Are Potstickers Healthy? The Surprising Truth

November 10, 2025 •

4 min read

According to nutrition data, a typical serving of pork and vegetable potstickers contains a balanced mix of carbs, protein, and fat. So, are potstickers healthy? The answer isn't a simple yes or no, but rather depends on their ingredients, cooking method, and accompanying sauces.

Quick Summary

Potstickers can be a healthy, balanced meal component depending on preparation. Key factors include lean protein or vegetable fillings, cooking methods like steaming or air frying, and mindful use of sauces to control sodium. Making them at home offers the most control over ingredients and nutrition.

Key Points

Ingredient Impact: The healthiness of potstickers is primarily determined by their filling; opt for lean meats like chicken or plant-based proteins, and plenty of vegetables to increase nutrients and fiber.
Cooking Method: Steaming, air frying, and boiling are significantly healthier than pan-frying, as they reduce added fat and calories.
Mind the Sauce: Dipping sauces, especially soy sauce, can be very high in sodium; choose a low-sodium version or make your own vinegar-based sauce to control salt intake.
DIY for Control: Making potstickers at home gives you complete control over the ingredients, allowing you to maximize vegetable content, choose lean proteins, and avoid excessive sodium and sugars.
Healthy Swaps: Consider alternative wrappers, such as thinly sliced vegetables, to make potstickers lower in carbs and gluten.
Nutrient-Dense Additions: Incorporate ingredients like ginger, garlic, and mushrooms for extra flavor and health benefits.
Balanced Approach: Enjoy potstickers in moderation and as part of a larger, balanced meal with fresh greens to keep them a healthy option.

The Core Components of a Potsticker

At its heart, a potsticker is a simple dumpling consisting of a wrapper and a filling. The nutrition of the final dish is directly tied to the ingredients chosen. The standard wrapper is made from a simple flour and water dough. Fillings often consist of a combination of protein and vegetables, traditionally ground pork and cabbage.

Common Potsticker Filling Ingredients

Protein: Ground pork, chicken, shrimp, or a plant-based alternative like tofu.
Vegetables: Napa cabbage, green onions, shiitake mushrooms, and grated carrots.
Seasonings: Soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.

How Cooking Methods Impact Health

Potstickers get their name from the traditional method of pan-frying and steaming, which gives them a crispy bottom and a tender top. However, this cooking technique, along with others, affects the overall nutritional profile.

Steaming

Steaming potstickers is the healthiest option, as it avoids adding extra oil. This method produces a soft, chewy wrapper and preserves the delicate flavors of the filling. Steamed dumplings are significantly lower in calories and fat compared to their pan-fried counterparts.

Pan-Frying

The classic potsticker method involves pan-frying the dumplings in a bit of oil before adding water and covering to steam. While this gives them their signature crispy texture, it also adds calories and fat from the oil. Using a non-stick pan and a minimal amount of a healthy oil like avocado oil can mitigate some of the added fat. The added oil can also increase the overall flavor profile, but it comes at a cost.

Air Frying

Using an air fryer offers a middle ground, providing a crispy exterior with significantly less oil than pan-frying. This method uses high-speed circulating hot air to cook the food, resulting in a similar crunchy texture to deep-frying but in a healthier way.

Boiling

Similar to steaming, boiling potstickers is a healthy, low-fat preparation method. This is less common for potstickers but is a popular method for other dumplings. The result is a soft, non-crispy wrapper.

The Problem with High-Sodium Sauces

One of the biggest nutritional drawbacks of both homemade and restaurant-style potstickers is the dipping sauce. A single tablespoon of standard soy sauce can provide a large percentage of your daily recommended sodium intake. High sodium intake can contribute to high blood pressure.

To reduce sodium intake, consider these options:

Use low-sodium soy sauce.
Make your own dipping sauce with a base of rice vinegar and a touch of sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.
Dilute your soy sauce with water or vinegar to lessen its saltiness.

Comparison of Cooking Methods


Cooking Method	Texture	Fat Content	Calorie Impact	Best For
Steamed	Soft, chewy, and tender	Low	Low	Weight management and delicate flavors
Pan-Fried	Crispy bottom with soft top	Moderate	Moderate to High	Classic potsticker texture and flavor
Air Fried	Evenly crispy all over	Low to Moderate	Low to Moderate	Healthier alternative to pan-frying
Boiled	Uniformly soft and tender	Very Low	Low	Soup applications and minimal fat intake

Making Potstickers Healthier at Home

Creating a healthier potsticker is easy when you control the ingredients yourself. Here are some practical tips:

Choose Leaner Proteins: Swap ground pork for leaner options like ground chicken, ground turkey, or shrimp. This reduces the overall fat content of the filling while still providing plenty of protein.
Maximize Vegetable Content: Increase the proportion of vegetables, such as napa cabbage, mushrooms, or carrots, relative to the meat. This adds fiber, vitamins, and minerals without a significant increase in calories.
Opt for a Healthy Cooking Method: As discussed, steaming, air frying, and boiling are excellent alternatives to pan-frying for a lower-fat version.
Control the Sauce: Reduce sodium by using low-sodium soy sauce or making a vinegar-based sauce.
Use Alternative Wrappers: For a low-carb alternative, some have experimented with using thinly sliced daikon radish or zucchini slices as wrappers instead of traditional dough.

The Role of Fillings and Sauces

The fillings and sauces play a critical role in determining the healthiness of potstickers. A potsticker with a lean protein or vegetable-only filling will be far healthier than one with a high-fat pork filling. The sauce can also add significant calories and sodium. For instance, a sweet and sour sauce can increase the sugar content, while a soy sauce-heavy dip will increase sodium. Choosing a homemade, low-sodium dipping sauce is a simple yet impactful way to improve the dish's nutritional value. Furthermore, including nutrient-dense ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, garlic, and ginger can provide additional health benefits such as anti-inflammatory properties.

Conclusion: A Balanced Approach to Enjoying Potstickers

In conclusion, whether potstickers are healthy is not about the dish itself but about the choices made in its creation and consumption. They can be a well-balanced, nutritious meal component, particularly when homemade with lean fillings, a healthy cooking method like steaming or air frying, and served with a low-sodium sauce. While restaurant versions can be higher in calories and sodium, with a balanced mindset and mindful choices, potstickers can be enjoyed as a part of a healthy diet.

For a deeper dive into homemade dumpling recipes and healthy swaps, check out this informative article on Healthy Nibbles by Lisa Lin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Restaurant potstickers can be high in calories, fat, and sodium, as they often use fatty meat fillings and high-sodium sauces. To make them healthier, ask for steamed instead of fried and use dipping sauce sparingly.

Use low-sodium soy sauce for both the filling and the dipping sauce. You can also make a homemade sauce using rice vinegar, a small amount of soy sauce, ginger, and garlic to control the salt content.

Steaming is the healthier cooking method as it requires no added oil, resulting in a lower-fat and lower-calorie dish. Pan-frying adds oil, which increases fat and calorie content.

Potstickers typically contain carb-heavy flour wrappers. For a low-carb alternative, you can make the filling and serve it in a lettuce wrap or use thinly sliced daikon radish or zucchini as a wrapper.

Ground chicken breast or turkey are excellent lean protein options for potsticker filling. Adding a small amount of fat, or mixing with fattier cuts like chicken thigh, can prevent the filling from becoming too dry.

The healthiness of frozen potstickers depends on the brand's ingredients, often containing moderate to high levels of sodium. Always check the nutrition label for sodium and opt for healthier cooking methods like air frying or steaming at home.

Yes, vegetarian potstickers can be very healthy by loading the filling with nutrient-dense vegetables like cabbage, mushrooms, and carrots, and using a plant-based protein like tofu. Use healthy cooking methods and watch the sodium in the sauce.