Pork and cabbage potstickers are not too difficult to make. Once you cook fresh potstickers at home, you’ll want to make them all the time. There is nothing like biting into a dumpling with a juicy filling and crispy bottoms!
Up until my sophomore year of high school, I attended Chinese school every Saturday morning in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Each class was an excruciating three hours long with a few short recesses sprinkled in between. I often walked to the dim sum shops next door during recess to buy snacks like pork and cabbage potstickers. Eating them somehow made class go by a lot faster. That’s why I have a strong affinity for these dumplings.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST PORK POTSTICKERS
DUMPLING WRAPPERS
You have a choice between making fresh wrappers (or dumpling skins) or buying them from an Asian supermarket. If you want to make homemade dumpling wrappers, try my recipe here.
Rolling out 30 something dumpling wrappers and then filling and pleating them can be a daunting task, even for me. That’s why I use store-bought wrappers often because it saves a few hours of my time. (See the photo above for the brand that I typically use.)
For potstickers, you want to look for wrappers that are slightly thicker. These dumplings need to withstand the heat of pan frying and hot steam, so thicker wrappers are better suited for the task. You can usually find dumpling wrappers in the refrigerated sections of Asian supermarkets (often times near the tofu section). Gyoza wrappers work as well.
ACHIEVING JUICY & TENDER PORK FILLING
Stirring ground pork with starch and water for several minutes makes the meat more tender. I started doing this last year, and I have noticed the texture is better than when I do nothing to the meat.
Typically, I stir the meat with tapioca starch, but cornstarch or potato starch works as well. When your stir the meat with the starch and water for a few minutes, you’ll start to notice that the meat turns into a paste-like consistency. That’s exactly what you want.
DUMPLING PLEATING METHOD
For these potstickers, I chose a pleating method where the pleats move towards the center, creating an inverted “v” shape in the middle (refer to photos above). It is not necessary to pleat them this way—I merely did this for aesthetic reasons. (Watch video at the top of the post or recipe card for a demonstration.)
This method of pleating is a lot easier with fresh wrappers because you can seal the dumplings without water. It is more difficult with wet wrappers because the wrapper constantly sticks to your fingers as you pleat.
The first step is to fold the dumpling in half, as if you were making a taco. Pinch the wrapper together in the center. The rest of the dumplings are not sealed yet except for the small pinch that you made at the center.
Next, you’ll be creating pleats with the side of the dumpling that’s facing you.
Start by creating pleats to the left of the pinched center. Use your index finger and thumb to gather dough to make a pleat towards the right. Then, press it down to seal. Once the pleat is sealed, move along the left of the dumpling wrapper and continue creating and sealing pleats towards the right. I made 4 pleats on this side of the dumpling.
Once you are done on the left, repeat the same thing on the right. This time, you’ll seal the pleats to the left. To create the pretty “v” shape, I made sure that the first pleat on the right side completely overlapped the first pleat I made on the left side. Keep moving along the dumpling wrapper until you have finished sealing the entire dumpling. I made 4 pleats for this side as well. Be sure to seal the dumplings completely so that it doesn’t pop open as they cook.
Again, if this pleat seems complicated, skip it. You can also try my alternate pleating techniques, which you can find here and here.
GETTING CRISPY BOTTOMS ON YOUR DUMPLINGS
I love my potstickers super crispy and deep brown on the bottom. The best way to get your potstickers this way is to pan fry them for 2 to 3 minutes, until the potstickers are golden on the bottom. Then, pour water into the pan and cover the pan with a lid to steam. After 5 to 6 minutes of steaming, you should see the beautiful golden color on the bottoms of the dumplings.
If you like boiling dumplings before pan frying, you probably won’t get the same kind of crispy bottoms because of all the moisture in the dumplings.
FREEZING POTSTICKERS
Freeze dumplings in a single layer for several hours. Make sure that the dumplings do not touch each other, as they can get stuck together once frozen. I like to line my plates with parchment paper so that the frozen dumplings don’t stick to the plate. See my how to freeze dumplings post for all my tips on this topic.
MORE DUMPLING RECIPES
- Cantonese Shumai
- Vegetable Potstickers
- Red Curry Wontons with Zucchini Noodles
- Curried Potato Fried Dumplings
- You can also visit my complete dumpling archives here.
Pork and Cabbage Potstickers
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped green cabbage
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 pound 80% lean ground pork, see note 1
- 2 teaspoons tapioca starch
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 35 to 40 round dumpling wrappers, see note 2
Cooking Dumplings (1 Batch of 15 to 17 dumplings)
- 2 tablespoons peanut, canola, or vegetable oil, any neutral oil works
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
Prepare the Filling
- Heat the peanut or canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the cabbage, ginger, garlic, and scallions. Cook everything for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and stir. Turn off the heat and transfer the vegetables to a plate to cool for 10 minutes (see note 4).
- Place the ground pork in a large bowl. Add the tapioca starch and water. Using chopsticks or a wooden spoon, stir the ingredients together for several minutes. After about a minute, you should hear squishing sounds and the meat should become more paste-like.
- Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and sugar to the bowl. Stir for about a minute to incorporate all the ingredients. Pour the vegetables into the bowl with the meat and stir together.
Prepare the Dumpling-Making Station
- If you are using store-bought wrappers, fill a small bowl with water for wrapping and sealing the dumplings. If you are using fresh dumpling wrappers, cover the wrappers with a dry cloth or a layer of plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.
- Grab a baking sheet for the finished dumplings and a towel to cover the sealed dumplings to keep them from drying. Get a spoon for scooping the dumpling filling.
Making the Dumplings
- If you are using store-bought wrappers: Dip the dumpling wrapper into the bowl of water. Rotate the wrapper so that 3/4 of the wrapper is wet, creating a wet border about 1/4 to 1/2-inch wide. Lay the wrapper on your left hand, the wet side facing you. Place about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling into the center of the wrapper (you may use more or less depending on the size of your dumpling wrapper).
- If you are using fresh wrappers: Add the filling to the center of the wrapper. You do not need to moisten the edges.
- For the “v” shape pleating method (see video below for demonstration): Start folding up the dumpling like a taco, and pinch together the wrapper in the center (the left and right sides of the dumpling are not sealed). You will be creating pleats on the side of the wrapper that is facing you.
- Start creating pleats to the left of this center pinch. Use your index finger and thumb to gather a pleat and seal it to the right. Continue gathering dough and sealing pleats to the right until you reach the end. Use the photos in the blog post as a reference.
- After the left side is finished, continue with the right side. Gather up dough to the right of the center pinch and seal the pleat towards the left. I like overlapping this pleat with the first pleat you made on the other side to create a “v” shape in the center of the dumpling (see photos in post for reference). Continue creating and sealing the pleats to the left until you reach the end.
- Place the finished dumpling on the sheet pan and cover it with a towel. Continue wrapping and pleating the remaining dumplings until there is no filling left.
Cook the Dumplings
- Heat a well-seasoned large cast iron skillet or large nonstick pan with 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Arrange the dumplings over the pan. I usually cook about 15 to 17 dumplings at a time. Pan fry the dumplings for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Next, hold the pan lid with one hand and pour about 1/4 cup of water into the pan with your other hand. You want just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. When the water comes in contact with the hot oil, there will be a lot of splattering, so use the lid of the pan as a shield. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and let the dumplings cook for another minute, until the water is evaporated.
- Transfer the cooked dumplings to a plate.
- Repeat this entire cooking process if you want to cook the remaining dumplings. If you want to cook the dumplings later, freeze them. Refer to this post for more tips on freezing dumplings.
Serve
- The potstickers are great with my soy and vinegar dumpling sauce or sweet chili sauce!
Video
Notes
- I think ground pork with more fat content makes juicier, more tender filling. If you can only find 90% or 95% lean ground pork, add about a tablespoon of peanut or canola oil to the filling.
- If you are making dumpling wrappers from scratch, you want each wrapper to be somewhere between 14g to 16g. Roll them out into a circle that is about 3 1/2 inches in diameter.
- I like cooking the cabbage and aromatics for a few minutes because I think it helps to release some flavor and it softens the cabbage. Some people don’t bother with this step, and that’s perfectly fine.
Sylwia says
Fantastic recipe. I was following you on instagram for a long time but today I made these potstickers for the first time ever. I also used your wrappers recipe and while I admit it takes time, it’s sooo worth it <3
I did everything as you said in the recipe and it came out exactly like it should and it wasn't as hard as I though it would be.. Will definitely make again and practice on the pleating 🙂
Sylvia says
Fantastic recipe! I have been following Lisa’s instagram for a long time and I finally made these potstickers today. I made the wrappings from Lisa’s recipe and although it takes a while it’s absolutely worth it – and to be honest it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. As it was my first time I stuck with the recipe and everything came out as it should (even the number of dumplings was exactly as in the recipe!)
I will definitely do these again and practice on my pleating 🙂
Susie says
Excellent recipe. They came out delicious. I froze my batch of dumplings and steamed them later. They are better than store bought.
Lisa Lin says
Susie, thank you so much for trying it!
Bridge says
Made these yesterday, and while I burned the heck out of the bottom of some of them, they were wonderful! The recipe was really easy to follow and stood up very well to mistakes, considering that this was the first time I’ve made potstickers or used cast iron.
My brother is notoriously stingy with praise for cooking, and he raved about them and insisted on taste testing each batch that came out of the pan!
The even better win? I made them to take to a party, and saw multiple people going back for seconds of them 🙂 it kinda made my night.
Lisa Lin says
Oh my gosh, thank you SO MUCH for making these! Yes, I accidentally burn the bottoms on some of mine, too. Once you cook them a few times, you’ll start to figure out the level of heat you need to cook them. Also, I am beyond happy that your brother and others enjoyed the potstickers! Thanks for leaving this note––truly made my day!
Abbie says
Thank you, Lisa! I have saved your recipes for so long as I am a little dumpling obsessed, but have never tried making my own. These were so delicious! I wasn’t the best at pleating but it was so therapeutic just to try! Such a great recipe. Thank you!
Lisa Lin says
Abbie, thank you so much for make the potstickers!! I’m so glad you enjoyed making and eating them!
Amy Mees says
this was such a delicious and moderately easy recipe. lots of steps but all so helpful. definitely worth the effort. We made our own dumpling wrappers & dipping sauce too and really enjoyed all the steps. My 8 year old helped and ate almost half of them. we give it 2 thumbs up and can’t wait to try again so we can perfect our pleating!
AL says
delicious dumplings ! i didn’t know this way of cooking fried / steam neither. made the wrappers from scratch as well as i can’t go to my exotic store with the current lockdown, that took a lot of time and was a bit tedious, next time I’ll buy them already made 🙂 Thanks from Paris, France !
Elli says
My whole family loved these, I couldn’t make them fast enough!!
Giorgia says
I made them (wrappers from scratch) and turned out delicious! Thank you for the nice recipe!!
Lisa Lin says
Giorgia, thank you SO MUCH for making this! I really appreciate it!
Mathilde says
Such a good recipe! Easy to follow, step by step explaining. Loved it!
Even had some leftovers to freeze for another day!
Thank you Lisa!
Lisa Lin says
Mathilde, thank you so much for trying my dumplings recipe!! I genuinely appreciate it!
Anna Savoie says
I made this recipe in tandem with the pork and cabbage filling recipe from the Kenny Lau of Rickshaw dumpling cookbook “Hey there, Dumpling!”. My money was on Lisa’s recipe and she did not disappoint. This recipe was the clear winner for taste and texture. I made the dumplings with her dumpling skin recipe as well which is also Top notch. Though I didn’t place that recipe in competition with anyone. In all honesty when I want to cook something Asian, first I consult my cookbooks and then I go to Lisa and just use her recipe. I like that I can find lots of supporting pictures and Info and stories on her instagram as well. She’s been a favorite for years and I’ve turned all my rabid gourmet buddies onto her as well. It was a real victory when a friend of mine asked us girls in our group chat a favorite food Instagram and my bestie piped up with “Lisa Lin!”. I stand by my friend’s nomination.
Lisa Lin says
This is such a lovely note. Thanks for the kind words, Anna!!
Meghan Bull says
I had been craving dumplings during quarantine and have been following Lisa on Instagram for about a year now. I absolutely love watching her pleating videos and her mom and had been saying I was going to try them. Let me tell you these did not disappoint. They are AMAZING! They are so easy and totally worth the time. We made the dough, the filling and the dumpling sauce. The taste is phenomenal. We had more filling than wrappers because we had more pork so we substituted with egg roll wrappers we got from the store. We couldn’t find dumpling wrappers so we modified. It was fun to do the taste test between the store bought and homemade dough. The homemade wrappers are so much better – they don’t stick, they are fluffier, they just hold together so much better. We are already planning our next weekend to make a stock of freezer dumplings. We will never be without them again. I can’t say enough good things about this recipe. If you’re considering making them – DO IT! You will not be disappointed.
Lisa Lin says
Meghan, thank you so much for making the potstickers! I love that you used egg roll wrappers as a substitute. Thanks again for trying and for leaving such detailed feedback of your cooking experience!
Stine says
OMG! No other way to describe the deliciousness of this recipe. I’m super happy I tried this during quarantine so didn’t have to share with others 😜
Folding the first few took a bit of time but after I had figured out how to do it was fairly quick. Haven’t tried yet making the wrappers myself but I guess I need to leave a challenge for next time 😉
Can’t wait to try the shumai recipe as well and I’m already convinced it will be as good as this recipe.
Thanks so much Lisa for sharing this all with us!
Elizabeth says
These are straight bomb dot com. Made them 2x in 3 weeks. Easy directions, healthy, delicious and my family LOVES them! Can’t wait to make of your recipes!
Nichole says
Let me just start by saying THESE ARE SO DELICIOUS! Dumplings are one of my favorite foods, and even though they are labor-intensive, I make them semi-regularly. I had a recipe and technique that I’ve been using and thought was pretty darn good, but decided to try this one because I’ve used some of Lisa’s other fantastic recipes. Holy cow…these blew my previous dumplings out of the water! My boyfriend also said, “they are about as perfect as any dumplings could be.” So there you have it 😅
Alison Banowsky says
This is my first time making pan fried dumplings and WOW this recipe is incredible. Easy to follow and SO DELICIOUS my boyfriend and I almost finished them all off in one sitting.
(I moved to LA from Chicago a few months ago and I had all my favorite dumpling spots in Chicago’s Chinatown, weirdly enough I haven’t had a ton of luck finding pan fried dumplings like these in LA so I am SO HAPPY I now know how to make these better- than-restaurant-dumplings myself!)
Thanks so much Lisa!
Lisa Lin says
Thank you so much for making this recipe, Alison!!
Jen says
Made these for our 5 year wedding anniversary yesterday for a nice stay at home dinner. These were OUTSTANDING! We had never made dumplings before and this recipe was so easy to follow and they turned out amazing!
Sarah says
Made this recipe to satisfy some dumpling cravings as they are not easy to get in France- was perfect! Even made the dumpling wrappers which was time consuming but fun. Now I just need to master my pleating!
Leah H. says
I used Lisa’s dumpling filling recipe along with the gluten free dumpling wrapper recipe from her and Sarah (Snixy Kitchen). These were truly the most amazing dumplings I have ever had. I used chicken instead of pork and added some oyster sauce and shitake mushrooms. So yummy!
My entire family is in love with them. For anyone reading, please try this recipe! You won’t regret it.
jeanne wikete says
The first I’ve ever made and the best I’ve ever eaten. So full of flavor, the kitchen still has the warm smell of sesame! I need to work on getting the right amount of brown and doneness without burning them. But every one was wonderful, burned or not!
Thank you for sharing,
Jeanne
Alison says
I made these with a group and had a great time. The dough was a bit dry so I had to add more water than called for and we definitely needed more as we floured the table and hands, but they were AWESOME.
I love the texture. I can have gluten but my sister and mom can’t. These are VERY comparable wheat versions.
Garbonzo bean flour was also much less expensive than I thought it would be in the Indian section of my grocery store called Gram flour.
Thanks for the recipe! I feel more empowered to try and make some gf pastas now too!
Alison says
I realize now that this is for the filling but dang that was great as well! Thanks for the joint effort and fun day.
Flora Halfhide says
We made these last night for Chinese New Year!! We’re all the way over the other side of the World in Scotland and we’d never made dumplings before! We loved making these; tasty, crispy and the recipe was so well laid out for every stage! Thank you for sharing this!