My sister in law recently sent me a photo of her toddler (my niece) slurping down a noodle from her serving of Potsticker Noodle Bowls, and if that doesn’t sell you on the deliciousness of this mouthwatering yet veggie packed dish, I don’t know what will!
Potsticker Noodle Bowls = all the flavor of potstickers in a slurpy, noodle bowl format. This easy, 30 minute dish is packed with craveable, lip-smacking flavor and is loved by adults and children alike — clearly!
Potstickers Turned into Noodle Bowls
I was first introduced to potstickers in Japan, where they’re called gyoza, when I was 19 years old spending the summer working as a camp counselor on a military base near Tokyo. I liked them so much I came home at the end of that summer resembling a potsticker — short and plump! That is to say, I ate potstickers like five times a week that summer and was thrilled to learn how to make them at home when my cravings continued back in the states.
Every couple of months my Mom and I would gather in one of our kitchens to whip up dozens and dozens of potstickers which we froze to pull out and steam at a moment’s notice.
I thought the fun was over after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease because wonton wrappers, which potstickers are wrapped in, are made with wheat flour which isn’t gluten free. Undeterred by my diagnosis, I decided to take the ingredients we normally stuffed inside wonton wrappers and turn them into a slurp-tastic noodle bowl instead.
Goodbye filling, folding and crimping dozens of individual potstickers — hello easy 30 minute meal. Can you say upgrade?!
Ingredients Needed
- Ground pork: The gyoza I ate in Japan were pork based, which is the flavor I prefer. You can use ground chicken instead.
- Stir fry noodles: I recommend Thai Kitchen Stir Fry Noodles which are thin vs wide. I don’t recommend linguini-width rice noodles as they take a long time to cook and the amount of sauce in the recipe is enough to cook the thin style rice noodles.
- Bagged coleslaw mix: An ENTIRE 14oz bag of coleslaw mix is stir fried in with the pork and noodles in this recipe! My Mom and I used to have to snip cabbage into teeny tiny pieces to fit inside the potsticker wrappers, so being able to pour the entire bag of coleslaw into the wok is a big time saver, not to mention it adds lots of nutrition to this dish.
- Aromatics: fresh garlic, green onions, and ginger paste add lots of fresh and punchy flavor to this recipe. I recommend Gourmet Gardens ginger paste.
- Low sodium gluten free Tamari: Gluten free Tamari seasons both the pork and sauce mixture – it’s essential to making Potsticker Noodles taste like actual potstickers! Be sure to use low/reduced sodium Tamari or the dish will be too salty. If you don’t need to eat gluten free you can use low sodium soy sauce instead.
- Low sodium chicken broth: Low sodium chicken broth helps build the base of the sauce which the noodles stir fry in.
- Rice vinegar: potstickers will often come with a Tamari + vinegar-based dipping sauce so a splash of rice vinegar in the stir fry sauce imparts a tiny bit of tang.
- Sesame oil: a splash of sesame oil lends depth of flavor. I LOVE sesame oil and include it in almost all my Asian-style dishes.
Updated Recipe
If you’re a long time reader you may recognize this recipe! As of April 2022 I updated the dish based on how I’ve adapted it over the years. Most notably, I removed the eggs as my daughter is allergic and I don’t think they make or break the dish even a little bit. That said, I included instructions for adding them in the Notes section of the recipe card below if that was an essential part of the dish to you.
Alrighty – fire up the stove and let’s get cooking!
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How to Make Potsticker Noodle Bowls
Start by preparing 8oz gluten free rice noodles according to package directions. I highly recommend Thai Kitchen Stir Fry Noodles which need to be boiled for 4-6 minutes then drained and rinsed under cold running water prior to adding to the hot wok.
I usually drop those into a pot of boiling water at the same time as I start cooking the ground pork.
Which is where we head next! Heat a wok or large, 12″ skillet over high heat then add ground pork that’s been seasoned with a pinch of white pepper (black pepper will also work) and gluten free Tamari then brown, breaking it up as it cooks.
Next add bagged coleslaw mix (I like the kind with carrots and red cabbage added to it) plus chopped green onions then stir fry until the cabbage has wilted and softened, 3-4 minutes. Add minced or pressed garlic then stir fry for another minute.
Last step is to add the drained and rinsed rice noodles plus a mixture of low sodium gluten free Tamari, low sodium chicken broth, rice vinegar, ginger paste (I like Gourmet Gardens), sesame oil, and a pinch of red chili pepper flakes if you’d like a little heat.
NOTE: be sure you’re using LOW SODIUM gluten free Tamari and chicken broth otherwise the dish will be too salty to eat.
Stir fry until the noodles are tender, 4-5 minutes, then let the wok cool off the heat for at least 10 minutes before scooping into bowls and serving. You really can taste all the flavors SO much better when its not piping hot. I hope you love this veggie and flavor packed, super easy spin on traditional potstickers! Enjoy!
More Slurpy Noodle Recipes
- Sesame Peanut Sauce Noodles
- Mongolian Beef Noodle Bowls
- Gluten Free Chicken Lo Mein
- Summer Roll Noodle Bowls with Peanut Sauce
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Potsticker Noodle Bowls
Description
Potsticker Noodles Bowls taste just like potstickers without the tedious sealing and steaming. This gluten free dinner recipe is ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1lb ground pork
- pinch white pepper or black pepper
- 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon low sodium gluten free Tamari, divided
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth OR water
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon ginger paste (Gourmet Gardens recommended)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- pinch red chili pepper flakes, optional
- 8oz stir fry rice noodles (Thai Kitchen brand recommended)
- 14oz bag coleslaw mix
- 1 bunch green onions, green parts chopped into 2" pieces, white and light green parts sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Directions
- Add pork to a mixing bowl with pepper and 1 Tablespoon gluten free Tamari then mix with your hands to combine and set aside.
- To a small mixing bowl add remaining 1/2 cup gluten free Tamari, chicken broth (or water), rice vinegar, ginger paste, sesame oil, and red chili pepper flakes, if using, then whisk with a fork to combine and set aside.
- Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. The Thai Kitchen brand I recommend instructs you to boil them for 4-6 minutes before draining and rinsing under cold running water - I like to boil the noodles until they’re al dente vs on the more firm side.
- While the noodles are boiling, heat a large wok or 12” skillet over high heat. Add pork mixture then brown, breaking it up as it cooks. Add coleslaw mix and green onions then stir fry until the coleslaw wilts and becomes tender, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic then stir fry for 1 more minute.
- Add the drained and rinsed noodles plus the sauce mixture into the wok then stir fry until the noodles are tender 4-5 minutes, turning the heat down slightly if the sauce begins to evaporate faster than the noodles are softening. If the sauce has been absorbed before the noodles are fully tender, add up to an additional 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth, and/or remove the wok from the heat and place a lid on top for several minutes to allow noodles to finish softening.
- Let dish cool for at least 10 minutes before scooping into bowls and serving - you’ll taste the flavors so much better when the food isn’t piping hot!
- Leave a comment and star rating if you loved the recipe! Thank you for considering!
Notes
- I recommend Thai Kitchen Stir Fry Noodles for this recipe, which are thin noodles. I don’t recommend linguini-thickness rice noodles.
- If you don’t need to eat gluten free, you can use soy sauce instead of gluten free Tamari. Dish will not be gluten free if using traditional soy sauce.
- Be sure to use low sodium gluten free Tamari/soy sauce AND low sodium chicken broth for this recipe. The dish will be too salty if you use regular.
- Recipe and photos updated April 2022. Original recipe included 2 whisked eggs added to a well made in the center of the wok after the pork and vegetables are cooked through. Scramble the eggs in the center then toss to combine with the pork and vegetables, and then add the noodles and sauce and continue with recipe as written.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
Hi Kristin! I’ve read your blog for a long time, and read it almost every day now that I have Celiac too – it’s made the past year much more bearable. The recipes, the travel tips, and your positive attitude make Celiac seem much more manageable and less like the longest season-that-shall-not-be-named ever. I think I’ve missed potstickers the most, and was relieved to know I’m not the only one when I saw this recipe! I made it Tuesday night and it totally hit the spot. I’m so glad to have a recipe I can go to when that potsticker craving hits. Thank you, thank you, and please keep doing what you’re doing! :)
I’m so sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but am glad the site and recipes can be a resource for you during this tough transitional time! If you have any recipe requests for food you are missing, let me know!!
I was so excited to try this recipe. The photos are amazing. Unfortunately, we found it to be just OK. The flavor was lacking. It just tasted like rice noodles tossed in soy sauce. Not sure what to add for more depth. Someone above suggested maybe sugar. Maybe? Anyway, just wanted to let you know. I’ve loved many of your previous recipes and I enjoy your blog!
I’m sorry to hear that, LeeAnne! I like my pot stickers really plain and wanted the recipe to taste different than my Asian Noodle Bowls (which includes a bit of sweetener,) but if you want to give the sauce a little more depth, you could definitely add a drizzle of honey and/or add more rice vinegar or fresh lime juice. I hope the next recipe you try is more to your liking!
I, too, love potstickers! Made this for myself today and it was so, so good. I’ll be taking it to work for lunch the rest of the week. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thank you so much for the feedback, Ann – I’m so glad you tried and loved the recipe!
I made this tonight, my twins are 5 and diagnosed with Celiac recently. (I’ve been missing the heck out of potstickers!) We thought it was good, I followed the recipe exactly, except used broccoli slaw from Trader Joes instead of Cole Slaw. I felt like it was missing something in the flavor… and the color was definitely way more pale than this pic. Do you think the broccoli absorbed the sauce more than cabbage would? (I don’t even see cabbage in your pretty pics here, I’m guessing the food was styled at least a little.) We ended up adding some honey to it and everyone enjoyed it more that way, otherwise all ingredients mimicked yours and were fresh, and ideas would be appreciated.
Not to be happy you have Celiac, but I followed you for a long time and then stopped as I was overwhelmed a while back with twins, etc. But when googling for GF meal ideas, I was so excited to come across your posts and felt comforted that you have Celiac and make such great food- I know I can trust your recipes. So, sorry you have had to make this crazy adjustment for Celiac disease, but it is probably a win for those of us in the same boat! (I am GF now in support of and to be safe for my kids). I am glad you have tackled this challenge and are creating great recipes that are gluten free!
Hi Jacquie! I’m so sorry to hear about your twins’ diagnosis, though I am glad you are finding safe recipes that work for your entire family here on the site! Broccoli would need more liquid to absorb and soften versus cabbage which wilts just from the heat of the wok, so that might be why your dish was a little lighter in color/on the dry side. Let me know if you guys ever have any recipe requests and I’d be happy to tackle them – I know what it’s like to miss out on your favorite foods!
OMG, this was amazing! I’m not a big fan of pot stickers, but something about this recipe called out to me. It was so good, I burned my mouth eating it out of the pan, then proceeded to wolf down two servings, and then eat the leftovers for my next few meals. I hadn’t even finished my first bowl, before I took a quick break to forward this recipe to my family. Hit it out of the park!
SO great to hear, Meg! Been there, done that burning my mouth on food I was too impatient to let cool before eating, too! ;)
I doubled this for my family of 8 tonight (my 6 kids are ages 3-9), and they loved it. Nothing left, and they’ve asked for it to go into the regular rotation. I forgot to get the cabbage so I used shredded carrots. For my portion I used zucchini noodles bc I can’t have any grains at all, including rice. It was very tasty. Thanks.
That’s a great swap, April! I’m so glad everyone loved the dish!
We tried these last night and they were wonderful. We love potstickers and this dish tasted pretty close to the real deal and much more filling. Great recipe.
So glad to hear it, Jenni! Yes, it’s nice to make a meal of those flavors, right?
Made the Potsticker Noodle Bowls the other night, it was amazing! Thank you for all the recipes, especially the gluten and dairy free. So helpful and fun. I think next time I make the Potsticker recipe, I will switch out the ground pork for turkey. Trying to keep the calorie count low. Thanks again, love your posts.
Looks great – I’m going to try and make it vegetarian w/ mushrooms instead of pork. But love the whole idea and interested in trying the rice noodles. Do you think I’d need to adjust the sauce/seasoning or anything?
I might leave out the Tablespoon of tamari used to season the pork, and just use salt and pepper instead!
Made this last night and it was very good but even with low sodium Tamari, it was a tad salty for us. Would you cut back on the amount used next time?
I would add a splash of water or chicken broth next time at the end!
Question: if I dont need the recipe to be GF, would you still suggest rice noodles or would another type of noodle taste better?
Nope, I would still recommend rice noodles – they’re awesome!
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This recipe is legit! Made it for dinner tonight and it was great.
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback, Jeremy!
Thanks for a great dinner idea! Just made it (with turkey) and I’m eating right now, so good? It’s a keeper! Maybe pinch of sugar would be a nice addition? Thx?
I was thinking the same thing! Also, we used ground chicken and it worked really well.
i thought a little sweetness would just put it over the top too!! what a great, inexpensive, quick, easy, tasty meal!!!
Thanks for a great dinner idea! Just made it and I’m eating right now, so good? It’s a keeper!
HyVee brand soy sauce is actually gluten free! It’s been the go to brand in our Celiac home.
This looks so good we are having it tonight, and praying that the three year old will at least try it. I was wondering how the leftovers hold up. I’m hoping it will be a Not Sad Desk Lunch for me tomorrow.
Hahaha! My 3 YO ate it up – I just cut the noodles really small for him!
OMG this looks amazing!!! I think I know what’s on the menu this weekend.
We moved back to the states from Japan last year and miss Japan (especially the food) so much! My husband was stationed at Yokosuka and my kiddos LOVED the camp adventure staff. They were so much fun, my kids still talk about their swim lessons! Cant wait to try this.
Awww, definitely made a couple trips to Yokosuka! I was at Camp Zama, right outside the Sobudaimae train station. Still miss it almost 15 years later!
I always love your asian inspired recipes, but this one really takes the cake, er bowl! What a fun idea