This potstickers recipe is ground pork with mushrooms, cabbage and seasonings, all wrapped in tender dough and cooked until golden brown. A simple and easy way to make this Chinese food classic in the comfort of your own home.
When I’m in the mood for Asian food, I whip up some of our favorites including vegetable lo mein, homemade egg rolls, sweet and sour chicken and these amazingly delicious potstickers. My version is even better than what you’d get at a restaurant!
Homemade potstickers take a little time to make, but the end result is absolutely worth it. I like to offer my potstickers as part of an Asian style feast with other family favorites including pan fried noodles, sweet and sour pork and some greens tossed in Asian salad dressing.
Potstickers Ingredients
This recipe is made with potsticker wrappers, ground pork, vegetable oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, cabbage, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, green onions, cornstarch, salt and pepper.
How do you make potstickers?
This recipe starts with a mixture of ground pork, seasonings, green onions, cabbage and mushrooms. The ingredients are all combined to make the filling for the dumplings. Spoon the filling into dumpling wrappers, then fold the dumplings. The final step is to cook the dumplings by searing the outsides, then adding a little water to steam them so that the filling can cook through.
Tips for perfect dumplings
- Make sure to finely mince the ingredients for the filling. I use a mandoline to thinly shred the cabbage.
- This recipe works best with dumpling or gyoza wrappers, you can find them at most Asian markets and some large grocery stores. You can use wonton wrappers in a pinch, but the end result will not be quite the same as what you’d get at your local Chinese restaurant.
- Potstickers stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat your dumplings in the oven to crisp the skins. You can also freeze cooked dumplings for up to 2 months.
- When you add the water to the pan to steam the potstickers, there will likely be a little residual oil in the pan which will splatter when the water is poured in. Stand back, wear oven mitts, and cover the pan as quickly as possible after the water is poured in.
How to fold a potsticker
The simplest way to fold a potsticker is to place the filling in the center of a wrapper, fold it up to make a half moon shape, then seal it shut. Traditionally, these dumplings are have decorative pleats along the top. You can pleat your potstickers by folding them into the half moon, keeping the top open, then using your fingers to firmly press the top of the wrapper together. Be careful not to overfill your dumplings or you won’t have enough wrapper along the top to make the pleats.
Recipe FAQs
Potstickers are dumplings that are traditionally filled with pork, cabbage and seasonings. The dumplings are folded into a crescent shape, then pan fried and steamed to create a crispy exterior and tender interior. These dumplings are often served as an appetizer with a dipping sauce.
The legend goes that one day a chef was boiling dumplings, and he forgot about the pot on the stove. All of the water boiled off, and the dumplings were stuck to the bottom of the pot (hence the name potsticker). He served them anyways and they were a huge hit, and thus began the life of the potsticker.
Recipe Variations
This is a fairly traditional version of Chinese potstickers, but you can switch up the ingredients to customize it to your tastes.
- Protein: Try using ground chicken or ground turkey instead of the pork.
- Seasonings: You can add other seasonings to the mix such as chili garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, or rice vinegar.
- Vegetables: Swap out the cabbage and mushrooms for other veggies such as shredded carrots, kale or water chestnuts.
Dipping Sauce
I like to make a simple dipping sauce to serve with my dumplings. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon sliced green onions, 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
In my opinion, these potstickers are even better than what you’d get at a restaurant. They’re absolutely worth the effort!
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Potstickers Video
Potstickers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms finely minced
- 1 cup shredded green cabbage
- 1/4 cup green onions thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 32 potsticker wrappers
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Place the pork, mushrooms, cabbage, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, salt, pepper, ginger and garlic in a large bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Place one potsticker wrapper on a flat surface. Keep the remaining wrappers covered so that they don't dry out.
- Place a little under 2 teaspoons of the pork mixture onto the center of the wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrapper with water.
- Fold the wrapper over and hold it open in a half moon shape. Fold the top of the wrapper over to make pleats. See step-by-step photos in the post.
- Repeat the process with the remaining wrappers and filling.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Place 6-8 potstickers in the oil with the flat side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until bottoms are browned.
- Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan then immediately cover the pan to steam the potstickers.
- Steam for 3 minutes, then uncover the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until all of the water evaporates.
- Repeat the process another 2 times with the remaining oil and potstickers.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe works best with dumpling or gyoza wrappers, you can find them at most Asian markets and some large grocery stores. You can use wonton wrappers in a pinch, but the end result will not be quite the same as what you’d get at your local Chinese restaurant.
- Potstickers stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat your dumplings in the oven to crisp the skins. You can also freeze cooked dumplings for up to 2 months.
- When you add the water to the pan to steam the potstickers, there will likely be a little residual oil in the pan which will splatter when the water is poured in. Stand back, wear oven mitts, and cover the pan as quickly as possible after the water is poured in.
Very tasty potstickers.
For those that want a stickier potsticker, use chicken broth instead of water for steaming them. The bottom becomes carmelized and spectacular!
Loved your version of these potstickers! Good amount of ginger and garlic, and we simply adore your dipping sauce!
I’m obsessed with postickers. I could eat them all day every day, but I’ve never tried making my own. I’m sure mine won’t be as pretty, but I think I can handle this recipe!