Gyoza (Japanese Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings)
Local name: 餃子
In short: Crescent-shaped dumplings filled with pork, cabbage, garlic and ginger, fried until the bottoms are crisp, then steamed until juicy. It takes about 1 h 10 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 1 h 10 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 400 kcal
Gyoza are Japan's version of pan-fried pork dumplings, found next to ramen at casual restaurants and made at home in big batches. They are fried until the bottoms turn crisp and golden, then steamed so the wrapper is tender on top and the filling stays juicy. Garlic, ginger and cabbage give the filling its character, and salting the cabbage first keeps the dumplings from going soggy.
Instructions
- Toss the cabbage with 1 teaspoon of salt and leave for 10 minutes. Squeeze it hard in a clean towel to remove the water.
- Combine the pork, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sake, sesame oil, sugar and pepper in a bowl. Stir in one direction for about 1 minute until sticky, then mix in the cabbage and chives.
- Put about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Wet the edge of one half, fold over and pleat the front edge 5 or 6 times, pressing to seal. Stand the dumpling on a tray so its base is flat.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 28 cm (11 in) non-stick pan with a lid over medium heat. Arrange half the gyoza in a tight circle, flat side down, and fry for 2 minutes until the bases are golden.
- Pour in 60 ml (1/4 cup) of the water, cover at once and steam for 5 minutes, until the wrappers look translucent and the water is gone. The filling should reach 71°C (160°F).
- Take off the lid, drizzle in 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil and cook 1 to 2 minutes more until the bottoms are crisp. Slide onto a plate crisp side up, then repeat with the second batch.
- Mix the soy sauce and rice vinegar, add chili oil if you like, and serve with the hot gyoza.
Tips
- Freeze extra uncooked dumplings on a tray, then bag them. Cook from frozen with the same method, adding 2 extra minutes of steaming.
- Keep unused wrappers under a damp towel, because they dry out fast. If garlic chives are hard to find, use spring onion greens and an extra clove of garlic.
Questions and answers
Can I boil or deep-fry gyoza instead?
Yes. Boil them 4 to 5 minutes for suigyoza, served in soup, or deep-fry at 170°C (340°F) for 3 to 4 minutes for agegyoza. Pan-frying and steaming is the most common style.
Can I make gyoza ahead?
Assemble them up to 4 hours ahead and keep them on a floured tray in the fridge, loosely covered. For longer storage, freeze them in a single layer and cook straight from frozen.
How do gyoza differ from Chinese potstickers?
Gyoza wrappers are thinner, the filling leans on garlic and cabbage, and the dumplings are smaller, with a crisp base and a delicate top. Chinese jiaozi often have thicker skins and more varied fillings.
How long does it take to make Gyoza (Japanese Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings)?
About 1 h 10 min in total: 50 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Gyoza (Japanese Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings)?
About 400 kcal per serving, with 20 g of protein, 38 g of carbohydrates and 18 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 400 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 20 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Sodium | 1500 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
