Calling out to dumpling lovers out there! Today I'm going to share a better-than-take-out, which is a shrimp pot stickers recipe. I promise after you make these, you will think very very hard before ordering your take-out menu or grabbing that frozen bag of pot stickers.
Save This Recipe!
What Are Pot Stickers?
Pot stickers are a type of Chinese dumplings and are also known generally as jiaozi.
They are filled with thin dough that's been folded and pinched together. The filling is whatever delicious filling that you can think of.
Minced chicken, beef, shrimp with veggies, or simply just veggies. Some people add some cheese too.
You're the creator of your pot stickers. The method of cooking the dumplings is what separates them from each other. They can either be boiled, steamed, or pan-fried (like what we're doing today).
If you love boiled dumplings, make my chicken and shrimp boiled dumplings using my homemade dumpling dough recipe that's specifically for boiled dumplings.
How To Successfully Cook Pot Stickers
Despite what you might be thinking, the pot stickers are EASY to cook. Yes, believe me.
Some people make the process of cooking pot stickers sound so difficult with this and that technique. Look, they're just basically pan-fried dough. As simple as that. Here are some simple tips on how to cook them without any headaches and the skills of a scientist.
Hot pan medium heat - heat some oil on your hot pan and cook the dumplings for a few minutes until you see the bottom of the dumplings turning golden brown. They don't need to get golden brown because we will continue cooking them and they will get to the perfect color once they're fully cooked.
Splash of hot water - this will create steam in the pan and cook the dumplings. I usually eyeball the amount of water because all you need is just a bit but no worries, I wrote down the exact amount for you in the recipe below. And yes, you read me right. Use hot water, not room-temperature water. We don't want to bring the pan's temperature down.
Cook until golden brown - cover the pan and continue cooking for 5 minutes or so or until you see the water has evaporated. Remove the lid and use tongs, lift one pot sticker, and check the bottom. It should be golden brown. If it's not, no worries, continue cooking without a lid for a few minutes more.
See? Easy! I hope you will give this recipe a try. It's easy, delicious, and even fun to make.
In Summary
These shrimp pot stickers are:
- better than take-out or frozen ones
- you can personalize the filling to your liking
- no need to cook the filling first
- perfect for an appetizer for when you're hosting or having some friends coming over to watch the final episode of GoT (oh!)
- are just DELICIOUS! Take my word for it
Before You Go
You might want to check these recipes out:
- Crispy beef spring rolls
- Healthier orange chicken
- Asian chicken noodles soup (I make this ALL the time)
- Malaysian stir fry rice noodles (Penang char kway teow)
Video
📖 Recipe
Shrimp Pot Stickers
Ingredients
The Filling
- 5.3 oz shrimps (150 g), peeled & deveined
- ½ cup chopped spring onion (35 g)
- ½ cup finely chopped cabbage (50 g)
- 1 garlic clove , grated
- ½ thumb sized ginger , grated
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sugar
The Dipping Sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Others
- 15 dumpling wrappers (I'm using frozen store-bought ones that I thawed)
- ¼ cup hot water (60 ml)
Instructions
The Filling
- Separate 6 shrimps and cut them in chunks. Place in a bowl.
- Using a cleaver, minced the rest of the shrimp into a paste. Add into the bowl together with the rest of the filling ingredients. Mix well.
The Dipping Sauce
- Add everything together into a bowl. Set aside.
Assembling
- Take 1 dumpling wrapper and place it on your palm. Spray with some water. Place around 1 heap teaspoon of filling on the center and fold the wrapper together, pleat and pinch to seal.
- Place on a baking tray with baking sheet. Continue with the rest.
- Note: 1. Watch the video above to see in more details on how to fold the pot stickers.2. Cover the both wrappers and filled pot stickers with damp cloth to prevent from drying.
Cooking
- Heat a pan on medium heat with some oil. Once hot, place the raw pot stickers in. Continue cooking for a few minutes until the bottom of pot stickers start to turn golden brown.
- Add the hot water and immediately cover the pan with a lid. Leave to cook until the water evaporates and the bottom of pot stickers are golden brown.
- Note:1. If the bottom of pot stickers are still not golden brown when all water has evaporated, simply continue cooking for a few minutes more without the lid.2. I would recommend using a non-stick pan.3. Read my tips on how to get it right in the post above.
How To Serve
- Serve pot stickers immediately together with the dipping sauce. They are the best when they're hot.
- When they're cold, the skin tends to get a bit hard and chewy.
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Amy says
Great tips on the pot stickers and also on how to make home-made wrappers! Thanks!
Marilynn G says
DELICIOUS BEA!
It was difficult to seal them like you did so I just folded them over. LOL!
Thank you!!
Bea says
Haha! It doesn't matter how they look, right? Thank you so much Marilynn!