Homemade Chicken Potstickers have a crispy shell on the outside with a burst of delicious chicken filling on the inside that's seasoned to perfection with ginger, garlic, and green onions. Their small size makes them perfect as an appetizer, but trust us, you'll want to make a meal out of them!

Since it's easy to find potstickers at the store, you might be tempted to grab those instead of making homemade potstickers. Although they do require a bit of effort, it's well worth it. The chicken is jam-packed with aromatic ingredients and flavors, and they don't have any of the additives or preservatives you find in the prepackaged ones. Just be warned — once you start making these easy chicken dumplings at home, the grocery store ones won't even taste good anymore!
Why You'll Love These Chicken Potstickers
- Tons of flavor. The ingredients for this chicken potsticker recipe read like a who's who of the most flavorful ingredients ever. There's green onion, fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and Shaoxing cooking wine. The dipping sauce also calls for black vinegar, which adds incredible depth of flavor as well. They're the complete opposite of bland!
- Crispy and chewy texture. After pan-frying the potstickers, the wonton wrapper takes on a crunchy, crispy texture. We like to fry just one side to enjoy the chewy bite of the steamed wrapper as well. The two textures complement the flavors as well, making the entire dish just so much fun to eat!
- Easy to freeze. You can easily make a big batch of these delicious Chinese dumplings and freeze them for later. They cook wonderfully from frozen, and this is a great way to enjoy an easy weeknight meal on a night when you really need it!
Ingredient Notes
To make these delicious chicken potstickers, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- ground chicken - make sure the chicken is fully thawed before starting the chicken potsticker filling.
- green onions - green onion has a refreshing herbiness that pairs really well with garlic and ginger. Chop extra green onions for a pop of color when serving too.
- egg - a little egg will help bind the filling together.
- garlic - either mince fresh garlic yourself or use minced garlic from the store.
- ginger - grating fresh ginger breaks it into tiny pieces to make sure there are little pieces in every bite.
- soy sauce - salty soy sauce will make sure the chicken is fully flavored. Oyster sauce is a good alternative.
- Shaoxing cooking wine - this is a deeply flavorful, amber-colored rice wine you can often find at Asian markets. You can also substitute with rice vinegar.
- sesame oil - sesame oil adds a rich, nutty flavor.
- corn starch - cornstarch will absorb moisture as the potstickers cook, making sure they have the perfect texture.
- salt and pepper - season well. White pepper can add another layer of flavor.
- round dumpling wrappers - although the dumpling skin is just made from a mixture of wheat flour and water (see our Dumpling Wrappers recipe), it's may be easier to purchase a 50-piece package of wonton skins from the grocery store. It’s totally up to you!
- vegetable oil - you'll want a neutral-tasting oil that can handle frying, like vegetable oil or soybean oil.
- cold water - this is for steaming the potstickers after they fry for two different textures.
- white sesame seeds - sprinkle some over the dumplings for a nice garnish.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a large mixing bowl, spatula, plastic wrap, two small bowls, parchment paper, a baking tray, a tea towel, and a large non-stick frying pan.
How to Make the Best Chicken Potstickers
First, make the chicken filling.
- Combine ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add ground chicken, green onions,, egg, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Stir with a spatula until evenly combined.
- Marinate. Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap and marinate for at least 20 minutes (up to overnight) in the refrigerator to soak in all the flavours.
Next, wrap the dumplings.
- Moisten edges. Prepare a small bowl of water for dipping your fingers into. Take one dumpling wrapper at a time and place it in your palm. Dip your finger into water and smear it along the edge of the wrapper.
- Add filling. Transfer a tablespoon of filling into the centre.
- Fold wrapper. Fold the wrapper over into a half-moon shape, and enclose the filling inside. Press the edges together to seal, or pleat the edges together with your finger. Place the dumpling on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Repeat. Repeat with all dumplings. Cover with a tea towel to prevent the wrappers from drying out.
Now, cook the potstickers.
- Pan fry bottoms. Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick frying pan until hot, about 3 minutes. Place a batch of 15 dumplings on the pan and place them approximately ½-inch apart to make sure that they don't stick together. Cook for 3 minutes until the bottom turns golden brown. (To get all sides crispy rather than just the bottom like we did, then cook on both sides until golden and crispy).
- Add water. Add water into the pan to cover half of the dumplings' height (½-inch deep). The water should start sizzling and boiling immediately.
- Cook. Cover with the lid and cook for 7-8 minutes until almost all the water has evaporated. Remove the lid and lower the temperature to medium heat. Cook for another 2 minutes until all water has been absorbed. The bottom of the dumplings should be crispy.
- Repeat. Repeat the same steps for another batch of 15 dumplings.
Potsticker Dipping Sauce
Serve chicken potstickers with black vinegar or soy sauce. Black vinegar has a deep, umami flavor, perfect for dipping sauces. We make a simple vinegar dipping sauce using black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onions:
- In a small mixing bowl, make the vinegar dipping sauce by combining black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and green onions. You can also add some Sriracha for a spicy kick.
- Transfer the crispy dumplings onto a plate and sprinkle some sesame seeds and green onions on top. Serve with the homemade vinegar dipping sauce.
Recipe Variations
- Try a different ground meat. Chicken mince has a nice, almost neutral flavor. Ground turkey or ground pork would be a good alternative. You can also use ground chicken thigh meat for a richer flavor.
- Add more veggies. If you prefer dumplings with cabbage, you can easily shred and saute some napa cabbage or grated carrots to add to the delicious filling.
- Use gyoza wrappers. Can't find potsticker wrappers? Try gyoza wrappers instead. They're smaller and thinner, so you'll need to be careful with them, but they'll work in a pinch.
- Make it spicy. If you love everything spicy, add some sriracha to the dumpling filling or to your dipping sauce.
How to Serve
These Chicken Potstickers are delicious served on their own, or paired with some of other Chinese dim sum appetizers including:
- Crispy Bottom Shanghai Pan-Fried Pork Buns
- Spicy Chili Oil Wontons
- Vegetarian Spring Rolls
- Chive Pancakes with Sourdough Starter
- Miso Garlic Chicken Wings
Love dumplings and dim sum? Try these 25 Best Dim Sum Recipes to find your new favorite dumpling recipes and more!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Let it rest. The filling mixture will taste even better if you let it rest in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight. All those aromatic ingredients and spices mingle together. Your patience will be rewarded!
- Cover quickly. When you add the cold water to the hot pan, it will immediately start steaming. If there is any residual oil in the pan, it may splatter on you. Cover the pan right away to avoid burns.
- Fry on one side or both. You can see in these photos that we only fried one side of the dumplings. This can be a nice way to get a little crispiness while still enjoying the tender, chewy texture of the wonton wrapper. It's entirely up to you. Try it both ways and see what you prefer.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Store any leftover potstickers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to Reheat
Reheat the leftover cooked dumplings in the microwave or crisp them up in a pan with a little oil.
How to Freeze
I only recommend freezing raw potstickers (not cooked ones) to cook later. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 1-2 hours. Then, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze them for several months.
How to Cook from Frozen
You can cook them directly from frozen — just let them steam a little bit longer than normal. After the first round of steaming, add an additional ¼ cup of water and cover again. Cook until the water is nearly gone (approximately 5 more minutes).
FAQ
There are many different variations of chicken potstickers, so there isn't one right answer. In general, they include ground chicken with aromatic ingredients like ginger and garlic. Some versions include Napa or green cabbage, water chestnut, and shredded carrot, but those aren't a requirement. We prefer to make these chicken pot stickers with green onion and several flavorful sauces, including Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil. This results in a protein-rich dumpling that's hearty enough to enjoy as a light meal or as a satisfying appetizer.
Pot stickers are a type of Chinese dumplings that originated in northern China. The Japanese version of pot stickers is called gyoza, which are smaller and can be cooked in several different ways. Potstickers are traditionally pan-fried and then steamed in the pan.
After making and eating many dumplings, we're hooked on this sweet-savory-tangy--salty-umami dipping sauce made from soy sauce, black vinegar (worth the hunt), green onions, and sesame oil. It whips up in just a few seconds of effort and brings so many different types of flavors in one little bite!
More Dumpling Recipes
- Beef Potstickers (Dumplings)
- Vegetable Dumplings
- Pork Dumplings
- Kimchi Dumplings
- Chicken and Cilantro Wontons
- Potato Onion Pierogi
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Recipe
Chicken Potstickers
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 50 potstickers
Description
Homemade Chicken Potstickers have a crispy shell on the outside with a burst of delicious chicken filling on the inside that's seasoned to perfection with ginger, garlic, and green onions. Their small size makes them perfect as an appetizer, but trust us, you'll want to make a meal out of them!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup green onions
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or oyster sauce)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or white pepper
- 50 round dumpling wrappers (one 50-piece package)
For pan-frying:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup cold water (more or less depending on size of pan)
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds (for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon green onions, finely chopped (for garnish)
For the vinegar dipping sauce:
- 2 tablespoons black vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon green onions, sliced
Instructions
Make the Filling:
- In a large mixing bowl, add ground chicken, green onions,, egg, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Stir with a spatula until evenly combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap and marinate for at least 20 minutes (up to overnight) in the refrigerator to soak in all the flavours.
Wrap the Dumplings:
- Prepare a small bowl of water for dipping your fingers into. Take one dumpling wrapper at a time and place it in your palm. Dip your finger into water and smear it along the edge of the wrapper.
- Transfer a tablespoon of filling into the centre. Fold the wrapper over into a half-moon shape, and enclose the filling inside. Press the edges together to seal, or pleat the edges together with your finger. Place the dumpling on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Repeat with all dumplings. Cover with a tea towel to prevent the wrappers from drying out.
Pan-Fry the Dumplings:
- Heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick frying pan until hot, about 3 minutes. Place a batch of 15 dumplings on the pan and place them approximately ½-inch apart to make sure that they don't stick together. Cook for 3 minutes until the bottom turns golden brown. (To get all sides crispy rather than just the bottom like we did, then cook on both sides until golden and crispy).
- Add water into the pan to cover half of the dumplings' height (½-inch deep). The water should start sizzling and boiling immediately. Cover with the lid and cook for 7-8 minutes until almost all the water has evaporated.
- Remove the lid and lower the temperature to medium heat. Cook for another 2 minutes until all water has been absorbed. The bottom of the dumplings should be crispy.
- Repeat the same steps for another batch of 15 dumplings.
Serve the Dumplings:
- In a small mixing bowl, make the vinegar dipping sauce by combining black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and green onions. You can also add some Sriracha for a spicy kick.
- Transfer the crispy dumplings onto a plate and sprinkle some sesame seeds and green onions on top. Serve with the homemade vinegar dipping sauce.
Notes
How to store: Store any leftover potstickers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to reheat: Reheat the leftover cooked dumplings in the microwave or crisp them up in a pan with a little oil.
How to freeze: I only recommend freezing raw potstickers (not cooked ones) to cook later. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 1-2 hours. Then, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze them for several months.
How to cook from frozen: You can cook them directly from frozen — just let them steam a little bit longer than normal. After the first round of steaming, add an additional ¼ cup of water and cover again. Cook until the water is nearly gone (approximately 5 more minutes).
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Marinate Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese
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