Growing up, homemade Potstickers have always been one of my favorite foods. I remember helping my mom stuff and fold them up before transferring them onto a giant platter. After about an hour, we would have hundreds of potstickers!
We usually boiled ours up in a broth-based soup with small rice cake discs (the dish in Korean is called mandu-guk). Our Potsticker recipe today is a pan-fried version and is more of a mixed bag of Asian ingredients, but the dipping sauce is very Korean. The reason I love potstickers so much is that the filling is easily customizable and there are several cooking methods for these delicious, savory dumplings.
This is one of my favorite recipes to make ahead and freeze and I almost always have a bag of potstickers in my freezer ready to go!
What Are Potstickers?
Potstickers are a type of dumpling. They are often filled with pork and cabbage, but can be customizable based on personal taste and preference. Potstickers are often seen folded into a pleated crescent shape, but can also be folded in half with no pleats for simplicity.
They can be pan fried, which create nice crispy exterior and a juicy interior, but can also be steamed and boiled for an overall soft texture. They are usually accompanied with a soy based dipping sauce.
How to Make Our Potstickers Recipe
Ingredients
Process
Filling
- Place all filling ingredients into a bowl.
- Mix together until well combined. Set aside.
Assembly and Cooking
- Place wonton wrapper on a clean surface.
- Brush perimeter of a wonton wrapper with the beaten egg.
- Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of the wonton wrapper.
- Open your dominant hand, palm side up, and hold fingers together. Place the filled and open wonton wrapper onto your fingers and fold the wrapper in half, only sealing the corner of one side.
- To create the pleat pattern, create a curl or mountain with the top of the wonton wrapper.
- Press the curve of the wrapper down into the edge.
- Repeat until you have pleated almost the entire edge.
- Leave a small opening in the corner.
- Carefully pinch the corner closed.
- Then gently press around the entire edge to fully seal.
Check out the video below for additional help on how to pleat potstickers!
- Set pleated wontons aside and repeat until all filling and wrappers have been used.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add some oil. Add some potstickers to pan (making sure not to overcrowd the pan), so the crimped side is up, and pan-fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Add a little water to the pan and cover for 2 to 4 minute or until the wonton wrappers have softened and steamed and the filling has finished cooking through. Remove from heat and repeat until all potstickers have been cooked. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
Our Korean Potsticker Dipping Sauce (Yangnyeom Ganjang)
We serve our potstickers with a traditional Korean-style sauce called yangnyeom ganjang. It’s typically made with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil minced garlic, sliced green onion, toasted sesame seeds, and Korean chile powder. This dipping sauce is great for pan-fried, steamed and boiled potstickers.
Ingredients
Process
- Place all ingredients into a small bowl.
- Whisk together. Serve as dipping sauce for potstickers.
Tools You Will Need
- cutting board
- knife
- wooden spoon
- mixing bowls
- measuring spoons
- liquid measuring cup
- small spoon
- pastry brush
- large sauté pan
- tongs
Are Wonton Wrapper Gluten Free?
Generally no because they are usually made with wheat flour, but you can find a really great recipe for gluten-free wonton wrapper dough here.
How to Boil and Steam Potstickers
To Boil
Fill a pot with water or broth of choice and bring to a boil. Carefully add potstickers to pot and cook for 7 to 9 minutes or until they begin to float to the surface of the liquid. Using a slotted spoon, lift potstickers from water and serve with dipping sauce or serve potstickers in broth as a soup.
To Steam
Fill a pot with a couple inches of water and top with a bamboo steamer (or a metal steamer basket). Line steamer base or basket with a single layer of lettuce or cabbage leaves (such as savoy cabbage). Place potstickers over lettuce about 1 inch apart and cover with lid. Place pot over medium-high heat and steam for about 10 minutes or until filling has cooked through.
Freezing Instructions for Potstickers
Potstickers freezing VERY well! Just line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper then place uncooked potstickers onto the baking sheet, flat side down, about 1/2 inch apart (they shouldn’t touch one another). Then pop them into the freezer for a couple of hours. Once they are completely frozen you can transfer them into a resealable bag. If properly stored, they will keep for 3 to 4 months.
Tips and Tricks for Success
- It’s important that all the air is pressed out of the filled wrapper before tightly sealing the sides together to prevent the potstickers from bursting when they’re cooked.
- Be careful not to overstuff the wrappers with filling which can also make the potstickers burst while cooking them.
- It’s helpful to remove the skillet from the heat before adding the water, then quickly covering before returning the skillet to the stovetop. This will help to prevent any of the oil in the skillet from spattering up and possibly catching on fire from the stovetop flames (particularly if using a gas stovetop).
Variations
My favorite thing about potstickers is that the filling variations are endless! You can add or take away whatever you want depending on your flavor preference. Some of our favorite options are below!
- You can replace the pork in this recipe for ground chicken, ground turkey, ground beef, or chopped raw shrimp.
- If you’re looking for a vegetarian option, you can replace the meat with diced and sautéed mushrooms, my personal favorite is shiitake mushrooms.
- You can swap in spinach leaves, kale, napa cabbage or savoy cabbage for the bok choy.
- Feel free to also omit the water chestnuts for an overall softer texture.
- Kimchi potstickers (specifically napa cabbage kimchi) are popular and definitely a favorite in my household. You can make them vegetarian or incorporate them into a meat filling. Just squeeze as much liquid from the kimchi as you can, chop and stir into the filling!
More Delicious Potsticker and Dumpling Recipes You Will Love
Potstickers
INGREDIENTS
pork filling
- 12 ounces ground pork
- 1 baby bok choy, diced (about 1 1/4 cups, diced)
- 6 water chestnuts, diced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
assembly
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 40 round wonton wrappers
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
yangnyeom ganjang
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons gochujaru (Korean chili powder)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place all filling ingredients into a bowl and mix together until well combined. Set aside.
- Brush perimeter of a wonton wrapper with the beaten egg and fill center with 1 heaping tablespoon of pork filling.
- Open your dominant hand, palm side up, and hold fingers together.
- Place the filled and open wonton wrapper onto your fingers and fold the wrapper in half, only sealing the corner of one side.
- Using your other hand, push small pleats onto one side of the wrapper, pressing and sealing with the hand holding the potsticker.
- Set aside and repeat until all filling and wrappers have been used.
- Heat a large, heavy bottom skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons oil.
- Add 5 to 6 pot stickers to skillet, so the crimped side is up, and pan-fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add about 3 tablespoons water to the pan and cover for 2 to 4 minute or until the wonton wrappers have softened and steamed and the filling has finished cooking through.
- Remove from heat and repeat until all potstickers have been cooked. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
- Choganjang: Place all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together. Serve with potstickers.
NOTES
- Makes: 40 Potstickers (10 servings)
- Freeze Ahead: Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment then place uncooked potstickers onto the baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart (they shouldn’t touch one another). Then pop them into the freezer for a couple of hours. Once they are completely frozen you can transfer them into a resealable bag. They will keep for 3 to 4 months.
- To Steam: Fill a pot with a couple inches of water and top with a bamboo steamer (or a metal steamer basket). Line steamer base or basket with a single layer of lettuce leaves (such as savoy lettuce). Place potstickers over lettuce about 1 inch apart and cover with lid. Place pot over medium-high heat and steam for about 10 minutes or until filling has cooked through.
- Tip: It’s helpful to remove the skillet from the heat before adding the water, then quickly covering before returning the skillet to the stovetop. This will help to prevent any of the oil in the skillet from spattering up and possibly catching on fire from the stovetop flames (particularly if using a gas stovetop).
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If I want to make these a few hours before cooking, should I freeze or refrigerate until I’m ready to use? Don’t want to have the dough pop open or anything
If it’s a few hours i would refrigerate them with a sheet of parchment underneath them and another one gently placed over them
Is there any trick to cooking from frozen? Should I add a few extra minutes to the cook time? Or thaw first?
Hi! You can definitely (and should) cook from frozen (not thawed) and just add an extra 2-3 minutes or cooking time!
My grocery only has rectangular won ton wrappers. Should I try to seal all sides or make tiny pot stickers?
Hi Lisa – are they large rectangles? If so, I would cut them into squares, then when you’re filling and folding them, I would fold them into triangles, then pinch the two side corners together (sort of similar to traditional tortellini). If your rectangular wontons are small, you can just fold them in half (either way you prefer) and seal. I hope that all makes sense! They will still taste great, regardless of how they’re folded!
WOW! WOW! WOW! This is amazing. I have never even attempted potstickers, and this recipe is so outstanding ~ I did it! They are SO Delicious!!! Thank you!
I just made this today. Flavorful recipe.
I loved it! Thank you
Made these tonight! They will be in my regular rotation! Awesome and easy to make! I did substitute ground turkey with some seasoning for the pork! I also substituted savoy cabbage for the bok choy! Excellent results and tasted much better than the store bought ones with less ingredients and preservatives! Thank you for sharing!
can I roll the dough out in a sheet and cut with biscuit cutter. I’m short on time to roll individually.
Will it cause any problems to do these with already cooked ground pork?
I’ve never tried it with cooked pork. It might dry out the pork, but I’m not sure.
My 7-year-old LOVED these. Her words, “this is the best meal I’ve ever had”. I added a tablespoon of rice vinegar for some tanginess. Will definitely make these again
So happy to hear that these were a hit!
Bok Choy can be a little hard to come by in my area but I can get napa cabbage. I am not sure how many cups a small bok choy is or a small napa cabbage is. I realize it doesn’t have to be an exact science when making but bok is one of the larger ingredients in the recipe and I would like to be close. It would be helpful in the recipe if you can give an approx weight or volume in recipe.
Hi Carmen!Totally get it. I’ve added that information into the recipe. It measures out to about 1 1/4 cups diced. Hope this helps!
I’m confused what the 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil is used for? Can you help explain?
To cook the potstickers. They’re pan-fried in the oil.
I’ve made these potstickers multiple times, and they’ve been delicious & a fun activity every time!
Can you make the stuffing ahead of time so that assembly is a little less time consuming?
Yes! You can make the filling 1-2 days ahead of time
The potstickers tasted very good. Only problem was that they were pretty salty, and that’s after I added less than the recipe called for. Could probably use half the salt and they’d be fine, especially since any dipping sauce will have soy sauce in it.
I made these and have frozen them. I was surprised at how easy it was to create the cute folds. My question is, now that they are frozen, what steps do I need to take before cooking? Thaw in refrigerator first? Or, do they go directly from freezer to step 7? Or, steam for a few minutes, then fry? Thank you!
They go directly from the freezer to the pan! (Just watch out for any oil spatter (which should be minimal if any, but may happen)
This was pretty simple to make and my family absolutely loved this. You’re right – these are way better than store bought and even a lot of restaurants.