These pot stickers, also called guotie, are a classic Chinese appetizer: ground pork or beef mixed with scallions, ginger, soy sauce and a touch of sesame oil, wrapped in dumpling skins, pan-steamed and finished until the bottoms are crisp. Serve them warm with a tangy black-vinegar and soy dipping sauce.
The Mandarin name guotie (often written guo tie) literally means “pot stick,” a nod to the traditional cooking method. Cooks steam the dumplings in a flat-bottomed iron pan; once the water is absorbed the dumplings are left to crisp and adhere to the pan, forming the characteristic browned bottoms that make pot stickers so irresistible.
When is it appropriate to serve pot stickers?
Short answer: almost anytime. They work as an appetizer, snack, lunch or casual dinner, and they’re famously crowd-pleasing. Kids and adults alike enjoy dunking them in sauce, and leftovers are great reheated—chopped and crisped in a skillet or tucked into an omelet. Serve with chopsticks, a fork, or fingers; they’re flexible that way.
Pot Stickers ~ Guotie
David Leite
Ingredients
For the dipping sauce
- 1 cup Chinese black vinegar (use a high-quality product with real ingredients)
- 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon minced cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
For the dumplings
- 12 ounces ground pork or ground beef (not too lean)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 3/4 cup minced scallions (light green and white parts)
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- Pinch of salt
- About 36 (3-inch) round dumpling wrappers (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 1/2 to 3 tablespoons mild vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
Make the dipping sauce
- Whisk together the black vinegar, minced ginger, sesame oil, cilantro, soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Let the sauce rest at room temperature while you prepare the dumplings to allow the flavors to meld.
Make the dumplings
- In a bowl, combine the ground meat, soy sauce, cornstarch, minced ginger, scallions, sugar, sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Stir in one direction until just mixed; you want a cohesive filling but not overworked meat.
- Fill a small bowl with cold water. Hold a wrapper in your palm and place 1 heaping teaspoon of filling in the center. Wet the wrapper edge with water, fold the wrapper over to form a half-moon and pleat the edge to seal. The traditional pleating produces a dumpling that stands upright on a flat bottom with pleats on top. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers. (Uncooked dumplings can be frozen for later use.)
- Heat 1/2 to 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange 12 dumplings pleat-side up in a single layer, slightly touching. Cover and cook 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, carefully add 1/4 cup water to the skillet (it may spatter), cover and cook until the water is absorbed and the dumpling bottoms are browned and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat in two more batches with remaining oil, dumplings and water.
- Serve the pot stickers warm on a platter or in a bamboo steamer, with the dipping sauce alongside.
Notes
Make-ahead and freezing
To freeze uncooked pot stickers, arrange them in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch. Freeze until almost solid (at least 30 minutes), then transfer to a resealable freezer bag and store for up to three months. Cook frozen pot stickers without thawing; add about 3 minutes to the steaming time after you add the water to the skillet.
Adapted From
Feeding the Dragon
Nutrition
Serving: 1 pot sticker — Calories: 59 kcal; Carbohydrates: 5 g; Protein: 3 g; Fat: 3 g. Nutrition information is approximate.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This recipe passed a rigorous blind-testing process and earned Leite’s Culinaria’s stamp of approval. Testers praised the flavor, ease of freezing, and the dipping sauce.
Kristen Kennedy
“Insanely delicious and a huge hit with my entire family. I used 6 ounces each ground beef and pork and substituted wonton wrappers when I couldn’t find dumpling wrappers—worked perfectly. The dipping sauce is a wonderful accompaniment—don’t skip it!”
Lori Widmeyer
“I was intimidated at first but the recipe was straightforward. The bottoms browned nicely without overcooking; the pork filling was wonderful and even better with the sauce. The recipe is perfect as written.”
Cindi Kruth
“The filling was tasty and quick to assemble. I increased the ginger and salt for my taste. I substituted half reduced balsamic and half rice vinegar when I couldn’t find black rice vinegar and it worked well.”
Jill R.
“Took a bit of time to assemble but well worth it. The dipping sauce is worth seeking out black vinegar for. I’ll make these again with pork next time.”
Dawn English
“Simple filling and sauce. Store-bought wrappers made assembly easy. I made two batches with different meats and enjoyed both. I also added extra soy, a splash of sherry vinegar and a pinch of white pepper.”
Ellen Fuss
“A real difference from frozen store-bought potstickers—these were met with rave reviews. After following how-to photos for pleating, assembly was easy. I froze leftovers and they cooked up beautifully from frozen.”