How to Make Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings) at Home
Gyoza is the Japanese take on dumplings inspired by the Chinese version jiaozi (餃子). It is a popular food in Japan, made by wrapping a mixture of ground pork, cabbage, chives, or other ingredients inside a thinly rolled piece of dough. Gyoza can be pan-fried, boiled, steamed, or even deep-fried and is usually served with a soy-based dipping sauce.
Originating in China, gyoza was introduced to Japan during the Edo period (1603-1867). In China, boiled gyoza is the most common way to cook gyoza, whereas in Japan, yaki-gyoza, or pan-fried gyoza is the most popular way to enjoy gyoza. The reason why preparation styles may differ is that in China, people like to boil a lot of gyoza at once and eat it as a main dish, while in Japan, gyoza is often eaten as a side dish with rice.
Common filling ingredients for gyoza include chives, cabbage, napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Minced pork is the most common ground meat of choice, but some restaurants or households may mix in minced chicken. You can use any of these ingredients or your favorite ingredients to make the filling for gyoza.
Gyoza is usually served at Japanese ramen stores and Chinese restaurants. They are often sold at street food events and festivals too. Frozen, pre-made gyoza is also sold in almost every grocery and convenience store in Japan, but homemade gyoza is always the best.
Making gyoza at home is a great activity to involve your family in, as everyone can help to wrap the gyoza and make their iconic shape. You can buy pre-made gyoza wrappers in the refrigerated section in Asian grocery stores, but making the wrappers from scratch makes the gyoza extra special. Another great thing about gyoza is that it is super freezer friendly. You can pre-make many gyoza ahead of time, store them in the freezer, and then fry them up whenever you want.
In this recipe, we’ll show you how to make delicious gyoza at home. We already have a recipe for gyoza wrappers, which you can check for here if you’re interested, or use pre-made wrappers from the grocery store.
Get your whole family involved in the kitchen and enjoy making gyoza together!
Overview
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Total servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
- 20 Gyoza Wrappers (homemade or store-bought)
- 150g Ground Pork (or ground protein of choice)
- 150g Cabbage
- 1/2 Package of Chinese Chives (Nira, about 30g)
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Sake
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Grated Ginger
- 1 tsp Grated Garlic
- 2 tsp Potato Starch
- 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil (for pan frying)
Expert's Tip
If you're looking for a sauce to pair your gyoza with, check out this gyoza dipping sauce from Mizkan. This sauce contains the perfect balance of soy sauce, vinegar, and spices, so it will make your experience eating gyoza fun and easy!
Instructions
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1) Gathering the Ingredients
Gather the ingredients together.
Note: the flour included in this photo is for the gyoza wrappers. It is not needed for the filling portion of the recipe.
2) Chopping the Vegetables
Chop the cabbage and Chinese chives into small pieces using a knife or food processor. You want to chop them as finely as possible so that they distribute evenly into the filling.
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3) Making the Filling
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, vegetables, and seasonings listed except for the sesame oil. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix the ingredients together until well combined and a little sticky. After mixing, allow the filling to rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
4) Shaping the Gyoza
Take a gyoza wrapper and place it in the palm of your hand. Take about a tablespoon of the gyoza filling and place it slightly towards the upper half of the wrapper. Pinch the ends of the wrapper together, using your thumb and forefinger. Start with folding the ends together, and creating pleats as you close the gyoza. It is easiest to put a little pressure on the wrapper with your middle finger, to ensure that the filling does not ooze out of the gyoza. If you find difficulty folding the gyoza, you can try using a little less filling at first.
5) Pan-frying the Gyoza
Place the gyoza into a hot frying pan with some cooking oil. Cook over medium heat for about 1 minute, or until the bottoms of the gyoza become a bit golden brown, then add 100ml water and cover the gyoza. Steam them for about 3-4 minutes or until the water has almost fully evaporated. At this point, you want to remove the lid and add a bit of sesame oil (about 1 tbsp per 10 gyoza), to finish browning the bottoms.
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6) Serving the Gyoza
Plate your gyoza and serve them alongside a dipping sauce made of soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil. Enjoy!
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