Description
Classic chicken potstickers just got a glow-up – thanks to their crispy, golden sesame bottoms and a juicy chicken and mushroom filling that’s (frankly) irresistible. They’re fabulous prep-ahead showstoppers for dinner parties, but simple enough for meal prep or whenever those weeknight dumpling cravings strike.
Don’t forget the chili oil and dumpling dipping sauce on the side.
Ingredients
- 220g/9oz mushrooms, finely diced (approximately 2 cups, chopped)
- 1lb/500g ground chicken
- 4 scallions (spring onions), finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro (coriander) leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon MSG (optional)
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 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 five 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, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of Shaoxing wine, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of white pepper and 1 teaspoon of MSG (if you’re using it). Use a chopstick to vigorously mix the ingredients until they form a sticky, cohesive filling. PRO TIP: You can 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 when you shape and seal 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 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a high-sided non-stick 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 a third of the way up the sides of the dumplings, then pop the lid on your pan. Leave it for about six 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 look plump and glossy, and the bottoms are gorgeously golden and crispy. You may need to cook the dumplings in batches, depending on the size of your pan.
- Garnish and serve. Transfer the dumplings 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 or air fryer until piping hot. Uncooked dumplings don’t refrigerate well (they’ll be ok for a couple of hours, but any longer and the bottoms can get wet and sticky), 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 they’re 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. You could swap the ground chicken for ground pork, turkey or a plant-based alternative.
SUBSTITUTIONS: If you can find MSG, it really adds an extra level to these dumplings, but if you can’t, they’re delicious without it. You can pick it up from Amazon or Asian grocery stores. If you can’t find Shaoxing wine, use rice wine vinegar instead.
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