Authentic homemade Chinese pan fried dumplings are easy to make and delicious! It’s similar to boiled dumplings and wonton soup, but cooked in different ways. Enjoy this simple homemade Chinese pan fried dumplings recipe and let’s learn how to make pan fried dumplings with step by step photos and a video below the recipe card.
Love Chinese food? Check out these pan fried buns, Chinese bacon cabbage stir fry, mouth watering chicken, broccoli beef, kung pao chicken, black sesame soup and papaya milk recipes.
What are Chinese pan fried dumplings?
Chinese pan fried dumplings are the best and taste fantastic! The filling is made of meat and vegetables. Then, wrap the filling with a flour wrapper and pan fry it, so the bottom of the dumplings are crispy and golden brown. The inside is juicy and savory. Also, there are few different ways to call dumplings like potstickers, guotie (鍋貼) in Chinese mandarin or gyoza in Japanese.
Most of the time, the fillings are vegetables and meat. Therefore, you can use any vegetables such as bok choy, spinach, cabbage or napa cabbage to make gyoza. In this pan fried dumpling recipe, I used napa cabbage and ground pork. Besides, you can check out this boiled dumplings recipe because I used garlic chives and cabbage for the filling.
Are dumplings and potstickers the same?
Dumplings is a general term and potstickers is a type of dumplings that pan frying until the bottom part gets crispy while the top remains soft and steamed. This creates a delightful contrast in textures. In Chinese mandarin we called it guotie (鍋貼) which literally translate as “Pot stick”.
What are the ingredients in pan fried dumplings?
In this Chinese pan fried dumpling recipe, I used napa cabbage, ground pork, green onion, dumpling wrappers (homemade potsticker wrappers), oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt, sugar and sesame oil. Personally I like to add ginger and white pepper. However, my kids don't like spicy stuff. Thus, I put ginger and white pepper as optional in the recipe.
What kind of dumpling wrappers do you use?
You can use white circle dumpling wrappers or homemade dumpling wrappers. I like this Twin Marquis brand for pan fried dumplings.
My memories of making authentic homemade Chinese pan fried dumplings:
When talking about potstickers, it brings back my childhood memories that my mom and aunties made dumplings all from scratch especially during Chinese New Year. In addition, there are so many different ways to wrap and cook gyoza.
Hence, I am going to share this simple, easy and tasty authentic Chinese pan fried dumpling recipe with you that I have been making all the time. Also, I made over 2400 dumplings to fundraise for my son's teacher who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I was glad that I could do it to share my food culture and help others.
How do you pan fry crispy potstickers?
The best is to use a non-stick pan and add some oil. Then, place the potstickers, add some water and cover a lid. Let it cook for a few minutes (around 5 minutes). After that, open the lid and let the water evaporate. Some people like to add sweet potato starch with water when they cook potstickers. It will create a very nice golden brown and crispy potstickers as well. This technique is very similar to pan fried buns.
What do you use for dipping sauce?
I like to use chili oil, garlic chili sauce, XO sauce or dip it with this dipping sauce mixture with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, ½ tablespoon of water and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix it well.
Can I freeze the dumplings?
Yes, sure you can freeze the dumplings after wrapping them. Put them on a tray with parchment paper and freeze them for 1-2 hours until the dumplings are hardened. Then, put them in the ziplock bag and freeze it for up to 6 months. You can cook them when you are ready to eat them.
Cooking tips for homemade Chinese pan fried dumplings:
- Cut the napa cabbage into pieces, add salt, mix it well and wait for 30 minutes. Then, squeeze the napa cabbage to remove excess water.
- Personally I like to add ginger and white pepper. However, my kids don't like spicy stuff. Thus, I put ginger and white pepper as optional in this recipe.
- Don't worry if you cannot master how to wrap it nicely, just practice more and you will get it eventually. Otherwise, use a potsticker maker that will help you as well.
- Normally, I make a big batch (around 100 pieces) and freeze them, so I can cook them anytime.
- Remember to use a non-stick pan to pan fried dumplings, so potstickers will not stick to the pan and have a nice and crunchy bottom.
FAQs:
You don't have to boil potstickers before pan frying them. Just add some oil to a non-stick pan, then pour some water into the pan. Turn on medium large fire, cover the lid and cook it for 5 minutes. Open the lid and let the liquid dry out. See the video for details in the recipe card below.
No, do not defrost frozen dumplings before cooking. Just cook them frozen, add some water and cover a lid for a few minutes.
Wrap potstickers and place them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Then freeze them for a few hours. When they are hardened, put them in a bag and freeze it.
Instructions for how to make Chinese pan fried dumplings:
Preparation:
1. Wash and cut 4 sticks of green onion (3 oz) into pieces.
2. Wash and cut 1 head medium small sized napa cabbage (2 pounds) into pieces. (If you have a chopper or food processor, it's easier.)
3. Add ½ teaspoon of salt into the cut napa cabbage in the bowl from step 2. Mix it well and wait for 30 minutes.
4. After that, squeeze the napa cabbage to remove excess water. (It is because the filling will not be watery and hard to wrap.)
Mixing filling:
5. Then, add 1.5 pounds of ground pork into the napa cabbage. (I used 85 % lean and 15 % fat ground pork.)
6. Put the cut green onion from step 1 into the bowl.
7. Next, add 4 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
8. After, mix the meat, vegetables and sauce very well.
Wrapping dumplings:
9. Place a circle dumpling wrapper on the hand, dip some water on the fingers and move around the wrapper. Then, fold 3 times on the top of the wrapper. It looks like a shell. (See details in the video below the recipe card.)
10. Then, add a teaspoon of filling into the shell shape wrapper. (Don't put too much filling.)
11. Seal the edge by pressing firm and make sure filing cannot come out. This way is the best for pan fried because it can sit on the pan.
12. Another way to wrap it, is like the boiled dumplings. Dip some water on the fingers, move around the wrapper, put a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Fold it half like a dome shape. Then, dip some water at the ends and bring the ends together. (See details in the video below the recipe card.)
13. After wrapping the dumplings, put them on a tray with parchment paper. You can cook it directly or freeze them for 1-2 hours until the dumplings are hardened. Then, put them in the ziplock bag and freeze it.
Cooking potstickers:
14. Pour ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil into the pan.
15. Place the wrapped dumplings from step 13 into the pan. Turn on medium large fire.
16. The following step, add 1 cup of water into the pan. Cover the lid for 5 minutes.
17. Open the lid, let the water dry up or evaporate.
18. Or, until the bottom of the dumplings are golden brown.
Dipping sauce:
19. Lastly, you can serve it with chili oil, garlic chili sauce, XO sauce or dip it with this dipping sauce mixture with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, ½ tablespoon of water and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix it well.
Enjoy this tasty homemade authentic Chinese pan fried dumplings recipe! Also, check out these wonton noodles soup, ginger scallion crab, beef with bitter melon, sweet & sour pork, mango pomelo sago and orange chicken recipes.
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Pan Fried Dumplings
Video
Ingredients
- 1 head Napa cabbage (Medium small sized, 2 pounds)
- 1.5 pounds Ground pork (I used 85% lean 15% fat)
- 4 sticks Green onions (3 oz)
- 3 packs Dumplings wrapper (Around 39 pieces in a pack, each pack is 14 oz)
- ½ teaspoon Salt (Put in the cut napa cabbage)
- 4 tablespoons Oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
OPTIONAL:
- 1 teaspoon Ginger (Fine minced)
- ⅛ teaspoon White pepper
DIPPING SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon Water
Pan Fried:
- ½ tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
- Wash and cut 4 sticks of green onion (3 oz) into pieces.
- Wash and cut 1 head medium small sized napa cabbage (2 pounds) into pieces. (If you have a chopper or food processor, it's easier.)
- Add ½ teaspoon of salt into the cut napa cabbage in the bowl from step 2. Mix it well and wait for 30 minutes.
- After that, squeeze the napa cabbage to remove excess water. (It is because the filling will not be watery and hard to wrap.)
- Then, add 1.5 pounds of ground pork into the napa cabbage. (I used 85 % lean and 15 % fat ground pork.)
- Put the cut green onion from step 1 into the bowl.
- Next, add 4 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
- After, mix the meat, vegetables and sauce very well.
- Place a circle dumpling wrapper on the hand, dip some water on the fingers and move around the wrapper. Then, fold 3 times on the top of the wrapper. It looks like a shell. (See details in the video below the recipe card.)
- Then, add a teaspoon of filling into the shell shape wrapper. (Don't put too much filling.)
- Seal the edge by pressing firm and make sure filing cannot come out. This way is the best for pan fried because it can sit on the pan.
- Another way to wrap it, is like the boiled dumplings. Dip some water on the fingers, move around the wrapper, put a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Fold it half like a dome shape. Then, dip some water at the ends and bring the ends together. (See details in the video below the recipe card.)
- After wrapping the dumplings, put them on a tray with parchment paper. You can cook it directly or freeze them for 1-2 hours until the dumplings are hardened. Then, put them in the ziplock bag and freeze it.
- Pour ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil into the pan.
- Place the wrapped dumplings from step 13 into the pan. Turn on medium large fire.
- The following step, add 1 cup of water into the pan. Cover the lid for 5 minutes.
- Open the lid, let the water dry up or evaporate.
- Or, until the bottom of the dumplings are golden brown.
- Lastly, you can serve it with chili oil, garlic chili sauce, XO sauce or dip it with this dipping sauce mixture with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, ½ tablespoon of water and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix it well.
Notes
Cooking tips for homemade Chinese pan fried dumplings:
- Cut the napa cabbage into pieces, add salt, mix it well and wait for 30 minutes. Then, squeeze the napa cabbage to remove excess water.
- Personally I like to add ginger and white pepper. However, my kids don't like spicy stuff. Thus, I put ginger and white pepper as optional in this recipe.
- Don't worry if you cannot master how to wrap it nicely, just practice more and you will get it eventually. Otherwise, use a potsticker maker that will help you as well.
- Normally, I make a big batch (around 100 pieces) and freeze them, so I can cook them anytime.
- Remember to use a non-stick pan to pan fried dumplings, so potstickers will not stick to the pan and have a nice and crunchy bottom.
Vivian Wang Tan
Thanks for the videos showing how to make the perfect dumplings! 🙂
Vicky Omae
These dumplings are awesome & delicious. I was helping her not too long ago. I'm not very skilled at folding the wrapper but with practice you will make them as pretty as Tracy! Happy dipping!