Servings
Font
Back
Pot Stickers ~ Guotie
5 from 10 votes

Pot Stickers ~ Guotie

Pot Stickers (Guotie) are pan-fried dumplings filled with a savory mixture of ground beef or pork, scallions, ginger, and seasonings. Wrapped in thin dumpling skins and pleated by hand, they develop a golden, crispy bottom while steamed on top for tender dough. Served with a tangy dipping sauce combining Chinese black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and herbs, these pot stickers balance rich filling and contrasting textures.

Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 36 pot stickers
Calories: 59 kcal
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

For the dipping sauce
  • 1 cup Chinese black vinegar (you can find this at Chinese markets, but buy the good stuff with real ingredients and not "caramel coloring")
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger minced
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil toasted
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro minced leaves
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce light
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
For the dumplings
  • 12 ounces ground beef preferably not lean, or ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce light
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon ginger minced
  • 3/4 cup scallions light green and white parts, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil toasted
  • Pinch salt
  • About 36 (3-inch) dumpling wrapper store-bought or homemade, round
  • 1 1/2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil mild

Instructions

Make the dipping sauce
    Cup of Yum
  1. Whisk together the black vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, cilantro, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl. Let stand at room temperature.
Make the dumplings
  1. In a bowl, combine the meat, soy sauce, cornstarch, ginger, scallions, sugar, sesame oil, and salt and stir in one direction with a chopstick until just mixed. [Editor's Note: We don't understand the rationale behind the one-chopstick thing, either. Nor did our recipe testers,  even the ones who grew up making pot stickers at their mothers' sides. So try it or not. Up to you.]
  2. Fill a small bowl with some cold water. Hold a dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand and place 1 heaping teaspoon filling in the center. Dip your finger in the water and run it around the edge of the wrapper (this helps make a good seal). Lightly fold the wrapper over on itself, but don’t touch the edges together yet. Only seal the edges in the middle. Then, starting at one end, use your fingers to make a small pleat in the edge of the wrapper closest to you. Then press the pleat into the edge beneath it and pinch together to seal. Keep making pleats along the dumpling opening in this way until it's completely sealed. The pleating should produce a dumpling that stands up on a flat bottom, pleats sticking up. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers. (You can freeze the uncooked dumplings for up to a few months.)
  3. Heat 1/2 to 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place 12 dumplings, pleat side up, in a single layer in the skillet so they're just barely touching each other. Cover and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Decrease the heat to medium-low, carefully pour 1/4 cup water into the skillet (watch out, it may spatter), and cook, covered, until all the water is absorbed by the dumplings and their bottoms are crusty brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat this process twice more with the remaining dumplings, oil, and water.
  5. Serve the dumplings on a platter or in a bamboo steamer and pass the dipping sauce on the side.

Notes

  • Freeze uncooked pot stickers in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet before bagging to prevent sticking.
  • Cook frozen pot stickers without thawing; just extend steaming time by about 3 minutes.
  • Use good quality Chinese black vinegar without artificial coloring for authentic dipping sauce flavor.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1pot sticker Calories 59kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 5g (2%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 3g (5%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Monounsaturated Fat 1g (5%) Trans Fat 0.1g (5%) Cholesterol 7mg (2%) Sodium 129mg (5%) Fiber 0.2g (1%) Sugar 0.5g (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 36 pot stickers

Amount Per Serving

Calories 59

% Daily Value*

Serving 1pot sticker
Calories 59kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 5g 2%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 7mg 2%
Sodium 129mg 5%
Fiber 0.2g 1%
Sugar 0.5g 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.