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Switching things up today and using all the summer vegetables with these Crispy Sesame Ginger Potstickers with Chive Chili Sauce. Easy homemade vegetarian potstickers with zucchini, kale, ginger, and sesame-crusted wrappers. Each potsticker is pan-fried until crispy on the bottom, then served alongside a sweet and spicy chive chili garlic sauce. And for a little double-dipping? I added a creamy garlic special sauce to balance out that spicy chili sauce. These are a fun and healthy dinner to make any night of the week…and so much better than ordering takeout.
I love a Monday that starts off with a fun recipe. It keeps things fresh, happy, and delicious, you know? Plus, I always find it nice to have a fun Monday night dinner to look forward to after settling back into the workweek. Especially after a summer weekend. Summer weekends are some of the best. They’re often filled with time outside, backyard picnics, camping, beach days, and good times spent in the sun. It’s all amazing and I love it.
But weekends can make Monday nights feel, well, not so special. I’ve decided that doesn’t need to be the case at all. Plan a fun dinner, maybe something Mexican, or your favorite Italian pasta, or maybe something Asian like these vegetable potstickers. Just something fun and delicious to look forward to.
Which brings me to these potstickers. I’m going to do my best to convince you all that you really need to make some homemade potstickers tonight. These potstickers are made with delicious summer garden produce, meaning they’re vegetarian (hello to meatless Monday). Think soy seasoned vegetables with plenty of garlic and ginger inside, crispy wonton wrappers. And not one, but two sauces…once spicy, and one creamy. You can never have too many sauces in our family. These potstickers are beyond good.
The inspiration for these potstickers?
Well, there were a couple of things. For one, I always find that summer recipes tend to be repetitive. There’s a lot of tomato basil flavors happening. There’s also lots of pasta and grilled chicken. So I wanted to switch things up and throw in some Asian flavors this week.
Second, the garden. We’ve had a giant head of curly kale that has been growing along with so many fresh chives. The kale has been stumping me for a week and I just didn’t know what to do with it. I finally figured just to start pulling away the leaves and toss them into my potstickers. It ended up being the perfect green to pair with all the zucchini and yellow summer squash I always use. And the chives? They make the sauce and add the perfect onion flavor, but in a nice and subtle way.
My third inspiration is my mom…and myself…and remembering back to when I was younger. Mom and I would enjoy potstickers together for lunch on summer afternoons. They were an easy, no-cook lunch we could make in minutes. Mom always kept frozen potstickers on hand. Always. We loved them.
Alright, let’s talk details.
Surprisingly these are fairly quick and simple to make. You’ll need some summer produce, pantry staples like soy sauce and chili sauce, and then store-bought wonton wrappers.
To make the filling. These are very simple to make, but also very good. You just need some sesame oil, shallots, ginger, zucchini, and kale. I added a splash of soy sauce for saltiness and a pinch of pepper for a little kick. The fresh vegetables themselves have so much flavor, so they don’t need much added.
To assemble, spoon the filling into the center of your wrappers, then lift the edges of the dough up and over the filling, pinching at the top to seal. Don’t stress about making these look perfect. What’s most important is that you have a good seal so that no vegetables fall out.
At this point, I like to boil the potstickers to cook the wrappers, then drain. This next step is key. Dip each potsticker into a bowl of sesame seeds. I love coating the bottom of my potsticker with sesame seeds for a little added flavor and just the right amount of crunch with every bite. I know it’s not traditional to do this, but trust me, it’s a delicious addition.
Now onto the sauce…or sauces!
First up I should say, you don’t have to make both sauces. In fact, the creamy garlic “special sauce” was a very last-minute addition. And while I found it to be (insanely) delicious, you certainly don’t need it. But I am highly recommending it. Ok, that’s my spiel on that.
The chive chili sauce? This you do need. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, hinted with toasted sesame, chives, and a touch of garlic too…beyond good. So easy to mix up and pairs perfectly with these crispy, salty potstickers.
Since we’ve got one spicy sauce, I felt like we also needed something creamy to balance the heat. Enter the creamy garlic “special sauce”. It’s simply some avocado oil-based mayo, a touch of honey, garlic, and a splash of soy. The creaminess is just what these crispy potstickers need. Again, highly recommend this sauce too…
Never enough sauce, right? Yes, yes, right. My brothers are truly wearing off on me. Yikes.
And now that I’ve rambled your ears off about potstickers, are we all in agreeance that we should make these?
Ideally tonight?
Great, I’m excited…and I’ll surely be sharing the full how-to recipe video on my Instagram stories too. So look out for that.
Happy Monday guys!! It’s going to be a good week and a great month! Hello August!
Looking for other Asian inspired summer recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Chinese Mushroom Dumplings with Sweet Chili Ginger Sesame Sauce
Weeknight Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs
Sticky Asian BBQ Boneless Oven Baked Wings (an oldie but a goodie!)
Lastly, if you make these crispy sesame ginger potstickers with chive chili sauce be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crispy Sesame Ginger Potstickers with Chive Chili Sauce
Servings: 20 potstickers
Calories Per Serving: 570 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 3 medium zucchini chopped
- 2 cups chopped kale, spinach, or bok choy
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- black pepper
- 20-22 round dumpling or wonton wrappers
- 1/3 cup raw sesame seeds
Chive Chili Garlic Oil
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes using more or less to your taste
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts finely chopped
- creamy garlic special sauce, for serving (recipe in notes)
Instructions
- 1. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallots and cook until fragrant and lightly caramelized, 2 minutes. Add the zucchini, kale, ginger, and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally until the zucchini has cooked down, about 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and a large pinch of pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until the vegetables have soaked up the so sauce. Remove from the heat and let cool. 2. To assemble, spoon 1 tablespoon of filling onto each wrapper. Brush water around the edges of the wrapper. Fold the edges of the wrapper up around the filling and pinch in the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.3. Place the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the potsticker for 1-2 minutes, until they float. Drain and then dredge in the sesame seeds.4. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the dumplings and cook until the bottoms are light golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Once crispy, remove from the pan. Serve warm with the sauces. 5. To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve alongside the dumplings.
Notes
Creamy Garlic Special Sauce: In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup avocado oil mayo, 1 clove garlic, 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons honey. Serve alongside the potstickers, if desired.
To Freeze: Follow the recipe through step 3. Flash-freeze the dumplings on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Once the dumplings are frozen, simply pan-fry as directed, then steam for an additional 4-5 minutes.
These were so delicious! I have made them twice now. We love the crispy sesame crunchy skins. And the sauces! I was wondering Tieghan, if you have ever considered making a compilation of all the wonderful side sauces that you make with a lot of your dishes.
Thank you so much Tricia! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
SO YUMMY!
OKAY I GUESS.
do you think you could make them through the boiling stage, freeze and then finish as you choose to you them?
Hey Debbie,
Follow the recipe through step 3. Flash-freeze the dumplings on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Once the dumplings are frozen, simply pan-fry as directed, then steam for an additional 4-5 minutes. xTieghan
Amazing….a perfect recipe for the family assembly line. The wonton wrappers worked perfectly, not pretty but they stayed together for the boil! I didn’t have the chilli garlic sauce, so I used a scoop of peanut butter and some minced garlic. I didn’t use exact measurements for the vegetable mix but it’s pretty straightforward so I had over 40 at completion. There are some resting in the freezer as I type. Next time I’ll add ground meat of some kind! Thank you, your recipes are easy to follow and taste amazing!
Thank you so much Tanya!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This are absolutely delicious! My family really really enjoyed them. This will be on my weekly rotation. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much Katherine! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
My first HBH failure 🙁
Used nasoya wonton wrappers from Whole Foods (appears to be the only brand they sell) and the folding was really challenging! They boiled fine with only a few busting, but this recipe gave really unclear instruction on what to do between boiling and pan frying. I used my spider to fish out the boiled dumplings and put them on a plate, but if any of the dumplings touched each other AT ALL they stuck together and tore open when I tried to gently pry them a part. Such a bummer and waste of so many ingredients. I got about 40 assembled dumplings out of this recipe, but only 10 survived the post-boil sticking and pan frying.
Do not recommend.
Hey Kate,
So sorry to hear this! I have never used that brand of wrappers so maybe that was the issue? xTieghan
This recipe was delicious! I added some ground chicken to the filling and it turned out great! The chive chili garlic oil dipping sauce Is amazing! I plan on using the sauce recipe with a lot of future dishes.
Love to hear that! Thank you so much for trying this one Haley! xTieghan
You really make these look so easy!! The filling was easy, but I had so much trouble with the folding of the dumplings, so when we boiled them some of them fell apart. We ended up deep frying them. Either way, they ended up delicious. The sauces are also so good, we couldn’t decide which one was better! I think we may have gotten bad wrappers, so we’ll have to try again with different wrappers. We had leftover filling so we put it on top of some pasta and added peas, so good! Love your recipes so much
I am really glad these were delicious! Thank you so much for trying these, Hannah! xTieghan
Love this!
Thank you Lorrie! xTieghan
this is so my kind of food!!!
I am so glad you like this recipe! I hope you try it! Thank you Ruth! xTieghan
I have been trying to think of a perfect side dish for your 15 min ramen and here it is. Thank you! I’ll try it out this week. I’m so excited. Thank you T.
Thank you! I hope these turn out amazing for you, Ting Ting! xTieghan
Tieghan, these look delicious! Where do you find the wonton wrappers? I’ve looked a few places in Orlando (Florida) and have been unable to find any- I also struggle to find soba noodles that are featured in some of your other dishes as well. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Hope you and the family are doing well! Best, Marybeth Harter-Schultz
Hey Marybeth,
I get my wonton wrappers from Whole Foods or Kroger. You can try checking online for items that you can’t find at your local grocery store. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I was wondering what a good side would be too. I looked around and decided on an Asian carrot and cucumber salad! Something refreshing and tasty. You could also do a fried rice dish or something. 😀
Yum! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
YUM!?
Thank you Johanna! xTieghan
I LOVE potstickers and dumplings for dinner but can
Never figure out a good side dish to go with them. Any suggestions??
Hey Kim,
My family loves white rice or fried rice as a side. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan