Chicken Potstickers Recipe

Prepare cabbage

Finely shred the napa cabbage and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, let sit 5 minutes, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible using your hands or a clean kitchen towel. This prevents a soggy filling.

Mix filling

In a medium bowl combine the ground chicken, squeezed cabbage, sliced scallions, grated ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, salt, white pepper, and cornstarch. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or your hands until the mixture is sticky and homogeneous (about 1–2 minutes).

Taste a small bit of the mixture by cooking a teaspoon in a skillet (optional) and adjust seasoning if needed—add a pinch more salt or soy sauce if bland.

Prepare workspace

Arrange wrappers on a clean work surface covered with a lightly damp towel to keep them from drying out. Place a small bowl of water nearby for sealing and a spoon or small scoop for portioning filling.

Fill wrappers

Place about 1 teaspoon to 1.5 teaspoons of filling in the center of a wrapper (heaping if needed). Avoid overfilling — you want room to seal. Dip your finger in water and run a thin line around half the edge of the wrapper.

Fold and pleat

Fold the wrapper in half over the filling to form a half-moon. Press to seal in the center, then create 3–5 small pleats along one side, pressing each pleat into the opposite side to form a tight seal. Repeat until all filling is used. Keep finished potstickers under a damp towel.

Heat pan

Use a wide nonstick or cast-iron skillet with a lid. Heat 2 tablespoons neutral oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking.

Pan-fry bottoms

Place potstickers in the pan flat side down in a single layer without crowding (work in batches if necessary). Cook undisturbed 2–3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.

Steam

Carefully add 1/2 cup water to the pan (it will sizzle). Immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce heat to medium. Steam for 4–5 minutes until the filling is cooked through and the wrappers become translucent.

Crisp finish

Remove the lid and continue cooking 1–2 minutes to evaporate remaining water and re-crisp the bottoms. Transfer potstickers to a plate and keep warm while you cook remaining batches.

Whisk together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon chili oil (if using), and 1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey. Adjust to taste. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and additional sliced scallions if desired.

Arrange potstickers on a serving platter, serve hot with the dipping sauce alongside. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat in a skillet with a splash of water and a lid to retain crisp bottoms.