Sandwiches & Handhelds · East Asian

Gyoza

Name: Gyoza
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 8 oz pork (ground, not lean); 6 oz napa cabbage (finely chopped); ¾ tsp salt; 3 tbsp scallion (thinly sliced); 2 clove garlic (minced); 1 tbsp ginger (grated); 1 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tsp sesame oil; 1 tbsp sake; ½ tsp sugar; 1 tsp cornstarch; 24 unit gyoza wrappers; 100 ml water (for sealing and for steam); 1 tbsp vegetable oil

14 ingredients · 60 minutes · 2 servings

Cook Now

698kcal41.7g protein28.9g fat64.6g carbs~$2.42/ serving*

Contains: gluten, sesame, soy

Ingredients

Servings:

8 oz	pork (ground, not lean)
6 oz	napa cabbage (finely chopped)
¾ tsp	salt
3 tbsp	scallion (thinly sliced)
2 clove	garlic (minced)
1 tbsp	ginger (grated)
1 tbsp	soy sauce
2 tsp	sesame oil
1 tbsp	sake
½ tsp	sugar
1 tsp	cornstarch
24 unit	gyoza wrappers
100 ml	water (for sealing and for steam)
1 tbsp	vegetable oil
2 tbsp	vinegar (rice, for dipping)optional
2 tbsp	soy sauce (for dipping)optional
1 tsp	chili oiloptional
¼ tsp	black pepperoptional
1 tsp	flour (slurried into the steaming water for a lace skirt)optional

Method

season20 min
room temperature, in a colander
chopped napa cabbage + salt, tossed and left to weep, then squeezed hard in both hands until it stops dripping — this water has to leave now or it leaves later, inside the wrapper, where it turns the filling into a slurry and steams the seam apart
mix4 min
one direction, vigorous
pork + soy sauce + sake + sesame oil + sugar + cornstarch, stirred hard in a single direction until the meat turns tacky and clings to the spoon; that stickiness is myosin drawn out of the muscle, and it is the only thing holding the filling together as a ball rather than crumbs
fold3 min
+ squeezed cabbage + scallion + garlic + ginger, folded in gently so the aromatics stay in pockets rather than dissolving = filling
fold20 min
work in batches, keep the stack covered
wrapper + 2 tsp filling, rim wetted with a fingertip of water, folded shut and pleated along the near edge only — the pleats gather the front face so the dumpling sits up with a flat bottom, which is the whole reason it can be fried and steamed in one position. Overfilling is the common failure: the seam bursts under steam pressure and the filling scorches into the pan
fry3 min
medium-high, flat bottoms down, uncovered
vegetable oil + gyoza arranged in a tight single ring, untouched until the underside is set and golden — brown here, before any water enters, or the crust never forms at all
steam7 min
lid on, medium, 80 ml water added all at once
+ water poured down the pan side, then the lid on immediately — the water hits the hot oil and flashes to steam that cooks the pork through and hydrates the top of the wrapper from translucent-dry to glossy. Lift the lid early and the tops stay chalky and raw-tasting
fry3 min
lid off, medium-high, until the pan goes silent
uncovered, until every drop of water has boiled off and the sizzle turns dry and sharp — the crust re-crisps in the residual oil, and the dumplings release themselves from the pan when they are ready. Serve fried side up with vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil