This Japanese Gyoza recipe is my mothers’, and it’s a traditional, authentic recipe. Juicy on the inside, a golden brown and crispy base, these are made in a skillet and are one of my all time favourite Japanese dishes! Watch the recipe video and you’ll be a Gyoza-Wrapping-Master in no time.
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Though my brother, sister and I all know how to make Japanese food, it’s an unspoken rule that when it comes to Japanese food, that’s mum’s domain. So if any of us have a particular craving for a Japanese meal, we submit requests.
Sister: “Mum, can you make oden for us this weekend? Puh-lease??”
Brother: “Mum, we’re heading out to the harbour for New Years’ Eve fireworks. Can you make us some bento boxes?”
Me: “Mum, we haven’t had karaage in ages. I need some!”
And typically, she obliges. Though normally, her response to my request is firstly “Aren’t you on a diet?”, to which I always respond (defensively) with “I’m not going to have much!!“.
Gyoza is requested every couple of months or so – it’s a huge favorite in our family. Even though I’m perfectly capable of making it myself, as are my brother and sister, I don’t think any of us make it without mum present! It’s like some kind of unspoken tradition that mum makes the filling then one of us – sometimes all of us – gather to help wrap them.
Though you can find gyoza in many eating places in Japan, the most traditional place they are found is in ramen joints. A big bowl of steaming ramen and a side of gyoza. It’s so Japanese. Even though I can barely manage to get through an entire bowl of ramen myself, I always get gyoza.
And you know what? Without fail, every single time we order gyoza, whether here in Sydney or even in Japan, one of us always says “It’s not as good as mum’s”. 😉
The main thing you will find, especially outside of Japan, is that there is more cabbage used so the filling is less “meaty”, and there is very little garlic flavour. Don’t skimp on the meat!!! And definitely don’t skimp on the garlic flavour!!!
I am seriously in love with Gyoza. The crispy golden base and the steamed top. I also love the way it’s cooked – just in a skillet – no steamer required!
It’s honestly one of my all-time favorite foods. And I do get a little kick out of our tradition to gather and wrap the Gyoza together. 🙂
On another note……I think I may have bullied my mother into starting a Japanese food blog! WOO HOO!! I’ve been very sneaky, I totally guilt tripped her into it by saying it would be her legacy to us kids. And it’s actually very true that I have alarmingly few of her recipes in my collection.
I think it WORKED!!! I’m sooooo excited! All my favourite real proper Japanese recipes, all in one place! So watch this space…… – Nagi x
PS Traditionally, gyoza is served as part of a multi-course meal or as a side. But in my family, we make an enormous batch, enough to have just gyoza as a meal. That’s the way we roll!
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Japanese GYOZA (Dumplings)
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups green cabbage, very finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt, separated
- 1 lb / 500g ground pork (mince) (fattier the better)
- 1 cup garlic chives, finely chopped (Note 1)
- 1 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp ginger, grated
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch / corn flour
- 2 tsp soy sauce
Gyoza
- 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch) – for tray
- 40 – 45 round wonton (gyoza) wrappers (Gow Gee wrappers) – 1 1/2 packets (Note 2)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil (or other cooking oil)
Dipping Sauce
- Soy sauce
- Rice wine vinegar
- Chili oil (Rayu is Japanese chili oil)
Instructions
- Combine cabbage and 1/2 tsp salt in a small bowl, then set aside for 20 minutes to allow the cabbage to wilt slightly.
- Place remaining Filling ingredients (including remaining 1/2 tsp salt) in a large bowl. Squeeze out any excess water from the cabbage and add to the bowl.
- Use your hands to mix the Filling.
- Sprinkle a baking tray with 1 tsp of cornstarch / cornflour.
- Place 1 gyoza wrapper on your palm (left hand for right-handed people). Dip your finger in water and run it around the edge of half the gyoza wrapper (to seal).
- Place 1 slightly heaped tbsp of Filling on the wrapper. Fold wrapper over and use your right hand assisted by your left hand thumb to create 4 pleats. Press to seal and place on the tray. Repeat with remaining wrappers. (See video for demo)
To Cook
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet (that has a lid) over medium high heat.
- Place about 12 gyoza in rows, slightly overlapping each other. Cook until the underside is light golden, then pour 1/3 cup of water around the gyoza and place the lid on.
- Cook until the water has completely evaporated (so the golden underside is not wet and soggy) and the wrapper is slightly translucent on top – about 3 to 4 minutes. (See video)
- Use an egg flip to transfer onto a plate upside down i.e. golden side up.
- Serve with Dipping Sauce.
Dipping Sauce
- Serve each ingredient separately so people can mix according to their taste. I use about equal portions of soy sauce and vinegar with a generous splash of chili oil.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Drying off after a morning at the beach….
I made these tonight. They were delicious !!
I live in Florida and can I find thesevwrappers here locally. Can you use won ton wrappers?
I used won ton wrappers (from the fridge section at an American grocery store) and they worked fine!
Hi Gloria! Unfortunately it’s not quite the same, I don’t think they will pan fry. I will ask my mother!
Thanks Nagi! I love these 🙂 I cooked half then froze the rest. Great for a quick lunch and sooooo yummy!!! am going to make them again tomorrow, I can’t get enough! Love your recipes and your blog, so entertaining. Dozer is a spunk too 😉
xo0ox
That’s fantastic to hear Sharon! Thanks for leaving a review! N x ❤️
Thankyou and your Mom for sharing this recipe!! I made them last night and everyone loved them! I’m so glad I found your website, it’s awesome. 😀
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Amy, thanks for letting me know! N xx
What can I use instead of Rayu chilli oil or chilli oil I can’t find it anywhere
Hi Julie! Just use any chilli sauce you can find, mix it into the soy sauce for dipping 🙂 N xx
Thank you Nagi for this beautiful Gyoza recipe. It is really awesome. My whole family really enjoy this.
That’s so wonderful to hear JC! Thanks for letting me know – N xx
Can I please get the recipe for the chicken wings in the video? It wouldn’t let me click on it and get the recipe.
Hi Mary Lou! Here you go 🙂 https://salesdock.info/crispy-oven-baked-chicken-wings-honey-garlic-sauce/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Thank you so much for this! Ingredients we can find and this looks perfect so I can’t wait to try. This is one thing we miss so much from Japan. Gyoza, inexplicably wonderful rice, and maybe some zaru soba are my comfort foods now that I’ve lived there. Any more news on your mom’s food blog? I would follow!! Following you now too.
Gosh yes! Here it is – and she shows how to make Japanese rice and zaru soba! http://japan.recipetineats.com/
Yes!! Thank you!!
on the measurments are they tenth of or teaspoons or cups cant tell the way its written and i want to try this recipe it sounds better than mine love these
HI Dian! Which measurement are you struggling to read?? 🙂
hi Nagi, love your recipes 🙂 if i was to take these to a party, how would you reheat them?
thanks once again,
Hi Janet! If I could, I would reheat them lightly in a pan with a tiny splash of water (lid on), then the bottom recrisps up when the water evaporates. Otherwise microwave! N xx
They look fabulous but I am gluten free and I was wondering if they can be made with skins made out of rice flour and where would I find them?
Hi Linda and Brenda,
Gluten free gyoza wrappers don’t seem to be sold anywhere but you could make them with rice flour. All you need is rice flour, a bit of salt and water.
If you Google search on “dumpling wrappers”, you will find quite few recipes for home made wrappers. They use flour but you can replace it with rice flour. I have not tried this so I cannot tell if the quantity of water would be exactly the same to get the right consistency but from the blog photos, you may have to make a judgement.
The rice. flour wrappers will be whiter than those we used here but it should work.
Hi Linda, I’m afraid I don’t know, I’ve never seen them 🙁 N xx
I would like to know this too!!
I just made this today. They were oh so yummy. My gow wee wrappers were small and I ended up with more than 50 pieces. My fingers were sore from folding but they’re so worth it.
I love that your instructions are detail and thoughtful. You are now one of my fave food blogger!!!
Thanks for trying my recipe Ratih! Or I should say – my mother’s! So pleased you enjoyed it – N xx
Hi im making these today bit i cant find round wrappers so im going to ise the square ones is that ok ?
Give it a go! They won’t look the same but they will taste terrific! 🙂
I made a batch of these the other day, and my husband said they were the best he’s had ( excluding his mother’s) lol, he’s Japanese too! I thought I read somewhere that you can freeze them. I cooked all of mine and froze them, but I don’t know how to reheat them. Can you help? Thanks…Ann in Canada
HIGH PRAISE!!! Abolsutely you can freeze them (in the notes), place them in a single layer and only overlap the edges to the extent of a “batch” size that you expect to cook (because they will break if you need to separate them). Then cook from frozen!
We couldn’t find round in a hurry so using square wraps. Wish me luck!
Hi, here’s a way to get round wrappers: biscuit cutter! Works great. Kitchen shears will round the corners easily, too.
You don’t need luck! 😉
Hello..thank you so much for the recipe..i just made it and its so delicious..my friends just loved it🤗🤗🤗
I’m so pleased to hear that Anne! Thank you for letting me know – N x
Hi, I have now made the twice and I love them! I love the fact that I have almost mastered the folding and I found it quite peaceful doing (maybe because the kids leave me alone to make them so they can eat them!?)…but they are just divine. So thank you so much for sharing and for great and brilliant instructions! (Loved the video too!)
That’s SO GREAT to hear Kristy! Thanks for letting me know! N xx
OMG these are SO delicious! My folding technique needs some work, but my whole family devoured them. Directions were perfect. Thank you! Adding these to the rotation.
That’s so terrific to hear Dale! Thank you for letting me know – N xx
I love Gyoza. I get them at my favorite restaurant all the time, but the ones I usually get are the vegetable ones. If I wanted to make these without the pork, what other vegetables should go inside?
Hi Amanda! Wilted spinach, finely chopped rehydrated mushrooms are terrific because they are “wet” so they will make it easier to make the dumplings. 🙂
Loved the Gyoza’s. But you forgot to tell us how good they are and that you need to make twice as many so as the cook [me] gets to eat some also! Our kids ate them as fast as i could cook them! I substituted different ingredients with what i had and can’t wait to make more. Our kids loved them and so did we – for something that i thought would be tricky they really were quite simple. Thanks for great recipes!
Ba ha ha! I LOVE THAT!
Thanks, Nagi for bringing back a happy memory of my time in Japan. We would hit the ramen shops after work and, just like you, we would have gyoza and a steaming bowl of ramen. I can’t wait to try your mom’s recipe.
Can’t beat a big steaming bowl of ramen!!