Cabbage Dumpling Skillet

Name: Cabbage Dumpling Skillet
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 package (20 ounces) frozen pot stickers or dumplings; 3 cups shredded green cabbage; 2 tablespoons sesame oil; 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon sriracha or chili garlic sauce; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger; 2 green onions, sliced; Sesame seeds, for serving

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

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Frozen dumplings are one of the better pieces of evidence that dinner does not have to begin with ambition. In this skillet, they go straight from the freezer into hot sesame oil and sit undisturbed until the bottoms turn golden and crisp. Then a splash of water and a lid finish them with steam. That two-step method gives you the thing dumplings are supposed to have: a crisp bottom and a tender wrapper, not twelve beige pillows sweating quietly in a pan.

Once the dumplings come out, shredded cabbage goes into the same skillet for a quick stir-fry so it keeps some bite. Garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha turn the cabbage into more than filler, and the dumplings return just long enough to get coated without losing every bit of their crust. Green onions and sesame seeds finish it. The entire dinner is basically one smart use of the same pan: crisp, steam, stir-fry, toss. It is also a useful reminder that the bag of frozen pot stickers has been in your freezer this whole time behaving like an emergency meal fund.

Prep20 minutes

Cook25 minutes

Total45 minutes

Serves4 servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

1 package (20 ounces) frozen pot stickers or dumplings
3 cups shredded green cabbage
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sriracha or chili garlic sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 green onions, sliced
Sesame seeds, for serving

Instructions

1Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add frozen dumplings in a single layer and cook 3 to 4 minutes without touching until the bottoms are golden and crispy.
2Flip the dumplings, add 1/3 cup water, and cover. Steam 4 minutes until cooked through. Remove dumplings to a plate.
3In the same skillet, add cabbage and stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes until slightly wilted but still has crunch.
4Add garlic and ginger. Cook 30 seconds.
5Whisk soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha together. Pour over the cabbage. Return dumplings to the skillet and toss gently.
6Serve topped with green onions and sesame seeds.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 4 servings.

380Calories

13 gProtein

50 gCarbohydrates

16 gTotal Fat

3 gSaturated Fat

6 gFiber

8 gTotal Sugars

1470 mgSodium

28 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Don't thaw the dumplings — they crisp better when cooked from frozen in hot oil.
Let the dumplings sit undisturbed for the first few minutes. Moving them prevents the crispy bottom from forming.
The cabbage should still have some bite — overcooked cabbage turns into a sad, limp pile.

Substitutions

frozen pot stickers → frozen wontons or gyoza Any frozen dumpling works. Adjust cook time based on size.

green cabbage → napa cabbage for a softer texture Napa wilts faster — add it after the garlic, not before.

sesame oil → vegetable oil plus a drizzle of toasted sesame oil at the end Toasted sesame oil can burn at high heat. This method keeps the flavor.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate for up to 2 days. The dumplings lose their crispiness but still taste good reheated in a hot skillet.

Make Ahead

Shred the cabbage and mix the sauce ahead. Cook everything fresh — this takes 15 minutes from start to plate.

Freezing

I would not freeze the finished skillet. The dumplings are already designed to cook from frozen, while the cooked cabbage loses its remaining crunch after freezing and reheating. Keep the frozen dumplings frozen and make the cabbage portion fresh.

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