Crispy Pot Stickers Pan-fried to Perfection | A Basic Chinese Dish

This is the 6th episode of our series “A Basic Chinese Dish.” If you haven’t seen the previous episodes, be sure to catch it! In these videos, we teach you how to make classic and simple Chinese dishes. Because it’s as easy as learning your ABCDs.

 

Pot stickers, or guotie, are pan-fried dumplings found across China. Instead of steaming or boiling dumplings like what dim sum restaurants do, pot stickers are cooked by frying them on a flat pan to make them crispy. 

Most pot stickers use pork as the main ingredient, but you can also use beef, chicken, fish, or other types of meats. The meat is then mixed with shrimp, which gives an umami punch. 

If you’d like to try cooking it at home, we have the recipe here:

Recipe

• Oil for cooking (We use canola oil)
• 30 dumpling wrappers 
• 225g (0.5 lb) shredded Chinese cabbage 
• 3 shiitake mushrooms, shredded
• 180g (0.4 lb) minced pork 
• 50g (0.1 lb) shrimp paste 
• 1 scallion 
• 10 ml of hot oil for filling (We use canola oil)

For shrimp paste:

• 1 teaspoon of salt 
• 1 teaspoon of white pepper powder 
• 1 teaspoon of Shaoxing wine

For minced pork:  

• 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce 
• 1 teaspoon of Shaoxing wine 
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of white pepper powder 
• 1 teaspoon of five-spice powder
• 0.5 teaspoon of ginger paste

How to prepare the filling:

1. Marinate shrimp paste for 15 minutes with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of white pepper powder, and 1 teaspoon of Shaoxing wine.
2. Marinate minced pork for 15 minutes with 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of Shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of white pepper powder, 1 teaspoon of five-spice powder, and 0.5 teaspoon of ginger paste.
3. Mix the marinated shrimp paste and minced pork.
4. Add chopped scallion into it, and top with 10ml of heated oil.
5. Toss vegetables in and mix well. 

How to wrap a regular pot sticker:

1. Put a coin-sized filling at the center of the wrapper.
2. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water.
3. Fold it in half and pinch the middle.
4. Push the end toward the center and pinch it.
5. Fold another corner together and create two pleats. 
6. Repeat the steps for the other end.

How to wrap a rose-shaped pot sticker:

1. Layer four wrappers and stick them together with water.
2. Put the fillings in the middle.
3. Wet the edges with water.
4. Fold it in half and pinch them together.
5. Roll it.

How to pan-fry the dumplings:

1. Heat up oil in a pan. Pan-fry the dumplings until their bottom turns golden brown.
2. Add water until it covers the bottom-half of the dumplings.
3. Cook on medium heat with lid on until the water evaporates.
4. Sprinkle sesame on top and serve with vinegar and chili.