Gyoza Recipe

Prepare workspace

Lightly dust your work surface with 1-2 tsp cornstarch or flour to keep wrappers from sticking and place wrappers in a single stack covered with a damp towel so they don't dry out.

Keep a small bowl of 4 tsp water nearby to moisten wrapper edges for sealing.

Prepare cabbage

Thinly slice napa cabbage, then sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and let sit 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, squeeze out excess water using your hands or a clean kitchen towel until cabbage is mostly dry. This prevents a watery filling.

Prepare aromatics

Finely mince garlic and grate ginger (about 20 g). Thinly slice scallions, using both white and green parts.

Mix filling

In a large bowl, combine ground pork (500 g), squeezed cabbage (200 g), minced garlic (3 cloves), grated ginger, and sliced scallions (3 stalks). Add 1 tbs sesame oil, 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs mirin (optional), 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp white or black pepper. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or clean hands until the mixture becomes slightly sticky and well combined (about 1-2 minutes). Taste a tiny bit by cooking a small pinch in a skillet and adjust seasoning if needed.

Portion filling

Divide the filling into 40 equal portions (about 1 to 1.5 tsp per wrapper). Keep the filling covered and refrigerated if not using immediately.

Fill and fold gyoza

Place one wrapper on your palm or the work surface. Put about 1 tsp of filling near the center. Moisten the edge of the wrapper with a little water (using your fingertip). Fold the wrapper in half over the filling to form a half-moon and press to seal at one point. Starting at one end, make 3-4 small pleats on one side, pressing each pleat firmly to seal against the flat side so you have a sealed ridged edge and a smooth round bottom. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Keep finished dumplings covered with a slightly damp towel to prevent drying.

Preheat pan

Heat a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs neutral oil and swirl to coat the bottom.

Pan-fry gyoza

Arrange gyoza in the pan flat-side down in a single layer, leaving a little space between each (work in batches if necessary). Fry 2-3 minutes without moving until bottoms are golden brown.

Steam gyoza

Carefully pour 120 ml (about 1/2 cup) water into the pan — it will sizzle and create steam. Immediately cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat to medium and steam for 4-6 minutes or until the water has mostly evaporated and wrappers are cooked through. Remove lid and continue cooking 1 minute to crisp the bottoms again. If you like a thin crispy skirt (optional), mix 1 tbs flour with 3 tbs water, pour around gyoza after initial frying, then cover and steam as above; when the liquid finishes, the starch will set into a lacy skirt.

Finish

Drizzle 1 tsp toasted sesame oil over the cooked gyoza (optional) and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if desired. Transfer to a serving plate.

Combine 3 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs rice vinegar, 1 tsp chili oil (optional), 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 tbs finely chopped scallion in a small bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust balance of salty/tangy/spicy to your preference.