What is the difference between a Chinese dumpling and a Potsticker?

Unlike dumplings, potstickers are made with a thin wrapper, sometimes referred to as a dumpling skin . This is because they are steam fried to get a crispy golden bottom layer and to ensure that the filling is juicy and delicious.

How do you make the bottom of potstickers crispy?

Quick tip, prevent burning or sticking, make sure to add the oil first, cook the potstickers with water first, and then add on the corn starch mixture for the crispy skin . Don't have the heat up too high, and let it “steam” first before crisping it up at the bottom later.

What is the best pan for frying potstickers?

Teflon coated pans are a really good idea for pot-stickers. I supposed that a properly seasoned non-coated pan would work too, but this method involves boiling water for some time, which is not such good treatment for a "seasoned" pan. Heat your pan so it's nice and dry.

Are potstickers Japanese or Chinese?

For starters, potstickers are Chinese while gyoza are Japanese. And beyond that distinction, gyoza tend to be smaller than potstickers, with thinner and slightly more delicate wrappers. They also may be fully steamed, boiled, or fried, rather than cooked using a combination of pan-frying and steaming.

What is gyoza vs Potsticker?

Gyoza is the Japanese variation on the traditional Chinese recipe of potstickers . They are usually made with thinner, more delicate wrappers, and the filling is more finely textured. The thinner skins mean that gyoza get crispier than chewy potstickers.

What is the trick to potstickers?

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.

Do you boil potstickers before frying them?

The steam-fry or potsticker technique is the classic method for Japanese gyoza or Chinese guo tie. Essentially, you fry the frozen dumplings, then add water to the pan and cover them to steam through, then fry them again once the water evaporates . This double-frying creates an extra-crisp bottom crust.

Why do my potstickers always stick to the pan?

Tip for dumplings sticking to your pan: This is a very common problem when pan frying dumplings, and most likely it is because your pan isn't hot enough . The easiest trick would be to buy a nonstick pan, but for those who don't want to spend the money, try out this test.

What is the best oil for potstickers?

sesame oil : toasted sesame oil is best but you can use regular if that's what you have on hand. Asian chili sauce: this will not make the potstickers spicy, just flavorful because it is such a small amount. chicken broth: I use chicken broth instead of water to steam the Potstickers and it makes a HUGE difference!

Can you just fry potstickers?

Place the pot stickers into the pan. flat side down. Fry for two to four minutes . until they start to become that golden brown color.

What sauce to eat with potstickers?

Potsticker Dipping Sauce The combination of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil are the perfect complimentary flavors in this dipping sauce. It has a salty tang with a hint of sweetness and spice.

Are dumplings similar to potstickers?

Potstickers are a type of dumpling that is pan-fried on one side, giving it a crispy texture . They are typically filled with meat and vegetables and served with a dipping sauce. Dumplings, on the other hand, can be boiled, steamed, or pan-fried and are usually filled with meat or vegetables.

What is a Chinese dumpling called?

Sometimes, a jiaozi (the generalized term for Chinese dumplings) can first be made as a shui jiao before pan-frying it to turn it into guo tie.

Recipe: Potsticker Stir-Fry (2024)

Recipes
Main Dishes

Christine Gallary

Christine GallaryFood Editor-at-Large

Christine graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, and she has worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW.com. She lives in San Francisco and loves teaching cooking classes. Follow her latest culinary escapades on Instagram.

updated Jan 29, 2020

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How to turn frozen dumplings into a one-pan meal.

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Stir-fries are in my regular dinner rotation because they’re fast and I can cook veggies and proteins together all in one pan. One day I spotted the bag of frozen Asian dumplings that I always stock for quick lunches and an idea percolated in my head: What about using dumplings instead of meat or tofu in a stir-fry instead? And then a one-pan meal was born.

Crunchy on the outside, juicy on the inside, pan-fried dumplings are tossed with crisp-tender veggies and a savory, vinegary sauce that coats everything to glossy perfection. No need to make rice or noodles to go with this stir-fry — with the dumpling wrappers, there’s already a starch included!

Frozen Asian dumplings are the heart and soul of this stir-fry. You can use Chinese potstickers or smaller Japanese gyoza — both work beautifully. As for filling, it’s really up to you. Go with chicken, pork, shrimp, or the vegetarian versions filled with mushrooms or tofu. This stir-fry cooks the dumplings straight from the freezer, no need to thaw, although you can definitely use homemade dumplings too.

After the dumplings are steam-fried, they get put aside and the same pan is used to stir-fry mushrooms, asparagus, and carrots. Everything gets tossed together with a sauce inspired by my favorite dumpling dipping sauce: a mixture of vinegar (I love Chinese black vinegar, but unseasoned rice vinegar works well here too), soy sauce, and a touch of sugar and sesame oil. This easy weeknight meal serves two as a main dish but can stretch to serve more if it’s part of a multi-course meal.

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Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons
rice vinegar or 3 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
2 tablespoons
soy sauce
2 tablespoons
water
1 teaspoon
cornstarch
1 teaspoon
granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon
Asian sesame seed oil

For the stir-fry:

12
frozen pot stickers or 16 frozen gyoza (do not thaw, about 12 ounces total)
2 tablespoons
plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1/4 cup
water
8 ounces
cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Kosher salt
8 ounces
asparagus (about 1/2 bunch), cut into 1-inch pieces
1
medium carrot, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick ovals
1 tablespoon
finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2
medium scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Make the sauce:

Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved; set aside.

Make the stir-fry:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the potstickers or gyoza pleat-side up in a single layer. Fry undisturbed until the bottoms are light golden-brown, about 3 minutes.
Carefully add the water (be careful because the oil may spatter). Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and, using tongs, turn the dumplings onto their unpleated sides. Continue cooking uncovered until all the water has evaporated, the filling is cooked through, and the unpleated sides are golden-brown, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a large plate.
Drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil into the pan, add the mushrooms and season with salt. Stir-fry until the mushrooms are browned and softened, 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to the plate with the dumplings.
Drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil into the pan, add the asparagus and carrot, and season with salt. Stir-fry until the crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Return the reserved potstickers, mushrooms, and any juices back to the pan and toss gently to combine. Whisk the sauce again to recombine and dissolve the cornstarch, then add to the pan. Stir-fry until the sauce thickens and coats everything in the pan, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the scallions. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Fresh dumplings: You can use fresh dumplings in this recipe, but keep a close eye while they are cooking; they might brown more quickly than frozen dumplings.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

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asian

chinese

dinner

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Frozen Foods

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