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….
These look great. A quick question- I don’t eat pork, is chicken an okay substitute?
YES it is!! I’ve made it with chicken before!!! 🙂
Hello, this recipe looks awesome and easy! Thank you for sharing! Can I freeze assembled gyoza and cook them later?
HMM – you know, I’ve never tried that! I’ll ask my MUM to answer you seeing as it’s her recipe!!! Mum??
Hi Tomi,
Yes, you can freeze Gyoza and cook them later.
When freezing them, please make sure that each gyoza piece is individually frozen, ie. not piled up.
To cook, follow the directions as per the recipe except that (1) you cook frozen gyoza (do not thaw them), (2) place each piece without overlapping, (3) water should be about 1/3 of the gyoza height.
Good luck and I hope you enjoy gyoza!
Hey mum! I don’t understand this! Do you mean in individual layers? Can they be slightly overlapped like on the tray in the video?? To stack them, is it best to put a piece of cling wrap or baking paper between??
No overlap at all. Individual piece should not touch other piece.
When freezing, you can in deed place a piece of cling wrap or baking paper as long as you can separate each piece as you need to cook them without touching each other.
What a pain! So basically, they are better made fresh? Can’t we sprinkle cornflour to stop them from sticking in the freezer??
Great tutorial, Nagi! And the gyozas look truly yummy! And nothing like home made ones… especially by mom!!
Love this post Nagi! So lovely.
I don’t know what I’m more excited about – a plate full of genuine gyoza or your Mum’s blog!
Yummm Nagisan, I agree with you. homemade Gyoza is always better than take away and restaurants.It’s always the best when mom makes the gyoza!! We often make them too and it is a fun family activity to wrap them up together. My daughter can now wrap up too and she always tries to compare how nicely she wrapped hers up with mine haha
Oh my I can’t wait to make these. Maybe for Superbowl party.
Now THIS would be a seriously delish food for Super Bowl!!!!
I love the culture and family history around food. Thx for sharing.
Thanks Peter!! 🙂
How wonderful!! Mum is going to be staring in more Japanese food adventures. And I have to tell you, I all left feet when it comes to chopsticks. I cannot do anything with them to save my soul, so I made myself a promise that I was going to learn how to use them. I plan on using them for every dinner and that way I figure I’ll be able to eat half the food 🙁 since the rest will fall either on my lap or back on the plate. I love these noodles — can’t wait to make them. Thank you very much xxxooo.
Ba! Who needs chopsticks? Use your HANDS for these!!! 😉 It’s funny you say that, for me, the thing I am TERRIBLE at eating is pasta. I get it everywhere and I’m incapable of twirling the right amount on a fork, I always get way too much or too little on it!
You make this look easy! I’ll need to gather up the ingredients and the courage and try this myself. I love gyoza. Looking forward to your Mom’s blog. Tell her there are people that need her help! LOL
BA HA HA!! I will make sure she reads this! PS I need her help TOO!!!
OMG!!! I LOVE GYOZA!! and am a huge fan of your recipes!! so I am so excited to try this!!
In high school I was a exchange student in Japan and our host mom made gyoza for us all the time!! we loved it so much. I really hope your mom decides to put up a Japanese food blog!! I fell in love with Japanese food and culture while i was there and would love to try make authentic Japanese recipes at home myself :)!!!
SO COOL!!! I bet she made AWESOME gyoza! Homemade is always best 🙂 I’m so glad you love Japanese food so much – and THANK YOU FOR for your message because it puts extra pressure on my mum to start her food blog! Te he he!!! 😉
Another former exchange student to Japan and gyoza lover here! So very excited that your mum might start a blog. My entire family- siblings and all our kids – love Japanese food and cook it frequently including gyoza which we all crowd around the kitchen island to fold. It’s a fun tradition now. But no matter how many we make there are never enough! I will try your recipe as soon as possible.
Thank you for sharing that video. I have made gyoza in the past but haven’t mastered the fold. I think I will try them again this weekend after studying your video.
Count me in as one who is looking forward to your mom’s recipe blog.
Kristina
Oooh!!! Thank you for writing that Kristina, EXTRA pressure on my mom to not back out! Te he he!!! I do hope you give it a go, I promise, it isn’t hard once you get the hang of it. Even my Baby Hands can manage it! 🙂
What a lovely version of a favorite food! The only problem with gyoza dumplings is that my family and friends can eat them faster than I can prepare them!
I KNOW!!! That’s my problem too!!!
Nag every time I come here you make me smile. I look at your picture on the right side in the circle and I just can’t help it. Thanks for all the great recipes here and the ones the come via email. 🙂
Awww, thanks Jacquie! And it makes ME smile every time I get a message from readers, so thank you for reading and for taking the time to write this message! N x
Nagi! I love this post! Mom’s really do make the best food! It’s because that’s what we grew up with right? So our taste buds automatically go to that! And I LOOOVE gyoza! AS does the munchkin! We always order them in Japanese restaurants…but I SOOO want to make my own vegetarian ones 🙂 I LOOOVE that you convinced mom to become a blogger! Cuz you know we will religiously follow her!
Convinced?? More like guilted her into it!! BA HA HA!
This is one I am most definitely going to try. They look delicious and I think I will be able to make them after watching the video!
You can you can!! And you know what? When I was a kid and could do the pleats properly, it didn’t matter! They are still YUM!! 🙂
Oh Nagi, I LOVE recipes like this – I always feel very honoured to have a family recipe shared with me. The best thing about these is that they seem fairly simple. I’m sure once I’ve watching the video I’ll be good to go!
As for your mum’s blog … oh my goodness, I can’t wait!!!!
SO GLAD you wrote that Helen, even more pressure on her! BA HA HA!!! 🙂