A crispy sesame seed bottom elevates these dumplings to make them a wonderful prep-ahead showstopper for entertaining or special occasions. Chicken and mushrooms are a classic pair, working perfectly inside juicy, plump potstickers.
Making dumplings is probably one of my absolute favourite things to do in the kitchen. Not only is the actual process super therapeutic, but I love having a big batch of them in the freezer, ready to whip out for easy, impressive entertaining or a quick meal.
Mixing ground chicken with mushrooms and a host of lovely Asian-style aromatics and seasoning is a delicious filling, that still feels quite light.
There are a few ways you can cook dumplings, but turning them into potstickers (basically, this just means giving them a crispy bottom, thanks to pan-frying), is my go-to for entertaining. Dipping them into sesame seeds pre-frying is totally optional, but it’s an easy way to level up the dumplings to turn them into something really special. I love to serve them on a big platter, drizzled with lots of chilli oil and dumpling dipping sauce for everyone to help themselves.
Ingredients
- Ground chicken. I’m using ground chicken thigh meat, which is juicier than breast, and I’d recommend staying away from anything that’s TOO lean, as you need a bit of fat in your filling to keep it nice and juicy.
- Mushrooms. I’m using regular button mushrooms as they’re super easy to find, but if you can find any speciality mushrooms, like shiitake, use them as they provide even more gorgeous flavour.
- Cilantro (coriander). I know this is a divisive herb, so you could use mint or Thai basil instead if you like.
- Fish sauce. This is one of my most used ingredients, and often the secret that takes recipes to the next level. It doesn’t make the dumplings taste fishy at all – it provides a lovely savoury note that you just can’t replicate with salt.
How to make them
Finely chop your mushrooms, then add them to a pan and cook, stirring, for about five minutes until they’re deeply brown and their water has been released. Add the cooked mushrooms to a bowl along with the rest of the filling ingredients. Mix well to combine – you want it to be quite sticky and cohesive.
PRO TIP: To save chopping time, I like using my food processor or food chopper to finely chop the mushrooms, cilantro and scallions.
Spoon about a tablespoon of filling onto a dumpling wrapper, then fold it up and seal it well. If you’re using store-bought wrappers, you’ll need to brush the edges with a little water to help them stick (store-bought wrappers are coated in starch to stop them from sticking together in the packet). Fold them whichever way you prefer and seal them well (I have a whole post that breaks down three easy ways to fold dumplings which is helpful to take a look at).
The easiest way is to fold the dumpling over on itself, to create a half-moon shape.
Set yourself up with a shallow plate of sesame seeds, and one with water in it. Set a pan or skillet that has a lid over medium heat and add a little oil. Dip the bottom of a dumpling in the water, then into the sesame seeds, then transfer directly to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, until the bottoms start to brown, then pour in enough water to come about halfway up the dumplings and pop the lid on. Leave for about five minutes, until most of the water has evaporated, then remove the lid and cook for another few minutes until the water has completely evaporated.
Transfer to a serving plate and serve with lots of chilli oil and dumpling dipping sauce. I like to present them potsticker side up so that everyone can see the lovely crispy sesame seed bottom (and this keeps the bottoms crispy).
Got a question?
Yes, you definitely can. If you do, I’d increase the amount of scallions and ground chicken, just to fill out the mixture.
You can – just don’t do the sesame seed base as it won’t work. Line a bamboo steamer – or regular steamer – with baking paper. Make a couple of cuts in the paper so that the steam has somewhere to go, then arrange the dumplings in the steamer. Steam for 10 minutes.
It can! It will keep for 3 days in the fridge, in a sealed container.
I wouldn’t recommend it. The filling will start to seep into the dumpling wrapper and make it soggy, and it may tear. Instead, freeze them. You can pop them in the freezer on a lined tray or plate, then once solid, transfer them to ziplock bags. Then you can cook them straight from frozen.
Everything you need for dumpling night
(2 Ingredients)
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Chicken and Mushroom Potstickers (Dumplings)
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 40 dumplings 1x
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
A crispy sesame seed bottom elevates these dumplings to make them a wonderful prep-ahead showstopper for entertaining or special occasions. Chicken and mushrooms are a classic pair, working perfectly inside juicy, plump potstickers. Serve with lots of chilli oil and dumpling dipping sauce on the side.
Ingredients
- 220g/9oz mushrooms, finely diced
- 350g/12oz minced chicken
- 4 scallions (spring onions), finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro (coriander) leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional)
- Dumpling wrappers
- Dumpling dipping sauce, to serve
- Chilli oil, to serve
Instructions
- Cook the mushrooms. Finely chop the mushrooms (to save time, I often throw them into the food processor or a food chopper). You want them to be very fine, almost minced. Add them to a pan over medium heat, and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until they’re nicely brown and the water has been released.
- Mix the filling. Add the mushrooms to a large mixing bowl along with the ground chicken, scallions, cilantro, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, fish sauce sesame oil, salt and white pepper. Use a chopstick to vigorously mix the ingredients together, until they form a sticky, cohesive filling. PRO TIP: Double check your seasoning by pan-frying a little mixture – then adjust if you think it needs more salt.
- Form your dumplings. Lightly flour a clean, flat surface. Keep your dumpling wrappers covered with a slightly damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out while you fill all the dumplings. Spoon roughly a tablespoon of the filling into the middle of your wrapper. If you’re using store-bought wrappers, use your finger to brush a little water around the edges, to help it stick together when you shape it.
- Fold your dumplings. Shape your dumplings however you like – the simplest way is to bring the edges together and fold the dumpling into a half-moon shape. You can scrunch the top a little if you like, to create little pleats. I have a whole guide that shares three easy ways you can shape dumplings which I recommend having a quick look at. Set aside on a lined tray or plate, then continue with the rest of your filling.
- Dip them in sesame seeds. Place the sesame seeds on a small plate, and fill a small bowl with water. Heat a little oil in a high-sided pan or skillet you have a lid for, then, working with one dumpling at a time, dip the bottom in the water, then press it into the sesame seeds on the plate. The water will make the seeds stick to the bottom. Transfer the dumplings straight into the pan and repeat with the remaining dumplings.
- Cook the dumplings. Let the dumplings cook for a couple of minutes, until the bottoms start to look golden (pick one up and check). At this point, pour in enough water to come about halfway up the sides of the dumplings, then pop the lid on your pan. Leave it for about 5 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated. Remove the lid, then cook for another couple of minutes, until all the water has gone, the dumplings are looking plump and glossy, and the bottoms are gorgeously golden and crispy.
- Garnish and serve. Transfer to a serving platter, then drizzle with chilli oil and dumpling dipping sauce. I like to scatter over more cilantro and scallions too, then serve with more chilli oil and dipping sauce on the side.
Notes
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Store any leftovers in the fridge, and reheat in the microwave. Uncooked dumplings don’t refrigerate well, but they freeze perfectly. Freeze them on a lined tray or plate, then transfer them to ziplock bags once solid. You can then cook them straight from frozen.
INGREDIENT NOTES: Play around with your mushrooms – I’ve used regular white button mushrooms here as it’s the most easily accessible, but these are lovely with shiitake mushrooms too. Don’t knock the fish sauce until you try it – it provides a lovely, deep umami savoury flavour that you can’t get with salt alone. Swap the cilantro for mint or Thai basil if you’re not a fan.
LOOKING FOR MORE? Try these gorgeous juicy pork dumplings or fluffy Korean chicken steamed buns.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: fakeaways
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 10 dumplings
- Calories: 416
- Sugar: 1.7g
- Sodium: 993mg
- Fat: 10.2g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8g
- Carbohydrates: 45.4g
- Fiber: 3.8g
- Protein: 34.8g
- Cholesterol: 67mg
Keywords: chicken gyoza, chicken dumplings
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