpling cravings. I normally like to enlist the help of a few friends once a year and make a huge batch of 100 dumplings because dumplings take a lot of time to make. These Smash dumplings are an easier version to make when you are craving the deliciousness of a dumpling but don’t have the time to make the real thing.

Why did I make Smash Dumpling Tacos

Dumplings, for me, are the type of dish that symbolizes “togetherness”. In my own culture/s, we have food like this, like empanadas, pasteles, alcapurrias, pierogi. All of these dishes take a lot of time to prepare, but it is so worth it. All of these dishes are the type of dish that you make with several members of your family to make the preparation go by faster. By turning this dish into an easier version, I am not setting out to make this dish look easy or simple or diminish the time it takes to make dumplings, I only hope to make these delicious dumpling flavors attainable for the weekday family meal.

Dumpling Meat Filling Recipe

My favorite dumpling filling is pork and chive. Anytime I make homemade dumplings at home I always use Joanne B Chang’s recipe as a template. Sometimes when my day is really hectic and I don’t have a lot of time to make dinner, I make these Dumpling Bowls, which is essentially pork dumpling meat served over rice. These smash dumpling tacos are also a great weeknight idea. They require a little bit more work than Dumpling Bowls but a lot less work than making real dumplings.

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 lb Ground Pork
• 12 Mini Tortillas Street Taco Size or Fajita Size
• 1 oz Chives finely chopped
• 4 Green Onions finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Garlic Paste plus a little bit more
• 1 tbsp Grated Ginger plus a little bit more
• 3.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 2 tsp Sesame Oil
• 2 tsp Chinese Cooking Wine Hung Lu or Shaoxing
• 10 oz Shredded Green Cabbage
• Dumpling Sauce I used store bought
• sesame seeds optional

INSTRUCTIONS 

• In a bowl combine 1lb of ground pork, 1oz of chives, 3 diced green onions, 1 tbsp garlic paste, 1 tbsp ginger, 3 tbsp Soy Sauce, 1.5tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp Chinese Cooking Wine, and 1/4 tsp sea salt.
• Make 12 equal sizes meatballs and set aside
• Heat a pan or griddle on medium heat and add your meatballs giving yourself space to add a small tortilla on top and for it to be flattened. You may have to do this in batches.
• Slowly press down on each tortilla to “smash” the meatball. Cook for 5 minutes and then flip. Cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the tortilla is crispy.
• In a separate pan, add a little olive oil, 1 diced green onion, 1 tsp garlic, and 1 tsp ginger. Sauté for a few minutes and then add 10 oz shredded green cabbage, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, and a splash of Chinese cooking wine. Cook until slightly wilted but still crunchy.
• Once your dumpling tacos are cooked and the tortilla is crispy, add to a plate, top with cabbage and sesame seeds. Serve with dumpling sauce.