I wanted to make something to eat along side my sushi bowls this week so I decided to make some Pork and Ginger Pot Stickers. I remember attempting to make pot stickers a long time ago but… well… lets just say they stuck to the pan and just didn’t work out. This time I did a lot of recipe research and tried a few different methods of cooking them (boiling, steaming, frying and combinations of all three) and I can proudly say that I think I have mastered the art of the pot sticker. The process is a little lengthy and requires a lot of steps so I’m going to rate this as “advanced”. That being said, don’t be afraid of them. They’re quite delicious and a great challenge/experience for those of you who are more seasoned cooks. The greatest part about these pot stickers is that you can fill them with just about anything… while you stand there filling and folding them you’re likely to come up with about ten different delicious ideas for fillings. I know I did!
I used shredded and sauteed cabbage here as a filler to offset the cost of the ground pork (the most expensive ingredient in the dish). I also had a little bit of leftover shredded carrot from the sushi bowls so I threw that in as well. Don’t be tempted to use dried, ground ginger in place of fresh grated ginger in this recipe. Fresh ginger is quite inexpensive (you can break off a chunk that is just the size you need, you don’t have to buy the whole big piece) and it adds an amazing amount of bright, fresh flavor. The fresh ginger and green onions really made these pot stickers shine!
Pork & Ginger Pot Stickers
Pork & Ginger Pot Stickers
Servings 13 (4 ea.)Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground pork ($2.75)
- 1 small head green cabbage ($0.96)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil ($0.07)
- 1 inch fresh ginger ($0.11)
- 1 clove garlic ($0.06)
- 1 tsp soy sauce ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil ($0.04)
- 1 sliced green onion ($0.05)
- 1/4 large carrot, shredded (optional) ($0.05)
- 1 package 52 wonton wrappers ($2.39)
- 3 cubes bouillon ($0.36)
- generous non-stick spray ($0.05)
Instructions
- Peel off the outer leaves from the cabbage. Slice the head in half and remove the core (see photos below). Cut each half into two then cut crosswise as thinly as possible. You need a very small shred to make the pot stickers easy to fill and fold.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp of oil over medium/high heat. When it’s hot, add the cabbage and 1/2 tsp of salt. Saute the cabbage until it is translucent and soft (about 15 minutes). Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
- While the cabbage is sauteing (stir every minute or so), combine the raw ground pork, peeled and grated ginger (use a small cheese grater), minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sliced green onion an shredded carrot. Mix them all together well with your hands. Add the shredded and cooked cabbage and mix again until it is evenly incorporated (you almost have to use your hands here). Refrigerate the mixture for at least one hour to let the flavors blend. (The cabbage will release gasses as it refrigerates and smell pretty stinky when you come back to it but don’t be afraid. It’s still good and the smell will go away when you cook the pot stickers.)
FOR THE POT STICKERS:
- Prepare your workspace by getting a small dish of water (used to glue the edges together), something to fold the pot stickers on (I used a cutting board) and something to keep them on once folded (another cutting board or large plate). I used square wrappers so the wrapping technique below is based on that. There are many methods to folding pot stickers/won tons so if you have a different shape, simply do a google search for “folding won tons” or “folding pot stickers” to see more methods.
- To make things easier, fill and fold the wontons in groups. I filled and folded three then moved on to the next group. Take three won ton wrappers and lay them on your surface. Using your finger, wet all the way around the edge of the wrapper. Place about 1 tsp of pork filling in the center of each square. Fold the square over diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner. Press down all along the seam to make the wet edges stick. Squeeze out all of the air in the process.
- Take the two points of the triangle that are furthest from each other and wrap them around front and pinch together (use a bit more water to glue it together). The pot sticker is now folded! Fold the rest in the same manner. Once all of the pot stickers are folded, you can either cook all of them or freeze some on a cookie sheet. Once they are completely frozen solid, transfer them to an air tight freezer bag for storage. You can take them out and cook them as usual at a later date!
- In a large pot, bring 6 cups of water and 3 bouillon cubes to a boil. Once it reaches a hard boil, drop in about half of the pot stickers. Boil them until they begin to float (about 7 minutes) then transfer to a cooling rack to drain. Place a baking sheet under the cooling rack to catch any water that drips off.
- Once the pot stickers are done boiling and have drained for a minute or two they are ready to fry. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium/high heat. Spray it generously with non-stick spray. Using a non-stick pan with non-stick spray is the easiest way to make the pot stickers crispy without having them stick, tear and use a ton of oil. Pan fry the pot stickers on each side until golden brown and crispy (2-3 min on each side).
- Serve immediately with your favorite asian sauce (soy, oyster, teriyaki, sweet chili… anything goes!).
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Nutrition
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Step By Step Photos
To core the cabbage, cut the head in half then make diagonal cuts along the core to remove the triangle/cone portion surrounding the core.
Cut each half of the cabbage head in half once more then cut crosswise as thinly as possible to achieve a “shred”.
Saute the cabbage over medium high heat with 2 Tbsp of oil and 1/2 tsp of salt (to help draw out the moisture) until it is transparent and limp.
As the cabbage sautes, combine the ground pork, peeled and grated ginger, minced garlic, sliced green onions, soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix well with your hands.
After the cabbage has cooled slightly, mix it into the seasoned pork. Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors blend.
Lay three or four wrappers out at a time and use your finger to wet the outside edges. Place about one tsp of filling in the center of each (the top one is the finished product).
Fold them diagonally over the filling from corner to corner. Press the wet edges together while squeezing out any air pockets.
Next, bring the two points together in front and squeeze together to seal (place another drop of water between the points). Now you have your folded pot sticker!
Bring six cups of water and three bouillon cubes to a rolling boil. Drop in about half of the pot stickers (you don’t want to over crowd) and boil until they all float like in the picture (about 7 minutes). Drain on a cooling rack that is placed over a baking sheet.
Here they are draining. See how lovely and transparent the skin gets? Boil the second batch as you move on to frying the first batch.
Heat a large non-stick skillet coated with non-stick spray over medium/high heat. Fry the pot stickers until they are golden brown and crispy on each side (2-3 minutes each side). Now they’re ready to eat!
NOTE: Once again, I bought my groceries at a store that is generally more expensive this week because it was convenient. The ground pork was about $2/lb. more expensive than I would have normally paid. That being said, the recipe was still quite affordable (thanks to budget byting principle #2). I have not comparison shopped for won ton wrappers so I’m not sure if the price I paid for a pack of 52 was relatively high or low.
If you’re not sure where to find won ton wrappers, check in the produce department near the tofu and meat substitutes. They have to stay refrigerated so they are not usually near the other asian ingredients. Sometimes they can also be found frozen.
While these pot stickers were amazing, they are not one of those dishes that tastes *better* reheated the next day. They lose a little bit of their unique, delicate texture when reheated but still taste great and are quite filling. The best way to reheat these is to saute again in a non-stick skillet to retain the crisp texture. I will be taking these with me for lunch so I’ll have to use the microwave and lose some texture. Despite the loss of texture during the reheating process, I have still found myself excited when I remember that there are yummy pork pot stickers waiting to be snacked on in the fridge!
We made these tonight and they were fantastic! No need to break quarantine for Chinese food, ever!
Thanks Beth!
I had a hard time figuring out the size of my cabbage. It looked small to me, so I chopped the whole thing. I didn’t realize it would actually be considered an EXTRA LARGE cabbage (3.5 lb) until I was entering recipe calories into an app. So weigh your cabbage first haha.
I had a lot of leftover filling that I need to buy more wrappers for and the ratios were off, but it was still delicious. I made a dipping sauce of chili paste, soy sauce, and honey.
Also, cover your wrappers with a wet paper towel to keep them from drying out. The rolling took me a looong time (perfect quarantine recipe).
I was so excited to make these, but my wrappers disintegrated off when I boiled them and I had a sticky, slimy mess. Can someone share what brand of wrappers they used? Alternately, can I skip the boiling step? I want to try again this weekend.
I made this today with a few changes. These are really good, at least as good as what I’ve had at restaurants or from Trader Joe’s. My husband loved them too. I used ground turkey, napa cabbage and added a teaspoon or two of chili garlic sauce. The folding method was really easy and quick. Yours was the only recipe I saw that boiled and then fried so I wasn’t sure I would like it, but it was pretty easy and they had a great texture. I served them with Trader Joe’s Gyoza dipping sauce (which is so good I could drink it) and that was perfect. This recipe has a lot of steps and hands-on time, but I got 45 from the recipe and am so excited to have a big tray of them in the freezer for future deliciousness.
Hey there, I love your website, being a college kid and eating well is rare but thanks to you I can! I just have on quick question about the bullion cubes. I have both chicken and beef bullion cubes. Which ones should I use with this recipe?
I think chicken would probably be better. It’s a lighter, less obtrusive flavor.
For sauce I mix ginger and soy sauce till taste is liked. My kids love it.
I’ve been thinking about trying these for a while. Do you have a good recipe for dipping sauce?
I don’t, actually. I just used some soy sauce. :P
Any changes to the cooking method/timing when cooking from frozen?
just a tip…..you dont even have to deal with the cabbage/carrots. just finely chop a bag of cole slaw mix. you dont even have to pre-cook it.
I made these a few weeks ago, but my wonton folding was TERRIBLE. Of the dozen I made, only about 5 made it to the final stage to eat. I tried many different folding methods, but the one you showed here was the best!
I finally made acceptable final products today. From this I have two tips:
1) Don’t try to make these when you’re hungry for them! Folding takes patience.
2) A change in cooking method: Lightly oil a pan, add in the pot stickers, then immediately pouring boiling water to the pan, covering the pot stickers half-way. Then simmer until all the water is gone and add sesame oil to fry for 1 minute.
I froze the stuffing mixture after my first failure. I was surprised at how the cabbage stayed crispy despite freezing and thawing!
These pot stickers have been shared with many friends who say they taste just like (or better than) the ones we get as appetizers in restaurants!
As always: Thanks so much for an amazing recipe!
I can’t wait to make these! Beth, any ideas on how to morph these into Won Ton soup?
Hmmm… I bet you could just drop them into boiling soup and let them cook that way.
Have to share the first time I tasted pot stickers. I was at a friend’s house, we were playing poker, and his mother comes home with two other Chinese ladies and they go to the kitchen and start cranking out pot stickers. Must have been for some event, but they were not going to let the poker players get away without eating some. I loved them, ate a lot of them, but not enough for the guy’s mother. She pressed yet another plate full at me, saying “I Jewish mother!”
These are amazing!!! I made them with tofu instead of pork, and I had to increase the seasonings and add some mushrooms to give it a deeper flavor and make up for the lack of pork. My family loooooves these!! :)
These were phenominal! A little time consuming to put together, but well worth it. They were a hit with my husband and son too…we ate them all! Will definitely be making these again!
Katiee – They should stay good in the freezer for at least 3 months. After that they may start to dry out a bit.
How long would these last in the freezer??
You really don’t need the added step of boiling them, just saute them in a little oil to give them some color, add 1/3 cup water or chicken stock to the frying pan, cover, lower heat as low as it will go and let steam 10 minutes, remove lid and continue cooking another 2 minutes and all liquid has evaporated. You can loosen them carefully with a teflon spatula so they don’t stick too much. The last 2 minutes is what gives them all the flavor. A nice dipping sauce would be equal parts soy and fresh lime juice with a little finely diced green onion.
I made these last night and they were delicious! I made my own wonton wrappers also; it’s pretty easy, just flour, egg, salt & water. Very inexpensive to make a lot of wrappers, you should try it. Thanks for this recipe!
Beth, you rock!
Ah! Thanks for your comment! Now I know a couple areas that need to be clarified for sure… I didn’t use three wrappers per pot sticker, I just filled and folded them in groups of three because it was easier than doing one at a time. Sorry for the confusion! I will definitely mention the raw pork as well.
used 4 of your recipes for an asian themed dinner party tonight, these were the favorite of the night and everything was amazing… followed the directions to a T.
i’m not an experienced cook at all, just good at following directions… but just FYI, it wasn’t clear to me that you didn’t cook the pork before you put it in the wrappers. i had to read it a few times and look closely at the pictures to determine the meat was not cooked when you mixed the cabbage with it… might want to clear that up for those of us who have few cooking skills.
also, i’m wondering if you had really thin won ton wrappers… you suggested using 3 wrappers per pot sticker…i bought a pack which only had 30 or so pot sticker wrappers and used 1 each
This recipe looks absolutely delicious. I am insisting that Derek make some of these this week.
I just made these for dinner and they were amazing! I made them with pork and beef because I wasn’t in the mood for cabbage, everyone loved them! Thanks for a great recipe!
Between these and the lobster and cream cheese stuffed wontons I am super excited to try making my own fillings. Thanks!
It is a very famous recipe in my family.
Now that I have a freezer full of these I plan on trying them with your Thai Peanut Sauce( http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2010/01/thai-peanut-sauce-175-recipe-022.html ) but tonight I’m too stuffed up to bother mixing more ingredients so it’ll be soy sauce and/or sri racha for me!
Great recipe by the way!
Wow! I made these on Saturday night for dinner and they were gone in minutes! I doubled your recipe and it made a ton! Filled 48 wonton wrappers and still had some filling left over to fill another 10 (but I ran out of wrappers!). Thanks for an amazing recipe.
You can also put just a little olive oil into the water, that’s what you do to keep ravioli from sticking anyway.
I made these last night and they turned out perfectly! (Except for the part when they didn’t sink tot he bottom of the boiling water, they just floated the whole time. Just as good as the restaurant ones! Thanks so much for posting. :)
Ryan, right after you drop them into the boiling water make sure to give them a stir. When they first go in they’ll sink to the bottom and that is most likely when the sticking happens. You can also give them an occasional stir as they boil just to make sure. Glad you enjoyed them!
I made these tonight! They were a hit. My hubby say’s they were better than the ones we get when we go out. For my first pot sticker attempt I was impressed with myself (for picking your recipe!)
I did have an issue with a few sticking to the bottom of the pot when I was boiling them. Any pointers?
Thanks for the fabulous recipe!
Leslie- I would freeze them after folding but before boiling. Things freeze better when they have less moisture in them. Just toss them straight from the freezer into the boiling water/broth then saute in a skillet real quick after… the whole cooking process takes about ten minutes!
These look absolutely delicious! I’ve been wanting to try making my own pot stickers at home for a while, and it seems that this is the perfect recipe for me to use.
These look deliciuous – and affordable! Would you be able to freeze them after boiling them? Then just heat them up in the pan when you are ready? (I cook for one so I’m a big fan of freezing food…)
I just recently discovered your blog and when I saw this post I knew I was finally going to make pot stickers. The best part is that we modified your recipe to fit what I had in my fridge/pantry and really only spent $3 on a package of wrappers. I do believe I blew my fiance’s mind when he realized what we ended up spending so little on his favorite asian dish and it still managed to taste better than the real thing. So, thanks!
Dammit! Now I want potstickers, and it’s 10:30, so the grocery store next door is already closed…guess I’m getting delivery. :(
Beth, I have totally done that too. :)
Yours looks scrumptious and I am so tempted to make a batch of my own today. I wish I had seen this yesterday because I just went to the market.
Gail, Freeze them after you finish assembling them. You don’t need to boil and fry.
If you wanted to freeze some to make for later, at what point do you suggest freezing? I was thinking about freezing them after they are boiled, that way you could fry and eat. Any thoughts?
Thanks for the tips!! We do have a lot of Asian markets here (we’re lucky), I just couldn’t make it this week and had to buy the more expensive stuff :P
I don’t know where you might find an Chinese supermarket in Louisiana (maybe the Mexican market will have it?). In my area Chinese markets sell ground pork at less than $2/lb. My mom always used square wrappers for wontons (for soups) and round wrappers for potstickers (for frying). We would make both at the same time and use the same filling. We would make lots and freeze them. Freeze individually on a baking sheet and then toss into a ziplock or other container. To fry frozen potstickers, add oil to the frying pan and fry each side until lightly brown. Then add a bowl of water to “defrost” and fry until the water has boiled away and the potstickers are cooked and crispy. For wontons, you simply need to boil longer.