chive and pork potstickers
These chive and pork potstickers are the perfect way to use up that bundle of garlic chives you have in your fridge! The savory pork and aromatic chives make a juicy and tender filling that may just become your new favorite :)
My favorite thing to do is make several batches of these and freeze them for a quick meal anytime.
Keep reading for my best tips on making these potstickers!
What are garlic chives?
Garlic chives, also known as Chinese chives, are an herb in the onion family that have a garlic flavor. They are much more flavorful compared to regular chives.
When eaten raw, they provide a pungent garlicky flavor that will linger on your tongue and give you strong garlic breath — I speak from experience! We typically enjoy them cooked lightly and simply (the flavor mellows out), like in stir-fries or dishes such as garlic chive scrambled eggs, crispy chive and shrimp dumplings, or these juicy chive and pork potstickers.
What kind of dumpling wrappers do I need to make chive and pork potstickers?
When making potstickers, it’s important to buy specifically potsticker wrappers. Why is that?
Potsticker wrappers are thicker than others (like for wontons, for example), and are meant to be steam-fried for those thick, crispy bottoms. If you buy a thin wrapper, they can still get a little crispy, but they won’t be quite the same.
The brand pictured above, New Hong Kong Noodle Company, Inc. is a brand that I use often and can easily find in my local Asian grocery stores.
What kind of pork should I use for chive and pork potstickers?
In any Chinese meat dumpling, fat is one of the most essential ingredients to ensure it has a juicy and tender texture.
For this reason, if you are using ground pork, you’ll want to go for the 80/20 lean to fat ratio. If you can only get ground pork that has a higher lean content (like 90 or 95), you will want to add an extra tablespoon of oil into the filling. This can help substitute for the lack of fattiness in the meat and provide it with a better texture.
If you are mincing the pork filling by hand (which will always result in the tastiest filling, but requires much more time), you will want to get a mixture of lean pork and fatty pork (like pork belly) in the same 80/20 lean to fat ratio. My parents sometimes even go for 70/30 for an even fattier, juicier filling.
You may also like these other garlic chive recipes:
If you enjoyed this chive & pork potstickers recipe…
I’d be so grateful if you left me a review below!
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Chive and Pork Potstickers
Ingredients
- 30potsticker wrappers
- 0.5lbground pork80% lean 20% fat
- 4ozgarlic chives aka Chinese chives~1.5 cup chopped
- 2tspcornstarch
- 3tbspwater
- 1.5tbspsesame oil
- neutral oil for cooking
Seasoning:
- 1tspshaoxing wine
- 1tspsoy sauce
- 2tspoyster sauce
- 1.5tspchicken bouillon powder
- 1tspsugar
- 1/4tspwhite pepper
- 1/4tspfive spice powder
- 1tspgrated ginger
- 1/4tspsalt
- 2tbspneutral oil
Dipping sauce:
- 1tbspsoy sauce
- 1tbspChinese black vinegar
- 1tspchili oil
- 1tspsesame oil
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- If you’re using store-bought potsticker wrappers, remove them from the fridge and place them on the counter to let it come to room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients. This will make them easier to work with!30 potsticker wrappers
- Wash and chop the garlic chives into ~1/3 inch long pieces. Add into a bowl, and season with sesame oil. Mix and set aside. (This prevents the garlic chives from becoming bitter later.)4 oz garlic chives aka Chinese chives, 1.5 tbsp sesame oil
- To a large bowl, add ground pork and cornstarch. Add the water in 1 tbsp at a time, mix, and add the next tbsp once the water is fully absorbed. Mix until it becomes paste-like and sticks cohesively (should take several minutes).0.5 lb ground pork, 2 tsp cornstarch, 3 tbsp water
- Add the rest of the seasonings to the ground pork, and mix well.1 tsp shaoxing wine, 1 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp oyster sauce, 1.5 tsp chicken bouillon powder, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1/4 tsp five spice powder, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tbsp neutral oil
- Lastly, add the chives. Mix until well incorporated.
- To test the seasoning before wrapping them, place 1 tbsp of filling in a bowl and microwave for 20 seconds. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Fold the potstickers
- Have a bowl of water ready. Lightly wet a paper towel and put this over your dumpling wrappers to prevent them from drying out.
- Place 1 tbsp of filling onto the center of the dumpling wrapper. Dip a finger into the water, and use it to brush the top half perimeter of the wrapper.
- Fold the wrapper in half to create a half-moon shape, and press to seal. Optionally, fold several pleats on each side (see video for tutorial). If needed, add a bit more water and press lightly to completely seal the pleats and edges.
- Repeat with the rest of the dumpling wrappers, or until you have enough wrapped (8-12) to fry in a pan.
Steam-fry the dumplings
- To a cold pan, add 1-2 tbsp of neutral oil. Arrange the potstickers in a circle, making sure they don’t touch.neutral oil for cooking
- Add enough water to the pan to completely cover the bottom of the pan. The potstickers should be submerged about 1/4 inch.
- Put the lid on the pan, and turn the heat up to about medium high. Let it steam until most of the water evaporates, this should take about 5-7 minutes.
- Once most of the water has evaporated (you’ll start to hear more sizzling), take the lid off the pan. Continue pan frying until the potstickers develop a golden brown crust. If they are browning too quickly, turn down the heat slightly.
- Enjoy with the dipping sauce!1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar, 1 tsp chili oil, 1 tsp sesame oil
How to store the dumplings
- For any wrapped dumplings that haven’t been steam-fried yet, first freeze them in a way where they aren’t touching (like on a tray). After about 1-2 hours, they should be partially frozen. You can then transfer them altogether into a bag or container in the freezer.
- To cook the potstickers from the freezer, follow the same steps as above for the steam-fry. They may need a bit more water and more steaming time.
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