Print the recipe page! pot stickers
Never again will I buy these delectable treats! Seriously. These were *easy* to make, a little time consuming when it came to filling them, but the process itself was not complicated at all. And the best part… they were fantastic even using 100% food storage ingredients! They’re definitely going to be added to my plan now. Also, this was my first try ever making them ( just so you know I’m not pulling any punches when I say they were easy) and they turned out fabulous! So, in case you need another reason to go out and buy yourself a pasta machine, this is another really good one. Why buy pot sticker or won ton wrappers from the store when you can make them yourself? It might even save you from calling for take out!
A million thanks to Use Real Butter’s blog post for the dough recipe and helpful step by step. If these pot stickers are this good using food storage ingredients I can’t wait to try them out using fresh stuff! I’d better invite some friends over to share!
makes about 4 dozen
Prep time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
pot stickers:
2 cups flour
about 1/2 cup water
2/3 cup freeze dried sausage crumbles (pretend that the Thrive can of carrots in the picture is sausage crumbles 
2 TBS dried chives
1 (5 oz.) can bamboo shoots
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts
1 (6 oz. drained) jar shitake mushrooms
3 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS sesame oil
2 TBS cornstarch
3/4 to 1 tsp. ground ginger (start with 3/4 tsp. and taste for preference)
2-4 TBS vegetable oil for frying
extra cornstarch to use while stacking the wrappers
dipping sauce:
2 parts soy sauce
1 part red wine vinegar
a few drops sesame oil
red pepper flakes (optional)
sugar (optional)
Instructions:
Making the dough:
In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup warm water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time until dough is barely sticky to the touch. My dough required adding 13 tsp. of water (just about another 1/4 cup). Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Begin making the pork filling while waiting for the dough to rest.
Prepare the pork filling:
Rehydrate the sausage crumbles and chives with warm water. Meanwhile mince the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Drain the sausage mixture of any extra liquid and add the minced vegetables to the sausage. In a separate dish combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and ground ginger, whisking until smooth, and add to the chopped mixture.
Pressing the dough and cutting the wrappers:
Using a pasta machine (*see note), cut the dough ball in half and flatten that half of the dough in order to begin passing through the pasta machine. Beginning at “1”, press the dough to a “5” thickness and lay finished dough on a board sprinkled with cornstarch to keep from sticking. As you continue, lay pressed dough strips over top of themselves making sure that cornstarch is dusted in between each layer so that the layers don’t stick. Once all of the dough is pressed cut round wrappers using a biscuit cutter or any other round edge and stack, using cornstarch if needed in stacking, until finished. Press remaining dough (the dough left over after cutting out the rounds) by adding just a tiny bit of water if needed for the dough to bond together again and then passing through the pasta machine. If the leftover dough has a tricky time passing through just fold it and re-press.
Filling and sealing the wrappers:
Place a small amount of filling in the center of each wrapper in the shape of an oval. For the size wrappers I cut (7 inches in diameter) I used about a teaspoon of filling per wrapper. Dip your finger in a dish of water and lightly trace water over the top and bottom of the wrapper and then pick the wrapper up, holding it like a taco. Using your opposite hand to help, pinch two pleats on each side of the semi-circle and then pinch the bottom “tear drop” shaped fold into itself to seal. Lay on a cornstarch dusted plate and fill and seal the next wrapper. Once the plate is full you have enough dumplings ready to cook.
To cook:
Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2 TBS of oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup of water all at once and immediately cover the pan with it’s lid. Cook until all the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the pot stickers cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.
To serve:
Serve hot and enjoy with your choice of dipping sauce.
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Notes:
- Using the pasta machine really simplified this recipe. I don’t think I would have had the patience to roll out each individual wrapper by hand. However, if you want to see how it’s done the blogger that I got the dough recipe from (link here) shows how to do it.
I agree, #5 on the pasta machine is about right. If you’re rolling them out by hand (a chore!) I wouldn’t go much thinner than a penny since they start to tear if you try for dime-thin. I’ve also had some success using a tortilla press.
You can use essentially this same dough for egg rolls, just bigger and square… and deep fried, of course. The thickness of this wheat flour dough is so much easier than working with the ultra thin rice flour dough for spring rolls which is nearly paper thin.
Plickety – Can I just say I wish you were my neighbor?! We would have so much fun — or should I say “I’de” have so much fun swapping recipes and tips with you! Thanks for the comment.
LOL – when you don’t have a fridge so everything has to come from the pantry, you tend to get creative!
You inspired me with these potstickers, but I’ve been hankering for jalepeno poppers. So I mixed a can of pickled jalepeno with a brick of frozen cream cheese and used that as the filling for the potstickers. Served with a honey ginger dipping sauce with red pepper flakes. OMG!!! Divine taste-tacularness!
This is awesome! I love potstickers but never have wonton wrappers on hand. I have wondered if you could make them but I didn’t know how to get them thin enough. Thank for a great recipe.
You’re welcome! About the thinness of the wrapper — I forgot to mention — from what I read you do need to be careful that you don’t press them too thin or else they’ll tear and the filling will spill out when you fill and /or cook them. I didn’t have any problem with the #5 thickness but that’s the thinnest I’d go. At that thickness they felt just like the ones that you buy at the store.
Gyoza/pot stickers are super-delicious and a snap to make once you get a handle on the wrapper dough. you can use just about anything finely minced in the filling… we use dried cabbage and carrots with pork crumbles a lot. And minced canned baby shrimp with fresh sprouts and pickled ginger. We’ve even done SW style with fajita chicken, corn and black beans a couple times. You really can’t go wrong with pot stickers!!
If you like a little kick, try adding a smidge of wasabi paste/powder to your dipping sauce or a dash of sriracha sauce… y-u-m-m-y!
Who says food storage has to be boring!?!