Learn how to make delicious pan-fried dumplings (also known as potstickers ) at home.
Chinese dumplings are classified based on cooking methods. If you want to make boiled dumplings, check how to make Chinese dumplings.
Boiled dumplings (水饺): for Chinese, dumplings are boiled dumplings in most cases, not pot-stickers and steamed dumplings. We have special name for those two types. Boiled dumplings are soft, juicy and moist. In northern provinces, are considered as the staple food all year around.
Pan-fried dumplings (potstickers, 锅贴) are crispy and chewier than boiled dumplings. Pan-fried dumplings are popular across the country mainly as street foods or side dishes.
Steamed dumplings (蒸饺): steamed dumplings are less famous compared with the two types above. In China, they are mainly served as side dish, dim sum or breakfast.
Chive and pork is the perfect match for pot stickers. The aroma of leek goes really well in the flour wrapper, giving the dumpling strong aroma too after pan-fried or cooked in water. In Chinese spring festival, people around the whole country cook chive dumplings. However in daily life, I’d love to make dumplings with different stuffing and various dips. I use a spicy dip to strong the flavor of the stuffing. The surface of the pot stickers make today is really crispy.
Cook’s Note about the filling
- Fat content should be guaranteed|If possible, choose ground meat with at least 30% fat content.
- Marinate the ground meat a few hours prior to folding|Longer marinating time help the meat to absorb the seasonings.
- Mixing oil with chive before mixing with ground meat can prevent the chive dehydrating and help to keep the green color.
- Adjustments based on small differences between boiled dumplings and potstickers. If you have decide to make this batch as potstickers, there are some of the tips for the filling. Instead of boiling in water, we use oil and pan-frying to cook the dumplings, the same filling can be a little bit more heavy in flavor and oily in texture. In order to correct this problem, I have two suggestions: use less salt and more vegetables comparing with boiled dumpling filling.
Ingredients for filling
- 250g minced pork (with some fat)
- 300g to 500g Chinese chives (remove the hard ends)
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp. cooking wine
- 1/2 tsp. white pepper
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp. hot oil
- 1/4 cup chopped scallion
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
Steps
- In a mixing bowl, add ground pork, a small pinch of salt, ginger, egg, light soy sauce, white pepper, and then oyster sauce. Mix well.
- Then place the green onion on top and drizzle hot oil on green onions. This helps to improve the aroma of the green onion.
- Stir the filling in one direction for 2-3 minutes until getting a paste texture and the filling becomes quite sticky and lighter in color. Set aside for 1 hour or cover with plastic wrapper and overnight if you are not in a hurry.
- Finely chop chives and mix with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil or other vegetable oil. Mix chive with pork before wrapping.
Generally, potstickers are folded as little moon for pot stickers. In China, we get around 10 ways of folding dumplings and little moon style is the most common used shape and considered as the most fitful for dried dumplings.
- spoon around 1 tablespoon of filling and put in the middle of the wrapper in the left hand. Moisten one edge with some water so that the edges can be pressed firmly
- fold one side of the wrapper against the other. Press the center together.
- began to make the pleats on one side.
- finish the other side.
Pan-frying process: Add oil in a pan and lay the dumplings. Fry over medium fire until the bottom is golden brown.
To make the dumplings even crisper, turn the dumplings over and fry the pleats side until slightly browned.
Swirl around ¼ cup of water and then cover the lid immediately. Continue heating until all of the water is evaporated.
Then all of the water is evaporated, continue cooking for a while until the shell becomes crispy again .
Other dumpling recipes
- Chinese cabbage potsticker | with a open wrapping method
- How to make Chinese dumplings
- Chinese beef dumplings with celery
- 50 to 60 dumpling wrappers
- 250 g minced pork ,with some fat
- 300 g to 500g Chinese chives ,remove the hard ends
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp. cooking wine
- 1/2 tsp. white pepper
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp. hot oil
- 1/4 cup chopped scallion
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili oil ,I use laoganma crispy chili oil this time
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon stock or clean water
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seed
- Chopped scallion and coriander optional
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In a mixing bowl, add ground pork, a small pinch of salt, ginger, egg, cooking wine, light soy sauce, white pepper, and then oyster sauce . Mix well.
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Then place the green onion on top and drizzle hot oil on green onions. This helps to improve the aroma of the green onion.
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Stir the filling in one direction for 2-3 minutes until getting a paste texture and the filling becomes quite sticky and lighter in color. Set aside for 1 hour or cover with plastic wrapper and overnight.
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Finely chop chives and mix with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil or other vegetable oil. Mix chive with pork before wrapping.
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Add around 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan (nonstick pan recommended for beginners), place the dumplings in. Pleats side up.
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Heat over medium fire until one side becomes browned. For a even crisper version, slow down the fire and turn over the dumpling and fry the pleats side until golden brown too.Swirl around 1/4 cup of water and then cover the lid immediately. Continue heating until all of the water is evaporated.
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Heat over slowest fire until the bottom becomes crispy and golden brown.
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Serve directly or dipping sauce.
We don’t do “spicy” really well around here, but I love potstickers. Can you recommend any adjustments to your sauce recipe?
Hi Dawn,
Vinegars with several ginger shreds can perform as a great dip.
I’m in the process of making these right now, and the end result sounds lovely. However, I would recommend explaining how much “Ginger Water” is needed. Unless I missed the exact amount needed somewhere in the article, I just winged it. I used less that 3oz, and the “Paste” came out far too watery. I’m hoping I can still save this mixture. Thank you nonetheless for this guide.
OMG these were amazing.. I used your homemade dumpling wrappers. Since I didn’t use chives, I subbed six scallions, finely chopped. It was good that way, too.
I also made a few changes that worked well and I will do again:
–1 tsp of salt was the perfect amount for me. Double that would have been too salty for my taste.
–I put less white pepper too.. Maybe 7-8 turns on the grinder. The filling had a great flavor of white pepper. I think a full tsp would be too much.
–For ginger water I made it by grating a small chunk of ginger and squeezing it (I used a fabric bag I use to make nut butter). It ended up being about 1 tsp of liquid.
A lot of people have asked about the cooking method. Don’t worry, the pork cooks completely in the pan. My dumplings were at 185 degrees in the interior, way over the 145 degrees that is the minimum safe for ground pork. If you want to be sure you can test with an instant read thermometer the first time to reassure yourself….but really, they cook great as long as you put the cover on.
My cooking method is this: Heat about a tablespoon of oil on medium (or medium high depending on your stove) in a ten inch skillet. Place dumplings flat side down in the sizzling oil, and cook covered for two minutes. Add about 1/3 of a cup water and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes on medium, still covered. Turn heat down to low and cook another minute or two until outsides are fully cooked. If your skins are thick you may need a bit longer than these times.
I leave them flat side down the whole time because I like only one side done. That’s personal preference. I keep them warm in the oven at 225 degrees while I finish cooking the rest of the dinner.
Thank you for this amazing recipe, Elaine!
Thank you for this helpful comment. I have updated the recipe for the better accuracy based on your cooking methods.
Just made some this evening for dinner and am happy to say they came out really well! So tasty. Only made 18 though as it was just for me and my husband so hoping to use up the rest tomorrow and then freeze down. Elaine in a previous answer you said to “boil directly” if you freeze them down, do you mean boiling is the only option or is that just to help cook the frozen center, and then I can crisp the outside with a quick “dip” in a frying pan? Thanks!
No Triana,
When I say boil directly, I mean you do not need to place the dumplings in room temperature in order to soften back. You can pan-fry frozen dumplings too with a little bit more water to help cook the center.
I would love to make these in advance for a quick meal! Can I freeze these?
Yes.
They can freeze well. But after frozen, I suggest steaming them for 2-3 minutes before pan-frying.
Hello 😉
I would like to try your recipe. (With chive and pork filling, coocked in a pan).
What do you think if I prepare the dumplings and keep them in the fridge until the next day (for cocking).?
😉 thank you.
Alessandra
Alessandra，
Yes. But you need to freeze them. If you place them in fridge, the wrapper will be softened and broken. If you plan to make pan-fried dumplings or potsticker, I suggest steaming the dumplings (do not let the dumplings stick together) for 8-10 minutes until almost cooked before pan-frying.
Frozen dumping can work fine with boiled dumplings.
I tried this recipe and it turned out wonderful! My dumplings were kinda ugly, but tasted delicious haha. Love this website and can’t wait to work my way through it – gonna try the handpulled noodles next. Wish me luck! Thanks Elaine!
Quinn,
Never mind about the shape. They are made with love. Hand pulled noodles are quite funny. Enjoy!
Hi Elaine!
Two questions:
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1. Where is ginger or ginger water mentioned in your article or recipe? There’s no ginger in the list of ingredients, but the directions, step 1 directs it be added along with “the pork, a small pinch of salt,, ginger, egg,, light soy sauce…” etc.
Here’s what you told Adrienne:
Adrienne says, February 23, 2014 at 4:52 pm — These look yummy! I am actually making them right now but am confused about the ginger water. How much water do I soak the ginger in? And then how much do I add to the dumpling mix? Thanks! Can’t wait to eat these tonight!!
Replied Elaine Luo,February 23, 2014 at 8:34 pm — Hi Adrienne, Add water just cover the chopped ginger and then mix all of the ginger and water with the filling..
HOW MUCH GINGER, or do you really just want the soaking water??
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2. CHINESE CHIVES: Are you referring to Chinese chives 韭菜, “jiǔ cài” or “gow choy?
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Please respond! I want to make these very soon and it’s a lot of work to waste if they don’t turn out right! 🙂
Hi
I’m sorry, I’m probably just being stupid but in the ingredience you mention cooking wine but then there is no mention of it in the recipe?
No, it is my fault. I miss cooking wine in the instruction section. Cooking wine should be added along with other marinating ingredients. Thanks for the correction.
Hi! I checked through some of the comments, but haven’t seen anyone mention the “hot oil”, is the hot oil supposed to be hot in temperature or hot-as in spicy? Thanks for any clarification.
I updated the recipes recently by adding the hot oil, making the filling even better. You can use this tip or skip it.