Big Jim’s Famous Homemade Potsticker Recipe

Big Jim's Famous Homemade Potsticker Recipe by Erin Aschow & Revenge Bakery

When I was growing up, my sister and I used to get so excited for family parties because it meant my dad was going to cook. Generally, he didn’t cook a whole lot for us because he worked so much. Every once in a while, he would make us breakfast on the weekends and we would patiently wait for him to make cheesy breakfast sandwiches on bagels in the broiler for us. As simple as it was, it felt really special. To this day, I get excited to visit my dad because I know he’ll make me a late night grilled cheese or whip up a morning smoothie for us.

One recipe that was a family party staple growing up was my dad’s famous potstickers. Everyone who’s had them requests them for special occasions. Even though they’re not fancy by any means, or technically an authentic dish, they’re a major crowd pleaser. Every time I eat them I’m brought back to my childhood, when my dad would make an assembly line and let my sister and I help mass produce the dumplings for birthday parties and family events. Now, I refer to them as “Big Jim’s Famous Homemade Potstickers”.

What Exactly Is A Potsticker?

My favorite part about making potstickers at home (vs ordering them at a restaurant) is that they’re completely customizable. Depending on the restaurant you go to, they can be filled with shrimp, pork, mushrooms, cabbage, vegetables, etc. I’m not a huge fan of shrimp, so I’m always a little bummed when I bite into a crispy dumpling and realize it’s fishy.

Potstickers originated in China and were originally called “Jiaozi” in Mandarin. They started with wheat flour dough that’s stuffed with meat or vegetable filling. Then, they’re steamed, pan fried or deep fried. Rumor has it that a chef wanted to boil jiaozi in a wok, but he forgot about them and when the water boiled off, the jiaozi stuck to the wok and got crispy, giving him what is now called a “pot-sticker”.

I like making my potstickers with simple ingredients and prefer using ground pork for extra flavor. You an make a huge batch of them ahead of time for a party, or pull them out as needed for a quick appetizer or snack. If you want to freeze a lot of potstickers, I recommend freezing them on a baking sheet overnight before putting theme into a large ziplock bag or food saver. When you’re hungry (or your guests are), pull them out of the freezer & throw them into a pan! You don’t even need to thaw them out!

So skip the takeout menu and whip up a batch of Big Jim’s easy, flavor filled potstickers!

Homemade Potsticker Recipe by Erin Aschow & Revenge Bakery Big Jim's Famous Homemade Potsticker Recipe by Erin Aschow & Revenge Bakery

Ingredients

- - 1 lb of ground pork
- - 1/4 cup of mushrooms (I used shiitake)
- - 4 cloves of garlic (pressed or chopped)
- - 3 green onions (sliced)
- - 2 tablespoons of hoisin
- - 1/2 tablespoon of ground ginger
- - 1 tablespoons of sesame oil
- - 1 teaspoon of Sriracha or chili paste
- - 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- - 36 wonton wrappers
- Vegetable Oil (for frying)
- Soy Sauce (for serving)
- Mustard Powder & Sesame Seeds for the dipping sauce

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Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook your ground pork & mushrooms. While you’re cooking it, use a spatula to chop the meat into small pieces. Once the meat is fully cooked, transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
2. Combine your meat, garlic, onions, hoisin, ground ginger, sesame oil, sriracha & soy sauce.

1. Lightly wet the edges of a wrapper with your finger. I use a small bowl of water and wet my finger for each potsticker. Place a small scoop of the ground pork mixture onto the center of a wrapper. I like using a small melon ball scooper to get the perfect ratio. Fold up 2 sides and pinch them together in the center. Pinch together the remaining edges making little pleats. Transfer the potstickers to a plate, or a baking sheet if you plan to freeze them.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Place about 7 or 8 potstickers in the hot oil, Cook them until the bottoms are golden brown, and then flip them onto the other side. Put about a tablespoon of water into the pan and quickly cover it for about 2-3 minutes. This will steam the potstickers and cook them through. If you’re cooking them from the freezer, let them steam for about 5 minutes. Then, uncover the pan and let the remaining water evaporate. Transfer the potstickers to a serving plate. Repeat to make more!
For a tasty dipping sauce, combine soy sauce, a dash of mustard powder and sesame seeds.

Big Jim's Famous Homemade Potsticker Recipe by Erin Aschow & Revenge Bakery