10 Easy Ways to Turn Frozen Potstickers into Weeknight Dinners (2024)

Jessica Fisher

Jessica FisherContributor

Jessica Fisher loves French food, creamy coffee, and great meals that don't cost a fortune. Mom of six children, she's written four cookbooks and five million to-do lists. Find her latest projects at Good Cheap Eats.

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updated Aug 30, 2022

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10 Easy Ways to Turn Frozen Potstickers into Weeknight Dinners (1)

I can’t remember when I first discovered potstickers, but I know that as a busy mom with many young and eternally hungry children, having a stash of frozen dumplings in my freezer was a godsend. Potstickers serve as an easy, quick-fix dinner and they can be cooked in different ways.

It still is. I used to be the one who started the rice cooker, steamed some vegetables, and cooked up a pan of potstickers, but it’s now my teens who can handle the task with style. As long as they don’t really let them stick to my pot. Ahem.

Easy Ways to Prepare Potstickers

Potstickers serve as an easy, quick-fix dinner. And while rice and steamed veggies make it a meal, there are lots of easy ways to make delicious dinners starring potstickers.

1. Make a stir-fry with them.

Prepare the potstickers according to the package directions and add them to your favorite saucy stir-fry. You can vary the sauce and vegetable combination and never have the same thing twice.

Get the recipe: 6 Stir-Fry Sauces

2. Serve them with an Asian-style slaw.

Cabbage is a wonderfully affordable vegetable and works well in Asian-style dishes. Stir up a big bowl of slaw and top it with potstickers.

3. Stir them into soup.

Potstickers are similar to wontons, so why not use them as a substitute in your next batch of broth? You’ll have more frequent requests for soup night.

4. Top a rice bowl with them.

Rice bowls are quick and easy suppers that allow you to use whatever you’ve got on hand. Stir up a batch of fried rice and feature potstickers as the main attraction.

Get the recipe: Vegetable Fried Rice

5. Make a pasta salad with them and your favorite Asian-style dressing.

If one can make a pasta salad with tortellini or ravioli, why not with potstickers? Prepare the potstickers and toss them with shredded carrot, sliced scallion, chopped cilantro, and your favorite Asian-style dressing.

6. Make Pad Thai with them instead of noodles.

Love the flavors of Pad Thai? Swap out the noodles and use potstickers instead. The dumpling filling adds an extra dimension of flavor and texture.

Get the recipe: Potsticker Pad Thai

7. Toss them into a salad.

As you might top a salad with fried ravioli, you can do the same with fried dumplings. Assemble the fixings of your favorite Asian-style salad and toss a few potstickers on top for good measure.

8. Cook them on the grill.

Can’t stand the heat? Get out of the kitchen. Coat potstickers with oil and cook them on a hot grill, turning every few minutes until cooked through. Who knew, right?

9. Serve an Asian-inspired appetizer dinner.

Assemble your favorite Asian-style appetizers, such as egg rolls, summer rolls, teriyaki meatballs, and lettuce wraps. This snacky dinner is super fun — especially when you serve with mix-and-match dipping sauces.

10. Dip them in sauce and call it good.

Potstickers are so delicious on their own, there’s no harm in just serving them as is. Be sure to make your own sauce, though — the stuff in the frozen packets is for the birds.

Get the recipe: Potsticker Dipping Sauce

10 Easy Ways to Turn Frozen Potstickers into Weeknight Dinners (2024)

FAQs

10 Easy Ways to Turn Frozen Potstickers into Weeknight Dinners? ›

In a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, add ½ cup of water and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Place the frozen potstickers flat side-down and cover the pan with a lid for 8 to 12 minutes, until all the water has evaporated and the flat side of each potsticker is golden.

How to make frozen potstickers good? ›

In a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, add ½ cup of water and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Place the frozen potstickers flat side-down and cover the pan with a lid for 8 to 12 minutes, until all the water has evaporated and the flat side of each potsticker is golden.

Should frozen potstickers be thawed before cooking? ›

Do you need to defrost frozen dumplings? No, you do not need to defrost frozen dumplings before cooking, you can take them straight from the freezer to the pan. If you wanted a faster cooking time, let the dumplings partially thaw for 10 minutes before cooking.

What to make with dumplings for dinner? ›

The best side dishes to serve with Asian dumplings (East Asia) are ramen, tomato and egg stir fry, fried greens, chilli miso steamed aubergine, pork belly fried rice, cucumber salad (Oi Muchim), tahini miso noodles, and claypot tofu.

How to make the bottom of potstickers crispy? ›

Keep using medium heat to pan fry the potstickers for about 6 minutes, until most of the water evaporates. Once most of the water has evaporated, open the lid. Keep using medium heat to pan fry the potstickers for about 2 more minutes, until the crust turns crispy and golden brown. Turn off the heat.

Can I air fry frozen Potsticker? ›

frozen pot stickers in the air fryer. Drop them in directly from frozen. spray with some oil. and air fry for six minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Can frozen potstickers go bad? ›

When does Potsticker expire? Unopened store-bought potstickers generally last about 2 to 3 months in the refrigerator past the printed date, and can last up to 8 months in the freezer. Once opened, they should be consumed within 3 to 4 days when stored in the refrigerator and up to 2 months in the freezer.

What is the difference between dumplings and potstickers? ›

Unlike dumplings, potstickers are made with a thin wrapper, sometimes referred to as a dumpling skin. This is because they are steam fried to get a crispy golden bottom layer and to ensure that the filling is juicy and delicious.

How do you keep potstickers crispy? ›

If you want to get similar results at home, there are only two tricks you really need. First is to add a bit of extra starch to your dumplings. Dust them with cornstarch, shaking off the excess before the initial fry. Second is to use a non-stick skillet, or an extremely well-seasoned cast iron pan.

How do you improve frozen potstickers? ›

Dumplings in alfredo sauce: Alfredo sauce is an easy way to elevate frozen dumplings. Treat them like pasta and cook them in the simmering sauce; sliced onion, chopped garlic, or bacon are all good additions for extra flavor. If you don't have jarred sauce on hand, milk or heavy cream can be a quick fix.

Are you supposed to eat potstickers cold? ›

Potstickers and dumplings are light (literally) and also satisfying to eat. They're little one-bite deals, making them perfect for eating in the cramped space of a plane. Pre-cooked and eaten cold, they're reminiscent of chewy spring rolls.

How to break up frozen dumplings? ›

Separate your frozen dumplings before cooking to allow for even cooking and to ensure the pastry doesn't tear. Simply tap the tray of frozen dumplings on your worktop to split them apart. If some remain stuck together, smack the bases together to separate.

How do you spice up store-bought dumplings? ›

Dumplings in alfredo sauce: Alfredo sauce is an easy way to elevate frozen dumplings. Treat them like pasta and cook them in the simmering sauce; sliced onion, chopped garlic, or bacon are all good additions for extra flavor. If you don't have jarred sauce on hand, milk or heavy cream can be a quick fix.

Can I air fry frozen potsticker? ›

frozen pot stickers in the air fryer. Drop them in directly from frozen. spray with some oil. and air fry for six minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to make dumplings taste better? ›

A pinch of salt seasons the dumplings and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. Cold butter or margarine is cut into the flour mixture to bind the dry ingredients together. It also keeps the dumplings light and tender. Whole milk helps create a smooth, moist dough.

How to make PF Chang's frozen dumplings? ›

Place dumplings in a single layer, seam-side up and add 1/4 cup water. 3. Cover and heat over medium 8 minutes. Remove lid and continue heating 2 to 5 minutes until water has evaporated and bottoms of dumpling are lightly browned.

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