Uploaded November 2021 | Updated September 2026, 43 minutes ago
When I first encountered this kind of dumpling, in California, they were called potstickers; I am sure there are many other names as well. They are a kind of dumpling, but since there are so many different kinds of dumplings, I call these potstickers because it is more specific. They are cooked, once they are formed, by steaming them in a hot pan, and then adding a little oil to allow them to get crispy on one or more sides, before serving. They stick very slightly to the pan, hence the name. They should not actually stick badly, as that would not be pleasant.
It is possible, though quite laborious, to make the potsticker skins from scratch, but unless you’re having a big dumpling party to make the skins and fill them, it will be much more pleasant to buy round dumpling skins at an asian grocery if possible. Each ~2.5-3” circle of dumpling wrapper should be filled with a scant tablespoon of filling, and then crimped closed.
Formed, raw dumplings may be frozen for future use, or cooked immediately. If cooking them from frozen they probably need 3 or 4 extra minutes of steaming.
Makes about 34 potsticker dumplings.
Equipment:
• large mixing bowl
• pastry work surface, lightly dusted with flour
• parchment or wax-paper lined quarter sheet pan for finished dumplings
• cast-iron skillet (flat-bottomed)
Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork lean is okay
1 ea egg especially with lean pork
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup scallions finely chopped
3 Tbsp ginger minced
2 Tbsp soy sauce + 1 tsp
1 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 cup cabbage finely chopped; flat cabbage is optimal
Dipping sauce:
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sushi vinegar
1 ea bird’s eye chili optional; sliced thin
1/4 tsp ginger minced
Procedure:
1. Get your hands really clean and use them to mix all of the ingredients together in the mixing bowl.
2. If the mixture isn’t cold once it is mixed – when mixed by hand, it generally won’t be especially cold at this point -- cover the bowl and place it into the fridge for 10 or 15 minutes.
3. Keeping the filling cold, place a scant tablespoon of filling into each skin, fold the skin in half around the filling, and crimp it together by pleating it along its outside edge.
4. Bend the seam into a crescent shape and sit the dumpling down so it has a flat side.
5. Once all the dumplings are done, they may be cooked one panful at a time, in a cast-iron pan. Or make one pan and freeze the rest. Fifteen to twenty dumplings will fit into a typical cast-iron pan.
6. To cook: get the skillet hot, just barely to the point of smoking, swirl with high-temp oil like canola or grapeseed oil, then place potsticker dumplings into the pan, sitting on their flat sides.
7. Immediately, pour in a quarter cup of water and cover the pan. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes, or for about 30 seconds after steam stops appearing. If the water boils off too fast and the pastry still looks a bit undercooked, add another quarter cup of water and cover once again.
8. Once the potstickers have been steamed to the point of the pastry being fully cooked, reduce heat input to medium, and refresh oil if need be – not much is required, but if the iron is thirsty it may be that another few drops of oil around the dumplings would be a good idea.
9. Allow the dumplings to fry and get crispy on their flat side. If desired, turn them once to another side and allow them to become more crispy.
10.Serve the dumplings with a dipping sauce made by combining all the dipping sauce ingredients.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
When I first encountered this kind of dumpling, in California, they were called potstickers; I am sure there are many other names as well. They are a kind of dumpling, but since there are so many different kinds of dumplings, I call these potstickers because it is more specific. They are cooked, once they are formed, by steaming them in a hot pan, and then adding a little oil to allow them to get crispy on one or more sides, before serving. They stick very slightly to the pan, hence the name. They should not actually stick badly, as that would not be pleasant.
It is possible, though quite laborious, to make the potsticker skins from scratch, but unless you’re having a big dumpling party to make the skins and fill them, it will be much more pleasant to buy round dumpling skins at an asian grocery if possible. Each ~2.5-3” circle of dumpling wrapper should be filled with a scant tablespoon of filling, and then crimped closed.
Formed, raw dumplings may be frozen for future use, or cooked immediately. If cooking them from frozen they probably need 3 or 4 extra minutes of steaming.
Makes about 34 potsticker dumplings.
Equipment:
• large mixing bowl
• pastry work surface, lightly dusted with flour
• parchment or wax-paper lined quarter sheet pan for finished dumplings
• cast-iron skillet (flat-bottomed)
Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork lean is okay
1 ea egg especially with lean pork
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup scallions finely chopped
3 Tbsp ginger minced
2 Tbsp soy sauce + 1 tsp
1 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 cup cabbage finely chopped; flat cabbage is optimal
Dipping sauce:
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sushi vinegar
1 ea bird’s eye chili optional; sliced thin
1/4 tsp ginger minced
Procedure:
1. Get your hands really clean and use them to mix all of the ingredients together in the mixing bowl.
2. If the mixture isn’t cold once it is mixed – when mixed by hand, it generally won’t be especially cold at this point -- cover the bowl and place it into the fridge for 10 or 15 minutes.
3. Keeping the filling cold, place a scant tablespoon of filling into each skin, fold the skin in half around the filling, and crimp it together by pleating it along its outside edge.
4. Bend the seam into a crescent shape and sit the dumpling down so it has a flat side.
5. Once all the dumplings are done, they may be cooked one panful at a time, in a cast-iron pan. Or make one pan and freeze the rest. Fifteen to twenty dumplings will fit into a typical cast-iron pan.
6. To cook: get the skillet hot, just barely to the point of smoking, swirl with high-temp oil like canola or grapeseed oil, then place potsticker dumplings into the pan, sitting on their flat sides.
7. Immediately, pour in a quarter cup of water and cover the pan. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes, or for about 30 seconds after steam stops appearing. If the water boils off too fast and the pastry still looks a bit undercooked, add another quarter cup of water and cover once again.
8. Once the potstickers have been steamed to the point of the pastry being fully cooked, reduce heat input to medium, and refresh oil if need be – not much is required, but if the iron is thirsty it may be that another few drops of oil around the dumplings would be a good idea.
9. Allow the dumplings to fry and get crispy on their flat side. If desired, turn them once to another side and allow them to become more crispy.
10.Serve the dumplings with a dipping sauce made by combining all the dipping sauce ingredients.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
