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Gyoza are Japanese dumplings filled with moist and juicy ground pork and vegetables, steamed and pan-fried to crispy golden brown on the bottom.
What Is Gyoza
Gyoza is a type of Japanese dumplings, with juicy meat filling inside of dumpling wrappers.
Originating from Chinese jiaozi dumplings, they have become a mainstay of Japanese recipes. It’s very popular in and outside of Japan.
In the United States, you can find them at Japanese restaurants and Asian-themed restaurants.
They are often served as an appetizer, or part of a combo meal or in a bento box. For an extra burst of umami, consider adding a shoyu egg alongside your gyoza.
How To Cook Gyoza Dumplings
There are four ways of preparing the bite-sized dumplings: steamed, boiled, pan-fried and deep-fried.
I love them pan-fried, or yaki-gyoza in Japanese.
They are pan-fried to crispy golden brown at the bottom and then steamed. Every bite is soft yet crispy in texture.
Gyoza Sauce
You can serve gyoza without any dipping sauce, but for the best flavors, serve with a Ponzu-based (citrus soy sauce) dipping sauce.
The sauce completes the taste of these dumplings.
You can add toasted sesame oil to the sauce, making it aromatic and fragrant.
Additionally, you can add some sliced ginger strips to the sauce for an extra kick.
How To Wrap Gyoza
- First, place the filling (you can use pork, chicken or vegetables) in the middle of a wrapper. You can buy the wrappers from regular food stores or Asian food stores. They come in plastic packages like the picture below.
- Next, add water around the outer edges of the wrapper and fold it up into a half moon shape.
- Using your fingers, fold the wrapper opening into pleats and seal tight.
Practice makes perfect when it comes to the wrapping skill. If you are new to this, you may skip the pleats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically, there is no difference between the two as a lot of Japanese foods originated from Chinese food.
The former is usually made from thinner, smaller, and more delicate wrappers. The filling is more finely textured.
Potstickers are also usually bigger in size.
Yes, you can make and freeze them up to 3 months in advance.
Place them in a plastic bag and freeze in the freezer. Thaw to room temperature before cooking.
This recipe is only 186 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Gyoza
This meal is best served as an appetizer. For a wholesome Japanese meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Gyoza (The Best Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 1 packet store-bought gyoza wrapper
- oil, for pan-frying
- water, for steaming
Filling:
- 8 oz. ground pork
- 2 oz. cabbage, shredded and cut into small pieces
- 1 thumb-sized ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
- 1/2 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon sake
- 3 dashes white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped scallion, green part only
- 1 pinch salt
Gyoza Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons Japanese Ponzu
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients in the Filling and blend well. The Filling should be sticky and cohesive.
- To make Gyoza Sauce, combine the Ponzu with the sesame oil in a small dipping bowl. Stir to blend well.
- To assemble the gyoza, place a piece of the gyoza wrapper on your palm or a flat surface. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the Filling onto the center of the wrapper. Dip your index finger into some water and moisten the outer edges of the dumpling wrapper.
- Fold the gyoza over, press and seal the left end. Use your thumb and index finger to make a pleat. Pinch to secure tightly. Repeat the same to make the pleats. (Start with 3-4 pleats if you are a beginner). A nicely wrapped gyoza should have a crescent shape.
- Heat up the oil in a skillet or stir-fry pan over medium heat. Arrange the gyoza and cover with the lid. Pan-fry the gyoza until the bottoms turn golden brown and become crispy.
- Add about 1/4-inch water into the skillet or stir-fry pan and cover the lid immediately. The water should evaporate after a few minutes. Continue to cook the gyoza for a couple of minutes to crisp up the bottoms.
- Remove the gyoza from the skillet or stir-fry pan and serve immediately with the Gyoza Sauce.
Video
Notes
- To grate the ginger and garlic, you can use a Japanese grater (oroshigane) or Microplane.
- Get a good brand of gyoza wrappers. Gyoza wrappers are generally thicker compared to other dumpling wrapper. Most of them are round in shape, but some are oval-shaped.
- For easier assembling, I suggest the round-shaped gyoza wrappers. If you can’t find gyoza wrappes, you can always use pot sticker wrappers, or Chinese jiaozi wrappers.
- Traditionally, Japanese home cooks use their hands to mix the gyoza filling for the best texture. You can adapt this recipe and make vegetarian gyoza.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tried to do this but I can’t seem to do the wrapping right. It’s so hard to do the wrapping. The skin is hard to close it tight. But the taste is good. Hopefully I can wrap it nicely next time.
Practice makes perfect.
I’m reading through the comments and people mention a soup base to flavor the filling. I don’t see any mention of soup base in the recipe or the description. I plan on making these tonight and hope they turn out ok. Did the recipe change over the years to not include the soup base??
Yeah, I have changed the recipe and you can just use soy sauce!
I had the most amazing dumplings at a pop up restaurant in Brixton, London during the summer and have been craving them ever since. I have decided to make my own now and done hours of research and am going to try your recipe. All the unusual ingredients I have ordered from the Japan Centre in London and will let you know how it goes.
Thanks Dom, I am sure you will like my gyoza recipe.
Do I cook the pork before I mix the filling or do I let the pork cook in the gyoza when I fry it?
The filling should be raw. Once you pan-fry they will be cooked and become juicy inside the gyoza. :)
Great recipe! Thanks!
I’ve been cutting down on meats for ethical purposes and added more fresh veggies from my local supermarket. I chose to do this for ethical and environmental purposes because meat takes longer to grow than vegetables. This recipe still tastes just as good!
Thanks for your comment, such a great thinker you are! :)
These gyoza are so good! I have a question though, I put some in the freezer and now I’m not sure how to cook them. Do you just put them in the pan on medium heat and cook just like fresh ones?
You have to thaw them before cooking or the inside won’t get cooked. :)
Hi, i love this dumplin, i usually purchase potstickers at our local supermarket. I would like to try and make it myslef, is there a recipe for the dumplin wrapper?? We dont get this wrapper in our country (trinidad and tobago)… Thank you …
This looks absolutely delicious, and while I fully intend to make it with pork, my daughter is vegetarian and wouldn’t eat this recipe. My changes to make her happy would be to double the cabbage to 4 oz, add 2 oz of grated carrot, 2-4 oz of small dice mushrooms, a little grated onion, some finely chopped spinach, and maybe an oz of finely diced water chestnuts (I wouldn’t open a can just for this little bit but if I have some from another meal or could use the rest soon) as substitutions for the pork. I would also briefly stir fry this vegetarian filling version in a tsp or 2 of oil to cut moisture and volume a little prior to filling the dumplings
Sounds like a great idea. I love it.
I tend to make a mess when the water goes in cos the hot oil splashes out. Of course I quickly cover the lid otherwise I get burned. Is there another way?
That’s the only way…sorry.