This Gyoza recipe is Japanese dumplings stuffed with cabbage, ground pork, garlic, ginger, and green onions, all pan-fried and steamed to perfection. I love to serve them with a simple three-ingredient dipping sauce. They are so much better than your local Japanese restaurant and so easy to make. Enjoy these delicious appetizers right in the comfort of your own kitchen tonight, or pop some in the freezer for easy entertaining.
How to make Japanese Gyoza Dumplings
First, add the chopped cabbage to a colander and sprinkle with a little salt. Stir to combine and let the colander sit in the sink for about 15 minutes. This will help draw any extra moisture out of the cabbage. Squeeze any excess water out.
Then in a large bowl, combine the cabbage, ground pork, garlic, green onions, and grated ginger. Gently combine with your hand. Now holding a pot sticker wrapper in the palm of your hand. Dip your index finger from your other hand in cold water and moisten the whole outer edge of the wrapper. Place 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center of the wrapper.
Now using your right hand (reverse if you are left-handed), start to fold the pot sticker in half, making pleats about every 1/2 inch as you pinch to seal the dumpling. Place them on parchment-covered baking sheets as you go. I like to flash freeze these to keep the dough from drying out and to save half the batch for another time.
Heat a little oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add some of the dumplings to the hot oil flat side down in a single layer, leaving space between them. Pan fry until they are golden brown on the flat side, then add a small amount of water and cover with a lid. The steam will cook the filling and create the perfect texture. The gyoza will be crispy pan-fried on one side and steamed tender on the other side. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil. Serve the dipping sauce with the warm dumplings.
Recipe Notes
- Chop the cabbage and green onions fine. After all, a dumpling is only a little over 3 inches long.
- Moisten a paper towel with cold water (squeezing out the excess) and place it over the dumplings or wonton wrappers that you are not working with at the moment. This keeps them from drying out and prolongs flexibility.
- The sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
- You may want to double the sauce ingredients if cooking all the dumplings at once.
- Flash freeze the dumplings by placing them on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet without touching each other to keep them from sticking. Then place the sheet in the freezer on a level area for about 2 hours or until they are frozen solid. Move the dumplings to a heavy-duty freezer bag.
- Freeze for up to 2 months. Take as many or as few as you want from the freezer bag and cook from frozen just as directed in the recipe.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Sometimes dumpling wrappers or potsticker wrappers are difficult to find. You can purchase wonton wrappers and modify them. Using a lid from something in the kitchen that is about 3 inches wide as a guide, cut the wontons into a circular shape with a sharp paring knife. This works out well for Gyoza because they are traditionally made with a thinner wrap than a pot sticker wrap. Wonton wrappers are slightly thinner than pot sticker wrappers.
More appetizer recipes to try!
Gyoza (Japanese Dumplings)
Ingredients
Gyoza
- 2 cups green cabbage very finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 3 finely chopped green onions
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ginger paste
- 40-50 potsticker wrappers or gyoza wrappers see notes
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup water per batch
- Sauce
- 3 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Add the chopped cabbage to a colander and sprinkle with salt. Stir to combine and let the colander sit in the sink for about 15 minutes. Squeeze out any excess moisture.
- In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, ground pork, garlic, green onions, and grated ginger. Gently combine with your hand.
- Holding a pot sticker wrapper in the palm of your hand. Dip your index finger from your other hand in cold water and moisten the whole outer edge of the wrapper. Place 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center of the wrapper.
- Using your right hand (reverse if you are left-handed), start to fold the pot sticker in half, making pleats about every 1/2 inch as you seal the dumpling. Place them on parchment-covered baking sheets as you make them.
- Heat a little oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add some of the dumplings to the hot oil flat side down in a single layer, leaving space between them. Pan fry until they are golden brown on the flat side, then add a 1/4 cup of water and cover with a lid. Steam for 3 minutes or until the water evaporates.
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil. Serve the sauce with the warm dumplings.
Notes
- Chop the cabbage and green onions fine. After all, a dumpling is only a little over 3 inches long.
- Moisten a paper towel with cold water (squeezing out the excess) and place it over the dumplings or wonton wrappers that you are not working with at the moment. This keeps them from drying out and prolongs flexibility.
- The sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
- You may want to double the sauce ingredients if cooking all the dumplings at once.
- Flash freeze the dumplings by placing them on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet without touching each other to keep them from sticking. Then place the sheet in the freezer on a level area for about 2 hours or until they are frozen solid. Move the dumplings to a heavy-duty freezer bag.
- Freeze for up to 2 months. Take as many or as few as you want from the freezer bag and cook from frozen just as directed in the recipe.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
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Lynndee
I love gyoza. I ordered some from a restaurant here before and they were so good. I may have to try your recipe sometime.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lynndee! Enjoy!
Karen Coats
We’ve had these Japanese dumplings before and we LOVED THEM…They’re delicious. I am going to try making them for my holiday party. Can I freeze them?
Beth Pierce
Yes! Freeze for up to 2 months. It is best to flash freeze the so they don’t stick together. Cook from frozen as directed in the recipe.
Jenny D.
I absolutley love dumplings with a good dipping sauce! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Harriet Y
This gyoza recipe was pretty wonderful. My guests enjoyed every last one of them and I liked making them!
Tammy
I have never had Japanese dumplings before now! These are wonderful. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Beth Pierce
These are wonderful!
Treva
These sound amazing! But does the pork need to be cooked first?
Beth Pierce
No it does not. It will cook in the pan When you cook the gyoza!
Krystle
I can’t believe I made homemade dumplings. These little things are so tasty!
Catalina
I would like to have a huge bowl of these dumplings! They look irresistible!
Rachna
These look so delicious. I am going to use tofu in place of pork and make these. Absolutely cracker of a recipe.
Sharon
It was my first time trying dumplings and this recipe worked perfectly! Thanks for the tip about finely chopping the cabbage and onions. They were super delish!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Sharon! So glad that you enjoyed them!
Tara
One of my most favorite foods when we go out to eat Japanese is Gyoza! They are so flavorful and perfect for dipping. Glad to have found an easy way to make at home. Thank you!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Tara! Enjoy!
Kris
This was such a fun recipe! Tasty, too! 🙂
Sara Welch
I always have to order these when eating out and am so excited to enjoy these at home from now on! Turned out perfectly easy and delicious; way better than take out!
Sandra
I really enjoyed making and eating this!! SO delicious!
Erik
Amazing flavor and so crispy!
Erin
It was a huge hit on our table. Thanks for the great recipe.