Stuffed with ground pork and cabbage, this easy Potstickers recipe far outshines anything you can buy at the store! Pan-fried then steamed, they’re beautifully browned on the bottom and soft and tender on the top.
Best Homemade Potstickers Recipe
Potstickers are one of my favorite Asian appetizers and I am obsessed with these ground pork potstickers. I was a bit intimidated by the idea of making them at first and then I realized there’s actually nothing difficult about making them.
The filling is made with ground pork, cabbage, and a handful of Asian ingredients like hoisin sauce and fish sauce, plus ginger and garlic. Talk about flavor!
I brown the bottoms in a bit of oil then add water and steam, which creates the perfect texture. Just writing this makes me want to make the ones I saved for later in the freezer.
Why You’ll Love These Pork Potstickers
Here are a few reasons why we love these ground pork potstickers.
- Better than store-bought. These homemade potstickers taste lightyears better than any frozen variety at the store. I’d even say they’re better than takeout!
- Easier than you think. These are surprisingly easy to make. The only secret is to not overstuff them.
- Freeze well. I love making an extra batch to freeze and have on hand whenever the craving strikes!
What Are Potstickers?
Potstickers are a type of dumpling, typically filled with pork and cabbage. They can also be made with chicken and other veggies, like bok choy, or even made vegetarian with a mushroom filling.
They are pan-fried and steamed, so the bottoms are nice and browned, and can be dipped in soy sauce or a special dipping sauce.
Recipe Ingredients
These potstickers are made with ground pork, napa cabbage, and a handful of other ingredients common in Asian cuisine. Scroll down to the recipe card below for measurements.
- Ground pork – The base of our potsticker filling.
- Napa cabbage – Finely shredded and minced.
- Ginger & garlic – Aromatics to add flavor.
- Hoisin sauce, fish sauce & soy sauce – Add the classic savory Asian flavors to the filling.
- White pepper
- Sesame oil
- Cornstarch
- Canola oil – For browning the potstickers.
- Water
- Better Than Bouillon – Adds savory flavor to the filling.
- Sugar – A pinch of sweetness to balance the savory flavors.
- Salt
- Potsticker wrappers – There are specific round pot sticker/dumpling wrappers, however they may be difficult to find. Square won ton wrappers work equally as well if you cut the corners off the square wrapper to form circles.
- Garnish – chopped green onion (optional)
How To Make Potstickers
Homemade potstickers are not as difficult to make as you may think! Scroll down to the recipe card for printable instructions.
- Make the filling. Combine all ingredients through the salt with your hands.
- Fill the wrappers. Set up your area with a small bowl of water, the bowl of filling, the wrappers, and a tray to place them on. Add a teaspoon of pork mixture to the wrapper then use your fingers to brush water around the edges.
- Shape the potstickers. Fold the wrapper in a half-moon shape then pinch the wrapper together, fold a small edge of the wrapper over, and pinch again. Continue to make a pleat/ruffle. Make sure all sides are sealed. Repeat with all potsticker wrappers and filling.
- Brown the bottom. Heat the canola oil over medium for 3-4 minutes. Add half of the potstickers to the pan, pleat-side up. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Steam the potstickers. Add a cup of hot water to the pan. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another few minutes, until all water has evaporated.
- Make the dipping sauce. If desired, make a dipping sauce by combining sweet chili sauce and soy sauce.
Tips & Variations
Here are a few helpful things to keep in mind while making your potstickers.
- Err on the side of under-filling versus overfilling. One teaspoon of filling seemed the perfect amount to properly seal the wrapper.
- Keep the wonton wrappers under a moist towel while you work to keep them from drying out. However, don’t get the wrappers too wet or the dough will become thin, and the filling will want to burst out before and/or during cooking.
- You see many kinds of skillets used. I tried a steel skillet and the potstickers stuck completely and were torn apart when trying to cook and move. A cast iron skillet was perfect as it gave the bottoms a crunchy and golden bottom but allowed them to not stick completely. Use a metal spatula to loosen them if they do stick a little in the end.
- Filling variations. Feel free to use ground chicken, ground turkey, shrimp or even beef in place of the pork. For a vegetarian option, try vegetables like sauteed mushrooms and onions. In place of the cabbage, you can try bok choy, spinach, chopped water chestnuts or kale.
Serving Suggestions
Potstickers are typically served as an appetizer for other Asian dishes. You can dip them in the sauce I mentioned above, with the sweet chili sauce and soy sauce, or just dip them in soy sauce.
Some of my favorite Asian dishes to serve this with include Mongolian beef, beef stir fry, and bourbon chicken.
Storage & Freezing
- Fridge. While you can store these in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, potstickers are best eaten when fresh and hot. They can be reheated in the oven or microwave, but they become a little chewier.
- Freezer. That said, they do freeze beautifully! Flash freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes To Try
Potstickers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 cups finely shredded and minced Napa Cabbage
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic (or 3 large cloves)
- 1 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Corn Starch
- 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 Tablespoons Better than Bouillon Chicken
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 package pot sticker/won ton wrappers.
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add all the ingredients through salt and mix thoroughly. Your hands are the best tools.
- Set up an area to wrap your pot stickers by having a small bowl of water, the bowl with the filling, the pack of wrappers and a tray to rest the fully assembled pot stickers.
- Take one won ton wrapper, add 1 teaspoon of the filling mix.
- Use your fingers to brush water around the edges of the wrapper.
- Fold the wrapper into a half-moon shape and starting on one side, pinch the wrapper together, then fold a small edge of the wrapper over and pinch again. Continue folding a small portion on top of the other to make a pleat/ruffle.
- Make sure all sides are sealed so that the filling stays inside.
- Continue until all pot stickers are made.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of canola oil to a cast-iron skillet and heat over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Arrange half of the potstickers snugly in the pan, with the pleat-side up.
- Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are a deep golden brown.
- Add 1 cup of hot water to the pan and cover with foil or a lid.
- Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- Then remove the foil and continue to cook and all the water has evaporated, another few minutes.
- Slide a metal spatula under the pot stickers to loosen.
Optional Dipping Sauce:
- Combine ¼ cup of sweet chili sauce ¼ cup of soy sauce and stir together. If it’s too strong, add a little water until it’s diluted to your desired flavor.
Last Step:
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1 thought on “Potstickers”
Looks delicious can’t wait to try this yummy snack