Finely shred the cabbage and place it in a bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, toss, and let sit 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture in a clean towel or between your hands to avoid a soggy filling.

Mix filling

In a medium bowl combine the drained cabbage, ground chicken, grated carrot, sliced scallions, grated ginger, minced garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin, salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Mix with a fork or chop repeatedly with a spatula until ingredients are evenly incorporated and slightly sticky, about 1–2 minutes. Taste a small bit (cook if uncertain) and adjust seasoning.

Gyoza Wrappers & Assembly

Set up assembly station

Arrange wrappers on a lightly floured surface with a small bowl of water for sealing and a spoon or small scoop for filling. Keep a damp towel over unused wrappers to prevent drying.

Fill wrappers

Place about 1 teaspoon (roughly 5–7 g) of filling in the center of each wrapper. Do not overfill; leave edge clear for sealing.

Seal and pleat

Dip your finger in water and moisten half the wrapper edge. Fold wrapper in half over the filling and gently press to seal in the center. Create 4–6 small pleats along the sealed edge by folding small sections toward the center and pressing to seal firmly, forming a crescent-shaped gyoza. Repeat until all filling is used (yields ~40 small gyoza).

Cooking

Pan-fry and steam

Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and swirl to coat. When oil is hot, arrange gyoza flat-side down in a single layer without crowding (cook in batches as needed). Fry until bottoms are golden brown, about 2–3 minutes.

Steam to finish

Carefully pour 1/2 cup water into the pan (it will sizzle). Immediately cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce heat to medium. Steam for 4–5 minutes until wrappers are translucent and filling is cooked through (internal temp of chicken should reach 74°C / 165°F).

Crisp bottoms

Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high to evaporate remaining water, letting the bottoms re-crisp for 1 minute. Use a spatula to transfer gyoza to a serving plate, browned side up.

Dipping Sauce (Golden Gardens Style)

Whisk together 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional), and 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds in a small bowl. Adjust honey for sweetness or vinegar for acidity to taste. Serve alongside hot gyoza.

Serving & Make-ahead

Serve gyoza immediately with dipping sauce. To make ahead: freeze arranged uncooked gyoza on a tray for 1 hour then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Cook from frozen by adding an extra 1–2 minutes to the steaming step and an additional minute to re-crisp bottoms.