Do Dim Sum at Home With These Crispy Pan-Fried Dumplings (2024)

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Asian Food
Chinese Food
Chinese Appetizers

Rhonda Parkinson

Rhonda Parkinson is a freelance writer who has authored many cookbooks, including two Everything guides to Chinese cooking.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Updated on 02/22/24

Tested by

Diana Andrews

Tested byDiana Andrews

Diana has served as head recipe developer and editor for the Emmy-nominated PBS series Moveable Feast, food editor and test kitchen manager at Fine Cooking Magazine, and recipe developer and product tester at Food Network.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

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Prep: 50 mins

Cook: 28 mins

Total: 78 mins

A Two-Step Process for Crispy Yet Tender Dumplings

Although referred to as "pan-fried," the dumplings actually go through a two-stage cooking process: first, they're fried in oil on one side in a very hot wok and then steamed by adding water to the same wok and covering it. The dumplings are left to steam for a few minutes, resulting in acrispy bottom, soft top, and tender filling.

Serving Pan-Fried Dumplings

This filling is made with pork and veggies, like nutritious bok choy and napa cabbage (also called Chinese cabbage), that add color, texture, and flavor. These pan-fried dumplings, also called pot stickers, can be served as is, but are surely tastier when served with adipping sauce,hot chile oil,or soy sauce mixed with freshly chopped gingeror a few drops of sesame oil.

Do Dim Sum at Home With These Crispy Pan-Fried Dumplings (2)

What You'll Need to Make This Dumplings Recipe

A Sharp Chef's Knife

A Nice Big Mixing Bowl

A Great Wok

"These dumplings are so delicious and very easy to prepare. I made the filling a day in advance, so all I had to do was fill and cook the dumplings the next day. The bottoms were brown and crunchy, and the filling was tender. I loved the bok choy leaves in place of cabbage." —Diana Andrews

Do Dim Sum at Home With These Crispy Pan-Fried Dumplings (6)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Filling:

1/2 cup finely chopped bok choy leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped napa cabbage
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
1/4 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine, or dry sherry
See Also
The Dumpling Debate: Fried vs Steamed | The Dumpling School
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Dash of white pepper

For the Dumplings:

1 (48-count) package dumpling wrappers, or gyoza wrappers
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
1 lightly beaten egg white, optional
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or canola oil, more as needed
1/3 cup water, plus more if needed
Dipping sauce, optional

Steps to Make It

Make the Filling

Gather the ingredients.
In a large bowl, combine the filling ingredients. Use your fingers to mix everything together. If preparing the filling ahead of time, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Make the Dumplings

Gather the ingredients.
Place a dumpling wrapper on a cutting board. Cover the remaining wrappers with a damp cloth to keep them from drying out while filling and folding the dumplings. Add a heaping teaspoon of the filling to the middle of the pot sticker wrapper and use your finger to spread it out toward the sides. Be sure not to overfill or spread the filling too close to the edge of the wrapper.
To fold the dumpling, moisten the edges of the wrapper with the mixture of water and cornstarch to make it easier to seal. Use the optional egg white instead if you'd prefer.
Gently lift the edges of the moistened wrapper over the filling and bring it together at the top center. Crimp the edges of the wrapper several times along the edge and pinch together to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Keep the dumplings covered lightly with plastic wrap or a slightly damp clean kitchen towel as you work to avoid drying out.
Heat a wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add 10 to 12 pot stickers at a time and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the bottoms are browned.
Carefully add 1/3 cup water, partially cover, and steam the dumplings until cooked through and the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
NOTE: Use caution when adding the water. Because the pan is very hot the water will boil right away, creating lots of steam.
Remove and cook the remaining dumplings in the same manner. Usually, 1/3 cup of water is enough to steam 10 to 12 dumplings, but use more if needed.
Serve alone or with adipping sauce.

Get Creative With Your Fillings

Here are a few suggestions for other proteins you can try putting in your pot stickers. Although not entirely traditional, they make tasty dumplings and allow you to experiment and find what you like best. Simply replace the pork with:

Shrimp: clean and thinly minced shrimp
Tofu: crumbled extra-firm tofu
Rotisserie Chicken: finely chopped leftover chicken
Mushroom: a combination of shiitake, portobello, porcini, and king trumpet. Cook the mushrooms separately in olive oil and get rid of most of the cooking liquid. Add the rest of the vegetables to the pan and quickly sauté.

Mix and match your favorite ingredients: mushrooms and tofu, chicken and vegetables, shrimp and pork, or make a few of each.

Are Dumplings and Pot Stickers the Same?

In essence, you can say they are the same, as the dough and fillings are alike. What makes a pot sticker distinct from other dumplings is that they are both pan-fried and steamed, thus the characteristic crunchy bottom.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
447	Calories
20g	Fat
35g	Carbs
28g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	447
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g	25%
Saturated Fat 6g	32%
Cholesterol 107mg	36%
Sodium 869mg	38%
Total Carbohydrate 35g	13%
Dietary Fiber 2g	6%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 28g
Vitamin C 6mg	29%
Calcium 75mg	6%
Iron 3mg	17%
Potassium 462mg	10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

dumplings
fried dumplings
pot stickers
chinese dumplings

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