Name: How to Make Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings) at Home
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japanese
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)

How to Make Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings) at Home-Japanese Taste

Dumpling Freezer-friendly Make ahead Main or side dish Party Food

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

How to Make Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings) at Home

If you're looking for a sauce to pair with your gyoza, check out this gyoza dipping sauce from Mizkan. This sauce contains the perfect balance of soy sauce, vinegar, and spices, making your gyoza-eating experience fun and easy!

Instructions

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.

1 / 2

2) Finely Chopping the Vegetables

Chop the cabbage and Chinese chives into small pieces using a knife or food processor. Chop them as finely as possible to ensure even distribution in the filling.

1 / 2

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 slightly sticky. After mixing, cover the filling and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.

1 / 4

4) Shaping the Gyoza

Take a gyoza wrapper and place it in the palm of your hand. Spoon about a tablespoon of the gyoza filling onto the upper half of the wrapper. Pinch the ends of the wrapper together using your thumb and forefinger. Begin by folding the ends together and create pleats as you close the gyoza. Apply gentle pressure with your middle finger to ensure the filling stays inside the gyoza. If you find it difficult to fold the gyoza, try using a little less filling at first.

1 / 5

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 slightly golden brown. Then, add 100ml of water and cover the gyoza. Steam them for about 3-4 minutes, or until the water has almost fully evaporated. At this point, remove the lid and add a bit of sesame oil (about 1 tbsp per 10 gyoza) to finish browning the bottoms.