Chicken potstickers with a crispy skirt (鸡肉锅贴)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Rest
40 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
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Servings
30 potstickers
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Chinese
Chicken potstickers with a crispy skirt (鸡肉锅贴)
Description
Chicken potstickers with a crispy skirt combine a homemade dough wrapper with a well-balanced minced chicken filling. The dough is made by first mixing boiling and cold water into all-purpose flour, then kneaded and rested to develop elasticity, which allows for thin but resilient wrappers. The filling blends minced chicken, sweetcorn, grated carrot, chopped shiitake mushrooms, scallions, and ginger, seasoned with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and a pinch of Sichuan peppercorn or similar spice powder to add a warm undertone.
The assembly involves flattening dough discs, placing filling in the center, and folding the wrappers before pan-frying. The slurry of cornstarch, flour, water, and vinegar added during frying creates a golden, crispy skirt around the potstickers, providing a contrasting texture to the tender filling. This cooking method not only seals in juices but adds an appealing crunch along the edges.
These potstickers serve well as a starter or light meal, especially when paired with dipping sauces like soy or chili oil. The recipe suggests frying batches of 10 at a time to maintain the crispy skirt effect, perfect for sharing at casual meals or gatherings.
The dough can be made by hand or using a stand mixer with a dough hook. Store-bought wrappers can substitute the homemade dough if needed, with care taken to moisten edges for sealing. Adjust slurry amounts proportionally when frying larger batches. The recipe notes also highlight variations in flour and water ratios depending on flour brand, calling for measurement attention to achieve the correct dough consistency.
Ingredients
For the wrappers
- 250 g all-purpose flour see note 1
- 70 g water boiling
- 60 g water tap
For the filling
- 300 g chicken or turkey, minced
- 100 g sweetcorn canned
- 50 g carrot grated
- 3 shiitake mushrooms fresh or rehydrated dried ones, finely chopped
- 2 talks scallions finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce light
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 pinch Sichuan peppercorn or five-spice powder, white pepper, ground
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the slurry (for frying 10 at a time)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 100 g water
- ¼ teaspoon vinegar
For frying
- neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
Instructions
Make the dough (See note 2)
- In a mixing bowl, gradually add hot water to the flour. Mix with chopsticks/spatula.
- Then add tap water. Combine and roughly knead into a dough.
- Leave to rest (covered) for 10 minutes then knead again until very smooth.
- Cover and rest for a further 30-60 minutes until it becomes soft.
Mix the filling
- Add all the ingredients for the filling into a mixing bowl.
- For an even distribution of ingredients, use your hand to rub and mix (wear a food-prep disposable glove if you wish).
Roll the wrappers
- Divide the dough into three parts.
- Roll one part into a rope then cut into 10 equal sections (cover the rest to prevent them from drying out).
- Press each piece into a small disc with the palm of your hand.
- Use a rolling pin to flatten it into a thin disc (Please refer to my tutorial video below). Dust with flour if it sticks
Assemble the potstickers
- Place a spoonful of the filling in the middle of a wrapper.
- Fold the wrapper into a half-moon shape.
- Pinch and seal the potsticker along the edge while leaving the two corners open.
- Repeat to finish the rest. Remember to lightly flour the surface on which you place the assembled potstickers.
Mix the slurry
- Mix all the ingredients for the slurry until well combined (no lumps can be seen). Set aside.
Fry the potstickers (see note 4)
- Place a frying pan over high heat. Pour in oil (about 1 tablespoon for every 10 potstickers). Then add the potstickers.
- When the bottom of the potstickers turns golden, pour in the slurry (stir well beforehand) then cover with a lid.
- Leave to fry (remain high heat). Uncover when most of the water evaporates.
- Continue for 30 seconds or so until the skirt looks dry and crispy (do not burn though).
- Use a serving plate to cover the potstickers. Turn the frying pan upside down to transfer the potstickers onto the plate (the crispy part facing up). Serving warm with homemade chilli oil or a dipping sauce.
Freeze uncooked potstickers
- Place assembled, uncooked potstickers on a tray lined with parchment paper (or dusted with flour). Put into the freezer.
- When completely frozen, transfer them into an airtight plastic bag/container. Use within three months.
Cook frozen potstickers
- Without defrosting, pan fry the frozen potstickers following the same instructions above. Make sure you increase the quantity of the slurry by 50%.
Notes
- Measure flour by weight rather than cups for accuracy due to varying flour brands and moisture content.
- You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough; mix boiling water with flour for 2 minutes on low speed, add tap water, then continue kneading for 6 minutes until smooth.
- The dough should rest covered for 30 to 60 minutes to become soft and pliable for rolling.
- If using store-bought dumpling wrappers, thaw them in the fridge before use and moisten the edges with water to seal potstickers well.
- Fry about 10 potstickers at a time for best results; increase slurry proportionally if frying more.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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