Gyoza Recipe

Prepare cabbage

Finely shred the napa cabbage and place it in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, toss, and let sit 10 minutes. After resting, squeeze out as much liquid as possible using your hands or a clean kitchen towel (measure roughly to remove most moisture).

Mince aromatics and scallions

Finely mince the garlic and grate or finely mince the ginger. Thinly slice the green onions. Combine garlic, ginger, and the white and light-green parts of the scallions in a bowl; reserve some dark-green slices for garnish and sauce.

Mix filling

In a large bowl, add the ground pork, squeezed cabbage, minced aromatics, soy sauce (2 tbs), sake (1 tbs) if using, sesame oil (1 tsp), cornstarch (1 tsp), vegetable oil (1 tsp), salt (1 tsp), and ground white pepper (1 tsp). Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula until the mixture becomes sticky and cohesive (about 1–2 minutes). Taste a small cooked pinch to adjust salt or soy if needed.

Set up an assembly station with wrappers on a lightly dusted surface or lined tray, a small bowl with 6 tsp water for sealing, and the filling nearby.

Place 1 wrapper in your non-dominant hand. Put about 1 heaping teaspoon (approximately 12–15 g) of filling in the center of the wrapper. Use your finger to wet the wrapper edge with water (a thin ring). Fold the wrapper in half over the filling to form a half-moon. Starting from one end, make 3–4 small pleats on one side while pressing firmly to seal each pleat to the flat side. Ensure there are no gaps and the dumpling is sealed. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling (makes about 28–30 gyoza). If not cooking immediately, place assembled gyoza on a tray lightly dusted with cornstarch and cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying.

Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Arrange gyoza in the pan flat-side down in a single layer with small gaps between them (work in batches if necessary).

Fry until the bottoms are golden brown, about 2–3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, quickly pour in 6 tbs water around the edges (it will steam and sputter), then immediately cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid to trap steam.

Steam for 4–5 minutes, or until the filling is cooked through and wrappers are translucent at the top. Remove the lid and continue cooking uncovered for 1–2 minutes to evaporate remaining water and re-crisp the bottoms.

Use a spatula to transfer gyoza to a plate, browned side up. Repeat with remaining gyoza, wiping the pan clean if there is excessive residue and adding more oil between batches as needed.

While cooking the last batch, mix the dipping sauce: in a small bowl combine 3 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs rice vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp chili oil (optional), and 1 tbsp finely chopped green onion. Stir to combine.

Serve hot gyoza with dipping sauce. Garnish with reserved dark-green scallion slices and an optional sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds or a few drops of extra chili oil.