Pork Fried Gyoza Potsticker Recipe

Prepare cabbage

Place shredded Napa cabbage into a bowl, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, toss, and let sit 10 minutes to draw out moisture. After resting, squeeze the cabbage firmly in a clean kitchen towel or between your hands to remove as much liquid as possible. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Combine aromatics

Add the finely chopped scallions (white + light-green), minced garlic, and grated ginger to the bowl with the squeezed cabbage.

Make pork mixture

Add the ground pork, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, and 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch to the bowl. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or by hand until the mixture becomes sticky and well combined (about 1–2 minutes). The cornstarch helps bind and keep the filling juicy.

Taste and adjust: pinch off a small portion and microwave or pan-fry a tiny patty to check seasoning, then adjust salt/soy if necessary. Return filling to the bowl and keep covered in the refrigerator while you prepare wrappers.

Set out a small bowl of cold water (about 4 tbs) for sealing and a tray dusted lightly with cornstarch or flour to place finished gyoza. Keep wrappers covered with a damp towel so they don't dry out.

To assemble each gyoza: hold one wrapper in your palm or on a flat surface. Place about 1 teaspoon to 1.5 teaspoons (roughly 12–15 g) of filling in the center — enough to fill without overstuffing. Dip a fingertip in the sealing water and moisten the outer edge of the wrapper.

Fold the wrapper in half over the filling and press at the top to seal. Create 3–4 small pleats along one side, pressing each pleat to the opposite flat edge to form a tight, pleated crescent (traditional gyoza shape). Place assembled gyoza on the prepared tray, pleated side up. Repeat until all wrappers are filled.

Cook in batches: heat a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add approximately 1/2 tablespoon of neutral oil and swirl to coat the pan for each batch (you will do 3–4 batches depending on pan size).

Arrange 8–10 gyoza in the pan flat side down with about 1/2 cm between them so bottoms touch the pan. Leave pleated tops facing up.

Pan-fry (crisp the bottoms): cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.

Add steaming liquid: carefully pour about 2–3 tablespoons of the 120 ml water per batch (roughly 30–40 ml / 2–3 tbs) into the pan — enough to cover the bottom but not submerge the gyoza — then immediately cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. The water will sizzle; this creates steam to cook the filling through.

Steam until water evaporates: reduce heat to medium and steam for 4–6 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and the wrappers look translucent and set.

Finish crisping: remove the lid and let the gyoza cook another 1–2 minutes so the bottoms re-crisp. Use a spatula to loosen and transfer the gyoza to a serving plate, bottom-side up.

Repeat frying/steaming with remaining gyoza, adding a little more oil if the pan becomes dry and using the remaining steaming water as needed.

While gyoza cook, whisk together 4 tbs soy sauce, 2 tbs rice vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp chili oil (if using), 1 tsp sugar, the 1 tbs thinly sliced scallion, and 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Adjust to taste (more vinegar for tang, more soy for salt).

Arrange gyoza on a platter. Drizzle the 1 tsp toasted sesame oil over the gyoza and scatter the remaining sliced scallion (2 tbs) on top for freshness and color.

Serve immediately with the dipping sauce on the side. Leftover cooked gyoza can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated in a skillet to re-crisp the bottoms.