Perfect Pot Stickers (2024)

Whether served as an appetizer or full-blown main dish, pot stickers are always a winning choice. Packed with savory flavors, Chef John's pot stickers are a little different because they're fried, steamed, and fried again for a delightfully crispy bottom with a tender, juicy filling.

Be sure to bookmark this irresistible recipe because you'll be making these homemade pot stickers again and again.

What Are Pot Stickers?

Pot stickers are a type of dumpling that are believed to have originated in China. Pot stickers are typically filled with ground pork and cabbage, but they can be stuffed with other ingredients too. They're usually pan-fried and steamed to give a soft, tender texture to the filling and a crunchy texture to the dumpling dough.

How to Make Pot Stickers

You'll find the fully involved recipe below — but here's a brief overview of what you can expect:

1. Make the Filling: Combine ground pork, green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, cayenne, and cabbage in a bowl. Mix until combined and refrigerate until chilled and ready to use.
2. Make the Dough: Slowly pour hot water over flour and kosher salt. Stir until a dough forms. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
3. Make the Pot Sticker Wrappers: Divide the dough ball into four equal pieces (keep the other pieces covered while working). Roll the dough into a log and divide into six equal pieces. Roll each piece into a pot sticker wrapper. Repeat until all dough is used.
4. Fill the Pot Stickers: Place a small amount of pork filling into the center of each wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper and fold the two sides together. Pinch the edges together. Tap the pot sticker on the work surface to flatten it, then add a slight curve so it can stand on its own.
5. Make the Dipping Sauce: Combine rice vinegar and soy sauce in a bowl. Set aside until ready to serve.
6. Cook the Pot Stickers: Pan-fry the pot stickers until golden brown. Add water and steam for three minutes. Uncover and continue to pan-fry until water has evaporated and the pot stickers are crunchy.

How to Cook Pot Stickers

We love Chef John's method for cooking pot stickers. For crunchy, yet tender pot stickers, first pan-fry them in oil until the bottoms are golden brown. Add water to the skillet and cover — steam the pot stickers for three minutes. Uncover and allow to pan-fry again until the water has evaporated and the bottom of the pot stickers are crunchy.

Dipping Sauce for Pot Stickers

Chef John's dipping sauce for pot stickers is super simple and delicious. Just combine soy sauce and rice vinegar in a bowl. To dress up the sauce, you can also add hot sauce, garlic, minced green onions, or ginger.

Hot to Store Pot Stickers

Store leftover pot stickers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through. If you want the crispy bottom, reheat in the microwave until warmed through, then pan-fry in oil until crispy.

How to Freeze Pot Stickers

Uncooked pot stickers are freezer-friendly. Simply follow the recipe until the pot stickers are assembled, but don't cook them yet. Transfer the pot stickers to a baking sheet and flash freeze them for a few hours (or until they're frozen solid). Transfer the now-frozen pot stickers to a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to three months.

When you're ready to eat, there's no need to thaw the pot stickers. Simply follow this recipe to cook them from frozen. However, you may need to add a few minutes of cook time to account for the frozen temperature.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"My 17 yr old daughter said: 'It was better than restaurant quality,' says Denise Perchall. "I did use wonton wrappers from the grocery, instead of making my own dough. Even using the pre-made wrappers, it did take me a little longer to prepare....but so worth it with the final product."

"Chef John nails it with this one, the video is great, very useful and helpful," according to Scott Jennings. "The prep took a while, but I will definitely be making this again and I know I will get faster. It took me about 90 minutes from start to finish, and they lasted me and my family all of 90 seconds to devour.. so good, even the sauce was spot on!!"

"Absolutely delicious. Tasted like it was from a restaurant," raves Greta K. "I 100% recommend this recipe, especially for a dinner party appetizer. Assembly can be a bit time consuming, but it is fun and that's expected when making things from scratch. 5 stars!"

Editorial contributions by Bailey Fink

Ingredients

Filling:

• 1 pound ground pork

• 4 cloves minced garlic

• ½ cup finely chopped green onions

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• 3 tablespoons very finely minced fresh ginger

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

• 1 ½ cups finely chopped green cabbage

Dough:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed

• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup hot water, about 130 - 150 F (55-65 C)

Dipping Sauce:

• ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar

• ¼ cup soy sauce

For Frying:

• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying, or as needed - divided

• 8 tablespoons water for steaming, divided

1. Place ground pork, green onions, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce, sesame oil, and cayenne in a mixing bowl. Top with chopped green cabbage. Mix with fork until thoroughly combined. Tamp down lightly; cover with plastic. Refrigerate until chilled, about an hour.

2. Place 2 ½ cups of flour and kosher salt in a mixing bowl. Slowly pour in hot water. Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a shaggy dough. Flour your hands and transfer dough to a work surface. Knead dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 3 to 5 minutes. If dough seems too sticky, sprinkle with a bit more flour, up to an additional 1/2 cup, and continue to knead. Wrap dough ball in plastic, and let it rest about 30 minutes.

   

3. When dough has rested, divide into 4 equal pieces. Cover 3 pieces with a dish cloth while you work the first piece. Roll into a small log about the thickness of a thumb, about 3/4 inch. Divide each log into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a thin 3 ½-inch circle on a lightly floured surface to form the pot sticker wrappers. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.

   

4. Lightly moisten the edges of a wrapper with your wet finger. Place a small scoop of the ground pork mixture onto the center of a wrapper. Fold up the 2 sides and pinch together in the center. Pinch together the remaining edges, forming "pleats" along one side. Tap the pot sticker on the work surface to slightly flatten the bottom; form a slight curve in it so it stands upright in the pan. Transfer to a well-floured plate. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

   

5. Mix together seasoned rice vinegar and soy sauce in a small mixing bowl for the dipping sauce.

6. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Place about 6 or 7 pot stickers in the hot oil, flat side down. Cook until bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drizzle in water and quickly cover the pan; steam for 3 minutes. Uncover; reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking until water evaporates and bottoms are browned and crunchy, 1 or 2 minutes. Transfer to a warm serving dish. Repeat with remaining pot stickers. Serve with dipping sauce.

   

7. Serve hot and enjoy!

   

Nutrition Facts (per serving)