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The first time I made Chinese potsticker dumplings was with my mother. We made a batch and froze part of it, and cooked up the rest for our family reunion dinner. I remembered it was so delicious we finished all up, each of us eating more than 10 dumplings. A friend from China I met years ago once invited me to her home and we handmade the dumpling wrappers from scratch, the dumplings we made were steamed and we had a great time hanging out just making and eating dumplings. Dumplings to me are really great comfort food you can bond with your family and friends over, having fun conversations while making it and then savouring it together warm and wholesome.

potsticker dumpling

There are many types of dumplings (饺子), it’s basically an umbrella term for a piece of dough, either filled with meat or vegetables, or comes with no fillings (not so common). Dumplings are cooked by steaming (蒸饺), or pan-frying (煎饺), or boiling (水饺), and then served with dipping sauce. It’s a huge part of the Chinese culture, and it comes in different names and form factors:

  • Huntun (馄饨) or wanton (云吞) or chaoshou (抄手) – dumplings filled with meat, vegetables or seafood. People from Northern China named this huntun (馄饨) and typically boil and serve it in a savoury hot broth. It is believed that all other varieties of dumplings are derived from the huntun. People from the Sichuan province in China call these chaoshou (抄手), they are boiled and then served in chilli oil. The Cantonese calls this wanton (云吞), which is either boiled and served in soup, or deep-fried and served with condiments. Comparably, the wanton features the thinnest skin and smallest size, and is eaten more like a snack added to a main noodle dish while the other varieties may come in bigger sizes and be eaten as a meal.
  • Shuijiao (水饺) – dumplings filled with meat or vegetables that are boiled and served either with condiments or in a savoury broth. This type of dumpling usually comes in a crescent moon shaped.
  • Soup dumplings (xiao long bao 小笼包) – round dumplings filled with meat or vegetables and steamed. These are eaten by scooping it onto a Chinese spoon, biting off the top of the dumpling and slurping the soup within the dumping before eating the dumpling skin and meat, thus called the soup dumplings. Soup dumplings are also served with vinegar and ginger strips.
  • Potsticker dumplings (guo tie 锅贴) – see my longer explanation below.
  • Gyoza – the Japanese version of dumpling, filled with meat and vegetables and cooked by either steaming, boiling or pan-frying.
  • Mandu – the Korean version of dumpling, similarly filled with meat and vegetables and cooked by either steaming, boiling or pan-frying.
  • Momo – the Tibetan version of dumpling, and is also native to parts of India. It is commonly filled with chicken or yak meat, vegetables, or even cheese, then steamed, and served with achar or thick tomato or soy based chutneys.

What is Potsticker Dumpling?

Potstickers dumplings are Chinese dumplings that are filled with minced meat and vegetables, and cooked by pan-frying, and then steamed with water in the same pan. The exterior of the dumpling looks steamed and juicy but the bottom part is crispy, cooking it these way makes it moist and crisp. These dumplings are then served with a condiment dipping sauce. You can also fill these dumplings with only vegetables or add prawns to the filling.

The name “potsticker” comes from the Chinese name “guo tie 锅贴” which literally means ‘stick to the pot’.

potsticker dumpling

How to cook Chinese Dumplings?

There are 3 main ways to cook Chinese dumplings:

  • Steamed – in a bamboo steamer or steamer pot, whichever steaming setup you have in your kitchen
  • Boiled – in water or soups, goes well with savoury condiments such as soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar or just soy sauce.
  • Pan fried – in a greased non-stick pan until the bottom is slightly crisped, then add water and cover and steam. Finish off with some sesame oil for the extra aroma.
steamed potsticker dumpling
Steamed dumpling
boiled potsticker dumpling
Boiling dumplings

How to store Chinese dumplings

Once wrapped, store uncooked dumplings in airtight containers, placed separately from each piece, in the freezer up to 3 months. You do not have to thaw it before you cook it, whether it’s steamed, boiled or pan-fried. Just take note that the cooking time will be longer if the dumplings are frozen.

Tips on making Potsticker Dumplings

  • In this recipe, I’m using store bought wrappers. These wrappers are more rigid, thicker and dusted with more flour to prevent them from sticking to each other. Choose the side with lesser flour to add the filling and dab some water to seal the dumpling.
  • The pork shoulder meat is minced once for this recipe, you can let the butcher know if you want it minced once or twice. Mincing it more than once will have a slightly pastier texture. If you can’t find pork shoulder meat, you can also use lean pork meat mixed with pork belly, the fats from the pork belly will add a nice grease and taste to the filling.
  • I added shredded cabbage to the meat filling as I love the texture and taste of cabbage. I didn’t wash the cabbage as I tore off the outer layer leaves and use the inside leaves for shredding. You can also use garlic chives, spring onion, mushrooms to replace the cabbage.
  • If you are not sure if the dumplings are cooked, insert a toothpick or satay stick or thin chopstick into the middle of the dumpling, and pull it out, if it comes out clean, the dumplings are cooked and ready to eat.

Check out these 12 easy ways to wrap dumplings using store bought dumpling wrappers.

ingredients

Watch how to make Potsticker Dumplings on YouTube

Pin now, cook later

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potsticker dumpling

Chinese Potsticker Dumplings 锅贴

These Chinese Potsticker Dumplings are the ultimate comfort food! They are easy and fun to make, quick to cook and delicious as the main or side snack.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine asian, Chinese
Servings 8 persons
Calories 80 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For steam-frying the dumplings

  • ½ tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • ¼ cup water

Dipping sauce

Instructions
 

  • Peel and mince 2 cloves of garlic.
    Peel and grate 1 knob of ginger to yield 1 tbsp.
    1 knob ginger, 2 cloves garlic
    minced garlic and ginger
  • Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into half. Use a vegetable peeler to shred out 100g of cabbage.
    100 g cabbage
    cabbage
  • Combine 600g minced pork, 100g shredded cabbage, minced garlic, 1 tbsp grated ginger, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp Chinese wine, 2 tsp white pepper powder. Mix well by hand or using a spoon.
    Use immediately or cover and chill in fridge until ready to use.
    600 g minced pork shoulder 五花肉, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp Chinese Shao Xing Wine, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tsp white pepper powder
    mix filling
  • Get ready a small bowl of water, dumping wrappers and the pork cabbage filling to start wrapping the dumplings.
    Note: keep the dumpling wrappers covered to prevent it from drying out.
    50-60 pcs dumpling or gyoza wrappers
    ready to wrap
  • In this recipe, I used the store bought dumpling wrappers.
    Scoop 1-2 tsp heapful of filling onto the less floured side of the wrapper.
    add filling
  • Dab some water around the edge of the wrapper to make it stick easier.
    apply water
  • Fold the wrapper into half, pinch in the middle of the wrapper.
    Using the thumb and index finger on one hand to hold the middle of the wrapper, make 2-3 inward folds with the other hand on the right and left side of the wrapper. Press firmly to seal the wrapper well.
    Dab some water (if required) to seal the wrapper if it's not sticky enough.
    wrap dumpling
  • Warm 1 tbsp cooking oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat.
    1 tbsp cooking oil
  • Place the dumplings into the pan, at least 1 cm apart, fold side up.
    fry dumpling
  • Pan fry for about 2 minutes until the bottom crisps up.
  • Add 1/4 cup water, enough to cover 1/4 of the dumpling height.
    Cover with a lid and let it steam for about 7 minutes, until most of the water evaporated or the wrapper turns translucent.
    1/4 cup water
    steam fried potsticker dumpling
  • Drizzle 1/2 tbsp sesame oil over the dumplings and let it cook for another 30 seconds.
    1/2 tbsp sesame oil
    add sesame oil
  • The bottom of the dumplings will have crisped and browned nicely.
    Turn off heat and transfer the dumplings onto a serving plate.
    crispy bottom
  • Make the dipping sauce by combining soy sauce, rice vinegar and julienned ginger strips.
    1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 knob ginger
    dipping sauce
  • Serve warm immediately with dipping sauce.
    potsticker dumpling

Alternative cooking method by steaming

  • Boil water in a steamer pot.
    steamed potsticker dumpling
  • Place dumplings onto a steamer and steam over medium high heat for about 8-10 minutes until the skin turns translucent.
    Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
    steamed potsticker dumpling

Alternative cooking method by boiling

  • Boil water in a pot over high heat.
    Add the dumpling into the boiling water and boil over medium high heat till the dumplings float to the top. Stir regularly to avoid the dumplings sticking to the pot.
    Once the dumplings float, boil for another 2 minutes.
    Note: total time taken is about 4-5 minutes.
    boiled potsticker dumpling
  • Remove the dumplings from the water and transfer onto a serving plate.
    Drizzle the dumplings with some soy sauce, sesame oil and chilli oil. Serve it immediately.
    boiled potsticker dumpling

Video

Notes

    • Check out these 12 easy ways to wrap dumplings using store bought dumpling wrappers.
    • Once wrapped, store uncooked dumplings in airtight containers, placed separately from each piece, in the freezer up to 3 months. You do not have to thaw it before you cook it, whether it’s steamed, boiled or pan-fried. Just take note that the cooking time will be longer if the dumplings are frozen.
    • In this recipe, I’m using store bought gyoza wrappers. These wrappers are more rigid, thicker and dusted with more flour to prevent them from sticking to each other. Choose the side with lesser flour to add the filling and dab some water to seal the dumpling.
    • The pork shoulder meat is minced once for this recipe, you can let the butcher know if you want it minced once or twice. Mincing it more than once will have a slightly pastier texture. If you can’t find pork shoulder meat, you can also use lean pork meat mixed with pork belly, the fats from the pork belly will add a nice grease and taste to the filling.
    • I added shredded cabbage to the meat filling as I love the texture and taste of cabbage. I didn’t wash the cabbage as I tore off the outer layer leaves and use the inside leaves for shredding. You can also use garlic chives, spring onion, mushrooms to replace the cabbage.
    • To test if the dumplings are cooked, insert a toothpick or satay stick or thin chopstick into the middle of the dumpling, and pull it out, if it comes out clean, the dumplings are cooked and ready to eat.
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Nutrition

Calories: 80kcal
Keyword cabbage, chinese, dumpling, momo, pork
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