Pan-Fried Dumplings (Potstickers)

Pan-fried dumplings are easier to make than you think! With a little practice, you'll be making your own delicious potstickers in no time.

Let me begin this post by saying, if you have never wrapped a dumpling before, don't stress about how your dumplings look. While fancy potstickers with lots of pleats are very pretty, a simple half-moon dumpling tastes just as good!

That being said, I have so much respect for anyone who can properly wrap dumplings. Those beautiful little parcels that you get at the restaurant are probably made by someone who has wrapped several thousands of dumplings over their lifetime.

Like anything else, practice makes perfect.

You should also know that these dumplings are probably the most tested recipe on my website. Honestly, it has taken me 2 months to get this dumpling recipe to the point where I'm ready to share it.

My first few attempts at making Chinese dumplings did not go well... not only were my dumplings ugly (which, again, doesn't really matter, but I wanted them to look good for the photos), but the flavours of the filling weren't quite right.

After testing out multiple batches, and getting feedback from many taste-testers (thank you family and friends!), these pan-fried dumplings with ground chicken, cremini mushrooms and napa cabbage are ready for their debut.

I chose to use cremini mushrooms in this recipe because I like the flavour, but you could use white button mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms instead. You could even leave the mushrooms out and still have delicious dumplings. It's really up to you!

If you are a mushroom lover though, just pick whichever mushroom your family enjoys the most for this pot stickers recipe.

A Note About Cooking Chicken: I always use a food thermometer when I'm cooking chicken, so I can avoid giving myself or my family salmonella poisoning. Health Canada recommends cooking ground chicken to a temperature of 165°F or 74°C. Once you've hit that, you know your chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat. Check the dumplings as soon as you take them out of the skillet, or they will cool down and you won't get an accurate reading.

If you're not a fan of ground chicken, you can use ground pork instead. Actually, ground pork is the classic way to go. Pork has more fat than chicken, which gives the dumplings a nice mouthfeel and a juicy filling.

I very rarely cook pork though, so I went with chicken and added some peanut oil to the mix to compensate for the lack of fat in the meat.

Once you've mixed the filling in a large bowl, it helps to set it in the fridge for a while to chill. You could do at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 4 or 5 hours. When the mixture sat for too long, I found that the flavours didn't taste as good. Everything became muddled after a while.

The chilling process helps to keep the fat cold until it's cooked, which gives you a juicer dumpling, so don't skip that if you can help it.

Once your mixture is chilled, you can start wrapping!

Set up a wrapping station on a clean work surface in your kitchen. Have you dumpling wrappers nearby along with the large mixing bowl of filling. You'll want to work quickly so that your wrappers don't dry out.

I found this part really frustrating at first because I was being a perfectionist. If I can give you any advice, it would be to just relax and have fun with it. Who cares what it looks like? No one is judging you on your folding skills.

(And if anyone does give you grief about your wrapping skills, tell them they don't get to eat any of these pan-fried dumplings. I think that's fair...)

When is comes to wrapping your dumplings, the easiest fold you can do is a half-moon shape.

You literally just fold the round wrapper in half and press down the edges. It will look like a pierogi, and it will taste just fine. If you're short on time or patience, this is the fold for you.

If you want to get a bit fancier, you can try adding a few pleats to your fold.

I followed this lady's video, and honestly, she is the only reason I managed to make anything half-decent in the end. I could NOT get my head around the pleating until I watched her video.

It's not in English, but I slowed the video down on YouTube and I was able to follow what she was doing.

If you're feeling really ambitious, or you already know how to wrap dumplings, then go all in and add lots of pleats!

My mom made the dumpling below, and it was so damn cute... yes, I was jealous of her skills. Have I mentioned that she's never done this before?

She just watched Maggie from Omnivore's Cookbook wrap dumplings in another video and picked it up very quickly.

SIGH.

As you wrap your dumplings, you'll want to put them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This will prevent them from sticking to the surface.

You'll also want to cover the shaped dumplings with a damp cloth or a piece of plastic wrap so they don't dry out.

It will take you a little while to wrap 30 dumplings on your own, and if you leave the wrapped ones open they will dry out significantly.

If you're not going to cook the dumplings right away, you can freeze the raw dumplings for later. Just put the whole tray in the freezer and wait until the dumplings are frozen solid. Then you can move them into a zip-top bag or a freezer-safe container and leave them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just be sure to defrost them before cooking.

When it comes to actually cooking the dumplings, there are a few different ways to do it.

Some people prefer to boil the dumplings first, and then fry them. I didn't want to do that though because I'm lazy (at least I'm being honest!).

I opted for the method that requires you to pan-fry the dumplings over medium heat (or medium-high heat, depending on how hot your cooktop gets) in a large skillet, then steam them in the same pan, and then crisp them up again.

If you've never cooked dumplings like this before, it probably sounds counterintuitive to make them crispy and then add water, but trust me this works! You'll get a crispy bottom on your dumplings every time.

It will take a little while to fry all of the dumplings that you wrapped. Just take your time and carefully fry each batch in a large pan until the bottoms are golden brown. I find that using a nonstick pan makes the frying process a bit easier.

I put my completed dumplings in a single layer on another baking sheet so that they don't stick together. Avoid the temptation to hold the cooked dumplings in the oven while you fry the rest, though! I tried this, and the potstickers dried out horribly. You don't want to ruin all of your hard work!

Cooked pan-fried dumplings can stay in the fridge for a couple of days, but you'll need to re-fry them, or they won't be crispy.

TIP: If you run out of wrappers, the leftover filling can be rolled into meatballs and fried. These make tasty little treats when dipped into sweet chilli sauce.

Serve your cooked dumplings warm, with a dipping sauce of your choice.

I went with a classic soy sauce and chilli mixture (with some toasted sesame seeds for fun), but you could do soy sauce and Chinese black vinegar (another classic combo), or just plain soy sauce, or just eat them plain.

I garnished my plates with chopped green onion, but that's totally optional. If you don't like raw green onions, don't use them!

One of my friends thought these would be tasty with a sauce made from creamy goat cheese and garlic chives, so if that sounds like something you'd enjoy you could try that too!

If you end up making these pan-fried dumplings, be sure to snap a photo and share them with me on social! You can share a photo on my Facebook page or tag me on Instagram with #InSearchOfYummyness and/or @InSearchOfYummyness. I can't wait to see your dumplings!

Want more dumplings in your life? Check out my recipe for fried shrimp wontons with mushrooms.