Smash Dumpling Tacos: Authentic Asian Flavor, No Fuss
These simple Asian-inspired dumpling smash tacos are like the delicious love child between my beloved Wonton Meatballs and those irresistible smash burger tacos you've seen on TikTok and Instagram! They're perfect for busy weeknights or whenever those dumpling cravings hit!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Dumpling Smash Tacos
- 1 pound ground pork
- ¼ pound raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 green onions roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon Umami Stir Fry Powder or 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt + ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
- ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil divided
- 8 Grain-free tortillas (6-inches in diameter)
Napa Cabbage Slaw
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- ½ teaspoon Whole30 Sriracha or ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage or bok choy, Savoy cabbage, green cabbage or red cabbage
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Plop the pork, shrimp, green onion, cilantro, coconut aminos, Umami Stir Fry Powder, fish sauce, and toasted sesame oil in the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse several times, until a thick paste is formed. The texture should be sticky and tacky!
- Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions that are about 2½ ounces each.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil and place a dumpling ball onto the skillet and cover the patty with a tortilla. Smash down with a meat pounder or burger smasher until the meat is as thin as possible.
- Fry, meat-side down, for about 2 minutes or until the dumpling side is fully cooked and golden brown.
- Then, flip the tortilla with a fish spatula and fry on the tortilla side for 1 minute or until the tortilla is lightly browned. Don’t fry the tortilla side longer than about a minute or the tortilla can crack when you bend it. If you like crispy tortillas, fry them for about 2-3 minutes and serve them as open-faced dumpling tostadas!
- Immediately transfer the cooked smash taco to a taco holder and push down the center with a spatula to form a taco. Alternatively, you can bend the tacos in half while warm or keep them as open-faced tostadas.
- Repeat the instructions with the remaining dumpling smash tacos, until finished, adding additional avocado oil to the pan as needed.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, coconut aminos, sriracha, and sesame oil. Toss in the julienned napa cabbage and green onion and mix well.
- Top the dumpling smash tacos with the dressed Napa cabbage and dig in!
Video
Notes
Pro tips for the best smash dumpling tacos:
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- Blitz the dumpling filling in a food processor! I streamlined the ingredients for my Wonton Meatballs and plop everything in the food processor so the filling comes together in a flash. (If you don't have a food processor, you can follow the instructions in the Wonton meatballs post to do it all by hand.)
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- Use a burger press or potato masher to smush the tortilla on top of the dumpling filling! If you don't have a press, you can smush the dumpling filling on the tortilla with some parchment paper or greased fingers, but it will be messier and less even.
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- Don't fry the tortilla side too long! If you do, it will be hard to fold the tacos without the shells cracking. If you do want a crispy shell, just leave the tacos flat and eat them like Asian tostadas.
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- Use a metal taco holder to form the tacos properly! Transfer the smash tacos immediately from the frying pan to the holder and push down the center with a spatula. With taco holders, your tacos won't spill over either!
Nutrition
Calories: 655kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 50g | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g