Good Luck Dumplings (Pot Stickers)
1 days ago
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My middle child, Shauna, has always loved Asian cuisine. One day she was craving dumplings and I thought, why not try making them at home? There are so many recipes and variations online, but I wanted to put my own spin on it. While researching, I stumbled upon a story that felt too good not to share.
Legend has it that a chef once boiled dumplings in a wok and forgot about them. The water evaporated, the dumplings stuck and the bottoms burned. Instead of throwing them away, he served them to the emperor as a new dish. To everyone’s surprise, the emperor loved the contrast of tender steamed tops and crispy bottoms and pot stickers were born.
These Good Luck Dumplings (Pot Stickers) are our fun take on that tradition. A flavorful mix of chicken, mushrooms, scallions and ginger wrapped and cooked to crispy-soft perfection. They’re a delicious meal or appetizer and are irresistible once you’ve had one.
Getting Things Ready
Begin by mincing a couple mushrooms and scallions on a Large Cutting Board with the 6" Vegetable Knife until you have about two tablespoons of each. Use the same knife to mince about one teaspoon of fresh ginger.
Now, take two cups of shredded coleslaw mix and chop it even finer so it blends evenly into the filling. You can even use the wide surface of the knife to transfer everything neatly from the cutting board to your mixing bowl.
Next, finely chop about a half pound of cooked ground chicken. The Vegetable Knife’s sharp, straight-edge blade makes quick work of breaking the chicken down into small, uniform pieces.
Mix the chopped chicken in with the vegetables.
Now it’s time for the binder. In a small dish, stir together water and cornstarch until smooth. In another bowl, crack one egg and whisk it with the Mix-Stir until light and frothy. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt, pepper and sesame oil. Whisk again, then mix in the cornstarch slurry. Pour this into the chicken and vegetable mixture, stirring until everything is combined well.
Forming the Pot Stickers
Now for the fun part. Place a dumpling wrapper on a cutting board and spoon about a teaspoon of filling into the center. Using your finger, wet the edges of the wrapper lightly with clean water.
Next, fold the wrapper over to form a half-circle and pinch the edges closed. This creates perfect pouches or half-moons. You can also shape them into little “purses.” Each pot sticker can be unique and that’s part of the charm. Continue until all the filling is used.
Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of grapeseed oil. Arrange the pot stickers in the pan with a little space between each so they don’t stick together.
Cook for two or three minutes until the bottoms are golden brown then flip. Add a tablespoon of water, cover immediately and let the pot stickers steam for another two to three minutes or until the wrappers are tender and cooked through. Remove and repeat with the remaining dumplings.
The beauty of these Good Luck Dumplings is in the balance. No one flavor should dominate. Instead, you taste the chicken, vegetables, ginger and seasonings all working together. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauces, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Soy sauce, chili oil or even a splash of rice vinegar all pair beautifully.
Rewarding Efforts
What I love most about this recipe is the way it brings people together. Making pot stickers is interactive and memorable. It may not be a quick weeknight meal, but it’s an experience to share with family or friends.
If you’re going to make these, go all in and make the full batch of forty. Any extras freeze beautifully. Lay them out flat on a sheet pan and place in the freezer. Place the frozen pot stickers in a resealable bag and place back in the freezer. When you’re ready, just thaw, pan-fry to crisp up the bottoms, and enjoy them all over again. There’s no takeout menu required.
Ingredients
- 1/2-pound cooked ground chicken, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons minced scallions
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons water
- 2 cups shredded coleslaw mix, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 whole egg, whisked
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- One package dumpling wrappers (usually about 40 per package)
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- Water, for steaming
- Soy sauce, for serving
Directions
- In a bowl, combine the chicken, mushrooms, scallions, ginger and coleslaw.
- In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch until the cornstarch is no longer lumpy.
- In another bowl, combine the egg, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, salt, pepper and sesame oil. Whisk together and add the water and cornstarch mixture. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the chicken mixture and stir until combined.
- Place a dumpling wrapper onto a cutting board. Put a teaspoon of the chicken filling into the center of one wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper lightly with clean water. Fold over to form a half circle. Pinch the ends together to form “purse-like” pouches. Repeat this process to form all of your dumplings.
- In a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, add the grapeseed oil. Place some of the dumplings into the pan (there should be space between the dumplings and they shouldn’t overlap). Cook the dumplings for 2-3 minutes and flip them over. Add a tablespoon of water and immediately cover the pan with a lid. Steam the dumplings for 2-3 minutes, or until the wrappers are soft. Remove the dumplings from the pan and repeat the process to cook the remaining dumplings.
- Place dumplings on a platter and serve immediately with soy sauce.
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