Easy homemade Potsticker recipe with a savory chicken filling. Classic Asian dumplings steamed then pan fried for a tasty chewy crispy bite!
Potstickers are the perfect Chinese dim sum appetizer alongside Crab Rangoon, Shrimp Tempura, and Spring Rolls.
Sabrina’s Potstickers Recipe
It seems like any Asian restaurant you go to has amazing appetizer options, and they all seem to include their own type of dumpling! With savory chicken, crunchy green cabbage, and a zing from the ginger, these homemade Potstickers will have your family asking for more Chinese meals at home!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 cups cabbage , finely shredded
- 1/4 cup green onions , chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger , finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 package wonton wrappers
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil , divided
- 3/4 cup water , or chicken broth
Instructions
- Add the chicken and cabbage to a large skillet and cook until the chicken and cabbage are fully cooked and crumbled and the cabbage liquid has cooked off (about 8-10 minutes).
- Add the green onions, ginger, sugar, salt and sesame oil to the chicken mixture and cool.
- Add one tablespoon of the chicken mixture to the middle of the wonton wrappers and pinch closed every ½ inch into a fold and press pattern.
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a pan and cook the bottoms of the potstickers on medium-high heat before adding in the water and letting the steam cook the potstickers for 6-8 minutes.
- When the water has evaporated add remaining oil and crisp up the bottoms of the potstickers again for 1 minute.
Nutrition
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Table of contents
About this Recipe
Chinese Potstickers are typically filled with seasoned meat and vegetables. They are then steamed AND pan-fried so that the dumpling wrapper is cooked to chewy perfection while parts of it are golden brown and crispy. Part of most people’s fear about making these tends to be the folding. When it comes down to it, the filling inside is really similar to a meatball. Practice the folding process a couple of times until you’re comfortable, and there’s no reason you can’t make your own at home!
Key Ingredients
- Filling: The ground chicken veggie filling includes cabbage, ginger, and green onions for a juicy filling seasoned with sugar, salt, and sesame oil. This sweet and savory combination gives these Potstickers a delicious umami flavor.
- Wonton Wrappers: You can find wonton wrappers in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores. They are usually near other doughs in the dairy section.
How to Make
Time needed: 25 minutes
- Filling:
Cook the chicken and cabbage in a large skillet, crumbling until fully cooked and all the liquid has cooked off. Then, add the green onions, ginger, sugar, salt, and sesame oil to the chicken mixture and cool it completely.
- Folding:
Add one tablespoon of the chicken mixture to the middle of the wonton wrappers and pinch close every ½ inch into a fold-and-press pattern.
- Cooking:
To ensure the soft and crispy texture of your Chicken Potstickers, you will steam them and pan-fry them. Add 2 tablespoons oil to your pan and brown the bottoms of the potstickers. Then add a few tablespoons of water (be careful, as there is still oil in the pan) and cover to steam the potstickers. Let the water cook off, and let the bottoms crisp up before serving.
Can they be Made Ahead?
One of the best things about Potstickers is that they are amazing for prepping ahead of time. You put down a piece of parchment paper, lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze the uncooked dumplings solid before adding them to bags. Then, when you’re ready to enjoy them, you have to pull out however many you’d like for your meal. If cooking them from frozen, steam them for two more minutes with two extra tablespoons of water.
Chef’s Note: Dipping Sauce
Dipping sauces are crucial to potstickers, as they’re great for soaking up sauces and flavors. I’m a huge fan of Sweet and Sour Sauce, which is served in Chinese restaurants. However, I included a recipe for a more traditional dim sum sauce below and it couldn’t be any easier!
Dipping Sauce Recipe
- 1 tablespoon chili oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- Mix the chili oil, soy sauce, and vinegar in a small serving bowl, adjusting proportions to taste.
Serving Ideas
These are the perfect addition to your dim sum menu, but they’re also great to be served alongside a full meal. I love serving Potstickers with General Tso’s Chicken, Chicken Lo Mein (or Chow Mein) and Easy Mongolian Beef alongside steamed vegetables like carrots, broccoli and bok choy.
Nutrition Facts
How to Store
- Serve: Do not leave Chicken Potstickers at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Store: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on a lightly greased pan for best results.
- Freeze: Uncooked or cooked potstickers can be frozen in a sealed plastic bag for up to 3 months. They can then be reheated by steaming in a skillet and pan-frying according to the recipe instructions.
Air Fryer Instructions
While you can use the air-fryer, they will be crispy and less chewy than those steamed and pan-fried. Unlike store-bought ones, homemade Potstickers are not pre-cooked. You’ll want to steam them in a steamer basket for 4-5 minutes, then transfer them to your air fryer, spray them with oil, and cook at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through, until the wrappers have crispy edges.
Frequent Questions
The legend goes that a Chinese cook was trying to steam dumplings, but he didn’t pay attention, and all his water was cooking off. This left the dumplings stuck to the pan, which made them deliciously fried and crispy. The goal is to fry them to a golden brown without letting them stick too much though!
Add the filling after it’s completely cooled to prevent the wrapper from becoming soggy due to the steam. Squeeze out as much liquid from the filling as you can, and don’t let any air inside the wrapper when you are folding it.
You must thoroughly cook your filling before adding it to the wonton wrappers. The steaming and frying process is not enough to cook the inside. Plus, the meat and veggies will release water as they cook, and you do not want that excess water inside your dumpling dough because it will become soggy and tear open. Be careful about the cabbage in the recipe; it will release a lot of water. Make sure you’ve cooked it all off before making the filling.
Keep the wonton wrappers covered before using. If they dry out, they will become brittle and break. When folding, eliminate as much air as possible, or it will burst during frying and make a mess. Do not add hot filling to the wrapper. The dough is so thin it will become soggy quickly. Wrap the Potstickers tightly and add a bit of water to the edges of the wrapper to seal them. If the fold is intimidating, just wet the edges and fold them into a triangle to seal.
If you are wondering about the difference between gyoza and potstickers, the answer is mostly about size. Gyoza tend to be 1 or 2 bites, while potstickers are 2-3 bites. Thse larger dumplings are also sometimes made with a thicker handmade dough. In classic preparation in packaged containers and restaurants, I’ve noticed this isn’t the case in the United States, where the wrappers are similar. The best potstickers have crispy bottoms and are soft and chewy on the sides, like a mix of soft pasta and crispy wontons in one bite. The filling is tender and juicy without extra liquid pouring out.
Variations
- Meat: In this recipe, replace the chicken with ground pork filling or use ground beef or chopped shrimp.
- Vegetables: Add your other favorite filling variations, such as shredded carrots, shitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, or bok choy. You can also make an all-vegetable filling by caramelizing your vegetables well and substituting the chicken in the recipe.
- Extra Spicy Potstickers: For an extra spicy filling recipe, replace some of the sesame oil in the filling with a bit of chili oil. Add red pepper flakes or use a spicy sausage instead of the ground pork for more heat.
Delicious and so easy. The dipping sauce was amazing. Thank you so much for all your photos and instructions.
Can I make this recipe without the ginger? Our family really doesn’t care for the flavor. Should I substitute another flavor or just omit? It looks like a wonderful recipe!
You can just leave it out or substitute with allspice or nutmeg if you’d like. Enjoy!
Fantastic! Even one if my picky kids agreed with me! I did sub sage pork sausage, added minced garlic (I forgot it was supposed to be ginger, so I added a bit after it was cooled) and then let it cool in a colander. I tried the “fancy” folding… no go. So I ended up folding them. And I burned them… first time cooking them ? but they were still great!! Oh, and this was my first time trying potstickers too – I liked the dipping sauce with them esp!
I’m glad you decided to give them a try! I promise, the more you make them, the easier it gets.
If you are going to freeze some of the Pot stickers, should you cook them before or after you freeze them?
I usually flash freeze them (uncooked) on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. You can place them in a freezer bag once frozen. Once you’re ready to cook them, don’t thaw them just add an additional 2 tablespoons of water and add an additional 2 minutes to steam. Enjoy!
I made these this evening and they are delicious. 🙂 Definitely a keeper! I was able to make an entire 14oz package of wonton wrappers (~50 potstickers) when I made it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
I love potstickers, but I’ve never actually made them. Can’t wait to give it a try with this delicious recipe!
Enjoy!
These are sooo good! Definitely will make again.
Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you enjoyed them, Joelle.
Thanks for encouraging people to make their own potstickers. It really is a easy and fun activity for the whole family. We make ours with ground pork. It has more flavor than chicken.
Tips: To ramp up the flavor, use low sodium chicken broth instead of water for steaming. It makes a difference, and if your finished mixture seems too wet place it in a colander instead of a bowl while you fill your wrappers. Oh, and a little smear of beaten egg helps glue the seam together. Enjoy.
Thanks for your suggestions!
Your pot stickers look perfect! What a fabulous recipe to try..I don’t make these enough and they are always a fun treat to have. Pinning 😀
Thanks for the pin Tammy!
This recipe was yummy. These were the best directions regarding cooking. My potstickers would always burn, but not these. I followed your cooking instructions. I had a couple of questions regarding nutritional information. How many are in a serving? 4? And what about the carb count? Thanks. (If this info is in the recipe, please forgive me. My eyesight is challenging.)
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I would say a serving size would be 4. I’m sorry but I don’t have the carb count for this recipe.
Can you tell me what temperature the water should be when you add it to the pan? Eg cold, room temp. hot or boiling.
I just used room temperature.
I will prepare it this week. Thirty years ago I moved to Florida. We were able to find the dish called War Su Gai in Ohio. No one knows what we are talking about. It is a chicken dish. It is cubed white chicken that is coated and fried then put on a bed of lettuce, gravy is poured on and green onions sprinkled on top. Do you have it?
So sorry, I don’t have a recipe for that. I’ll add it to my to-do list and keep my eye out for it.