Jiaozi Chinese Pan Fried Potstickers
Jiaozi, also known as Potstickers or pan-fried dumplings, have a golden, crispy skin outside, and a soft juicy filling inside. This Chinese potstickers are much easier to make than the traditional Chinese dumplings and are low carb, paleo, and whole30. They freeze well and are perfect for quick lunches or dinners whenever you need a quick potsticker fix!
What are Jiaozi (Chinese potstickers)?
Jiaozi (餃子 jiǎozi) are a kind of Chinese dumplings, filled with ground meat and shredded vegetables and wrapped with a thin dough. There are three major types of Jiaozi – boiled (shuǐ jiǎo), steamed (zhēng jiǎo) and pan-fried (jiān jiǎo or Potstickers or guo tie).
Today’s recipe is more closely related to potstickers (pan fried dumplings) and I made them low carb, Keto, Gluten-free, Grain-free, and Whole30.
Growing up in a Chinese household, we ate jiaozi on almost a weekly basis. You can buy freshly made jiaozi in local farmers’ markets and my mom always comes back with two dozen dumplings and store them in the freezer for emergency meals.
My Family Chinese Dumpling Story
During Chinese New Years, jiaozi is a must have food in my grandma’s house. The two most common ways of enjoying jiaozi are water boiled (shuǐ jiǎo) or pan-fried (potstickers or jiān jiǎo). My grandma (from my mother side’s) is from Northern China and she makes the best homemade Chinese dumplings and dumpling wrappers from scratch.
She would make hundreds of them in one setting and the dough is soft yet chewy and pillowy at the same time. She would stuff the jiaozi with very finely minced ground pork that has the perfect fat and lean ratios with shrimp, Chinese green and yellow chives, and shiitake, and only one of the hundreds she makes has a small date inside. Whoever gets that special lucky one dumpling will receive the biggest red envelope from her (i.e. cash) 😀
How to make low-carb jiaozi – Chinese potstickers/dumplings
Today’s jiaozi (Chinese potstickers) are inspired by our recent trip to Asia where people use daikon radish as wrappers to make low-carb dumplings and they taste surprisingly light and absolutely AMAZING!
After I returned to the States, I had a hard time finding large size daikon – you’ll need about 3-inch in diameter or even larger to wrap the dumpling fillings – so I tried using turnip, which is naturally larger and rounder in shape. I was so glad that turnip works just as well as daikon without sacrificing the taste!
In a way, turnip or daikon helps cut down the grease and keeps the potstickers light, and refreshing, yet still satisfy your dumpling cravings!
Easy Potsticker Chinese dumpling fillings
There are various Chinese dumpling fillings and you can basically stuff anything you like from meat-based to plant-based. For my low-carb potstickers, I use ground chicken with very finely minced ginger and scallions to keep the fillings simple and easy. You can also use ground turkey or pork or even ground lamb will be a fantastic choice.
Traditionally people might add shredded cabbage to the dumpling fillings but I skip it because 1) this is not a traditional jiaozi recipe that the fillings are concealed in a dough. The shredded cabbage will not stick to the daikon or turnip dumpling wrappers and might fall out the shield easily, 2) In order to add the shredded cabbage the right way to do is to salt it first and then squeeze out as much water content as possible. This process will add time and more ingredients to prepare.
My paleo potstickers are light and very healthy because less is more and simple is the best!
How to pan-fry Chinese dumplings without sticking?
You can use a non-stick skillet or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. I found that a cast iron skillet creates a more golden beautiful potsticker sear than a non-stick.
*Note: For our potstickers, please remember that these low carb jiaozi are more fragile than the traditional Chinese pan-fried dumplings. You can’t really flip them back and forth because the fillings might fall out of the shield. So here’s the best way to pan fry them without sticking –
- Place the dumplings in a well-heated skillet and pan-fry them with a neutral flavor oil, such as avocado oil. Try not to overcrowd the skillet.
- Once the bottom side gets seared and in light golden brown add about ½ tbsp water to the skillet and cover it with a lid to steam.
- When the dumpling fillings are cooked through. Open the lid to fry the dumplings for a few additional seconds to evaporate the water.
- Carefully remove the dumplings one by one with a small spatula and serve with the golden seared side up.
When you remove them from the skillet, some dumpling fillings might separate from the turnip/daikon shield. No worry. Simply place them back and once they become cooler the fillings will stick back to the wrappers. 🙂
How to keep low carb potstickers from tearing/opening up?
This is the method for low-carb potstickers that use turnip or daikon as dumpling wrappers.
- Slice the daikon or turnip as thin as possible, using a mandolin slicer.
- Lightly salt both sides and let them sit for 15 minutes. This will draw water content from the radish.
- Pat them dry. The radish slices should be fairly soft and flexible at this point.
- Add a small amount of dumpling fillings to the center and use the back of a small teaspoon to smooth the filling. Apply a small amount of pressure to press the filling/paste onto the radish slices. This will help them stick together better.
- Gently fold it in half to create a half-moon shape and press the center edge to seal.
Make ahead and Freeze!
These low-carb potstickers are absolutely freezer-friendly! Simply store the uncooked dumplings in the freezer over a sheet pan. Once they become solid (overnight is the best), you can store them in freezer-friendly bags or containers.
Whenever you crave dumplings, simply pan-fry them directly from the freezer. Please do not defrost them in advance because the daikon or turnip wrappers will turn soft and watery. Add an additional 1 minute to the cooking time and enjoy!
Jiaozi (Pot Sticker) Dipping Sauce
There are many dumpling dipping sauces for example my Keto shumai dipping sauce. I keep it simple and only use coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and with little toasted sesame oil. Feel free to add hot sauce and/or aged balsamic vinegar.
For a sweet sauce, try my egg roll sauce made with apricot jam. It’s naturally sweet and tart and pairs well with the savory potstickers.
Pair the low-carb potstickers with
- Paleo Beef and Broccoli
- Paleo Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Creamed Napa Cabbage
- Steamed Seafood Dim Sum
- Air fryer Chicken Wings (Thai style!)
- Instant pot Chinese Chicken Soup
More great Asian appetizers around the world
- Crispy rice paper dumplings
- Paleo Har Gow Dumplings and Gluten-free har gow dumpling wrappers
- Keto Scallion Pancakes
- Keto Egg Rolls
- Temaki Tuna Sushi
- Gluten-Free Wonton Soup
Jiaozi (Chinese dumplings) symbolize fortune and longevity. Making potstickers is a fun family event that everyone can participate. This low-carb version of your favorite potstickers is the perfect appetizer for the upcoming New Year’s, or for everyday healthy indulgence. Get ready for an uber-umami whirlwind of deliciousness!
Got extra Daikon? Make my simmered daikon with chicken!
Jiaozi Chinese Potstickers (Paleo, Whole30, Keto)
Ingredients
Low carb potstickers:
- 20 oz. daikon radish or turnip, at least 3-inch in diameter
- 3 bulbs scallions, chopped
- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 2/3 lbs ground chicken, or turkey, pork, lamb
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
- ⅛ tsp ground white pepper
- 1-2 tsp arrowroot starch, omit for keto
- Avocado oil
Dumpling dipping sauce:
- 1.5-2 tbsp coconut aminos
- ¼ tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1-1.5 tsp rice vinegar
Instructions
- Dice the tip ends of the radish or turnip. Peel the skin with a vegetable peeler.
- Use a mandolin slicer, slice the daikon or turnip as thin as possible, about 1/16th-inch thickness.
- Place the discs one-by-one over a large sheet pan (you might need two) and lightly sprinkle with coarse sea salt on both sides. Let them sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, make the dumpling fillings. In a large mixing bowl, combine ingredients from scallions to arrowroot starch. Stir the filling in one direction until it becomes a sticky paste, about 1-2 minutes. Cover and store in the fridge.
- Pat dry the daikon with clean paper towels. Try to keep them in perfect moisture balance – not too dry and not too wet. There shouldn’t be visible water droplet on the surface. You can also cover them with a slightly damp paper towel while you work on the dumplings one-by-one.
- Add a small amount of dumpling fillings to the center and use the back of a small teaspoon to smooth the filling. Apply a small amount of pressure to press the filling onto the radish slices. This will help them stick together better.
- Gently fold it in half to create a half-moon shape and press the center edge to seal with your thumb and index fingers.
- In a well-heated non-stick or cast iron skillet, add 1tbsp oil. Pan fry the dumplings for about 2 minutes over medium heat. You might need to fry them in separate batch so as to not overcrowd the skillet. Please do not flip the dumplings.
- Add ½ tbsp water. Cover with a lid. Lower the heat to medium-low and steam the dumplings for about 2-2.5 minutes. The fillings should be cooked through.
- Uncover. Cook for an additional 30 seconds. Off heat, carefully remove them one-by-one with a small spatula. Place the seared side up over a large serving plate.
- Some of the fillings might separate from the dumpling wrappers as you remove them from the skillet. Simply place them back. They will stick together once cooler. Serve with dumpling dipping sauce on the side. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Whenever you crave dumplings, simply pan-fry them directly from the freezer. Please do not defrost them in advance because the daikon or turnip will turn soft and watery. When you pan fry the frozen dumplings in separate batches, please do not leave the extras on the kitchen counter. Put them in the freezer to keep them from defrosting. They turn watery quite quickly in room temperature. 🙂
- Use ¼ tbsp water to steam (as opposed to ½ tbsp when cook from fresh).
- Add an additional 1 minute to the cook time and enjoy!
I made these according to the recipe except I used the Trader Joe’s jicama slices. They came out perfect; provided all the pleasure of traditional dumpling. We were impressed! I was even able to flip them in the pan which provided maximum carmelized browned flavor. Great recipe, will definitely make these again!
That’s awesome. Jicama slices are larger so I imagine it’s possible to flip them 😀 Thanks for sharing!
I am very interested in trying this recipe but I’m not a fan of frying. Would baking or broiling work? Thanks!
Hi Monique, since this is a low carb version of potstickers and the filling is not sealed inside of a wrapper I don’t recommend you boil them. Imagine the fillings will fall out :(…. This is a delicate recipe so I recommend pan frying them. If you have an air fryer, you can try air frying them with a parchment paper lined under. 🙂
Made these for the Lunar New Year (used Trader Joe’s Jicama Wraps) and they turned out amazing!!! I couldn’t believe how the texture and taste of the jicama mimicked that of your standard flour dumpling wraps. I literally couldn’t tell a difference. Highly recommend and thank you for the recipe – it’s a healthy alternative option that doesn’t skimp at all on the taste!
Like many others here, I subbed the daikon for the thinly sliced jicama wraps from Trader Joe’s. I’ve also made it before using the daikon, but I definitely found it easier to work with the pre-sliced jicama. Plus you get a bigger dumpling! Either way, both are so delicious and will hit the spot for any dumpling craving! Thanks ChihYu!!
Thank you, Melissa!
I can’t get over how easy and delicious this recipe is! It absolutely satisfies my craving for potstickers, something I haven’t had since starting AIP. I’ve already made the recipe twice in one month. Thank you!
You are amazing! 😀
Love this recipe! Made a big batch to freeze and pull out a few and cook whenever I need a quick appetizer for dinner.
Thanks, Hannah!
These sound delicious! I can’t wait to make them. Do you have any suggestions for a plant based filling? Thank you!
Hey Suzan, thanks! If you elect a plant-based filling, you need a filling that can bind things together. This is not a traditional dumpling recipe as the ingredients are sealed inside a wrapper. This is a half-moon shape open face dumplings. The fillings need to be able to stick together and gently pressed into the radish slices to help the adhere together. Hope this helps!
Super easy to make, prepped in the morning and pan fried in the afternoon… my sons favorite food is potstickers and he’s gluten free so it’s his greatest loss… these were AMAZING! My 10 year literally referred to these as a AMAZING IN HIS MOUTH! All the kids ate them and loved them. I’m always happy to add GF tasty and easy recipes to our lineup!
LOVE these! Pretty much all of mine opened up while frying them but once I realized I could stick it back down once I took them off the frying pan it made the process much smoother.
Thank you! They need extra tender care 😀
I’m wondering if you’ve tried cooking these in an air fryer?
Hi Theresa, I don’t recommend it. The “skin” is very delicate and they will stick to the fryer basket.
What kind of mandolin slicer do you have? I had one a few years back and despite wearing the special gloves I felt like I was going to cut my hand off because it requires way too much force to slice veggies. Threw that sucker away five minutes later. This recipe looks delicious but I do not have a mandolin.
Hi Jessica, I have an OXO 7-piece grate and slice set. I do it slowly and carefully to get the slices 🙂
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it! My husband and I lived in China for a while and crave dumplings all the time, but are currently gluten free. These will hit the spot! Just to clarify, you still mix the meat in raw, correct? Don’t cook it before adding it to the dumpling? Just making sure!
Yes the meat is raw 🙂
These are absolutely delicious! Do you think you could use an air fryer?
Thanks, Katie! I wouldn’t recommend it simply because these none self-contained dumplings are very delicate. Stovetop gives you more control in terms of the cook time and the temperature (you can adjust it as you cook). The daikon slices might also stick to the fryer basket. 🙂
These are so so good, we love them so much. I plan on making a pork version and a vegetarian version. Do you have any suggestions for veggies? Maybe I make some kind of mushroom mash??
Hi Carey, so happy to hear! So about the veggie version….love it. The reason this type of dumplings (half-open and not sealed) work is because the meat helps the ingredients stick together. If there’s no meat and all veggies, you’d need something that helps bind the ingredients. One thing comes to mind is cooked sticky rice. If you found another workaround, let me know how it goes. I love veggie dumplings! 😀
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I love the healthy adaptation. I bought your cookbook as well and really enjoy your incorporation of traditional recipes you grew up with. I would love to access the actual original recipes you always refer to. I know it would not be paleo or keto, but please please share your heritage!! I am Chinese, and growing up, my grandma cooked traditional Chinese dishes but my dad never learned and my grandma has since died, leaving me no connections to this heritage so thank you for sharing!
Thanks, Jennifer! Appreciate and lovely to meet you here!
So pleased with these….really yummy. Used pork sausage for them (original….no sage etc). Great flavor.
Tried it with both the daikon and Korean radish (which is bigger). The daikon worked much better as it was a perfect single bite….and the Korean radish needed to be eaten in several bites and was a bit more fibrous.
One thing I did that help A LOT was to sprinkle the top (inside) of daikon circles with a bit of glucomannan (about 1/2 tsp spinkled using a small sieve to dispurse it better) before adding the filling.
The glucomannan “glued” the filling to the wrapper…no more seperation. And it provided a bit of structure/chew as well. For those they gripe about buying one more goofy low carb ingredient, “glucie” is a great thickener for gravy or soups etc. and can be used to make low carb dumplings and even noodles. Well worth the purchase.
Thank you, Deborah for sharing with me and everyone here. I can’t wait to check out that ingredient. So appreciate it! 🙂
This recipe is amazing! Very easy to make, and so delicious. I used jicama wraps from Trader Joe’s (definitely easier than slicing my own) and could not believe how great they turned out. I did make one sub – I used ground pork for the filling. Overall very delicious and tasted extremely authentic!
Lovely! Thank you!
This was an absolute treat during my Whole30! It almost felt like cheating, but the ingredients are totally compliant. I used daikon for the wraps and ground pork for the filling, and I was floored by how legit these tasted! This is the real deal, will be making again frequently, even after Whole30.
Mine came out a bit small but they are absolutely delicious! Thank you for all your hard work! I am struggling with skin dermatitis and my doctor put me on a gluten free diet to reduce inflammation. Your recipes have been a part of my facial allergies being less painful and itchy. I get to have absolutely delicious food as I heal. Thank you, ChihYu!
Thank you, Glenda!
These were so delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!