Gyoza Fried Recipe

Prepare cabbage

Finely shred the cabbage and place it in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, toss, and let sit for 5 minutes. After resting, squeeze out excess moisture firmly with your hands or a towel so the filling won’t be watery.

Aromatics

Mince the garlic and grate the ginger. Thinly slice the green onion (white and light green parts only).

Make filling

In a mixing bowl combine the ground pork, squeezed cabbage, minced garlic, grated ginger, sliced green onion, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Mix thoroughly with a spatula or chopstick in one direction until the mixture is slightly sticky (about 1–2 minutes). This helps the filling bind.

Assemble gyoza

Place a gyoza wrapper on your palm or a flat surface. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each wrapper (you will have enough for 12 wrappers). Wet the outer rim of the wrapper lightly with water using your fingertip. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling to form a half-moon. Starting at one end, make 3 small pleats along the edge, pressing each pleat to seal. Ensure the gyoza are tightly sealed with no gaps. Repeat until all gyoza are filled (makes roughly 12; you can fry 3 at a time).

Heat the pan

Place a nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons neutral oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Let the oil heat until shimmering but not smoking (about 1 minute).

Pan-fry gyoza

Arrange 3 gyoza flat-side down in the skillet with small gaps between them. Cook undisturbed for 1.5–2 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown.

Steam to cook through

Carefully pour about 80 ml (1/3 cup) water into the pan — it may sputter — then immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat to medium and steam for 4–5 minutes until the water has mostly evaporated and the filling is cooked through (internal temperature of pork should reach 71°C / 160°F).

Crisp the bottoms

Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 1–1.5 minutes to evaporate residual moisture and re-crisp the bottoms. If the bottoms need more color, increase heat to medium-high for the last 20–30 seconds while watching carefully to avoid burning.

Serve

Use a spatula to lift the gyoza from the pan and transfer to a plate, crispy side up. Repeat frying batches for the remaining gyoza, adding a little more oil if the pan looks dry.

Mix 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon chili oil in a small bowl. Taste and adjust ratios to preference. Serve alongside the hot gyoza.